WO2023276335A1 - Control device for controlling voice interface and thermal appliance equipped with such control device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a technique regarding control of a voice interface (I/F) for operating a thermal appliance by voice. This control device for controlling the voice I/F comprises: an input I/F for receiving an input signal from the outside; an arithmetic unit for determining, when the input signal is a voice signal, whether or not the voice signal indicates a prepared operation word; and an output I/F for outputting a control signal to the outside. Upon receiving a voice input signal from the input I/F and having determined that the signal indicates a predetermined operation word, the arithmetic unit outputs via the output I/F a control signal for requesting execution of a voice command corresponding to the predetermined operation word be confirmed. Upon receiving a second input signal via the input I/F subsequent to the transmission of the control signal and having determined that the second input signal is a confirmation response signal affirming the execution of the voice command, the arithmetic unit outputs via the output I/F a control signal for instructing the execution of the voice command.

Description

Controllers for controlling audio interfaces, and thermal appliances with such controllers

The present disclosure relates to a control device for controlling an audio interface, and a thermal appliance equipped with such a control device.

In recent years, with the progress of speech recognition and semantic analysis technology, terminals, devices, robots equipped with voice interfaces, and services using voice interfaces have increased dramatically. A voice interface is a user interface that allows a user to give an instruction (voice command) using voice to a device or the like, operate the device or the like according to the contents of the voice command, and obtain the output from the device. Therefore, voice interfaces are superior to conventional user interfaces represented by GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) in terms of operability and convenience.

Patent Document 1 discloses a heating cooker that recognizes voice and enables operation based on the character string of the recognition result. According to the technique of Patent Document 1, a technique is disclosed for recognizing a voice uttered by a user, switching to the next screen based on the result, and changing the control of the device.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-108183

When making it possible to operate a device that uses heat, such as a heating cooker, by voice, it is required to prevent unintentional operations by the user. More specifically, it is required to control the voice interface so that the heating state is not changed by a voice accidentally uttered by the user from a position where the cooker cannot be visually recognized. A change in the heating state here means a change in thermal power, such as starting heating, changing thermal power, or stopping heating.

The present disclosure provides a technology related to control of a voice interface for operating a thermal appliance such as a heating cooker by voice.

A control device according to one aspect of the present disclosure controls a voice interface for operating a thermal appliance by voice. The control device includes an input interface that receives an input signal from the outside, and if the input signal is a voice signal, determines whether the voice signal represents one of a plurality of prepared operation words. and an output interface for outputting control signals to the outside. The computing unit receives a voice signal as a first input signal from the input interface, and when determining that the voice signal represents a predetermined operation word among the plurality of operation words, executes a voice command corresponding to the predetermined operation word. A first control signal requesting confirmation is output via the output interface. The computing unit receives a second input signal via the input interface after transmitting the first control signal, and when determining that the second input signal is an acknowledgment signal confirming execution of the voice command, instructs execution of the voice command. and outputs a second control signal through the output interface.

A thermal device according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes the control device described above, one or more heating units that generate heat, a control unit that controls the heating power of the heating units, a microphone, and user operations and/or actions. and one or more sensors for detection. In the heating cooker, the input interface of the control device receives each output signal of the microphone and one or more sensors as input signals, the output interface of the control device outputs the control signal to the control unit, and the control unit receives the control signal It controls the operation of one or more heating units accordingly.

A computer program according to one aspect of the present disclosure is executed by a computer of a control device that controls a voice interface for operating a heating cooker by voice. The control device includes an input interface that receives an input signal from the outside, and, when the input signal is a voice signal, determines whether the voice signal represents one of a plurality of operation words prepared in advance. It has an arithmetic unit, which is a computer, for judging, and an output interface for outputting a control signal to the outside. The computer program causes the arithmetic unit of the control device to receive an audio signal as a first input signal from the input interface; A process of outputting a first control signal requesting confirmation of execution of a voice command corresponding to a predetermined operation word via an output interface, and receiving a second input signal via an input interface after transmitting the first control signal. and outputting a second control signal instructing execution of the voice command through the output interface when the second input signal is determined to be an acknowledgment signal confirming execution of the voice command.

According to the present disclosure, a technique is provided for controlling a voice interface for operating a cooking device by voice.

FIG. 1 is a top view of kitchen equipment in which a heating cooker 1 incorporating a control device 100 is installed. A diagram showing a scene in which the user 200 issues an operation word. A diagram showing a user 200 who presses a sensor 52, which is a push button, to instruct execution in response to the requested execution confirmation. The figure which shows a mode that the heating coil 8 on the right side of the heating cooker 1 was ignited by execution of a voice command. A diagram showing a user who is out of sight of the cooker FIG. 2 shows a heating cooker incorporating the control device of the present disclosure; The figure which shows the structural example which the control apparatus and the heating cooker are accommodated in the separate housing|casing, and are mutually connected via the communication line. The figure which shows the structural example in which the control apparatus is mounted in the server apparatus. Hardware configuration diagram of control device 1 is a perspective view of an induction cooker according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a control system of an induction heating cooker according to an exemplary embodiment; FIG. Schematic diagram of the configuration of an induction heating cooker Partial schematic diagram of operation unit and display unit 4 is a flow chart showing the procedure of processing executed by the computing unit of the control device; 4 is a flow chart showing the procedure of processing executed by the computing unit of the control device; A diagram showing an example of an image displayed on the display unit when the heating coil 8 is used at the medium heat power 5. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of the display section for requesting the user to confirm the execution of the voice command; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a display section displaying a character image indicating that the thermal power has been adjusted to 4 according to the voice command as a result of the instruction to execute the voice command; Diagram showing how to request execution confirmation according to another example A diagram for explaining an example of confirming a user's execution request using a lamp that can be lit in any color The figure which shows the heating cooker 1 provided with the proximity sensor. A graph showing an example waveform of an acknowledgment signal using a proximity sensor A graph showing an example waveform of a signal that does not correspond to an acknowledgment signal FIG. 2 shows a set of two types of gestures corresponding to executing and canceling voice commands, respectively;

(Knowledge of the inventor of the present application)
The advantages of allowing a user to operate a device with voice commands are many. For example, it can be operated hands-free, so there is no need to touch the device directly. The user can operate the device from a remote location without checking the device screen. In addition, since it can be controlled quickly by voice, it can be handled immediately even if an immediate operation is required from a remote location. In addition, even setting items that exist in the lower layers of the hierarchy can be easily called up and input by voice, enabling a variety of operations other than those performed while looking at the device screen, reducing the user's input effort. be able to.

When operating a device with such a voice command, conventionally, the user first utters a predetermined voice called a wake-up word, and then utters an operation word according to the content of the operation to be performed. The device constantly receives audio signals from the microphone and determines whether there is a wake-up word in the speech content. When the wakeup word is recognized, the device activates its own system, waits for the voice of the subsequent operation word, and when the operation word is recognized, performs the operation corresponding to the operation word.

After being activated by the wakeup word, the device may, for some reason, recognize an operation command corresponding to an action different from the action intended by the user. Alternatively, even though the user is not speaking, the device may mistake the voice noise for the user's voice and recognize the voice noise as an operation command not intended by the user. Especially in the latter case, the recognition of the wakeup word itself may also occur without the user's intention. That is, there is a possibility that activation and execution of the device can be realized regardless of the user's intention. For example, if the device is a lighting fixture and the operation is to turn on the lighting, the influence of the user's lack of involvement is minor. On the other hand, if the device is a cooking device with a heating function, the influence of the user's lack of involvement may increase.

The inventors of the present application thought that it would be preferable to impose a startup condition specific to the heating cooker when operating the heating cooker with a voice command. Specifically, the inventor thought that it would be preferable for the user, who is within a visual range of the heating cooker, to allow or confirm the execution of the voice command corresponding to the operation word, and then cause the heating cooker to execute the operation. By operating the heating cooker in such a procedure, even if the heating cooker recognizes an operation command not intended by the user, it is possible to prevent the heating cooker from starting to operate unconditionally. As the “range in which the heating cooker can be visually recognized”, for example, a close range in which the user can directly touch and operate the heating cooker can be considered.
The concept described above is not limited to heating cookers, but also applies to stoves, for example. That is, the above concept can be applied to "thermal equipment", which is equipment that handles thermal power and heat. A thermal appliance has a heating portion, such as a coil, a heating wire, a combustion tube, etc., that generates heat in another object or itself.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of well-known matters and redundant descriptions of substantially the same configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid unnecessary verbosity in the following description and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. It should be noted that the inventors provide the accompanying drawings and the following description for a full understanding of the present disclosure by those skilled in the art, and not for limiting the claimed subject matter.

(Embodiment 1)
(1) Outline Hereinafter, an outline of the control device and the thermal equipment according to the embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1A to 2. FIG. In the description of the embodiments below, a heating cooker is taken as an example of a thermal appliance. The control device is used to control a voice interface for operating the cooking device by voice. Heating cookers include, for example, IH (Induction Heating) cooking heaters that inductively heat a cooking container using electric power, gas cookers that heat the cooking container by burning gas, and heating wires with relatively high electrical resistance such as nichrome wires. An electric stove used as a heat source. In the following description, as an example, the cooking device is an IH cooking heater.

FIG. 1A is a top view of kitchen equipment in which a heating cooker 1 incorporating a control device 100 is installed. The user 200 exists relatively close to the heating cooker 1 and can visually recognize the heating cooker 1 . Now, consider an example in which the user 200 operates the heating cooker 1 by voice from this position. It is assumed that the heating cooker 1 is in a waiting state for waiting for voice input.

FIG. 1B shows a scene in which the user 200 issues an operation word. User 200 wants to use heating coil 8 on the right side of heating coils 7 to 9 that are IH heaters of heating cooker 1 .

After the user 200 utters a predetermined wake-up word, the operation words "right IH" and "ignite" are sequentially uttered. A voice uttered by user 200 is acquired by microphone 50 of cooking device 1 and sent to control device 100 . In this embodiment, when the cooker 1 receives a voice and sends the voice signal to the control device 100, the control device 100 recognizes the wake-up word and the operation word from the voice signal by the voice recognition function. Instead of control device 100, heating cooker 1 may have a voice recognition function.

Here, the "wake-up word" is a word that triggers the cooker 1 and the control device 100 to start their own systems and wait for the following sound. An “operation word” refers to a word or phrase expressed by a voice uttered by user 200 in order to operate cooking device 1 . An internal command for operating the heating cooker 1 is associated in advance with the operation word, so that the heating cooker 1 can be operated based on the operation word. When the cooking device 1 is caused to perform various operations by voice, there are a plurality of types of operation words, and a plurality of types of internal commands corresponding to each operation word. Based on the fact that various internal commands can be issued in the cooking device 1 even when the user 200 directly operates the cooking device 1 without using voice, the internal Commands are described as "voice commands".

When the voice of the user 200 is detected after recognizing the wakeup word, the control device 100 recognizes the operation word with the voice recognition function and determines whether or not there is a voice command corresponding to the operation word. Specifically, the control device 100 determines the voice command by referring to the data file based on the recognized operation word. The data file stores a table in which each of various operation words and each of various voice commands are associated in advance. If the corresponding voice command exists, the user 200 is requested to confirm whether the voice command can be executed (execution confirmation).

FIG. 1C shows the user 200 pressing the push button sensor 52 to instruct execution in response to the requested execution confirmation. The controller 100 asks the user 200 for execution confirmation by voice from the cooker 1 as shown, or by letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, colors and/or lights as described below. By detecting the pressing of sensor 52 , control device 100 determines that the user 200 confirms execution of the voice command, and determines that heating coil 8 corresponding to “right IH” of heating cooker 1 should be ignited. The voice command shown is transmitted to the heating cooker 1. Thereby, the user 200 can perform a desired operation on the heating cooker 1 using voice commands.

FIG. 1D shows how the heating coil 8 on the right side of the heating cooker 1 is ignited by executing the voice command. For the sake of convenience, descriptions of pots and the like that should be placed on the heating cooker 1 are omitted.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user 200 is asked to confirm execution before an operation word is recognized and the corresponding voice command is executed. For example, the execution can be confirmed only by the user 200 who is present within a visible range of the heating cooker 1, such as pressing a push button provided on the heating cooker 1 to confirm the execution.

On the other hand, if the operation word is erroneously recognized due to voice noise or the like, execution confirmation from the user 200 cannot be obtained, so execution of voice commands not intended by the user 200 can be avoided. For example, FIG. 2 shows a user 200 who is present in a range where the heating cooker 1 cannot be visually recognized. Even if the cooker 1 asks the user 200 to confirm the execution, the user 200 cannot confirm the execution. By predetermining a period (length of time) for accepting an execution confirmation, the control device 100 does not output a voice command to the heating cooker 1 when the period elapses. can be avoided.

FIG. 3A shows the heating cooker 1 incorporating the control device 100 of the present disclosure. The configuration shown in FIG. 3A is the same as the configuration in FIG. 1B. In addition to the control device 100 and the heating coils 7 to 9, the heating cooker 1 has a sensor 52 that detects execution confirmation by the user 200 and a microphone 50 that acquires the voice of the user 200 for voice recognition.

Sensors 52 are, for example, one or more switches, proximity sensors, gesture sensors capable of accepting selection of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics and/or colors. Although only one sensor 52 is shown in the drawing, the number of sensors 52 may be plural. For example, a sensor 52 is provided for each of the heating coils 7 to 9 to be operated, and only when the sensor 52 corresponding to the heating coil to be operated detects confirmation of execution, the control device 100 outputs a voice command to operate that heating coil. may It should be noted that if the sensor 52 that accepts execution confirmation is hardware itself that requires user contact, such as a push button, or a sensor that is attached to such hardware, the sensor 52 is connected to each of the heating coils 7-9. is more preferably common to Also, it is more preferable that the number of sensors 52 is one. As a result, it is possible to reduce the points of contact with hands soiled by cooking. 

In FIG. 3A, the control device 100 is built in the heating cooker 1, but other configuration examples are also conceivable. FIG. 3B shows a configuration example in which the control device 100 and the heating cooker 1 are accommodated in separate housings and connected to each other via the communication line 140. FIG. The control device 100 receives the output signal, which is the detection result of the sensor 52 , and the audio signal from the microphone 50 via the communication line 140 . Based on the output signal of sensor 52 , control device 100 determines whether or not to transmit a voice command to cooking device 1 .

3C shows a configuration example in which the control device 100 is installed in the server device 150. FIG. In other words, the server device 150 has the functions of the control device 100 described above. Server device 150 can receive sensor output signals and audio signals from microphone 50 via communication network 160 . The communication network 160 may be a wired LAN or wireless LAN communication network installed at home, or may be a public communication network typified by the Internet. In the former case, the server device 150 is, for example, a home energy management system (HEMS) controller. In the latter case, the server device 150 is a server device provided on the Internet by the manufacturer of the heating cooker 1, for example.

The above operation can be realized with any of the above configurations. Note that the voice recognition process and the process of asking the user 200 for execution confirmation need not be performed within one control device 100 . For example, instead of the control device 100 of FIG. 3A performing the voice recognition process, an external server device may perform the voice recognition process, and the control device 100 may receive the voice recognition result. The control device 100 may determine the voice command according to the recognition result of the server device, and request the user 200 to confirm the execution. Furthermore, also in the configuration of FIG. 3C, at least part of the communication between the cooking device 1 and the communication network 160 may be performed wirelessly.

The above-described wired communication and wireless communication can be performed according to known communication standards. For example, wired communication may be performed in compliance with the Ethernet (registered trademark) standard, the USB (registered trademark) standard, or the like. Wireless communication can be performed in compliance with the IEEE 802.11 standard for LAN (Local Area Network), so-called 4G/5G, 4th/5th generation mobile communication systems, and the like.

(2) Details Hereinafter, configurations of the control device 100 and the heating cooker 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. FIG. After that, the operation of the control device 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 18. FIG. The following description is based on the configuration example shown in FIG. 3A. As an example, it is assumed that the control device 100 recognizes wakeup words and operation words, and issues voice commands.

"Control device"
FIG. 4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the control device 100. As shown in FIG.
The control device 100 has an arithmetic unit 102 , a storage unit 104 , an input interface (I/F) 106 and an output interface (I/F) 108 .

The arithmetic unit 102 is an arithmetic circuit that executes processing described later, and includes signal processing circuits such as a CPU and a microcontroller (microcomputer).

The storage unit 104 is one or more storage devices to which data can be written and read. Examples of such storage devices are ROM, RAM, flash memory, hard disk drives, SSDs. In this embodiment, the storage unit 104 includes a RAM 104a and a flash memory 104b.

The input I/F 106 and the output I/F 108 are connected to an internal bus (not shown) of the heating cooker 1. The input I/F 106 receives the sensor output signal and the audio signal output from the microphone 50 of the heating cooker 1 . The output I/F 108 outputs a control signal to the controller of the heating cooker 1, which will be described later.

The storage unit 104 will be described in more detail below.
The RAM 104a holds computer programs executed by the computing unit 102 . In this embodiment, the RAM 104a holds a speech recognition engine 110 and a control program 112. FIG.
The flash memory 104b stores various data. Specifically, the flash memory 104b stores wakeup word data 120, operation word group data 122, and a data file .
The wakeup word data 120 is data specifying a wakeup word. The wakeup word may be a fixed word or may be changeable by the user 200 .
Operation word group data 122 is a set of a plurality of operation words that can be used in cooking device 1 . For example, the operation word group data 122 stores operation words such as "left IH", "right IH", "center IH", "heat power 7", "slow fire", "stop", "up", and "down". It is
The data file 124 is a table that associates each of a plurality of operation words with each of a plurality of voice commands. A control unit 31 of the heating cooker 1, which will be described later, executes an operation designated by a voice command. Table 1 shows an example of data file 124 .

By executing the control program 112 and receiving the recognition result of the speech signal by the speech recognition engine 110 and referring to the flash memory 104b, the arithmetic unit 102 can recognize various words including wakeup words.

By executing the speech recognition engine 110, the calculation unit 102 can recognize words uttered by the user 200 included in the speech signal received via the input I/F 106. Any existing speech recognition technology can be used for recognition processing by the speech recognition engine 110 . A detailed description of the speech recognition technology is omitted.

The calculation unit 102 refers to the wakeup word data 120 and determines whether or not the recognized word is the wakeup word. The calculation unit 102 also refers to the operation word group data 122 to determine whether or not the recognized word is an operation word. If it is an operation word and if execution confirmation by the user 200 is obtained, the operation unit 102 further refers to the data file 124 and reads out a voice command for executing an action corresponding to the operation word. Send to the heating cooker 1.

《heating cooker》
Hereinafter, an induction heating cooker according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the induction heating cooker 1 according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the control system of the induction heating cooker 1 according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the induction heating cooker 1. As shown in FIG.

The X-axis, Y-axis and/or Z-axis are displayed in some of the drawings according to the present disclosure. When the user faces the induction heating cooker while using the induction heating cooker, the X-axis direction indicates the width direction (longitudinal direction) of the heating cooker, and the Y-axis direction indicates the depth direction (lateral direction). , the Z-axis direction indicates the height direction. Also, the positive direction of the X-axis is defined as the right direction, and the negative direction is defined as the left direction. Also, the positive direction of the Y-axis is the rearward direction, and the negative direction is the forward direction.

《Induction Heating Cooker》
First, the general configuration of the induction heating cooker 1 according to the present disclosure will be described.

As shown in FIG. 5, the induction heating cooker 1 has a main body 3 and a top plate 5 on which a container is placed on the upper surface of the main body 3. The container contains, for example, a container, which is an object to be heated, which contains ingredients to be cooked, such as stew.

Heating coils 7, 8, 9 are placed. Heating coils 7-9 generate an induction magnetic field to inductively heat the container. Although the heating cooker 1 has three heating coils 7 to 9, it may have one, two, or four or more heating coils. One or more heating coils may be collectively referred to herein as a "heating section."

The induction heating cooker 1 is provided with, for example, physically operable operation units 19, 20, and 21 for operating the heating coils 7, 8, and 9, respectively. That is, each of the heating coils 7, 8, 9 "corresponds" to each of the operating portions 19, 20, 21. As shown in FIG. Thus, the components provided for each of the heating coils 7, 8, 9 are referred to herein as components "corresponding" to the heating coils.

It should be noted that, as will be described later, the substance of the operation units 19, 20, and 21 is a set of multiple switches, each of which functions as the sensor 52 described above. Therefore, in FIG. 5, reference numerals "52" indicating the sensor are written together with the reference numerals of the operation units 19, 20, and 21. As shown in FIG.

Electrical wiring is provided so that output signals of the operation units 19 , 20 , 21 functioning as the sensor 52 are transmitted to the input I/F 106 of the control device 100 . Alternatively, a data communication path is formed so that data indicating that each switch of operation units 19, 20, and 21 has been pressed is transmitted to input I/F 106 via control unit 31 of heating cooker 1, which will be described later. there is An electrical wiring is provided or a data communication path is formed so that the output signal of the microphone 50 of the heating cooker 1, that is, the audio signal is similarly transmitted to the input I/F 106 of the control device 100.

As shown in FIG. 5, on the top plate 5 on the upper side (+Z side) of the heating coils 7 to 9, there are ring-shaped rings indicating the container mounting areas, "corresponding" to the heating coils 7, 8, and 9, respectively. markers 11, 12 and 13 are printed.

When viewed from the top, ring-shaped light-emitting portions 15 and 16 are arranged on the top plate 5 on the outer sides of the heating coils 7 and 8, respectively. An arc-shaped light-emitting portion 17 is arranged on the top plate 5 in front of the heating coil 9 (−Y side). The light-emitting units 15-17 emit light, for example, when the corresponding heating coils 7-9 are energized. The light emitting units 15 to 17 each have, for example, an LED light emitting board (not shown).

A temperature sensor 18 is arranged below the top plate 5 inside the markers 11 to 13 . A detection value detected by the temperature sensor 18 is sent to the control unit 31 . The control unit 31 adjusts the amount of current flowing through the heating coils 7 to 9 while referring to the temperature detection value, and determines the timing of assist guidance of the cooking method.

On the front side (-Y side) of the top plate 5 of the induction heating cooker 1, operation sections 19, 20, and 21 are arranged. The operating units 19, 20, 21 are used by the user 200 to operate the heating coils 7-9, respectively. The operating part 19 is provided to operate the heating coil 7 , the operating part 20 is provided to operate the heating coil 8 , and the operating part 21 is provided to operate the heating coil 9 . In this specification, the operating part 19 corresponds to the heating coil 7 , the operating part 20 corresponds to the heating coil 8 , and the operating part 21 corresponds to the heating coil 9 .

Display sections 23, 24, and 25 are arranged on the front side of the top plate 5 of the induction heating cooker 1, between the heating coils 7-9 and the operation sections 19-21, respectively. The display units 23, 24 and 25 respectively display the states of the operation targets of the operation units 19-21. Operations of the display units 23 to 25 are controlled by a control unit 31, which will be described later.

The display units 23 to 25 each include, for example, a matrix-dot liquid crystal display device. The matrix dot liquid crystal display device is, for example, a full dot liquid crystal display panel having a band shape extending in the width direction of the top plate 5 .

The display units 23 to 25 respectively display the state of the operation target, the contents of the operation of the heating coils 7 to 9, etc. as image objects. For example, the display unit 23 displays the details of the operation of the heating coil 7 , the display unit 24 displays the details of the operation of the heating coil 8 , and the display unit 25 displays the details of the operation of the heating coil 9 .

　Image objects are characters and/or images. For example, the image object is the word "heat". At this time, the induction heating cooker 1 indicates that the heating operation can be performed using the heating coils 7-9 corresponding to the display portions 23-25. In addition, the display units 23 to 25 may display an image object of characters "start" indicating the start of heating together with the characters "heating". After the heating is started, the display units 23-25 may display image objects such as numbers and icons indicating the magnitude of the heating amount (thermal power) of the heating coils 7-9.

It should be noted that the display units 23 to 25 may be segment display liquid crystal display devices. Text and/or images displayed using one or more segments fall under the category of image objects described above.

The main body 3 is equipped with a speaker 27 that outputs information on heating of the heating coils 7-9. Speaker 27 is arranged on the front side of induction heating cooker 1 and outputs voice guidance to user 200 .

As shown in FIG. 6 , the induction heating cooker 1 includes a control section 31 and a storage section 33 inside the main body 3 . The control unit 31 includes signal processing circuits such as a CPU and a microcontroller (microcomputer). The storage unit 33 is a storage device such as ROM, RAM, hard disk drive, and SSD. The storage unit 33 stores computer programs for operating the induction heating cooker 1 . The control unit 31 is configured to perform various functions described later by executing the computer program.

The control unit 31 that executes the computer program includes, at each time, a coil control unit 35 that controls the amount of current flowing through the heating coils 7 to 9, a guidance information control unit 37 that controls the display areas of the display units 23 to 25, guidance information and a cooking guidance control section 47 that controls the information output of cooking guidance. However, part or all of the coil control unit 35, the guidance information control unit 37, and the cooking guidance control unit 47 may not be realized by software, and may be composed of one or more CPUs, microprocessors, and FPGAs. may

The output signals of the operation units 19 to 21 are input to the control unit 31. The controller 31 sets the heating amounts of the heating coils 7 to 9 according to the operation. The control unit 31 functioning as a coil control unit 35 controls the start or stop of heating of the heating coil 7 according to an operation instruction from the operation unit 19 . The coil control unit 35 supplies high-frequency current to the heating coils 7 to 9 to heat the container placed on the top plate 5 . In addition, the coil control unit 35 controls the amount of heating from the heating coils 7-9 by controlling the amount of current flowing through the heating coils 7-9. Further, since the output signals of the operation units 19 to 21 are input to the control unit 31, they are also used to control the operation of the control unit 31 functioning as the guidance information control unit 37 and the cooking guidance control unit 39.

The cooking guidance control unit 39 sends cooking guidance information to the guidance information control unit 37 at the timing when appropriate conditions are met according to a predetermined heating sequence or cooking sequence. Appropriate conditions include whether or not the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 18 satisfies a predetermined temperature condition, or whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed since the detected temperature reached a predetermined temperature. is the condition of These conditions are set for each assist menu for cooking guidance. When the cooking guidance control unit 39 determines that these conditions are satisfied, the cooking guidance control unit 39 instructs the guidance information control unit 37 to display cooking guidance corresponding to the conditions from the display units 23-25. These heating sequence, cooking sequence, and cooking guidance are stored in the storage unit 33 .

Upon receiving the control signal, the control unit 31 analyzes the control command included in the control signal. When the control device 100 recognizes the operation word after recognizing the wakeup word, the control device 100 specifies the heating coil to be operated and specifies the operation content by the control command.

<<Display and operation unit>>
Next, the display units 23-25 and the operation units 19-21 will be described with reference to FIG. The operating sections 19 to 21 each include a first operating section 51, a second operating section 53, a third operating section 55, and a fourth operating section 57. As shown in FIG. The first operation unit 51 to the fourth operation unit 57 may be, for example, touch switches including capacitive switches, or push button switches. The first operation section 51 to fourth operation section 57 set the heating operation of the corresponding heating coils 7 to 9 . The first operation unit 51 is printed with a clock pattern and is mainly used to select timer settings. The second operation unit 53 and the third operation unit 55 are printed with arrow patterns, such as “<” and “>” symbols, respectively, and are mainly used for menu selection and setting the heating power amount and timer time. used for The fourth operating portion 57 is printed with a pattern indicating the heating area corresponding to the operating portion, and functions as a multifunction switch to which different functions are assigned depending on the situation. The power switch 22 has a function of turning on the power of the induction heating cooker 1 . The power switch 22 may further have a function of shutting off the power of the induction heating cooker 1 . Aside from the power switch 22, a switch for cutting off the power may be provided.

<<Operation of the control device>>
FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing the procedure of basic processing executed by the calculation unit 102 of the control device 100. As shown in FIG. In this embodiment, this flowchart is executed after the wakeup word is recognized. Since the wakeup word recognition process does not necessarily have to be executed by the calculation unit 102, the wakeup word recognition process is shown in parentheses as an optional process in FIG.

In step S10, the calculation unit 102 acquires an input signal via the input I/F 106.

In step S12, when it is determined that the input signal is the voice signal from the microphone 50 of the cooking device 1 and the voice signal includes the operation word as a result of voice recognition, the calculation unit 102 outputs I/ A control signal is output via F108. Specifically, the control signal is a signal requesting confirmation of execution of the voice command corresponding to the operation word.

After transmitting the control signal in step S14, the calculation unit 102 again acquires the input signal via the input I/F 106 in step S14.

In step S16, when it is determined that the input signal is the detection result of the sensor 52 of the heating cooker 1 and is an acknowledgment signal confirming the execution of the voice command, the calculation unit 102 executes the voice command. Outputs a commanding control signal.

When the second control output signal is sent to the heating cooker 1 via the output I/F 108, the heating cooker 1 executes the indicated voice command. As a result, an operation corresponding to the operation word input by voice by the user 200 is realized.

FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing the procedure of applied processing executed by the calculation unit 102 of the control device 100. FIG. This example also includes wakeup word recognition processing.

In step S20, the calculation unit 102 waits in a sleep state or standby state until an audio signal is input to the input I/F 106. When an audio signal is input, the process transitions to step S22.

In step S22, the calculation unit 102 executes voice recognition processing to determine whether or not the wakeup word is included in the voice signal. If not included, the process returns to step S20. If it is included, the process proceeds to step S24.

In step S24, the calculation unit 102 activates the system including other components so that it and the control device 100 can operate, and waits for the input of the next audio signal.

In step S26, if the waiting time elapses until the audio signal is input, the process returns to step S20 and waits in a sleep state until a new audio signal is input again. If an audio signal is input to the input I/F 106 before the lapse of the fixed time, the process proceeds to step S28.

In step S28, the computing unit 102 executes voice recognition processing to extract words, refers to the operation word group data 122, and determines whether or not the voice signal contains an operation word. If the operation word is included, the process proceeds to step S30, and if not included, the process returns to step S26.

In step S<b>30 , the calculation unit 102 transmits a control signal requesting execution confirmation from the output I/F 108 . Upon receiving the control signal requesting execution confirmation, control unit 31 of heating cooker 1 requests execution confirmation from user 200 by at least one of various methods described later. When the user 200 performs an operation or action for confirming execution, the control unit 31 of the heating cooker 1 inputs a signal indicating the confirmation result to the input I/F 106 .

At step S32, the calculation unit 102 determines the type of input signal received at the input I/F 106, and executes one of a plurality of processes according to the result.

First, if the input signal is an acknowledgment signal indicating that the execution of the voice command has been confirmed, the computing unit 102 issues a voice command corresponding to the operation word that the user 200 desires to execute, and It is transmitted to the control unit 31 of the heating cooker 1 from F106. Thereby, the heating cooker 1 is operated by voice. Alternatively, if the input signal received at the input I/F 106 is a retry request signal indicating a desire to re-input the operation word, the process returns to step S26. The calculation unit 102 waits for a re-input of the voice signal including the operation word while standing by for a certain period of time. On the other hand, if the calculation unit 102 determines that the input signal received by the input I/F 106 is different from either the acknowledgment signal or the retry request signal, or it is a release signal indicating that the voice operation is to be released. In this case, the calculation unit 102 cancels the processing up to that point and returns to the processing of step S20.

Among the above-described processes, in the present embodiment, a process for requesting the user 200 to confirm the execution of the voice command corresponding to the operation word is newly provided, and when the user 200 instructs the execution of the voice command, a voice is sent to the heating cooker 1. I decided to run the command. Therefore, in the following, a method for confirming execution will be described with a plurality of specific examples. An example using the display unit 24 (FIGS. 5 to 8) is given, but the display unit 23 and/or the display unit 25 may be used. In that case, the operation unit 19 and/or 21 may be used instead of the operation unit 20 for execution confirmation.

FIG. 11 shows an example of an image displayed on the display unit 24 when the heating coil 8 is used with the medium heat power 5. Below the display section 24, the characters "timer", "thermal power adjustment", and "off" are displayed. The user 200 uses the operation unit 20 to request execution confirmation from the user 200 . For example, the user 200 presses the first operation unit 51 if he wants to use the "timer" function. Further, the user 200 presses the second operating section 53 or the third operating section 55 to increase or decrease the heating power using the "thermal power adjustment" function, and presses the fourth operating section 57 to end heating. Just press it.

Assume that the user 200 issues an operation word requesting that the heating power of the heating coil 8 of the heating cooker 1 be adjusted to 4 under such circumstances. Examples of such operation words are "Right IH" and "Change fire power to 4". 9 and step S30 of FIG. 10 is transmitted from the calculation unit 102 to the control unit 31 via the output I/F 108. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a display example of the display unit 24 for requesting the user 200 to confirm the execution of the voice command. The control unit 31 asks the user 200 to confirm the execution by displaying a message “Are you sure you want to change the thermal power from 5 to 4?” on the display unit 24 . At this time, the control unit 31 also switches the display in the lower part of the display unit 24 to display characters 24a of "cancel" requesting cancellation of the voice operation, characters 24b of "re-input voice" requesting re-input of the operation word, and Characters 24c of "execute" are displayed to instruct execution of the corresponding voice command. The user 200 selects one of "cancel", "re-input voice" and "execute" using the first operation unit 51, the second operation unit 53 or the third operation unit 55, and the fourth operation unit 57. You can press either An output signal (detection signal) of one of the sensors 52 that detects pressing of each operation unit is transmitted to the control device 100 . From the viewpoint of whether or not execution confirmation is necessary, in this example, only the fourth operation unit 57 is associated with the characters 24c of "execute" that instruct execution of the voice command. The first operation part 51, the second operation part 53 and the third operation part 55 are associated with the characters 24a and 24b other than the character 24c of "execute", and cannot be used to confirm the execution of the voice command.

FIG. 13 shows the display unit 24 displaying a character image indicating that the thermal power has been adjusted to 4 according to the voice command as a result of the instruction to execute the voice command.

FIG. 14 shows a method of requesting execution confirmation according to another example. Arithmetic unit 102 transmits to control unit 31 of heating cooker 1 a control signal for displaying an image including characters “To execute the result, pronounce 'confirm'”, and instructs user 200 to execute the command. Request confirmation. At this time, the user 200 does not use the operation unit 20, but utters "OK" himself and causes the microphone 50 to detect it, thereby instructing the execution of the voice command. At this time, it can be said that the microphone 50 also functions as the sensor 52 . If the utterance "confirm" is not detected for a certain period of time, it is assumed that the user 200 has not instructed the execution of the voice command to change the thermal power to 4, and the processing up to that point is cancelled. That is, in FIG. 10, the process returns from step S32 to step S20. The word "confirmed" above is an example. The words to be spoken may be predetermined or random combinations of letters, numbers, symbols, graphic shapes, and the like. Also, the time for detecting the utterance may not be constant, and may be randomly selected from a plurality of time values prepared in advance.

　Since the words to be spoken change from time to time, the user cannot speak unless he or she confirms the words to be spoken each time. In other words, if the user is not nearby, the computing unit 102 cannot accept execution confirmation from the user, and therefore does not execute the command. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the heating state from being changed by the voice interface without the user being conscious of the voice operation. In addition, by randomly selecting the time for detection of vocalization, it is possible to give the user a stronger recognition that voice operation cannot be performed unless the user is in the vicinity of the heating cooker 1 . The candidate words to be presented may be prepared in advance and stored in the storage unit 33 .

Next, a method of confirming the user's 200 execution request using a lamp will be described.
FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an example of confirming an execution request from the user 200 using a lamp 61 that can be lit in any color. The calculation unit 102 sends a control signal to the control unit 31 of the heating cooker 1 to turn on the lamp 61 in a predetermined color, and a message to be displayed on the display unit 24 (“To execute the result, change the color of the confirmation lamp. Speak out.") to transmit a control signal. The predetermined color to be lit may be randomly determined by the calculation unit 102 . For example, the calculation unit 102 randomly selects one color from three colors of red, blue, and yellow, and transmits color data specifying the selected color, such as RGB values, to the heating cooker 1 .

The calculation unit 102 holds the color data. When the audio signal received by the output I/F 108 after the lighting instruction includes a word indicating a color, the RGB value of the color is calculated, or the conversion table prepared in advance is referred to. Extract the value and compare it with the color data you had. If both match, the signal received by the output I/F 108 is determined to be an acknowledgment signal. Accordingly, the calculation unit 102 transmits a voice command to change the heating power to 4 to the control unit 31 of the heating cooker 1 . Instead of inputting the color name by voice, one of a plurality of switches each associated with a color may be pressed.

Next, a method of confirming an execution request from the user 200 using a proximity sensor will be described.
FIG. 16 shows the heating cooker 1 with the proximity sensor 63. As shown in FIG. The proximity sensor 63 is, for example, an ultrasonic sensor that emits ultrasonic waves and detects the reflected waves to detect the distance to an object to be detected in a non-contact manner. Proximity sensor 63 is an example of sensor 52 (FIGS. 1B-1D, FIGS. 3A-3C). In this embodiment, it is assumed that the object to be detected is the user's 200 hand. In addition, the installation position of the proximity sensor 63 may be the wall surface above the heating cooker 1 or the like, and does not need to be embedded in the heating cooker 1 .

17A is a graph showing a waveform example of an acknowledgment signal using the proximity sensor 63. FIG. The horizontal axis of the graph in FIG. 17A is time, and the vertical axis is the distance to the object (hand) to be detected. The present inventors found that the user 200 intentionally touches the proximity sensor 63 when the hand approaches to less than the reference distance (Td) and the approaching state continues for the reference period (Tt) or longer in the waveform of the proximity sensor 63 . It is determined that the hand is held over 63 . On the other hand, FIG. 17B is a graph showing a waveform example of a signal that does not correspond to the acknowledgment signal. Although the hand is close to less than the reference distance (Td), it cannot be said that the user intentionally held the hand over the proximity sensor 63 because the close state has not continued for the reference period (Tt) or longer. For example, a pot may momentarily cross the proximity sensor 63 .

When the proximity sensor 63 is used, the calculation unit 102 transmits a control signal to the cooking device 1 to cause the display unit 24 to display an image (including text) instructing the user to bring the hand closer to the proximity sensor 63, After that, a control signal for starting the detection operation by the proximity sensor 63 may be transmitted. Based on whether or not the proximity sensor 63 has detected the gesture described above within a predetermined time after the image is displayed, the calculation unit 102 may determine whether or not there is an acknowledgment signal.
Note that the ultrasonic proximity sensor 63 is an example. Proximity sensors such as infrared type, capacitance type, and electromagnetic wave type may be used as long as they can detect the approach of a human body.

As yet another method for confirming the user's 200 execution request, an example using a gesture sensor is conceivable. A gesture sensor is, for example, a sensor that captures the shape and movement of a hand using an infrared camera and obtains a series of movements, that is, a gesture. By predetermining a gesture corresponding to voice command execution and a gesture corresponding to cancellation of voice command execution, it is possible to determine whether or not the gesture of user 200 means an execution request. An example of installation of the gesture sensor can be considered to be the same as the example of installation of the proximity sensor 63 in FIG. 16, so illustration is omitted, and reference numeral "73" shown in FIG. 16 is used for explanation for convenience. The installation position of the gesture sensor 73 may be a wall surface above the heating cooker 1 or the like, and does not need to be embedded in the heating cooker 1 .

FIG. 18 shows two sets of gestures corresponding to execution and cancellation of voice commands, respectively. FIG. 18A shows an example in which a gesture of moving the hand from left to right is associated with "execute voice command", and a gesture of moving the hand from left to right is associated with "cancel voice command". be. FIG. 18B shows an example in which the gesture of moving the hand from top to bottom is associated with "execute voice command", and the gesture of moving the hand from bottom to top is associated with "cancel voice command". be. (c) of FIG. 18 is an example in which a gesture of drawing a clockwise circle is associated with "execute voice command" and a gesture of drawing a counterclockwise circle is associated with "cancel voice command". By associating gestures with their meanings in advance, it is possible to determine whether or not it can be said that an acknowledgment signal confirming execution of a voice command has been received, based on the detection result of the gesture sensor 73 .　

When using the gesture sensor 73 , the calculation unit 102 causes the display unit 24 to display an image (including characters) instructing the cooking device 1 to perform a predetermined exercise in the vicinity of the gesture sensor 73 . A control signal may be transmitted, and then a control signal for starting the detection operation by the gesture sensor 73 may be transmitted. Based on whether the gesture sensor 73 has detected the gesture described above within a predetermined time after the image is displayed, the calculation unit 102 may determine whether or not there is an acknowledgment signal.

In the above-described embodiment, an example of requesting execution confirmation by displaying an image on the display unit and an example of requesting execution confirmation using the color of light by turning on a lamp were given. All of these can be said to be aspects of requesting confirmation of execution using stimuli to human vision, and in that sense, the display unit and the lamp are collectively referred to as a "presentation unit that presents visual stimuli." be able to. "Visual stimuli" are letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, colors and/or lights.

A modified example will be described below.

In the example of FIG. 11 described above, an example of performing confirmation using the display unit and the operation unit associated with the display of the display unit has been described. The operation unit may be used to allow the user to input whether or not execution confirmation is necessary. Such a common operation unit may be all or part of the operation units 19 to 21, or may be one or more switches independent of the operation units 19 to 21. Output signals (detection signals) of one or more sensors provided in each operation unit may be transmitted to the control device 100 .

Also, a plurality of lamps 61 (FIG. 15) may be provided and lit in the same color. This makes it easier for the user to visually recognize. Also, in FIG. 16, the proximity sensor 63 is provided at the lower right corner of the top plate of the heating cooker 1, but it may be provided at the lower left corner of the top plate, or at both the lower right corner and the lower left corner or more. position. Even when a plurality of proximity sensors 63 are provided, the output signal (detection signal) of each proximity sensor 63 may be transmitted to control device 100 . If the proximity sensors 63 are provided at least at the lower right corner and the lower left corner, it becomes easier for the user 200 to input whether or not to confirm the execution, regardless of whether the user is right-handed or left-handed, thereby improving user convenience.

The embodiment of the induction heating cooker 1 according to the present disclosure has been described above. The processing according to the flowchart described above is realized as the operation of the arithmetic unit 102 by a computer program. In addition, a mounting mode in which the heating cooker 1 and the control device 100 cannot be clearly distinguished and the heating cooker 1 and the control device 100 are integrated is also conceivable. In such a case, for example, the control unit 31 may be regarded as executing all operations of the calculation unit 102 . At this time, it is no longer necessary to transmit and receive signals between the control device 100 and the heating cooker 1, and to that extent, the operations performed by the control section 31 and the calculation section 102 can be omitted.

(3) Aspects As is clear from the above embodiments and modifications, the present disclosure includes the following aspects. In the following, reference numerals are given in parentheses only for the purpose of clarifying correspondence with the above embodiment.

A first aspect is a control device (100) for controlling a voice interface for operating a thermal appliance by voice. The control device includes an input interface (106) for receiving an input signal from the outside, and if the input signal is a voice signal, whether the voice signal represents one of a plurality of operation words prepared in advance. It has a calculation unit (102) for determining whether or not, and an output interface (108) for outputting a control signal to the outside. The computing unit receives a voice signal as a first input signal from the input interface (S10), and when determining that the voice signal represents a predetermined operation word among a plurality of operation words, outputs a voice corresponding to the predetermined operation word. outputting a first control signal requesting confirmation of command execution via the output interface (S12), receiving a second input signal via the input interface after transmitting the first control signal (S14), and receiving the second input signal is an acknowledgment signal confirming the execution of the voice command, a second control signal instructing the execution of the voice command is output through the output interface (S16).
The second aspect is a controller (100) based on the first aspect. In the second mode, when the second input signal is determined to be a retry request signal requesting re-input of the operation word, the calculation unit (102) waits for the input of the operation word without outputting the second control signal. Move to standby state.
A third aspect is a control device (100) based on the second aspect. In the third mode, the calculation section (102) does not output the second control signal when it determines that the second input signal is different from both the acknowledgment signal and the retry request signal.
A fourth aspect is a control device (100) based on any of the first to third aspects. In the fourth aspect, when the calculation unit (102) receives the second input signal via the input interface within a predetermined time after transmitting the first control signal, the second input signal is the execution of the voice command. and if the second input signal is not received through the input interface within a predetermined time after the first control signal is transmitted, input of a new first input signal It shifts to the waiting waiting state.
A fifth aspect is a control device (100) based on the first aspect. In a fifth aspect, the predetermined operation word is associated with a voice command for adjusting the thermal power of the thermal equipment.
A sixth aspect is a control device (100) according to any of the first through fifth aspects. In a sixth aspect, the control device (100) further includes a storage unit that stores a data file that associates each of the plurality of operation words with each of the plurality of voice commands.
A seventh aspect is a thermal equipment (1). In a seventh aspect, the thermal equipment (1) comprises a control device (100) according to the sixth aspect, one or more heating units (7, 8, 9) for generating heat, and controlling the heating power of the heating units. It has a control unit (31) for controlling, a microphone (50), and one or more sensors (52, 51, 53, 55, 57, 63, 73) for detecting user operations and/or actions. An input interface (106) of the control device (100) receives the respective output signals of the microphone and one or more sensors as input signals. The output interface (108) outputs the control signal to the control section (31). A control unit (31) controls the operation of one or more heating units according to the control signal.
An eighth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the seventh aspect. In the eighth aspect, when a predetermined activation word is input to the microphone in a sleep state in which the voice interface is not activated, the control device shifts to a standby mode to wait for input of an operation word.
A ninth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the seventh or eighth aspects. In a ninth aspect, the thermal equipment (1) further comprises a presentation part (23, 24, 25, 61) for presenting visual stimuli. A control unit (31), in response to receiving the first control signal, causes the presentation unit to present visual stimuli including letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, colors and/or lights to execute voice commands to the user. Request confirmation. The computing unit of the control device determines the presence or absence of the acknowledgment signal based on the detection results of the one or more sensors and the presented visual stimulus.
A tenth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the ninth aspect. In a tenth aspect, the presentation units (23, 24, 25, 61) are display devices (23, 24, 25). A control unit (31) causes the display device to display an image including one or more of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics and/or colors as a visual stimulus. One or more sensors (52, 51, 53, 55, 57, 63, 73) accept selections of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics and/or colors, and output selection results as detection results.
An eleventh aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the tenth aspect. In the eleventh aspect, the control section (31) randomly determines letters, numbers, symbols, figures and/or colors included in the image.
A twelfth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to either the tenth or eleventh aspect. In a twelfth aspect, the one or more sensors (52, 51, 53, 55, 57, 63, 73) are a plurality of switches (51, 53, 55, 57). The plurality of switches includes a switch associated with the displayed image and one or more unassociated switches, and a signal specifying the switch operated by the user among the plurality of switches is used as a detection result. Output. A control unit (31) determines the presence or absence of an acknowledgment signal based on the displayed image and whether or not it is a switch associated with the image.
A thirteenth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the tenth aspect. In the thirteenth aspect, the thermal equipment (1) further comprises a storage device pre-stored with a plurality of presentation candidate words (33). A control unit (31) randomly selects one of a plurality of presentation candidate words, and causes display devices (23, 24, 25) to display the selected presentation candidate word as a visual stimulus.
A fourteenth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the ninth aspect. In the fourteenth aspect, the presentation unit (23, 24, 25, 61) is a lamp (61) capable of emitting light in a color selected from a plurality of colors. A control unit (31) causes the lamp to emit light in one color randomly selected from a plurality of colors as a visual stimulus. One or more sensors (52, 51, 53, 55, 57, 63, 73) accept color selection and output the selection result as a detection result.
A fifteenth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the thirteenth aspect. In a fifteenth aspect, the one or more sensors (52, 51, 53, 55, 57, 63, 73) are a plurality of switches (51, 53, 55, 57). Each of the plurality of switches is associated with a plurality of changing colors, and outputs a signal identifying the switch operated by the user among the plurality of switches as a detection result. A control unit (31) determines whether or not there is an acknowledgment signal based on the color corresponding to the switch operated by the user and the color of the lamp.
A sixteenth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the ninth aspect. In the sixteenth aspect, each of the one or more sensors (52, 51, 53, 55, 57, 63, 73) is a proximity sensor (63). The presentation units (23, 24, 25, 61) are display devices (23, 24, 25). The computing unit (102) of the control device (100) causes the display device to display an image instructing the user to approach the proximity sensor with the hand as a visual stimulus, and within a predetermined time after the display of the image, the proximity sensor is positioned close to the object. The presence or absence of an acknowledgment signal is determined based on whether or not proximity is detected.
A seventeenth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to the ninth aspect. In the seventeenth aspect, each of the one or more sensors (52, 51, 53, 55, 57, 63, 73) is a gesture sensor (73). The presentation units (23, 24, 25, 61) are display devices (23, 24, 25). The computing unit (102) of the control device (100) causes the display device to display an image instructing the gesture sensor to perform a predetermined movement as a visual stimulus, and the gesture sensor is activated within a predetermined time after the display of the image. determines the presence or absence of an acknowledgment signal based on whether the has detected a predetermined motion.
An eighteenth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to any of the seventh to seventeenth aspects. In an eighteenth aspect, the one or more heating units (7, 8, 9) is a plurality of heating units. When the arithmetic unit (102) of the control device (100) controls the operation of any one of the plurality of heating units, the input interface (106) includes a microphone (50) and one or more sensors (52, 51, 53, 55, 57, 63, 73) are received as input signals.
A nineteenth aspect is a thermal appliance (1) according to any eighth aspect. In the nineteenth aspect, if the arithmetic unit (102) of the control device (100) does not receive the second input signal via the input interface (106) within a predetermined time after transmitting the first control signal, , clears the operation word and voice command, and shifts to the sleep state.
A twentieth aspect is a computer program (112) executed by a computer of a control device (100) for controlling a voice interface for operating a thermal appliance (1) by voice. In a twentieth aspect, the control device comprises an input interface (106) for receiving an input signal from the outside, and one of a plurality of operation words prepared in advance as a voice signal when the input signal is a voice signal. It comprises an arithmetic unit (102), which is a computer, for determining whether or not one is represented, and an output interface (108) for outputting a control signal to the outside. A computer program (112) causes an arithmetic unit (102) to receive a voice signal as a first input signal from an input interface, and determines that the voice signal represents a predetermined operation word among a plurality of operation words. a process of outputting a first control signal requesting execution confirmation of a voice command corresponding to a predetermined operation word via an output interface; and receiving a second input signal via an input interface after transmitting the first control signal. and, if the second input signal is determined to be an acknowledgment signal confirming execution of the voice command, a process of outputting a second control signal instructing execution of the voice command via the output interface. .

The exemplary control device of the present disclosure is applicable to applications in which a heating cooker is operated using voice commands.

1 heating cooker 3 main body 5 top plate 7, 8, 9 heating coil 11, 12, 13 marker 15, 16, 17 light emitting unit 18 temperature sensor 19, 20, 21 operation input unit 22 power switch 23, 24, 25 display unit 27 speaker 31 control unit 33 storage unit 50 microphone 52 sensor 100 control device 102 calculation unit 104 storage unit 106 input interface (input I/F)
108 output interface (output I/F)
150 server device 160 communication network

Claims (20)

1. A control device for controlling a voice interface for operating a thermal appliance by voice,
   an input interface that receives an input signal from the outside;
   a computing unit for determining, when the input signal is a voice signal, whether the voice signal represents one of a plurality of operation words prepared in advance;
   an output interface that outputs a control signal to the outside;
   with
   The calculation unit is
   receiving an audio signal as a first input signal from the input interface;
   When it is determined that the voice signal represents a predetermined operation word among the plurality of operation words, a first control signal requesting confirmation of execution of the voice command corresponding to the predetermined operation word is transmitted through the output interface. and output via
   receiving a second input signal via the input interface after transmitting the first control signal;
   outputting a second control signal instructing execution of the voice command through the output interface when determining that the second input signal is an acknowledgment signal confirming execution of the voice command;
   Control device.
2. When the operation unit determines that the second input signal is a retry request signal requesting re-input of the operation word, the operation unit does not output the second control signal and shifts to a standby state in which input of the operation word is awaited. A control device according to claim 1.
3. 3. The control device according to claim 2, wherein the calculation unit does not output the second control signal when it determines that the second input signal is different from both the acknowledgment signal and the retry request signal.
4. The calculation unit is
   If the second input signal is received through the input interface within a predetermined time after transmitting the first control signal, the second input signal is an acknowledgment signal confirming execution of the voice command. determined to be
   If the second input signal is not received via the input interface within the predetermined time after the transmission of the first control signal, the device shifts to a standby state for waiting for input of a new first input signal. Item 4. The control device according to any one of Items 1 to 3.
5. The control device according to claim 1, wherein said predetermined operation word is associated with a voice command for adjusting the thermal power of said thermal equipment.
6. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a storage unit that stores a data file that associates each of the plurality of operation words with each of the plurality of voice commands.
7. a control device according to claim 6;
   one or more heating elements that generate heat;
   a control unit that controls the heating power of the heating unit;
   with a microphone
   1. A thermal appliance, comprising: one or more sensors for detecting user manipulation and/or motion;
   the input interface of the control device receives output signals of the microphone and the one or more sensors as the input signals;
   the output interface of the control device outputs the control signal to the control unit;
   the control unit controls the operation of the one or more heating units according to the control signal;
   heat equipment.
8. 8. The thermal equipment according to claim 7, wherein when a predetermined activation word is input to said microphone in a sleep state in which said voice interface is not activated, said control device shifts to a standby mode for waiting for input of said operation word. .
9. further comprising a presentation unit that presents a visual stimulus;
   The control unit, in response to receiving the first control signal, causes the presentation unit to present the visual stimulus including letters, numbers, symbols, graphics, colors and/or lights to the user, and the voice. request confirmation of command execution,
   9. The calculating unit of the control device according to claim 7 or 8, based on the detection result of the one or more sensors and the presented visual stimulus, determines the presence or absence of the acknowledgment signal. heat equipment.
10. The presentation unit is a display device,
    The control unit causes the display device to display an image including one or more of letters, numbers, symbols, graphics and/or colors as the visual stimulus;
    10. The thermal equipment according to claim 9, wherein said one or more sensors accept selection of letters, numbers, symbols, figures and/or colors, and output a result of said selection as said detection result.
11. 11. The thermal equipment according to claim 10, wherein said control unit randomly determines characters, numbers, symbols, graphics and/or colors included in said image.
12. the one or more sensors are a plurality of switches;
    the plurality of switches includes a switch associated with the displayed image and one or more unassociated switches;
    outputting, as the detection result, a signal specifying the switch operated by the user among the plurality of switches;
    12. The thermal equipment according to claim 10, wherein the controller determines whether or not the acknowledgment signal is present based on the displayed image and whether or not the switch is associated with the image.
13. further comprising a storage device in which a plurality of presentation candidate words are stored in advance;
    11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the control unit randomly selects one of the plurality of presentation candidate words and causes the display device to display the selected presentation candidate word as the visual stimulus. heat equipment.
14. The presentation unit is a lamp capable of emitting light in a color selected from among a plurality of colors,
    The control unit causes the lamp to emit light in one color randomly selected from among a plurality of colors as the visual stimulus,
    10. The thermal equipment according to claim 9, wherein said one or more sensors accept color selection and output a result of said selection as said detection result.
15. the one or more sensors are a plurality of switches;
    each of the plurality of switches is associated with a plurality of changing colors;
    outputting, as the detection result, a signal specifying the switch operated by the user among the plurality of switches;
    14. The thermal equipment according to claim 13, wherein said control unit determines presence/absence of said acknowledgment signal based on a color corresponding to a switch operated by said user and a color of lighting said lamp.
16. each of the one or more sensors is a proximity sensor;
    The presentation unit is a display device,
    The calculation unit of the control device,
    causing the display device to display, as the visual stimulus, an image instructing a hand to approach the proximity sensor;
    10. The thermal equipment according to claim 9, wherein presence/absence of said acknowledgment signal is determined based on whether or not said proximity sensor detects an approach of an object within a predetermined time from display of said image.
17. each of the one or more sensors is a gesture sensor;
    The presentation unit is a display device,
    The calculation unit of the control device,
    causing the display device to display, as the visual stimulus, an image instructing the user to perform a predetermined exercise on the gesture sensor;
    10. The thermal equipment according to claim 9, wherein presence or absence of said acknowledgment signal is determined based on whether or not said gesture sensor has detected said predetermined motion within a predetermined time from display of said image.
18. The one or more heating units are a plurality of heating units,
    The input interface receives the output signals of the microphone and the one or more sensors as the input signals even when the operation unit of the control device controls the operation of any one of the plurality of heating units. A thermal appliance according to any one of claims 7 to 17.
19. If the calculation unit of the control device does not receive the second input signal via the input interface within the predetermined time after transmission of the first control signal, the operation word and the voice command are not received. 9. The control device according to claim 8, which clears and transitions to said sleep state.
20. A computer program executed by a computer of a controller for controlling a voice interface for voice operating a thermal appliance, comprising:
    The control device is
    an input interface that receives an input signal from the outside;
    a computing unit, which is a computer, for determining whether or not the input signal is a voice signal, and whether or not the voice signal represents one of a plurality of operation words prepared in advance;
    an output interface that outputs a control signal to the outside;
    with
    The computer program causes the computing unit to
    causing an audio signal to be received as a first input signal from the input interface;
    When it is determined that the voice signal represents a predetermined operation word among the plurality of operation words, a first control signal requesting confirmation of execution of the voice command corresponding to the predetermined operation word is transmitted through the output interface. and the process of outputting via
    receiving a second input signal via the input interface after transmitting the first control signal;
    When the second input signal is determined to be an acknowledgment signal confirming execution of the voice command, a process of outputting a second control signal instructing execution of the voice command via the output interface is executed. , a computer program.

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