Voice command receiving device and program

Abstract

To perform appropriate operation based on a voice command.SOLUTION: A voice command reception device comprises: a voice command reception unit which receives a voice command; a detection unit which detects information about a language used by a person who utters the voice command; and an execution control unit which executes a function for the received voice command when the voice command reception unit receives the voice command. When it is determined that the language used by the person who utters the voice command is a language available as a voice command, the voice command reception unit receives the voice command of which a recognition rate of the voice command, which has been acquired by the voice command reception unit, is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, and, when it is determined that the language used by the person who utters the voice command is not a language available as a voice command, the voice command reception unit receives the voice command of which the recognition rate of the voice command, which has been acquired by the voice command reception unit, is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a voice command receiving device and a voice command receiving method. [Background technology]

[0002] Devices that are operated by voice commands are becoming more diverse. For example, some vehicle recording devices, so-called drive recorders, record events by voice commands in addition to detecting impacts using acceleration sensors (for example, Non-Patent Document 1). Event recording by voice commands can be performed safely without the need to operate a touch panel or the like while driving, such as when recording an accident in which the driver was not involved. Patent Document 1 discloses a drive recorder that records events by issuing voice instructions in response to event detection by acceleration. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-154904 A [Non-patent literature]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] DRV-MR760 [Retrieved December 20, 2021], Internet (URL: https: / / www.kenwood.com / jp / car / drive-recorders / products / drv-mr760 / ) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The voice command to instruct the drive recorder to record an event is preset to accept a voice command such as "rokuga kaishi". The voice command is required to consist of a certain number of syllables to prevent false detection due to other voices. For example, "rokuga kaishi" consists of six syllables. For this reason, in order to accurately recognize the voice command, the speaker often speaks while facing the direction of the microphone that inputs the spoken voice of the voice command, such as the direction of the drive recorder. Since a typical drive recorder is installed in front of the vehicle from the perspective of the passenger who is speaking, a voice command input while facing the front of the vehicle in the direction of travel is properly recognized.

[0006] However, if a voice command is uttered in a situation where the voice command cannot be properly recognized, the recognition rate of the voice command will be low, and the instruction by the voice command may not be accepted. In such a case, for example, a voice command for instructing an operation that requires urgency or immediacy, such as a voice command for recording an event in a drive recorder, may cause a delay in the operation due to the voice command being repeated. A situation where a voice command is not properly recognized may occur, for example, when a person who utters a voice command is not a person who can utter a voice command appropriately.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a voice command receiving device and a voice command receiving method that enable appropriate operations to be performed using voice commands. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The voice command receiving device of the present invention comprises a voice command receiving unit that receives a voice command, a detection unit that acquires information regarding the language used by the person speaking the voice command, and an execution control unit that, when the voice command receiving unit receives a voice command, executes a function for the received voice command. If the voice command receiving unit determines that the language used by the person is a language that can be used as the voice command, it accepts the voice command when the recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit is equal to or higher than a first threshold, and if it determines that the language used by the person is not a language that can be used as the voice command, it accepts the voice command when the recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit is equal to or higher than a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold.

[0009] The voice command receiving method of the present invention is performed by a voice command receiving device, which includes the steps of acquiring information regarding the language used by a person who speaks a voice command; if it is determined that the language used by the person is a language that can be used as the voice command, accepting the voice command when the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than a first threshold, and if it is determined that the language used by the person is not a language that can be used as the voice command, accepting the voice command when the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold; and, if the voice command is received, executing a function corresponding to the received voice command. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, operations can be appropriately performed by voice commands. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recording apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing by the control unit according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a voice command accepting device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing in the voice command receiving device according to the second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recording device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a flow of processing by a control unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a voice command accepting device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a process flow of the voice command receiving device according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and in the following embodiments, the same components are given the same reference numerals to avoid repeated explanation. Also, the voice command receiving device according to the present invention is intended for various devices that are operated using voice commands, and the following embodiment does not limit the devices to which the present invention can be applied.

[0013] [First embodiment] In the first embodiment, a recording device used in a vehicle will be described as an example of a voice command receiving device.

[0014] (Recording device) An example of the configuration of a recording device according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recording device according to the first embodiment.

[0015] The recording device 1 is a so-called drive recorder that detects an event that occurs in the vehicle and records video and the like in response to a user's instruction. The recording device 1 may be a device installed in the vehicle, or may be a portable device that can be used in the vehicle. The recording device 1 may be called a recording and playback device since it has a function of playing back video. The recording device 1 may be realized by including the functions or configurations of a device that is pre-installed in the vehicle, a navigation device, and the like. The recording device 1 executes a process of changing the recognition rate of the received voice command depending on whether the language used by the passengers, including the driver of the vehicle, is a language that can be used for the voice command, by registering the language as a voice command.

[0016] 1, recording device 1 includes camera 10, recording unit 14, display unit 16, microphone 18, acceleration sensor 20, operation unit 22, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) 24, and control unit (recording control device) 26. Recording device 1 may be a device that integrally includes camera 10 and microphone 18, or may be a device in which camera 10 and microphone 18 are configured as separate entities.

[0017] The camera 10 is a camera that captures the surroundings of the vehicle. As an example, the camera 10 is a camera specific to the recording device 1, or a plurality of cameras that capture the front and rear directions of the vehicle. In the first embodiment, the camera 10 is composed of a plurality of cameras that are arranged facing the front and rear of the vehicle, and captures the surroundings centered on the front and rear of the vehicle. The camera 10 may be, for example, a single camera that can capture the entire sky or a half sky. The camera 10 outputs the captured video data to the video data acquisition unit 30 of the control unit 26. The video data is, for example, a moving image composed of images of 30 frames per second.

[0018] The recording unit 14 is used for temporary storage of data in the recording device 1. The recording unit 14 is, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a recording medium such as a memory card. Alternatively, the recording unit 14 may be an external recording unit wirelessly connected via a communication device (not shown). The recording unit 14 records the loop recorded video data or the event data based on a control signal output from the recording control unit 36 ​​of the control unit 26.

[0019] The display unit 16 is, for example, a display device specific to the recording device 1, or a display device shared with other systems including a navigation system. The display unit 16 may be formed integrally with the first camera 10. The display unit 16 is, for example, a display including a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electro-luminescence (EL) display. In the first embodiment, the display unit 16 is disposed in front of the driver of the vehicle on a dashboard, an instrument panel, a center console, or the like. The display unit 16 displays an image based on a video signal output from the recording control unit 36 ​​of the control unit 26. The display unit 16 displays an image captured by the camera 10 or an image recorded in the recording unit 14.

[0020] The microphone 18 collects audio data of voices within the vehicle cabin. In the first embodiment, the microphone 18 is disposed at a position where it can acquire voices uttered by the vehicle occupants, including the driver. The microphone 18 is disposed, for example, on the dashboard, the instrument panel, the center console, etc. The microphone 18 collects audio data related to the utterances and conversations of the occupants within the vehicle cabin, and outputs the data to the detection unit 42. The microphone 18 collects audio related to voice commands for the recording device 1, and outputs the data to the voice command reception unit 44. The microphone 18 outputs the collected audio to the video data acquisition unit 30, so that the recording control unit 36 ​​may record loop recorded video data or event data including the audio.

[0021] The acceleration sensor 20 is a sensor that detects acceleration occurring with respect to the vehicle. The acceleration sensor 20 outputs the detection result to the event detection unit 46 of the control unit 26. The acceleration sensor 20 is a sensor that detects acceleration in, for example, three axial directions. The three axial directions are the forward / rearward direction, the left / right direction, and the up / down direction of the vehicle.

[0022] The operation unit 22 can accept various operations on the recording device 1. For example, the operation unit 22 can accept an operation to manually save the captured video data as event data in the recording unit 14. For example, the operation unit 22 can accept an operation to play back the loop recorded video data or event data recorded in the recording unit 14. For example, the operation unit 22 can accept an operation to erase the event data recorded in the recording unit 14. For example, the operation unit 22 can accept an operation to end the loop recording. The operation unit 22 outputs operation information to the operation control unit 48 of the control unit 26.

[0023] The GNSS receiving unit 24 is configured with a GNSS receiver that receives GNSS signals from GNSS satellites. The GNSS receiving unit 24 converts the received GNSS signals into position information of the control unit 26. The data is output to the acquisition unit 50.

[0024] The control unit 26 is a recording control device that controls each part of the recording device 1. The control unit 26 has, for example, an information processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). The control unit 26 executes a program that controls the operation of the recording device 1 according to the present invention. The control unit 26 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The control unit 26 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software.

[0025] The control unit 26 includes a video data acquisition unit 30, a buffer memory 32, a video data processing unit 34, a recording control unit 36, a playback control unit 38, a display control unit 40, a detection unit 42, a voice command reception unit 44, an event detection unit 46, an operation control unit 48, and a location information acquisition unit 50, which are functional blocks realized by the configuration of the control unit 26 or by execution of a program.

[0026] The video data acquisition unit 30 acquires video data captured around the vehicle. Specifically, the video data acquisition unit 30 acquires video data captured by the camera 10. The video data acquisition unit 30 outputs the acquired video data to the buffer memory 32. The video data acquired by the video data acquisition unit 30 is not limited to data of only video, but may be video data including video and audio. The video data acquisition unit 30 may acquire video data captured of a full sky or a half sky as the video data.

[0027] The buffer memory 32 is an internal memory provided in the recording device 1, and is a memory for temporarily recording a certain period of video data acquired by the video data acquisition unit 30 while updating it.

[0028] The video data processing unit 34 converts the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 32 into an arbitrary file format, such as MP4 format, encoded with an arbitrary codec, such as H.264 or MPEG-4 (Moving Picture Experts Group). The video data processing unit 34 generates video data as a file for a certain period of time from the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 32. As a specific example, the video data processing unit 34 generates 60 seconds of video data as a file in the order of recording from the video data temporarily stored in the buffer memory 32. The video data processing unit 34 outputs the generated video data to the recording control unit 36. The video data processing unit 34 outputs the generated video data to the display control unit 40. The period of the video data generated as a file is set to 60 seconds as an example, but is not limited to this.

[0029] The recording control unit 36 ​​controls the recording unit 14 to record the video data filed by the video data processing unit 34. During a period in which loop recording processing is being performed, such as when the vehicle accessory power is ON, the recording control unit 36 ​​records the video data filed by the video data processing unit 34 as overwritable video data in the recording unit 14. During a period in which loop recording processing is being performed, the recording control unit 36 ​​continues to record the video data generated by the video data processing unit 34 in the recording unit 14, and when the capacity of the recording unit 14 becomes full, it overwrites the oldest video data with new video data and records it.

[0030] When the voice command receiving unit 44 receives an event detection by a voice command, the recording control unit 36 ​​stores the video data including the time when the event detection was received as event data. The recording control unit 36 ​​stores the event data in the recording unit 14 as data that is prohibited from being overwritten. For example, the recording control unit 36 ​​copies video data for a predetermined period of about 10 seconds before and after the time when the voice command receiving unit 44 receives the event detection by a voice command from the buffer memory 32 and stores it as event data.

[0031] When the event detection unit 46 detects the occurrence of an event based on the output value of the acceleration sensor 20, the recording control unit 36 ​​stores the video data including the time point at which the event was detected as event data. The recording control unit 36 ​​stores the event data in the recording unit 14 as data that is prohibited from being overwritten. For example, the recording control unit 36 ​​copies video data for a predetermined period of about 10 seconds before and after the time point at which the event detection unit 46 detected the event from the buffer memory 32 and stores it as event data.

[0032] Based on a playback operation control signal output from the operation control unit 48, the playback control unit 38 plays back the loop recorded video data or event data recorded in the recording unit 14, and controls the display control unit 40 to output the played back video, etc. to the display unit 16.

[0033] The display control unit 40 controls the display of video data on the display unit 16. The display control unit 40 outputs a video signal that causes the video data to be output to the display unit 16. More specifically, the display control unit 40 outputs a video signal that displays the video captured by the first camera 10, or the loop recorded video data or event data recorded in the recording unit 14 by playing back the video.

[0034] The detection unit 42 detects conditions in the environment in which the voice command is spoken that result in a situation in which the voice command is not properly recognized. In this embodiment, the detection unit 42 acquires information on the language used by the person who speaks the voice command. The detection unit 42 acquires information on the language normally used by the person who speaks the voice command, in other words, the language that is used daily, such as the person's native language, as the language used by the person who speaks the voice command. In the case of the recording device 1 used in a vehicle, the person who speaks the voice command is a passenger in the vehicle or a driver of the vehicle.

[0035] For example, while the vehicle is in operation, the detection unit 42 acquires the voice of the vehicle occupant's speech or conversation from the voice collected by the microphone 18, and identifies the language used by the vehicle occupant. The detection unit 42 refers to a learning model in which feature amounts and the like are machine-learned for each of a plurality of languages, and identifies the language used by the vehicle occupant. The detection unit 42 identifies one or more languages ​​used by the vehicle occupant based on the voice of the vehicle occupant's speech or conversation. The detection unit 42 may identify the language used by the vehicle occupant by operating the operation unit 22.

[0036] In this embodiment, the detection unit 42 judges whether the language used by the vehicle passenger matches a language registered as a voice command, thereby judging whether the language is usable for a voice command. A language registered as a voice command is a language in which words or phrases indicating voice commands are registered in the recording device 1. For example, a case in which a voice command in Japanese is registered in the recording device 1 means that a voice command such as "start recording" in Japanese is registered. A language that is not registered as a voice command, that is, a language not registered as a voice command, is a language in which no voice command is registered in the recording device 1.

[0037] When multiple languages ​​used by the vehicle occupant are detected, and the multiple detected languages ​​are languages ​​registered as voice commands and languages ​​not registered, the detection unit 42 considers the language used by the vehicle occupant to be a language not registered as a voice command, because there is a possibility that a passenger who speaks a language not registered as a voice command may utter a voice command.

[0038] The voice command receiving unit 44 receives a voice command by recognizing the voice collected by the microphone 18. For example, the voice command receiving unit 44 performs a sound source separation process and a voice recognition process on the voice collected by the microphone 18, and recognizes a voice command for starting an event recording. The voice command for starting an event recording is, for example, "start recording (rokugakaishi)" when Japanese is registered as a voice command. When the voice command receiving unit 44 recognizes six consecutive syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" in the voice collected by the microphone 18, it outputs a control signal for starting an event recording process to the recording control unit 36. Alternatively, when the voice command receiving unit 44 recognizes a voice indicating the words "RoKuGaKaIShi" in the voice collected by the microphone 18, it outputs a control signal for starting an event recording process to the recording control unit 36. The voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether the language used by the person speaking the voice command is a language registered as a voice command, and changes the voice recognition rate for determining whether the voice command has been acquired depending on whether the language used by the person speaking the voice command is a language registered as a voice command.

[0039] When the language used by the vehicle occupant is a language registered as a voice command, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired if all of the six consecutive syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" match. The voice command receiving unit 44 sets, for example, 90% as a first threshold of the recognition rate for determining that the voice command has been acquired. In this case, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired if 90% or more of the six syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" are recognized.

[0040] If the language used by the vehicle occupant is not a language registered as a voice command, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired if five or more syllables of the six consecutive syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" match. In this case, the voice unit 44 sets the recognition rate for determining that the voice command has been acquired to a second threshold value lower than the first threshold value. The voice command receiving unit 44 sets the second threshold value to 80%, for example. In this case, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired if 80% or more of the six consecutive syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" are recognized. In other words, in cases where the language used by the vehicle occupants is not registered as a voice command, such as when the person speaking the voice command is not accustomed to speaking voice commands with proper pronunciation and intonation, or is unable to speak appropriately spontaneously, the voice command can be properly recognized by determining that a voice command has been spoken even if the occupant's speech cannot be fully recognized.

[0041] Furthermore, when the language used by the vehicle passenger is a language registered as a voice command, the voice command receiving unit 44 sets the matching rate between the acoustic model of the voice waveform representing the word "RoKuGaKaIShi" and the input voice waveform to, for example, 90% as a first recognition rate threshold for determining that the voice command has been acquired. In this case, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired when the matching rate between the acoustic model of the voice waveform representing the word "RoKuGaKaIShi" and the input voice waveform is 90% or more.

[0042] Furthermore, when the language used by the vehicle occupant is not a language registered as a voice command, the voice command receiving unit 44 sets the matching rate between the acoustic model of the voice waveform representing the word "RoKuGaKaIShi" and the input voice waveform as a second threshold lower than the first threshold of the recognition rate for determining that the voice command has been acquired, for example, 80%. In this case, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired when the matching rate between the acoustic model of the voice waveform representing the word "RoKuGaKaIShi" and the input voice waveform is 80% or more. In other words, when the language used by the vehicle occupant is not a language registered as a voice command, the voice of the occupant is more likely to be recognized as a voice command.

[0043] The event detection unit 46 detects an event based on the acceleration applied to the vehicle. The event detection unit 46 detects an event based on the detection result of the acceleration sensor 20. The event detection unit 46 detects that an event has occurred when the acceleration information is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value that corresponds to a vehicle collision.

[0044] The operation control unit 48 acquires operation information of an operation accepted by the operation unit 22. For example, the operation control unit 48 acquires save operation information indicating a manual save operation of video data, playback operation information indicating a playback operation, or delete operation information indicating an delete operation of video data, and outputs a control signal. For example, the operation control unit 48 acquires end operation information indicating an operation to end loop recording, and outputs a control signal. The operation control unit 48 may acquire operation information for setting the language used by the vehicle occupant, which is accepted by the operation unit 22. When the operation control unit 48 acquires operation information for setting the language used by the vehicle occupant, it substitutes for the function of the detection unit 42.

[0045] The operation control unit 48 accepts an event recording operation by a voice command recognized by the voice command accepting unit 44 .

[0046] The position information acquisition unit 50 acquires position information indicating the current position of the vehicle. The position information acquisition unit 50 calculates the position information of the current position of the vehicle based on the GNSS signal received by the GNSS receiving unit 24 by a known method.

[0047] (Processing of control section) The process flow of the control unit according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the control unit 26 according to the first embodiment. The flowchart shown in Fig. 2 starts when the power of the engine or the like of the vehicle in which the recording device 1 is mounted starts, or when power is supplied to the recording device 1.

[0048] With the start of the process, the control unit 26 starts normal recording, that is, loop recording (step S10). Specifically, the recording control unit 36 ​​starts a process of transmitting the video data captured by the camera 10 to the buffer memory 32, generating a video file for each video of a predetermined period, for example, every 60 seconds, and recording the video file in the recording unit 14, and proceeds to step S12.

[0049] With the start of step S10, the detection unit 42 may start to identify the language used by the vehicle occupants. The detection unit 42 may identify the language used by both occupants by acquiring speech in the vehicle by starting the flowchart shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the start of the flowchart shown in FIG. 2 may be used to guide the vehicle occupants to inquire about the language used by displaying on the display unit 16 or by voice. Alternatively, a language previously identified may be set based on the information of the occupants or driver of the vehicle associated with an in-vehicle camera (not shown) or a smart key. In addition, if the vehicle in which the recording device 1 is mounted is a rental car, the lender of the vehicle may set the language in advance based on the nationality of the user and the results of the conversation. For example, when only voice commands in Japanese are registered in the recording device 1, it is detected that speech or conversation in the vehicle is being conducted in a language other than Japanese. This is because such a passenger may not be able to utter a voice command in Japanese with appropriate pronunciation or may not be able to utter a voice command in Japanese with appropriate pronunciation instantly.

[0050] The voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether the language used by the vehicle occupant who issues the voice command is a language registered as a voice command (step S12). The person who issues the voice command may be limited to the driver of the vehicle, or may be an occupant other than the driver of the vehicle. If it is determined that the language used by the person who issues the voice command is a language registered as a voice command (step S12; Yes), the process proceeds to step S14. If it is determined that the language used by the person who issues the voice command is not a language registered as a voice command (step S12; No), the process proceeds to step S18.

[0051] If it is determined that the answer is Yes in step S12, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether or not a voice command has been received from a vehicle occupant via the microphone 18 (step S14). If it is determined that a voice command has been received (step S14; Yes), the process proceeds to step S16. If it is determined that a voice command has not been received (step S14; No), the process proceeds to step S24.

[0052] If the result of step S14 is Yes, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether the recognition rate of the acquired voice command is equal to or higher than the first threshold (step S16). If the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than the first threshold (step S16; Yes), the process proceeds to step S22. If the recognition rate of the voice command is not equal to or higher than the first threshold (step S16; No), the process proceeds to step S24.

[0053] If it is determined that the answer is No in step S12, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether or not a voice command has been received from a vehicle occupant via the microphone 18 (step S18). If it is determined that a voice command has been received (step S18; Yes), the process proceeds to step S20. If it is determined that a voice command has not been received (step S18; No), the process proceeds to step S24.

[0054] If it is determined that the result of step S18 is Yes, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether or not the recognition rate of the acquired voice command is equal to or higher than the second threshold (step S20). If it is determined that the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than the second threshold (step S20; Yes), the process proceeds to step S22. If it is not determined that the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than the second threshold (step S20; No), the process proceeds to step S24.

[0055] In steps S14 and S18, in addition to determining whether a voice command has been acquired, it may also be determined whether the acquired voice command is a voice command with high urgency or immediacy. In other words, in steps S14 and S18, it is determined whether a voice command with high urgency or immediacy has been acquired. A voice command with high urgency or immediacy is a voice command that requests an operation for a function that is required to start operating without delay when the voice command is accepted. For example, a voice command with high urgency or immediacy in the recording device 1 is a voice command instructing event recording.

[0056] If the determination is Yes in step S16 or Yes in step S20, the recording control unit 36 ​​stores the event data in the recording unit 14 (step S22). Specifically, the recording control unit 36 ​​stores the first video data around the time when the voice command receiving unit 44 acquires the voice command as event data in the recording unit 14, and proceeds to step S24.

[0057] If it is determined No in steps S14 to S20, or after step S22, the control unit 26 determines whether or not to end the process (step S24). Specifically, the control unit 26 determines to end the process when the operation unit 22 receives an operation to turn off the power or an operation to end the process, or when the power of the engine or the like of the vehicle in which the recording device 1 is mounted is turned off. If it is determined to end the process (step S24; Yes), the process of Fig. 2 ends. If it is not determined to end the process (step S24; No), the process proceeds to step S12.

[0058] As described above, in the first embodiment, the recognition rate for recognizing a voice as a voice command is changed depending on whether the language used by the vehicle occupant is a language registered as a voice command or not, and the voice command is accepted. The voice command accepted by the recording device 1 is, for example, a voice command for instructing to record an event. The recording device 1 also accepts the voice command for instructing to record an event, thereby storing the event data. In the first embodiment, when the language used by the vehicle occupant, that is, the person who speaks the voice command, is not a language registered as a voice command, the recognition rate is lowered to accept the voice command and execute the process of storing the event data, compared to when the language is a language registered as a voice command. As a result, in the first embodiment, even when the occupant is not in a state where he or she can properly utter a voice command, the event data can be properly stored by issuing an operation instruction by a voice command, for example, an event recording instruction by a voice command.

[0059] [Second embodiment] A voice command receiving device in the second embodiment is a general-purpose device that performs operations using voice commands, and is applicable to, for example, home devices such as smart speakers and television receivers, information devices such as smartphones, tablet terminals, and PCs, and navigation devices and infotainment systems used in vehicles.

[0060] An example of the configuration of the voice command receiving device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the voice command receiving device 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 3, the voice command receiving device 100 includes a voice command receiving unit 144, a detection unit 142, and an execution control unit 150. The voice command receiving device 100 includes, for example, an information processing device such as a CPU or an MPU, and a storage device such as a RAM or a ROM. The voice command receiving device 100 executes a program according to the present invention. The voice command receiving device 100 may be realized by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or an FPGA. The voice command receiving device 100 may be realized by a combination of hardware and software. The voice command receiving device 100 is a control unit that controls a device that uses voice commands, like the control unit 26 in the first embodiment. For this reason, the voice command receiving device 100 may be provided with a component for operating or functioning based on the received voice command.

[0062] The voice command receiving device 100 obtains voice from a microphone 118. The microphone 118 may be a component of the voice command receiving device 100.

[0063] The microphone 118 picks up the voice spoken by the speaker. The microphone 118 outputs a voice related to the picked up voice to the voice command receiving device 100. The microphone 118 may be configured integrally with the voice command receiving device 100, or may be configured separately.

[0064] The voice command receiving unit 144 receives a voice command. For example, the voice command receiving unit 144 receives a voice command by recognizing a voice picked up by the microphone 118. The voice command receiving unit 144 has the same function as the voice command receiving unit 44 in the first embodiment.

[0065] The detection unit 142 detects conditions in the environment in which the voice command is spoken that result in a situation in which the voice command is not properly recognized. In this embodiment, the detection unit 142 acquires information on the language used by the person who speaks the voice command. The detection unit 142 acquires information on the language normally used by the person who speaks the voice command, in other words, the language that is normally used by the person who speaks the voice command, such as a language used in their native country. The detection unit 142 has the same functions as the detection unit 42 in the first embodiment.

[0066] When the voice command receiving unit 144 receives a voice command, the execution control unit 150 executes a function corresponding to the received voice command.

[0067] The voice command receiving unit 144 receives the voice command by changing the recognition rate of the voice command depending on whether the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is a language that is registered as a voice command and is therefore usable, based on the detection result of the detection unit 142. For example, when the voice command receiving unit 144 determines that the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is a language registered as a voice command, the voice command receiving unit 144 receives the voice command at a recognition rate equal to or higher than a first threshold. For example, when the voice command receiving unit 144 determines that the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is not a language registered as a voice command, the voice command receiving unit 144 receives the voice command at a recognition rate equal to or higher than a second threshold lower than the first threshold.

[0068] The voice command receiving unit 144 may receive a voice command with high urgency or immediacy at a recognition rate equal to or higher than the second threshold. In the second embodiment, a voice command with high urgency or immediacy is a voice command for a function for which a delay from the time of operation is undesirable or which may have adverse effects or risks, such as an emergency call, emergency communication, an instruction to start recording broadcast content, or an instruction to stop a function with high continuity risk. (Processing of voice command receiving device) A process flow of the voice command receiving device according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a process flow of the voice command receiving device 100 according to the second embodiment.

[0069] The detection unit 142 extracts the language used by the person who speaks the voice command (step S40), and proceeds to step S42. Specifically, the detection unit 142 extracts the language used by the person who speaks the voice command based on the content of the utterance made in the vicinity of the voice command receiving device 100, etc.

[0070] The voice command receiving unit 144 judges whether or not the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is a language registered as a voice command (step S42). Specifically, the voice command receiving unit 144 judges whether or not the language is a language registered as a voice command of the voice command receiving device 100 based on the result of detection of the language used by the person who speaks the voice command by the detection unit 142. If it is judged that the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is a language registered as a voice command (step S42; Yes), the process proceeds to step S44. If it is judged that the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is not a language registered as a voice command (step S42; No), the process proceeds to step S48.

[0071] If it is determined that the voice command has been acquired by the microphone 118 as Yes in step S42, the voice command acceptance unit 144 judges whether or not the voice command has been acquired by the microphone 118 (step S44). If it is determined that the voice command has been acquired (step S44; Yes), the process proceeds to step S46. If it is not determined that the voice command has been acquired (step S44; No), the process proceeds to step S54.

[0072] If it is determined that the result of step S44 is Yes, the voice command receiving unit 144 determines whether or not the recognition rate of the acquired voice command is equal to or higher than the first threshold (step S46). If it is determined that the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than the first threshold (step S46; Yes), the process proceeds to step S52. If it is not determined that the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than the first threshold (step S46; No), the process proceeds to step S54.

[0073] If it is determined that the answer is No in step S42, the voice command receiving unit 144 determines whether or not a voice command has been acquired by the microphone 118 (step S48). If it is determined that a voice command has been acquired (step S48; Yes), the process proceeds to step S50. If it is determined that a voice command has not been acquired (step S48; No), the process proceeds to step S54.

[0074] If it is determined that the result of step S48 is Yes, the voice command receiving unit 144 determines whether or not the recognition rate of the acquired voice command is equal to or higher than the second threshold (step S50). If it is determined that the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than the second threshold (step S50; Yes), the process proceeds to step S52. If it is not determined that the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than the second threshold (step S50; No), the process proceeds to step S54.

[0075] In steps S44 and S48, in addition to determining whether or not a voice command has been acquired, it may also be determined whether or not the acquired voice command is a voice command with high urgency or immediacy.

[0076] If it is determined that the answer is Yes in step S46 or Yes in step S50, the execution control unit 150 executes the function corresponding to the voice command (step S52), and then the process proceeds to step S54.

[0077] If it is determined No from step S44 to step S50, or after step S52, the voice command receiving device 100 determines whether or not to end the process (step S54). Specifically, the voice command receiving device 100 determines to end the process when it receives an operation to turn off the power or an operation to end the process. If it is determined to end the process (step S54; Yes), the process in Fig. 4 ends. If it is not determined to end the process (step S54; No), the process proceeds to step S42.

[0078] As described above, in the second embodiment, the recognition rate for recognizing a voice as a voice command is changed depending on whether the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is a language registered as a voice command or not, and the voice command is accepted and a function corresponding to the voice command is executed. In the second embodiment, when the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is not a language registered as a voice command, the recognition rate is lowered to accept the voice command and a function corresponding to the voice command is executed, compared to when the language is registered as a voice command. In this way, in the second embodiment, even if the person who speaks the voice command uses a language that is not registered as a voice command and is not in a state where the voice command can be appropriately uttered, the function corresponding to the voice command can be appropriately executed.

[0079] [Third embodiment] A third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, a recording device used in a vehicle will be described as an example of a voice command receiving device.

[0080] (Recording device) An example of the configuration of a recording device according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a recording device according to the third embodiment. Since the recording device 1A according to the third embodiment has a common configuration and function with the recording device 1 according to the first embodiment, in the following description, the same components as those of the recording device 1 are given the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The recording device 1A according to the third embodiment is a device that supports voice commands in multiple languages, in other words, a device in which voice commands in multiple languages ​​are registered, and a device that selects and uses a language for accepting voice commands from the multiple supported languages.

[0081] 5, the recording device 1A includes a control unit 26A in addition to the same components as the recording device 1. The control unit 26A further includes a setting unit 52 in addition to the same components as the control unit 26.

[0082] The setting unit 52 sets the language in which the voice command receiving unit 44 receives voice commands. The setting unit 52 sets at least one language from a plurality of languages ​​supported by the voice commands, for example, by operation of the operation unit 22. In other words, the setting unit 52 selects and enables use of at least one language from voice commands corresponding to a plurality of languages ​​in the recording device 1A.

[0083] The setting unit 52 allows a user of the recording device 1A or the like to operate the operation unit 22 to select and set the language in which voice commands are accepted from a plurality of languages ​​supported by the recording device 1A.

[0084] In this embodiment, the detection unit 42 judges whether the language used by the vehicle passenger matches the language set as the language for accepting voice commands, thereby judging whether the language is usable for voice commands. The language set as the language for accepting voice commands is a language selected from a plurality of languages ​​in which words and phrases indicating voice commands are registered in the recording device 1A. For example, when voice commands in Japanese, English, Chinese, and Korean are registered in the recording device 1A and Japanese is selected as the language for accepting voice commands, a voice command such as "Start recording" in Japanese is usable. Moreover, the language that is not set as the language for accepting voice commands includes languages ​​that are registered in the recording device 1A and are not set as the language for accepting voice commands, as well as languages ​​that are not registered in the recording device 1A.

[0085] The voice command receiving unit 44 receives voice commands by recognizing the voice collected by the microphone 18. When Japanese is set as the language for receiving voice commands, for example, a voice command for starting event recording is "Start recording (rokugakaishi)." The voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether or not the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is a language set as a language for receiving voice commands, and changes the voice recognition rate for determining whether or not a voice command has been acquired depending on whether or not the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is a language set as a language for receiving voice commands.

[0086] When the language used by the vehicle occupant is a language set as a language for accepting voice commands, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired if all of the six consecutive syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" match. The voice command receiving unit 44 sets, for example, 90% as a first threshold of the recognition rate for determining that the voice command has been acquired. In this case, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired if 90% or more of the six syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" are recognized.

[0087] If the language used by the vehicle occupant is not one of the languages ​​set as a language for accepting voice commands, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that a voice command has been acquired if five or more syllables of the six consecutive syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" match. In this case, the voice unit 44 sets the recognition rate for determining that a voice command has been acquired to a second threshold value lower than the first threshold value. The voice command receiving unit 44 sets the second threshold value to 80%, for example. In this case, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that a voice command has been acquired if 80% or more of the six consecutive syllables of "Ro·Ku·Ga·Ka·I·Shi" are recognized. In other words, in cases where the language used by the vehicle occupants is not one of the languages ​​set as the language for accepting voice commands, such as when the person speaking the voice command is not accustomed to speaking voice commands with proper pronunciation and intonation, or is unable to speak appropriately spontaneously, even if the occupant's speech cannot be fully recognized, the voice command can be determined to have been spoken and the voice command can be recognized appropriately.

[0088] Furthermore, when the language used by the vehicle passenger is a language set as a language for accepting voice commands, the voice command receiving unit 44 sets the matching rate between the acoustic model of the voice waveform representing the word "RoKuGaKaIShi" and the input voice waveform to, for example, 90% as a first recognition rate threshold for determining that a voice command has been acquired. In this case, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that a voice command has been acquired when the matching rate between the acoustic model of the voice waveform representing the word "RoKuGaKaIShi" and the input voice waveform is 90% or more.

[0089] Furthermore, when the language used by the vehicle occupant is not a language set as a language for accepting voice commands, the voice command receiving unit 44 sets the matching rate between the acoustic model of the voice waveform representing the word "RoKuGaKaIShi" and the input voice waveform as a second threshold lower than the first threshold of the recognition rate for determining that the voice command has been acquired, for example, 80%. In this case, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines that the voice command has been acquired when the matching rate between the acoustic model of the voice waveform representing the word "RoKuGaKaIShi" and the input voice waveform is 80% or more. In other words, when the language used by the vehicle occupant is not a language set as a language for accepting voice commands, the voice of the occupant is more likely to be recognized as a voice command.

[0090] (Processing of control unit) The flow of processing by the control unit according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of processing by the control unit 26A according to the third embodiment. The processing of step S60 and steps S64 to S74 shown in Fig. 6 is the same as the processing of step S10 and steps S14 to S24 shown in Fig. 2, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0091] The voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether or not the language used by the vehicle occupant who is the person who issues the voice command is a language set as a language for accepting voice commands (step S62). In other words, the voice command receiving unit 44 determines whether or not the language used by the vehicle occupant who is the person who issues the voice command is a language set by the setting unit 52. If it is determined that the language used by the person who issues the voice command is a language set as a language for accepting voice commands (step S62; Yes), the process proceeds to step S64. If it is determined that the language used by the person who issues the voice command is not a language set as a language for accepting voice commands (step S62; No), the process proceeds to step S68.

[0092] As described above, in the third embodiment, the recognition rate for recognizing a voice as a voice command is changed depending on whether the language used by the vehicle occupant is a language set as a language for accepting voice commands or a language that is not set as a language for accepting voice commands, and then the voice command is accepted. In the third embodiment, when the language used by the vehicle occupant, i.e., the person who speaks the voice command, is not a language set as a language for accepting voice commands, the recognition rate is lowered to accept the voice command and the event data storage process is executed, compared to when the language is a language set as a language for accepting voice commands. As a result, in the third embodiment, even when the occupant is not in a state where he or she can properly utter a voice command, it is possible to properly issue an operation instruction by a voice command, for example, to store event data.

[0093] [Fourth embodiment] A fourth embodiment will now be described. The voice command receiving device in the fourth embodiment is applied to various devices that are operated using voice commands, similar to the voice command receiving device in the second embodiment.

[0094] A configuration example of a voice command reception device according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a voice command reception device 100A according to the fourth embodiment. The voice command reception device 100A according to the fourth embodiment has a common configuration with the voice command reception device 100 according to the second embodiment, so in the following description, the same components as those in the voice command reception device 100 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0095] 7, the voice command receiving device 100A further includes an operation unit 122, an operation control unit 148, and a setting unit 152 in addition to the same configuration as the voice command receiving device 100. The operation unit 122 may be a component of the voice command receiving device 100A.

[0096] The operation unit 122 can accept various operations for the voice command reception device 100A. The operation unit 122 can accept an operation to set a language in which a voice command is to be received from among a plurality of languages ​​supported by the voice command reception device 100A. The operation unit 122 outputs operation information to the operation control unit 148.

[0097] The operation control unit 148 acquires operation information of an operation accepted by the operation unit 122. For example, the operation control unit 148 acquires operation information for setting a language in which a voice command is accepted.

[0098] The setting unit 152 sets the language in which the voice command receiving unit 144 receives voice commands. The setting unit 152 has the same functions as the setting unit 52 in the third embodiment. (Processing of voice command receiving device) The process flow of the voice command receiving device according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the process flow of the voice command receiving device 100A according to the fourth embodiment. The processes of step S80 and steps S84 to S94 shown in Fig. 8 are the same as the processes of step S40 and steps S44 to S54 shown in Fig. 4, and therefore will not be described.

[0099] In step S82, the voice command receiving unit 144 determines whether the language is set as a language for receiving voice commands. Specifically, the voice command receiving unit 144 determines whether the language is set as a language for receiving voice commands by the voice command receiving device 100A based on the result of detection of the language used by the person who speaks the voice command by the detection unit 142. If it is determined that the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is a language set as a language for receiving voice commands (step S82; Yes), the process proceeds to step S84. If it is determined that the language used by the person who speaks the voice command is not a language set as a language for receiving voice commands (step S82; No), the process proceeds to step S88.

[0100] As described above, in the fourth embodiment, the recognition rate for recognizing a voice as a voice command is changed depending on whether the language used by the person who issues the voice command is a language set as a language for accepting voice commands or a language that is not set as a language for accepting voice commands, and the voice command is accepted and a function corresponding to the voice command is executed. In the fourth embodiment, when the language used by the person who issues the voice command is not a language set as a language for accepting voice commands, the recognition rate is lowered compared to when the language is set as a language for accepting voice commands, and the function corresponding to the voice command is executed. In this way, in the fourth embodiment, even if the person who issues the voice command uses a language that is not set as a language for accepting voice commands and is not in a state in which the person can appropriately issue the voice command, the function corresponding to the voice command can be appropriately executed.

[0101] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents of these embodiments. The above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the so-called equivalent range. Furthermore, the above-described components can be appropriately combined. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0102] 1. 1A Recording device 10. Camera 14 Recording section 16 Display 18, 118 microphones 20 Acceleration Sensor 22, 122 Operation section 24 GNSS receiver 26 Control unit (recording control device) 30 Video data acquisition unit 32 Buffer Memory 34 Video data processing section 36 Recording control section 38 Playback control section 40 Display control unit 42, 142 Detector 44, 144 Voice command reception unit 46 Event detection section 48, 148 Operation control section 50 Location information acquisition section 52, 152 Setting section 100, 100A Voice command reception device 118 Microphone 144 Voice command reception unit 142 Detection unit 150 Execution Control Unit

Claims

1. a voice command receiving unit that receives a voice command; a detection unit that obtains information about the language used by the person who speaks the voice command; an execution control unit that, when the voice command reception unit receives a voice command, executes a function corresponding to the received voice command; Equipped with When the voice command receiving unit determines that the language used by the person is a language that can be used as the voice command, the voice command receiving unit receives the voice command with a recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit equal to or higher than a first threshold, and when the voice command receiving unit determines that the language used by the person is not a language that can be used as the voice command, the voice command receiving unit receives the voice command with a recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit equal to or higher than a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold. Voice command acceptance device.

2. When the voice command receiving unit determines that the language used by the person is a usable language because it is registered as the voice command, the voice command receiving unit receives the voice command with a recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit equal to or higher than a first threshold, and when the voice command receiving unit determines that the language used by the person is not a usable language because it is registered as the voice command, the voice command receiving unit receives the voice command with a recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit equal to or higher than a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold. The voice command receiving device according to claim 1 .

3. a setting unit for setting a language in which the voice command receiving unit receives voice commands, When the voice command receiving unit determines that the language used by the person is a usable language because it has been set in the setting unit as a language for accepting the voice command, the voice command receiving unit receives the voice command with a recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit equal to or higher than a first threshold, and when the voice command receiving unit determines that the language used by the person is not a usable language because it has been set in the setting unit as a language for accepting the voice command, the voice command receiving unit receives the voice command with a recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit equal to or higher than a second threshold which is lower than the first threshold. The voice command receiving device according to claim 1 .

4. the detection unit acquires information about a language used by the person based on the person's speech; The voice command receiving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the voice command receiving unit receives a voice command with high urgency or immediacy when the recognition rate of the voice command acquired by the voice command receiving unit is equal to or higher than a second threshold value that is lower than the first threshold value; The voice command receiving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. the voice command receiving device is a vehicle recording control device used in a vehicle, a video data acquisition unit that acquires first video data captured by a first imaging unit that captures an image of the periphery of the vehicle; the voice command receiving unit receives an event recording instruction by a voice command; when the voice command receiving unit receives an instruction to record an event by a voice command, the execution control unit stores the first video data including the time when the instruction to record the event was received as event data. The voice command receiving device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. obtaining information about the language used by the person uttering the voice command; accepting the voice command when the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than a first threshold if it is determined that the language used by the person is a language that can be used as the voice command, and accepting the voice command when the recognition rate of the voice command is equal to or higher than a second threshold that is lower than the first threshold if it is determined that the language used by the person is not a language that can be used as the voice command; When the voice command is received, executing a function corresponding to the received voice command; A program that causes a voice command receiving device to execute the above.

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