Voice recognition device

Abstract

To help a user understand whether voice input from a user cannot be recognized or a function according to the voice input is not available, when the voice input is not received.SOLUTION: A voice recognition device 20 includes a control part for recognizing voice input from an occupant of a vehicle 12, controlling a function according to the recognized voice input, and outputting different notifications in a case in which the voice input cannot be recognized, and a case in which the voice input is recognized and the function is not available.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a speech recognition device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a device equipped with a voice recognition unit. The voice recognition unit determines whether or not predetermined voice information is included in the voice information of the occupant acquired by an in-vehicle microphone. If the predetermined voice information is included, the ignition is started. If the predetermined voice information is not included, the ignition is not started. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-107192 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In conventional devices, when a voice input from a user is not accepted, the user cannot tell whether the voice input was not recognized in the first place or whether a function corresponding to the voice input is unavailable.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to enable a user to easily understand, when a voice input from a user is not accepted, whether the voice input was not recognized in the first place or whether a function corresponding to the voice input is not available. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The speech recognition device according to the present disclosure comprises: The control unit recognizes voice input from a vehicle occupant and controls a function according to the recognized voice input, and outputs different notifications when the voice input cannot be recognized and when the voice input is recognized and the function is unavailable. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, when a voice input from a user is not accepted, it becomes easy for the user to understand whether the voice input was not recognized in the first place or whether a function corresponding to the voice input is not available. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a voice recognition device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 11 is a table illustrating an example of definition data according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of the voice recognition device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 11 is a table illustrating an example of data stored in a database of a server device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0010] In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. In the description of this embodiment, the description of the same or corresponding parts will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0011] The configuration of a system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0012] The system 10 according to the present embodiment includes a voice recognition device 20 and a server device 30. The voice recognition device 20 is capable of communicating with the server device 30 via a network 40.

[0013] The voice recognition device 20 is a computer equipped with a voice recognition function and installed in the vehicle 12. The voice recognition device 20 is used by a user 11. The user 11 is an occupant of the vehicle 12.

[0014] The server device 30 is a computer that is installed in a facility such as a data center and that belongs to a cloud computing system or other computing system. The server device 30 is operated by a business operator that provides services such as web services.

[0015] The vehicle 12 may be any type of automobile, such as a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a hydrogen vehicle, an HEV, a PHEV, a BEV, or an FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. The vehicle 12 may be driven by the user 11, or may be automated at any level. The level of automation may be, for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE level classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers. The vehicle 12 may be a MaaS-only vehicle. "MaaS" is an abbreviation for Mobility as a Service.

[0016] Network 40 includes the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or any combination thereof. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. Network 40 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or any combination thereof. A wireless network may be, for example, an ad-hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0017] The present embodiment will be outlined with reference to FIG.

[0018] The voice recognition device 20 recognizes voice input from the user 11 and controls a function according to the recognized voice input. However, if the voice recognition device 20 is unable to recognize the voice input, it does not control any function and outputs a third notification. If the voice recognition device 20 recognizes a voice input but the function according to the recognized voice input is unavailable, it does not control the function and outputs a second notification that is different from the third notification. In other words, the voice recognition device 20 outputs different notifications depending on whether it is unable to recognize the voice input or whether it recognizes the voice input and the function is unavailable.

[0019] According to this embodiment, when a voice input from the user 11 is not accepted, the user 11 can easily understand whether the voice input was not recognized in the first place or whether a function corresponding to the voice input is not available.

[0020] In this embodiment, when the voice recognition device 20 recognizes a voice input from the user 11, the voice recognition device 20 refers to the definition data 50 that defines a plurality of functions and availability of each function as shown in FIG. 3 to determine availability of the function corresponding to the voice input. As shown in FIG. 3, the definition data 50 may be data that defines availability of each function according to the state of the vehicle 12. As shown in FIG. 3, the definition data 50 may further include data that defines the reason why an unavailable function among the plurality of functions is unavailable. When the voice recognition device 20 recognizes a voice input and the function corresponding to the voice input is unavailable, the voice recognition device 20 may include an explanation of the reason why the function corresponding to the voice input is defined by the definition data 50 in the second notification. Furthermore, when the voice recognition device 20 recognizes a voice input and the function corresponding to the voice input is unavailable, the voice recognition device 20 may transmit data that identifies the vehicle model of the vehicle 12 and data that indicates the function corresponding to the voice input to the server device 30. The definition data 50 may be different for each vehicle model, and may also be different for each year or grade. In this embodiment, the definition data 50 is stored in the voice recognition device 20, but may be stored in the server device 30 or an external storage device.

[0021] In the example shown in FIG. 3, the definition data 50 is configured as a table including four columns: function, state of the vehicle 12, availability, and reason. In the function column, functions that can be controlled and functions that cannot be controlled according to the voice input recognized by the voice recognition device 20 mounted on the vehicle 12 are defined. For example, the function column includes functions according to the voice input, from No. 1 "search for a destination" to No. 5 "turn on the TV". In the state column of the vehicle 12, the state of the vehicle 12 is defined. In the availability column, the availability of each function according to the state of the vehicle 12 is defined. In the reason column, when the corresponding field in the availability column is "unavailable", the reason why the function defined in the corresponding field in the function column is unavailable is defined. For example, for No. 1 "search for a destination" in the definition data 50, the state of the vehicle 12 is defined as "always" and the availability is defined as "available". Therefore, when the voice recognition device 20 recognizes a voice input from the user 11 of "I want to go to X," it always controls the function of "search for a destination" regardless of the state of the vehicle 12. In this case, the control unit 21 causes the navigation system mounted on the vehicle 12 to search for a place called X and set the searched X as the destination. For example, for "Read the weather forecast" in No. 3 of the definition data 50, the state of the vehicle 12 is defined as "always," the availability is defined as "not available," and the reason is defined as "non-compatible model." Therefore, even if the voice recognition device 20 recognizes a voice input from the user 11 of "tell me the weather forecast," it does not control the function of "read the weather forecast." For example, for "Turn on the TV" in No. 5 of the definition data 50, the states of the vehicle 12 are defined as "driving" and "parked," the availability when driving is defined as "not available," the reason is defined as "not available when driving," and the availability when parked is defined as "available." Therefore, when the voice recognition device 20 recognizes a voice input of "Turn on the TV" from the user 11, if the vehicle 12 is moving, it does not control the function of "Turn on the TV", but if the vehicle 12 is stopped, it controls the function of "Turn on the TV". In the latter case, the control unit 21 causes the television program to be displayed on the multimedia screen of the display mounted on the vehicle 12.

[0022] The configuration of a voice recognition device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0023] The voice recognition device 20 includes a control unit 21 , a storage unit 22 , a communication unit 23 , an input unit 24 , and an output unit 25 .

[0024] The control unit 21 includes at least one processor, at least one programmable circuit, at least one dedicated circuit, or any combination thereof. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. The programmable circuit is, for example, an FPGA. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an ASIC. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 21 executes processes related to the operation of the voice recognition device 20 while controlling each part of the voice recognition device 20.

[0025] The storage unit 22 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or any combination thereof. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a RAM, a ROM, or a flash memory. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read only memory. The RAM is, for example, an SRAM or a DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. The ROM is, for example, an EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The flash memory is, for example, an SSD. "SSD" is an abbreviation for solid-state drive. The magnetic memory is, for example, an HDD. "HDD" is an abbreviation for hard disk drive. The storage unit 22 functions, for example, as a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 22 stores data used in the operation of the voice recognition device 20 and data obtained by the operation of the voice recognition device 20.

[0026] The communication unit 23 includes at least one communication module. The communication module is, for example, a module compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G standard, or 5G standard, or a wireless LAN communication standard such as IEEE802.11. "LTE" is an abbreviation for Long Term Evolution. "4G" is an abbreviation for 4th generation. "5G" is an abbreviation for 5th generation. "IEEE" is an abbreviation for Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The communication unit 23 communicates with the server device 30. The communication unit 23 receives data used in the operation of the voice recognition device 20, and transmits data obtained by the operation of the voice recognition device 20.

[0027] The input unit 24 includes at least one input device. The input device is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integral with a display, a visible light camera, a depth camera, LiDAR, or a microphone. "LiDAR" is an abbreviation for light detection and ranging. The input unit 24 accepts an operation to input data used for the operation of the voice recognition device 20. The input unit 24 may be connected to the voice recognition device 20 as an external input device instead of being provided in the voice recognition device 20. As the connection interface, an interface compatible with a standard such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used. "USB" is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. "HDMI (registered trademark)" is an abbreviation for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.

[0028] The output unit 25 includes at least one output device. The output device is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. "LCD" is an abbreviation for liquid crystal display. "EL" is an abbreviation for electro luminescent. The output unit 25 outputs data obtained by the operation of the voice recognition device 20. The output unit 25 may be connected to the voice recognition device 20 as an external output device such as a display audio, instead of being provided in the voice recognition device 20. As a connection interface, an interface compatible with standards such as USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be used.

[0029] The functions of the voice recognition device 20 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor serving as the control unit 21. That is, the functions of the voice recognition device 20 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the voice recognition device 20, thereby causing the computer to function as the voice recognition device 20. That is, the computer functions as the voice recognition device 20 by executing the operations of the voice recognition device 20 in accordance with the program.

[0030] The program may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. Examples of the non-transitory computer-readable medium include a flash memory, a magnetic recording device, an optical disk, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a ROM. The program may be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable medium such as an SD card, DVD, or CD-ROM on which the program is stored. "SD" is an abbreviation for Secure Digital. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program may be distributed by storing the program in the storage of a server and transferring the program from the server to another computer. The program may be provided as a program product.

[0031] A computer temporarily stores in a main storage device, for example, a program stored in a portable medium or a program transferred from a server. Then, the computer reads the program stored in the main storage device with a processor, and executes processing according to the read program with the processor. The computer may read the program directly from a portable medium and execute processing according to the program. The computer may execute processing according to the received program each time a program is transferred from the server to the computer. Processing may be executed by a so-called ASP-type service that realizes functions only by execution instructions and result acquisition without transferring a program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. A program is information used for processing by a computer, and includes those equivalent to a program. For example, data that is not a direct command to a computer but has the property of defining computer processing falls under "those equivalent to a program."

[0032] A part or all of the functions of the voice recognition device 20 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 21. In other words, a part or all of the functions of the voice recognition device 20 may be realized by hardware.

[0033] The operation of the voice recognition device 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The operation described below corresponds to the control method according to the present embodiment. That is, the control method according to the present embodiment includes steps S1 to S9 shown in Fig. 4.

[0034] When the user 11 issues a start command such as "Hey car!" or presses a screen display or physically located start button, step S1 is initiated.

[0035] In S1, the control unit 21 accepts a voice input from the user 11. For example, the control unit 21 accepts a voice input such as “I want to go to X” or “Turn on the TV” from the user 11 via a microphone serving as the input unit 24.

[0036] In S2, the control unit 21 determines whether or not the voice input from the user 11 has been recognized. If it has been recognized (S2-YES), the process proceeds to S3. If it has not been recognized (S2-NO), the process proceeds to S9. For example, if the voice input "I want to go to X" has been recognized in S2, the process proceeds to S3. Also, for example, if the part "I want to go" has been recognized in S2, but the location has not been heard, the process proceeds to S9.

[0037] In S3, the control unit 21 acquires the state of the vehicle 12. For example, the control unit 21 acquires the state of the vehicle 12 by receiving data on the speed of the vehicle 12 from a speedometer mounted on the vehicle 12 via the communication unit 23.

[0038] In S4, the control unit 21 refers to the definition data 50 as shown in Fig. 3 and determines whether or not the function corresponding to the voice input recognized in S2 is available. If the function is available (S4-YES), the process proceeds to S5. If the function is unavailable (S4-NO), the process proceeds to S7. For example, if the control unit 21 recognizes the voice input "I want to go to X" in S2, the control unit 21 determines that the function "search for a destination" is available regardless of the state of the vehicle 12 acquired in S3, and the process proceeds to S5. On the other hand, if the control unit 21 recognizes the voice input "Turn on the TV" in S2 and the state of the vehicle 12 acquired in S3 is "driving", the control unit 21 determines that the function "Turn on the TV" is unavailable, and the process proceeds to S7.

[0039] In S5, the control unit 21 controls the function determined to be available in S4 based on the voice input recognized in S2. For example, the control unit 21 controls the function "search for destination" determined to be available in S4 based on the voice input "I want to go to X" recognized in S2, and causes the navigation system mounted on the vehicle 12 to search for X. Then, the control unit 21 causes the navigation system to set the searched X as a destination. After S5, the process proceeds to S6.

[0040] In S6, the control unit 21 outputs a first notification. For example, when the control unit 21 has the navigation system set X as the destination in S5, the control unit 21 outputs a voice saying "X has been set as the destination" as the first notification through a speaker serving as the output unit 25. For example, the control unit 21 may display a message saying "X has been set as the destination" on a display serving as the output unit 25 as the first notification.

[0041] After S6, the flow shown in FIG. 4 ends.

[0042] In S7, the control unit 21 outputs a second notification. For example, based on the voice input of "Turn on the TV" recognized in S2, the control unit 21 notifies the user 11 of the reason for the unavailability of the function "Turn on the TV" determined to be unavailable in S4, defined in the definition data 50. Specifically, the control unit 21 outputs a voice message "Cannot be used while driving" as the second notification through a speaker serving as the output unit 25. For example, the control unit 21 may display a message "Cannot be used while driving" as the second notification on a display serving as the output unit 25. This allows the user 11 to know that the voice input has been recognized but the function corresponding to the voice input is unavailable. After S7, the process proceeds to S8.

[0043] In S8, the control unit 21 transmits data identifying the model of the vehicle 12 and data indicating the function determined to be unavailable in S4 to the server device 30 via the communication unit 23. For example, the control unit 21 transmits data indicating the model of the vehicle 12 "AAA" and data indicating the function "Turn on the TV" to the server device 30 via the communication unit 23. In addition to this, the control unit 21 may transmit data indicating the date of voice input, data indicating a user ID that identifies the user 11, or data indicating the reason for unavailability. "ID" is an abbreviation for identifier.

[0044] An example of data stored in the database of server device 30 is shown in Fig. 5. In this example, data indicating the date of voice input, user ID, vehicle model, function, and reason for unavailability transmitted from control unit 21 is stored in the database of server device 30. By storing data transmitted from control unit 21 in server device 30, the business can obtain information such as "users of vehicle model AAA frequently requested a function that reads weather forecasts." This allows the business to know which functions were voice input but were unavailable, i.e., functions that are in demand by user 11 but have not been implemented, and can obtain important marketing material for product development.

[0045] After S8, the flow shown in FIG. 4 ends.

[0046] In S9, the control unit 21 outputs a third notification. For example, the control unit 21 outputs a voice saying "It could not be recognized. Please try again" as the third notification through a speaker serving as the output unit 25. This allows the user 11 to know that the voice input was not recognized.

[0047] After S9, the flow shown in FIG. 4 ends.

[0048] As described above, when the control unit 21 recognizes a voice input from the user 11, the control unit 21 controls a function according to the recognized voice input. The control unit 21 outputs different notifications depending on whether the voice input cannot be recognized or whether the voice input is recognized and the function is unavailable.

[0049] According to this embodiment, when a voice input from the user 11 is not accepted, the user 11 can easily understand whether the voice input was not recognized in the first place or whether a function corresponding to the voice input is not available.

[0050] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. For example, two or more blocks shown in the block diagram may be integrated, or one block may be divided. Instead of executing two or more steps shown in the flowchart in chronological order as described, they may be executed in parallel or in a different order depending on the processing capacity of the device executing each step, or as necessary. Other modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10. System 11 users 12 Vehicles 20 Voice recognition device 21 Control section 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 24 Input section 25 Output section 30 Server device 40 Network 50 Definition Data

Claims

1. A voice recognition device including a control unit that recognizes voice input from a vehicle occupant and controls a function according to the recognized voice input, and that outputs different notifications when the voice input cannot be recognized and when the voice input is recognized and the function is unavailable.

2. A communication unit that communicates with the server device, 2. The voice recognition device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit recognizes the voice input and, if the function is unavailable, transmits data identifying the vehicle model and data indicating the function to the server device via the communication unit.

3. The voice recognition device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the control unit recognizes the voice input, the control unit determines whether or not the function is available by referring to definition data that defines a plurality of functions and availability of each function.

4. the definition data further includes data defining a reason why an unavailable function among the plurality of functions is unavailable; The speech recognition device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit recognizes the speech input, and when the function is unavailable, includes in the notification an explanation of why the function is defined by the definition data.

5. 5. The voice recognition device according to claim 3, wherein the definition data defines whether each function is available depending on the state of the vehicle.

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