Sound collecting device and controlled device

Abstract

To provide a sound collecting device and a controlled device that suppress noise caused by vibration.SOLUTION: In a mobile plant system that includes a water supply device and a mobile plant and moves the plant, a sound collection unit of a mobile plant, which is a sound collection device, includes a microphone 51 and a support unit 53. The microphone collects sounds to be used to control the mobile plant. The support unit is tubular, with an inner surface 532, an outer surface 533, and a cylindrical portion 531. The support unit supports the microphone with its side surface 513 serving as a contact surface and in contact with the inner surface, and the inner periphery of a hole provided in the mobile plant serves as a contact surface and is supported by the mobile plant with its outer surface 533. At least one of the inner and outer surfaces is configured such that the contact ratio is 50% or less, and the contact ratio is the ratio of the area of the portion in contact with the contact surface to the entire area of the contact surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sound collecting device and a controlled device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a voice recognition remote control device that has a voice input microphone on the side and a noise reduction tube in front of it, and a noise microphone on the ceiling; when the user speaks, the noise reduction tube rotates near the user's mouth; and when the user utters a recognition word, the noise component of the noise reduction microphone is subtracted from the voice signal input by the microphone, thereby improving voice recognition accuracy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-195088 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires two microphones, one for voice input and one for noise, and subtracts the latter noise component (N) from the former main component (S). Therefore, if there is high motor noise (N), the S / N ratio decreases, making it difficult to extract the voice signal correctly.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides a technique capable of suppressing noise caused by vibrations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sound collection device. The sound collection device includes a microphone and a support unit. The microphone is configured to collect sound to be used for controlling a controlled device. The support unit is cylindrical with an inner surface and an outer surface, and is configured to support the microphone by contacting the inner surface with the outer periphery of the microphone as a contact surface, and to be supported by the controlled device by contacting the outer surface with the inner periphery of a hole provided in the controlled device as a contact surface. At least one of the inner surface and the outer surface is configured to have a contact ratio of 50% or less, where the contact ratio is the ratio of the area of ​​the portion in contact with the contact surface to the entire area of ​​the contact surface.

[0007] According to this aspect, noise caused by vibrations can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a mobile plant system 1. FIG. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of a mobile plant system 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an exploded view of the sound collection unit 50. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a cross section of a support portion 53. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the lid portion 54 as seen from above. [Figure 6] 2 is a diagram showing a cross section of the sound collecting section 50 as viewed in the horizontal direction. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the bottom portion 55 as seen from above. [Figure 8] 10 is a diagram showing a sound collection unit 50 attached to a mobile plant 20. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating an example of a voice operation process. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of the shape of a support portion. [Figure 11] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of the shape of the support portion. [Figure 12] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of the shape of the support portion. [Figure 13] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of the shape of the support portion. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of the shape of the support portion. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The following describes embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. Various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0010] Incidentally, the program for realizing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or may be provided so that it can be downloaded from an external server, or may be provided so that the program is started on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0011] Furthermore, various information processing according to an embodiment may realize input and output corresponding to the input. Here, the form of information referenced in such information processing (hereinafter referred to as reference information) is not limited as long as an output is obtained as a result of the input. The reference information may be, for example, rule-based information such as a database, a lookup table, or a predetermined function (including a decision formula such as a regression formula constructed using a statistical method), a trained model that has previously trained the correlation between input and output, or a large-scale language model that can output a desired result by inputting a prompt.

[0012] In one embodiment, a "unit" may include, for example, a combination of hardware resources implemented by a circuit in the broad sense and software information processing that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. In one embodiment, various information is handled, and this information is represented, for example, by physical values ​​of signal values ​​representing voltage and current, high and low signal values ​​as a binary bit set consisting of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculations can be performed on a circuit in the broad sense.

[0013] Furthermore, a circuit in a broad sense is a circuit realized by at least an appropriate combination of a circuit, circuitry, a processor, a memory, etc. That is, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a programmable logic device (e.g., a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0014] <Embodiment> The system configuration according to the embodiment will be described below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a mobile plant system 1. In FIG. 1, each device provided in the mobile plant system 1 and each section and means provided in the device are shown in blocks. The mobile plant system 1 is configured to be able to move plants, and is a system that provides healing to users by making them behave like pet animals. Hereinafter, when we simply say "plants," we mean the plants provided in the mobile plant system 1.

[0015] The mobile plant system 1 includes a water supply device 10 and a mobile plant 20. The mobile plant 20 is configured to move the plant and make it behave like a pet. The water supply device 10 is configured to supply water to the plant moved by the mobile plant 20. The mobile plant 20 includes a battery or the like and is powered by electricity. The water supply device 10 is also configured to supply electricity to the mobile plant 20.

[0016] Water supply device 10 includes control unit 11, memory unit 12, communication unit 13, power supply unit 14, and water supply unit 15. Control unit 11 has at least one processor. The at least one processor may be configured, for example, by a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), one or more integrated circuits, one or more discrete circuits, or a combination thereof (not shown). Control unit 11 controls the operation of memory unit 12, communication unit 13, power supply unit 14, and water supply unit 15.

[0017] The memory unit 12 can be implemented as a storage device such as a solid state drive (SSD) or a hard disk drive (HDD), or as a memory such as a random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily required information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to program calculations. The memory unit 12 stores various programs, variables, etc. related to the mobile plant system 1 executed by the control unit 11.

[0018] The communication unit 13 is configured by a communication module. The communication module may be a wireless communication module conforming to standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, LTE, 5G, or 6G, or may be a wired communication module conforming to standards such as IEEE802.3. The communication unit 13 is configured to be able to transmit various electrical signals from the control unit 11 to external components. The communication unit 13 is also configured to be able to receive various electrical signals from the external components to the control unit 11.

[0019] The mobile plant 20 includes a control unit 21, a memory unit 22, a communication unit 23, a housing 24, an audio I / F 31 (audio interface 31), a voice recognition unit 32, a voice transmission unit 33, a moving means 34, a moisture detection unit 35, a charging unit 36, a map information acquisition unit 41, a self-position estimation unit 42, a distance information acquisition unit 43, a motion detection / imaging unit 44, a sound collection unit 50, and a plant unit 60. The control unit 21, the memory unit 22, and the communication unit 23 have the same configuration as the control unit 11, the memory unit 12, and the communication unit 13, respectively. The communication unit 23 communicates with the communication unit 13 wirelessly.

[0020] The control unit 11 and the control unit 21 are computers that realize various functions related to the mobile plant system 1 by reading out predetermined programs stored in the memory unit 12 and the memory unit 22, respectively. In other words, information processing by the stored software is specifically realized by the control unit 11 and the control unit 21, which are examples of hardware, and can be executed as each functional unit included in the control unit 11 and the control unit 21. Note that the control unit 11 and the control unit 21 are not limited to being single, and may be implemented with multiple control units 11 or 21 for each function, or a combination thereof.

[0021] Here, the water supply device 10 and the mobile plant 20 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the mobile plant system 1. FIG. 2 shows the appearance of the water supply device 10 and the mobile plant 20. The mobile plant 20 has a cylindrical housing 24. The housing 24 may be a polygonal cylindrical shape such as a square cylindrical shape. A plant section 60 is provided inside the housing 24. The plant section 60 includes a plant body 61 and a cultivation bed 62. The housing 24 may be shaped to cover the entire plant body 61, to cover a part of the plant body 61, or to expose the entire plant body 61. The housing 24 also stores the control unit 11 and memory unit 12 described above.

[0022] A disk-shaped moving means 34 is provided on the underside of the housing 24. The moving means 34 includes a motor, gears, wheels, etc., and moves the entire mobile plant 20. The moving means 34 is not particularly limited, and may be configured to move the mobile plant 20 in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional manner.

[0023] The charging unit 36 ​​of the mobile plant 20 is equipped with a battery, an input terminal, etc., and is configured to be rechargeable. The input terminal is exposed on the side of the moving means 34. The power supply unit 14 of the water supply device 10 has a power cable for connecting to an external power source, an outlet, an output terminal, etc. The output terminal is exposed in a position where it can come into contact with the input terminal of the charging unit 36. When the mobile plant 20 moves and comes into close contact with the water supply device 10 as shown in FIG. 2, the output terminal and input terminal come into contact, and the charging unit 36 ​​is charged by the power supplied from the power supply unit 14.

[0024] The plant body 61 is, for example, a plant that emits terpenes, and at least one of the following can be used: plants that emit volatile components such as linalool, menthol, myrtenol, and verbenol that can stimulate the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic nerve receptors present in the olfactory system of humans and the like by acting on the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic nerve receptors; plants that emit volatile components such as limonene, cineole, eudesmol, and guaiol that can stimulate the sympathetic nerves by acting on the sympathetic nerve receptors present in the olfactory system of humans and the like by acting on the parasympathetic nerve receptors (e.g., muscarinic receptors) present in the olfactory system of humans and the like by acting on the parasympathetic nerves; and plants that emit volatile components such as α-pinene, δ-cadinene, and cedrol that can stimulate the parasympathetic nerves by acting on the parasympathetic nerve receptors (e.g., muscarinic receptors) present in the olfactory system of humans and the like by acting on the parasympathetic nerves.

[0025] There are no particular limitations on the cultivation bed 62, as long as it can be impregnated with water or liquid fertilizer and can be used to plant the plants 61. For example, sponge-like resin can be used for the cultivation bed 62, and polyacrylic resin, polyurethane resin, polyamide resin, polyester resin, polyvinyl alcohol resin, polyvinylidene chloride resin, polypropylene resin, phenolic resin, polyamide resin, etc. can be used depending on the amount of water held and flow in the sponge.

[0026] The water supply unit 15 has a tank, a pump, pipes, etc., and the pump draws water stored in the tank and sprays it out from the pipes. The water supply unit 15 supplies water to the plant body 61 and the cultivation bed 62 when the mobile plant 20 is in close contact with the water supply device 10 as shown in FIG. 2 (when the charging unit 36 ​​is being charged). The water supplied by the water supply unit 15 may be mixed with fertilizer such as liquid fertilizer. Examples of liquid fertilizer include aqueous solutions containing nitrogen compounds such as nitric acid. In addition to nitrogen compounds, the liquid fertilizer may also contain phosphoric acid, potassium, etc.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, a sound collection unit 50 is provided on the top of the housing 24. Note that the installation location of the sound collection unit 50 shown in FIG. 2 is one example, and the sound collection unit 50 may be installed anywhere that can collect external sounds. The sound collection unit 50 has a microphone or the like, and is configured to convert air vibrations caused by sound into sound signals, which are analog electrical signals. The sound collection unit 50 is connected to the audio I / F 31 shown in FIG. 1. The audio I / F 31 is a device that converts analog signals into digital signals, and converts the sound signals output from the microphone into digital signals that can be processed by the control unit 21, and supplies them to the control unit 21 as sound data.

[0028] The control unit 21 supplies the supplied sound data to the voice recognition unit 32. When the sound data contains human speech, the voice recognition unit 32 is configured to realize a voice recognition function that recognizes words or phrases represented by the speech. The voice recognition unit 32 may use an engine that uses a statistical language model, an engine that uses deep learning, a keyword spotting engine, or the like. For example, a known voice recognition technology such as Julius, which is an engine that uses a statistical language model, is used. Note that the voice recognition unit 32 may be hardware separate from the control unit 21, or may be a function realized by the control unit 21 in cooperation with software.

[0029] The voice recognition unit 32 supplies the voice recognition result to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 controls the voice transmission unit 33, the moving means 34, the moisture detection unit 35, etc. based on the supplied voice recognition result. The voice transmission unit 33 is a so-called speaker configured to transmit voice. The moving means 34 is configured to move the mobile plant 20, as described above. The moisture detection unit 35 has a sensor that detects moisture, such as a resistive humidity sensor, a conductive humidity sensor, an optical humidity sensor, a surface wave humidity sensor, or a capacitive humidity sensor, and is configured to detect moisture in the cultivation bed 62. A control method for the voice transmission unit 33, etc. will be described in detail later.

[0030] The map information acquisition unit 41 has sensors such as a laser scanner, a monocular camera, a stereo camera, or a range imaging camera, and is configured to acquire map information showing a map of the surrounding area using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) technology based on the detection results of these sensors. Note that the manner of acquiring the map information is not limited to the above-mentioned manner, and other well-known technologies may also be used. The map information acquisition unit 41 supplies the acquired map information to the storage unit 22 and the self-position estimation unit 42. The storage unit 22 accumulates the supplied map information.

[0031] The self-position estimation unit 42 is configured to estimate its own position based on the detection result supplied from the map information acquisition unit 41. The self-position here indicates a position on a map indicated by the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 41. The self-position estimation is also performed using, for example, SLAM technology. The self-position estimation unit 42 repeatedly estimates its own position at predetermined time intervals and supplies the estimation results to the control unit 21.

[0032] The distance information acquisition unit 43 has, for example, an ultrasonic sensor or an infrared sensor, and is configured to measure the distance to an object. The distance information acquisition unit 43 repeatedly measures the distance to the object at predetermined time intervals and supplies the measurement results to the control unit 21. The human detection / imaging unit 44 has, for example, a human detection sensor or a camera, and is configured to detect the presence of a person in the vicinity. The camera used by the human detection / imaging unit 44 may also be the camera included in the map information acquisition unit 41. The human detection / imaging unit 44 repeatedly detects people at predetermined time intervals and supplies the detection results to the control unit 21.

[0033] Here, details of the sound collection unit 50 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the sound collection unit 50. The sound collection unit 50 includes a microphone 51, wiring 52, a support 53, a lid 54, and a bottom 55. The microphone 51 converts air vibrations caused by sound into an analog electrical signal and outputs a sound signal indicating the sound that has reached the device. In the example of FIG. 3, the microphone 51 is cylindrical and detects sound by the vibration of a diaphragm provided near the first bottom surface 511. The microphone 51 preferably has a diameter of 10 mm or less and a height of 10 mm or less, but is not limited to this. One end of the wiring 52 is connected to the second bottom surface 512, and the other end of the wiring 52 is connected to the audio I / F 31 described above.

[0034] The microphone 51 is supported inside a cylindrical support portion 53 . FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a cross section of support portion 53. FIG. 4 shows a cross section of support portion 53 as seen in a direction along the cylindrical rotation axis. Support portion 53 is formed of, for example, a material such as resin or metal, but since it supports microphone 51 inside, it may be formed of a material such as rubber that is non-slip and elastic. Also, only the portion of support portion 53 that comes into contact with microphone 51 may be formed of an elastic material such as rubber.

[0035] The support portion 53 includes a cylindrical portion 531 and protrusions 534. The cylindrical portion 531 is a cylindrical portion and includes an inner surface 532 and an outer surface 533. The protrusions 534 are a plurality of protruding portions provided on the inner surface 532 of the cylindrical portion 531. In the example of FIG. 4, eight protrusions 534 each having a triangular prism shape are provided at equal intervals along the circumference of the inner surface 532. Note that the surface of the protrusions 534 is a part of the inner surface 532. Each protrusion 534 has a tip 535, and these tips 535 contact the side surface 513 of the microphone 51 to support the microphone 51. In the example of FIG. 4, the tips 535 correspond to the long sides of the rectangle that are the side surfaces of the triangular prism.

[0036] 3 is a lid-shaped portion of the support part 53 configured to cover the first opening 536 on the side where the first bottom surface 511 of the microphone 51 faces. When the sound collection unit 50 is attached to the housing 24, the lid part 54 faces vertically upward and is exposed to the outside of the housing 24, as shown in FIG. 2. Therefore, in the following description, the direction along the rotation axis of the support part 53 is defined as the up-down direction (the side where the lid part 54 is provided is the upper side), and the direction perpendicular to the up-down direction is defined as the horizontal direction.

[0037] The lid portion 54 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing lid portion 54 as viewed from above. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a cross section of sound collection unit 50 as viewed horizontally. Lid portion 54 includes dome portion 541 and a plurality of holes 542. Dome portion 541 is a portion that has a dome-like shape with a raised center. Dome portion 541 is provided with a plurality of holes 542 (53 in the example of FIG. 5), and external sound passes through each of holes 542 and enters the inside of sound collection unit 50.

[0038] The inner surface 543 of the dome portion 541 has, for example, a parabolic shape. Sound waves that enter the inside of the sound collection unit 50 may hit another surface and be reflected toward the inner surface 543 before reaching the diaphragm of the microphone 51. When the sound waves are reflected in this way by the inner surface 543, they tend to gather near the focal point. By configuring the focal point of the inner surface 543 to be close to the diaphragm, the sound collection performance of the microphone 51 can be improved compared to when the lid portion 54 is not provided. Note that the shape of the lid portion 54 is not limited to this, and it may be flat as long as it does not come into contact with the microphone 51.

[0039] The bottom part 55 is a bottom cover configured to cover the second opening part 537 on the lower side of the support part 53. 7 is a diagram showing bottom portion 55 as seen from above. Bottom portion 55 has cutout portion 551. As shown in FIG. 6, cutout portion 551 is a gap for passing wiring 52 through. Providing bottom portion 55 prevents microphone 51 from falling off support portion 53, and also makes it less likely for noise from inside mobile plant 20 to reach microphone 51 than if bottom portion 55 is not provided.

[0040] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing sound collection unit 50 attached to mobile plant 20. Housing 24 of mobile plant 20 has hole 241 for attaching sound collection unit 50. Hole 241 has a diameter roughly the same as the diameter of outer surface 533 of support unit 53, so that support unit 53 fits into it as shown in FIG. 8. Support unit 53 is supported by housing 24 when outer surface 533 comes into contact with inner circumferential surface 242 of hole 241. When support unit 53 is supported by housing 24, lid 54 is placed and fixed on the top side, and bottom 55 is placed and fixed on the bottom side, preventing support unit 53 from slipping out vertically.

[0041] The support portion 53, the housing 24, the lid portion 54, and the bottom portion 55 are each fixed to one another by frictional force. These may be fixed by threading, by providing ribs and recesses shaped to correspond to the ribs so that they can be engaged with one another, or by any other known method. Because the microphone 51 may be replaced due to malfunction or the like, it is desirable that all of these be fixed in a detachable manner, but this is not a limitation and they may also be bonded with an adhesive or the like.

[0042] Next, information processing according to the embodiment will be described. In the following description, the mobile plant 20 will be described as the subject of each information processing, but the information processing is executed by at least one processor provided in the mobile plant 20. The mobile plant 20 executes voice operation processing to recognize voice and perform an operation according to the recognized voice input.

[0043] Fig. 9 is a flow diagram showing an example of audio operation processing. The audio operation processing shown in Fig. 9 is started when a user makes a sound around the mobile plant 20. First, the mobile plant 20 detects a sound using the sound collection unit 50 (step S11). Next, the mobile plant 20 recognizes the sound indicated by the detected sound using the sound recognition unit 32 (step S12). Subsequently, the mobile plant 20 determines whether the recognized sound is the sound of an operation (step S21).

[0044] The sound of the action is, for example, a sound indicating how to move, and is represented by sounds indicating a change of direction, such as "turn right," "turn left," and "turn the other way," and sounds related to movement, such as "move forward," "step back," and "stop." Note that the sound indicating how to move is not limited to this, and may be a sound instructing movement including direction, such as "move right," "move left," "move straight," and "move back." Furthermore, the mobile plant 20 may also determine sounds such as "return to the watering device," "get water," and "charge," as sound of the action. Furthermore, if music data is stored in the storage unit 22, the sound of the action may include a sound instructing a vocal action, such as "play music."

[0045] If it is determined that the voice is an action voice (YES), the mobile plant 20 performs the action instructed by the voice voice (step S22). If the action is a movement voice, the mobile plant 20 performs this using the movement means 34, and if the action is a vocalization voice, the mobile plant 20 performs this using the voice transmission unit 33. Furthermore, if the voice is an instruction to move to the water supply device 10, the mobile plant 20 performs the same actions as steps S52 to S54 described below in S22 and moves to the water supply device 10. After executing step S22, the mobile plant 20 ends the voice action processing.

[0046] If the mobile plant 20 determines in step S21 that the recognized sound is not a sound of movement (NO), it determines whether the recognized sound is an inviting sound (step S31). An inviting sound is a sound indicating that the mobile plant 20 is inviting a person to come to it, and is expressed, for example, by a sound such as "Come here" or "Come here" or a name given to the mobile plant 20. If the mobile plant 20 determines that the sound is an inviting sound (YES), it first identifies the direction in the surrounding area where a person is present using the human detection / imaging unit 44 (step S32).

[0047] Next, the mobile plant 20 measures the distance to the person in the specified direction using the distance information acquisition unit 43 (step S33). Then, the mobile plant 20 moves in the direction of the specified person by the movement means 34 a distance according to the measured distance (for example, a distance up to 50 cm in front of the person) (step S34). After executing step S34, the mobile plant 20 ends the audio operation processing.

[0048] If the mobile plant 20 determines in step S31 that the recognized voice is not an invitation voice (NO), it determines whether the recognized voice is a voice for checking moisture (step S41). A voice for checking moisture is a voice indicating that the plant body 61 is being checked for sufficient water, and is expressed by a voice such as "Is there enough water?" or "Is it dry?". If the mobile plant 20 determines that the voice is a voice for checking moisture (YES), it first measures the moisture amount in the cultivation bed 62 using the moisture detection unit 35 (step S42).

[0049] Next, the mobile plant 20 emits a sound indicating the measured water content using the sound transmitter 33 (step S43). For example, if the water content is sufficient, the mobile plant 20 emits a sound such as "There's enough water!", and if the water content is low, it emits a sound such as "You're running low on water!". Next, the mobile plant 20 determines whether the measured water content is insufficient compared to the reference water content (step S51). If the mobile plant 20 determines that the water content is not insufficient (NO), it ends the sound operation process.

[0050] When mobile plant 20 determines that the amount of water is insufficient (YES), it first estimates its own position using self-position estimation unit 42 (step S52). Next, mobile plant 20 moves to the installation location of water supply device 10 by movement means 34 based on the map information stored in memory unit 22 (step S53). Note that the method of moving to the installation location of water supply device 10 is not limited to this. For example, mobile plant 20 may receive radio waves transmitted from water supply device 10, identify the direction and distance of the source of the transmission based on the reception strength and phase of the received radio waves, and move the specified distance in the specified direction.

[0051] When the mobile plant 20 arrives at the installation location of the water supply device 10, it instructs the water supply device 10 to water (step S54). Note that if the water supply device 10 automatically starts watering when the mobile plant 20 arrives, the processing of S54 is not necessary. Once the mobile plant 20 executes step S54, it ends the audio operation processing. Furthermore, if the mobile plant 20 determines in step S41 that the audio is not for confirming water (NO), it also ends the audio operation processing.

[0052] As described above, the sound collection unit 50 is an example of a sound collection device that collects sound. The sound collection unit 50 includes a microphone 51 and a support unit 53. The microphone 51 is configured to collect sound to be used for controlling the mobile plant 20. The mobile plant 20 is an example of a controlled device that is controlled based on the sound collected by the microphone 51. The support unit 53 has a cylindrical shape having an inner surface 532 and an outer surface 533.

[0053] Support part 53 supports microphone 51 by bringing side surface 513, which is the outer periphery of microphone 51, into contact with inner surface 532 as the contact surface. Inner surface 532 has protrusions 534 with pointed tips, and is configured so that the tips of protrusions 534 come into contact with side surface 513, which is the contact surface. Support part 53 is also configured so as to be supported by mobile plant 20 by bringing inner periphery 242 of hole 241 provided in mobile plant 20 into contact with outer surface 533 as the contact surface.

[0054] Inner surface 532 is configured so that contact ratio R1 is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio. Contact ratio R1 refers to the ratio (R1=S2÷S1) of area S2 of the contact portion between side surface 513, which is the contact surface, and inner surface 532 to the entire area S1 of side surface 513. In the case of support portion 53 shown in FIG. 3 etc., only the tip of protrusion 534 contacts side surface 513, so the predetermined ratio is set to, for example, about 5%.

[0055] The predetermined ratio is not limited to 5%. For example, if tip 535 of protrusion 534 is slightly flat or if tip 535 is made of rubber and deforms, the area of ​​contact with side surface 513 increases, so the predetermined ratio may be set to about 10%. According to this embodiment, the area of ​​the portion that transmits vibrations from housing 24 to microphone 51 is smaller than when contact ratio R1 is set to a value greater than the predetermined ratio, so that less vibration is transmitted to microphone 51, and noise caused by vibrations included in the sound collected by microphone 51 can be reduced. In particular, in the example of FIG. 4 etc., tip 535 is sharp, so contact ratio R1 is smaller than when tip 535 is not sharp, and noise caused by vibration can be further reduced.

[0056] The predetermined ratio is not limited to the aforementioned 5% and 10%, but is preferably at most 50% or less. For example, even if there is no intention to reduce vibration, it is conceivable that the contact ratio R1 may be less than 100% due to the provision of grooves or the like on the inner surface or contact surface for design reasons. However, reducing the contact ratio R1 to 50% or less is not easily possible without some intention, such as reducing vibration. Therefore, the mobile plant system 1 employs a sound collection unit 50 with a contact ratio R1 of 50% or less, which allows noise caused by vibration to be reduced compared to when the contact ratio R1 exceeds 50%.

[0057] The inventors installed julius-4.4.2.1 and dictation-kit-v4.4 on a Raspberry Pi, and installed a microphone 51 and a sound collection unit 50 including the microphone 51 on the top lid of the mobile plant 20 via the USB terminal and audio I / F 31. While rotating the mobile plant 20 clockwise using the electric motor provided in the movement means 34, the inventors repeated the words "hello," "front," "back," "right," and "left" three times from a distance of 4 m, and examined the output (recognized) words and their word reliability. A high word reliability was evaluated as indicating high word recognition accuracy. As a result, word recognition accuracy using the sound collection unit 50 was improved by 1.4 times compared to when using the microphone 51 alone, confirming high speech recognition accuracy even from a distance of 4 m.

[0058] Furthermore, mobile plant 20 can be operated by voice, and even if there is motor noise or vibration from moving means 34, the structure of support part 53 reduces the noise, so advanced processing power is not required. Also, a mobile plant can be provided that can recognize human voices within a radius of, for example, about 3 to 5 meters, thereby enabling communication with people.

[0059] Moreover, sound collection unit 50 further includes lid 54. Support 53 has first opening 536 that opens to the outside of mobile plant 20, which is the controlled device, while being supported by the device. Lid 54 is provided to cover first opening 536, has hole 542 that is a hole that allows sound from outside to pass through, and is configured so that dome 541, which is the surface facing the inside of support 53, forms a focal point. According to this embodiment, as described above, sound collection performance can be improved compared to when lid 54 is not provided.

[0060] Moreover, sound collection unit 50 further includes bottom 55. Support unit 53 has second opening 537 that opens to the inside of mobile plant 20, which is the controlled device, while being supported by the device. Bottom 55 is configured to cover second opening 537. According to this embodiment, as described above, noise from inside the controlled device, which is included in the sound collected by microphone 51, can be reduced compared to when bottom 55 is not provided.

[0061] Furthermore, the mobile plant 20, which is the controlled device, includes a drive unit in addition to the sound collection unit 50 and the control unit 21. The drive unit is configured to generate a drive force and perform a predetermined operation using that drive force. In the example of FIG. 1, the sound transmission unit 33 and the moving means 34 are each an example of a drive unit. The sound transmission unit 33 generates a drive force that vibrates a diaphragm, and performs an operation of emitting sound. The moving means 34 generates a drive force that rotates wheels or the like, and performs an operation of moving the mobile plant 20.

[0062] The control unit 21 controls the operation of the drive unit based on the sound collected by the sound collection unit 50. For example, the control unit 21 controls the drive unit so that the drive unit performs an operation according to the instruction indicated by the sound collected by the sound collection unit 50. In the example of FIG. 9, this control is performed in step S22 (execute the instructed operation). According to this embodiment, the mobile plant 20 can be made to perform the operation intended by the user.

[0063] Furthermore, the moving means 34, which is a driving unit, is configured to move the mobile plant 20, which is a controlled device. In this case, the control unit 21 controls the driving unit so that the plant approaches the target that emitted the sound collected by the sound collection unit 50. In the example of FIG. 9, this control is performed in steps S32 (identifying the direction of a person), S33 (measuring the distance), and S34 (moving in the direction of a person). According to this embodiment, when you call out to the plant, it can be made to approach like a pet.

[0064] The mobile plant 20, which is the controlled device, further includes a cultivation bed 62, a moisture detection unit 35, and an audio transmission unit 33. The cultivation bed 62 is an example of a cultivation unit configured to be able to cultivate plants. The moisture detection unit 35 is an example of a measurement unit that measures the level of moisture supply to the plants cultivated in the cultivation bed 62. As described above, the audio transmission unit 33 is an example of a drive unit configured to emit sound. In this case, the control unit 21 controls the audio transmission unit 33 to emit sound according to the level of moisture supply measured by the moisture detection unit 35. In the example of FIG. 9, this control is performed in steps S42 (measuring the moisture amount) and S43 (voicing the moisture amount). According to this embodiment, it is possible to notify the user when it is time to water the plant.

[0065] Furthermore, when the supply level measured by the moisture detection unit 35 is below the threshold, the control unit 21 controls the drive unit to move the mobile plant 20 to a predetermined watering device 10. In the example of FIG. 9, this control is performed in steps S52 (detecting its own position) and S53 (moving to the watering device 10). In the example of FIG. 9, the control unit 21 also performs the command to the watering device 10 to supply water (S54). According to this embodiment, it is possible to automatically resolve a water shortage. Note that the watering device 10 may operate to automatically start watering when the mobile plant 20 has moved to a predetermined location, in which case watering will be performed even without the command of S54.

[0066] <Modification: Shape of support part> The shape of the support part 53 is not limited to the above. While the support part 53 has the protrusion part 534 in the shape of a triangular prism, for example, the support part 53 may have a protrusion part in the shape of a pillar (a circular cylinder or a polygonal pillar) other than a triangular prism cut by a plane parallel to the rotation axis. The protrusion part of these pillars may be configured so that the rotation axis of the support part 53 and the rotation axis of the pillar are parallel, or may be configured so that the two rotation axes form an angle.

[0067] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the shape of the support portion. FIG. 10 shows support portion 53a viewed vertically from above and a cross section of support portion 53a viewed horizontally. Support portion 53a includes a cylindrical portion 531a and a plurality of protrusions 534a provided on an inner surface 532a of cylindrical portion 531a. Protrusions 534a are configured to have a shape of triangular prisms connected in a ring shape. Comparing support portion 53 shown in FIG. 4 and support portion 53a, when support portion 53 is used, tip 535 comes into contact with microphone 51 in the vertical direction over a long distance, making it difficult for microphone 51 to shift in the vertical direction. When support portion 53a is used, tip 535a comes into contact with microphone 51 in the circumferential direction along the periphery of the periphery over a long distance, making it difficult for microphone 51 to shift in the circumferential direction.

[0068] The protrusions may also be in the shape of a pyramid (a circular cone or a polygonal pyramid). FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of the shape of the support portion. FIG. 11 shows support portion 53b as viewed vertically from above and a cross section of support portion 53b as viewed horizontally. Support portion 53b includes cylindrical portion 531b and a plurality of protrusions 534b provided on inner surface 532b of cylindrical portion 531b. In the example of FIG. 11, microphone 51 is supported by contact between side surface 513 and tips 535b of protrusions 534b. Tips 535b have an even smaller contact ratio R1 with side surface 513 than the sides of the cylinder, which further reduces noise caused by vibration.

[0069] The inner surface of the support part does not have to have protrusions, and may instead have grooves or holes. A groove is a long, thin recessed portion provided on the inner surface. A hole is a hole portion provided on the inner surface. Because the groove or hole does not come into contact with side surface 513 of microphone 51, the area of ​​the portion that transmits vibrations from housing 24 to microphone 51 is smaller than in a case without a groove or hole, and noise caused by vibrations can be reduced.

[0070] The inner surface of the support portion may be shaped like the side surface of a polygonal prism. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of the shape of the support portion. FIG. 12 shows a cross section of the support portion 53c and the microphone 51 as viewed vertically from above. The support portion 53c includes a cylindrical portion 531c. The cylindrical portion 531c includes an inner surface 532c having the shape of a hexagonal prism side. The center of each side surface of the inner surface 532c contacts the side surface 513 of the microphone 51. The support portion 53c has a shape that is less susceptible to breakage than when protrusions are provided. In this way, the inner surface 532c has the shape of a polygonal prism side, and is configured so that a portion of the side surface contacts the contact surface. According to this embodiment, the durability of the support portion can be increased compared to when protrusions are provided.

[0071] Instead of forming the inner surface of the support part into the shape of the side surface of a polygonal prism, for example, a microphone having a side surface shape of a polygonal prism may be used. In this case, even if the inner surface of the support part has the same shape as the inner surface of a cylinder, the contact area between the inner surface of the support part and the side surface of the microphone is small, so noise caused by vibration can be reduced.

[0072] The area of ​​the portion where the inner surface of the support part contacts the side surface of the microphone depends on the number and shape of the protrusions, grooves, or holes, the number of sides of the polygonal prism, etc., but basically tends to decrease in the following order: grooves or holes > side surface shape of polygonal prism > protrusions of a prism > protrusions of a cone. In either case, however, the inner surface of the support part is configured so that the contact ratio R1 is a predetermined ratio or less, and therefore, compared to when the entire inner surface of the support part contacts side surface 513 (contact ratio R1 is 100%), the area of ​​the portion that transmits vibrations from housing 24 to microphone 51 is smaller, thereby reducing noise caused by vibrations.

[0073] As mentioned above, the specified ratio can be any value within the range of 50% or less, and specifically, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50%, or it can be within a range between any two of the numerical values ​​exemplified here.

[0074] In addition, in the example of Figure 4 etc., a shape that reduces the contact ratio when the side surface 513 of the microphone 51 is used as the contact surface is described, but a shape that reduces the contact ratio when the inner surface 242 of the housing 24 is used as the contact surface will be described.

[0075] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of the shape of the support portion. FIG. 13 shows a cross section of support portion 53d as viewed vertically from above. Support portion 53d includes a cylindrical portion 531d, an inner surface 532d, and a plurality of protrusions 534d provided on an outer surface 533d of cylindrical portion 531d. Inner surface 532d has a cylindrical surface shape and contacts the entire surface of side surface 513 of microphone 51. Protrusions 534d are configured to have a triangular prism shape, and a tip 535d thereof contacts inner circumferential surface 242 of housing 24, thereby supporting support portion 53d by mobile plant 20.

[0076] In the example of FIG. 13, outer surface 533d is configured so that contact ratio R2 is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio. Contact ratio R2 refers to the ratio (R2=S4÷S3) of the area S4 of the portion where inner circumferential surface 242, which is the contact surface, contacts outer surface 533d to the entire area S3 of inner circumferential surface 242. Any of the above-mentioned values ​​can be used as the predetermined ratio. According to this embodiment, the area of ​​the portion that transmits vibrations from housing 24 to microphone 51 is smaller than when contact ratio R2 is greater than the predetermined ratio. This reduces the vibrations transmitted to microphone 51, and reduces the amount of vibration-related noise contained in the sound collected by microphone 51.

[0077] Also, the contact ratios (contact ratios R1 and R2) may be small on both the inner and outer surfaces of the support portion. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing another example of the shape of the support portion. Fig. 14 shows a cross section of support portion 53e as viewed vertically from above. Support portion 53e includes a cylindrical portion 531e, an inner surface 532e, and a plurality of protrusions 534e provided on inner surface 532e and outer surface 533e of cylindrical portion 531e.

[0078] Protrusion 534e is configured to have a triangular prism shape, and its tip 535e contacts side surface 513 of microphone 51 on the inner surface 532e side, thereby supporting microphone 51. Furthermore, tip 535e contacts inner circumferential surface 242 of housing 24 on the outer surface 533e side, thereby supporting support 53e by mobile plant 20. According to this embodiment, the contact ratios (contact ratios R1 and R2) on both the inner and outer surfaces are equal to or less than predetermined ratios, and therefore noise caused by vibration can be further reduced compared to when protrusions are provided on only one surface.

[0079] As described above, at least one of the inner and outer surfaces of the support part may be configured so that the contact ratio is equal to or less than a predetermined ratio. Alternatively, at least one of the surfaces may have a pointed protrusion, the tip of which may be in contact with the contact surface. Alternatively, at least one of the surfaces may have the shape of a side surface of a rectangular pillar, the side surface being partially in contact with the contact surface. In either case, noise caused by vibration can be reduced compared to when the contact ratio (one or both of the contact ratios R1 and R2) is greater than a predetermined ratio.

[0080] <Example of variation: Variation of composition> The configuration (overall configuration, hardware configuration, functional configuration, etc.) shown in Figure 1 etc. is an example, and other configurations may be used as long as there is no inconvenience in implementation. For example, among the information processing performed by mobile plant 20, those that can be performed by an external device (such as voice recognition, map information creation, self-location estimation, or control of each part) may be executed by an external device. The external device may be water supply device 10, another personal computer, etc., or may be provided in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service), a cloud computing system, etc.

[0081] The above-described embodiments are information processing devices equipped with processors such as the water supply device 10 and the mobile plant 20, and information processing systems such as the mobile plant system 1, but they may also be information processing methods. The information processing methods include the same steps as those executed by the information processing systems. The above-described embodiments may also be programs. The programs cause a computer to execute the same steps as those executed by the information processing systems.

[0082] <Additional Notes> Furthermore, it may be provided in the following aspects.

[0083] (1) A sound collection device comprising a microphone and a support part, wherein the microphone is configured to collect sound used to control a controlled device, the support part being cylindrical with an inner surface and an outer surface, and configured to support the microphone by bringing the outer periphery of the microphone into contact with the inner surface as a contact surface, and to be supported by the controlled device by bringing the inner periphery of a hole provided in the controlled device into contact with the outer surface as a contact surface, wherein at least one of the inner surface or the outer surface is configured so that the contact ratio is 50% or less, and the contact ratio is the ratio of the area of ​​the portion in contact with the contact surface to the total area of ​​the contact surface.

[0084] According to this aspect, noise caused by vibrations can be suppressed.

[0085] (2) In the sound collection device described in (1) above, at least one of the surfaces has a protrusion with a pointed tip, and the tip of the protrusion is configured to contact the contact surface.

[0086] According to this aspect, noise caused by vibration can be further reduced.

[0087] (3) In the sound collection device described in (1) above, the at least one surface has the shape of a side surface of a polygonal prism, and is configured so that a portion of the side surface is in contact with the contact surface.

[0088] According to this aspect, the durability of the support portion can be increased.

[0089] (4) A sound collection device according to any one of (1) to (3) above, further comprising a lid portion, wherein the support portion has a first opening that opens to the outside of the controlled device when supported by the controlled device, the lid portion is arranged to cover the first opening, has a hole that allows sound from outside to pass through, and is configured so that the surface facing the inside of the support portion forms a focus.

[0090] According to this aspect, the sound collection performance can be improved.

[0091] (5) A sound collection device according to any one of (1) to (4) above, further comprising a bottom portion, wherein the support portion has a second opening that opens to the inside of the controlled device when supported by the controlled device, and the bottom portion is configured to cover the second opening.

[0092] According to this aspect, noise from inside the controlled device can be reduced.

[0093] (6) A controlled device comprising a sound collection device according to any one of (1) to (5) above, a drive unit, and a control unit, wherein the drive unit is configured to generate a drive force and perform a predetermined operation using the drive force, and the control unit controls the operation of the drive unit based on the sound collected by the sound collection device.

[0094] According to this aspect, noise caused by vibrations can be reduced.

[0095] (7) In the controlled device described in (6) above, the control unit controls the drive unit to perform an operation according to an instruction indicated by the sound collected by the sound collection device.

[0096] According to this aspect, the user can perform the intended operation.

[0097] (8) In the controlled device described in (6) or (7) above, the drive unit is configured to move the controlled device, and the control unit controls the drive unit to move closer to the target that emitted the sound collected by the sound collection device.

[0098] According to this embodiment, when you call out to it, it can come close to you like a pet.

[0099] (9) A controlled device according to any one of (6) to (8) above, further comprising a cultivation unit and a measurement unit, wherein the cultivation unit is configured to be able to cultivate plants, the measurement unit measures the level of water supply to the plants cultivated by the cultivation unit, the drive unit is configured to emit sound, and the control unit controls the drive unit to emit sound according to the level of supply measured by the measurement unit.

[0100] According to this aspect, it is possible to notify the user of the timing of water supply.

[0101] (10) In the controlled device described in (9) above, the drive unit is further configured to move the controlled device, and the control unit controls the drive unit to move the controlled device to a specified water supply device when the supply level measured by the measurement unit is less than a threshold value.

[0102] According to this embodiment, the lack of moisture can be automatically eliminated. Of course, this is not the case. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined in any desired manner.

[0103] Finally, while various embodiments of the present invention have been described, these are presented by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The novel embodiments may be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. The embodiments and their modifications are intended to be included within the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as within the scope of the inventions and their equivalents as defined in the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1: Mobile plant systems 10: Water supply device 11: Control section 12: Storage section 13: Communications Department 14: Power supply unit 15: Water supply section 20: Mobile plants 21: Control unit 22: Storage section 23: Communications Department 24: Housing 31: Audio I / F 32: Voice recognition unit 33: Voice transmission unit 34: Transportation 35: Moisture detection unit 36: Live part 41: Map information acquisition unit 42: Self-position estimation part 43: Distance information acquisition section 44: Imaging unit 50: Sound collection section 51: Microphone 52: Wiring 53: Support part 53a: Support part 53b: Support part 53c: Support part 53d: Support part 53e: Support part 54: Lid 55: Bottom 60:Plant part 61: Plant body 62:Cultivation bed 241: Hole 242: Support surface 511: 1st bottom surface 512: 2nd bottom surface 513: Side 531: Cylindrical part 531a: Cylindrical part 531b: Cylindrical part 531c: Cylindrical part 531d: Cylindrical part 531e: Cylindrical part 532: Inner 532a: Inner surface 532b: Inner surface 532c: Inner surface 532d: Inner surface 532e: Inner surface 533: External surface 533d: External surface 533e: External surface 534:Protrusion 534a:Protrusion 534b:Protrusion 534d:Protrusion 534e:Protrusion 535: Tip 535a: Tip 535b: Tip 535d: Tip 535e: Tip 536: First opening 537: Second opening 541: Dome section 542: Hole 543: Inner surface 551: Notch

Claims

1. A sound collecting device, a microphone and a support; the microphone is configured to collect sounds used to control the controlled device; The support part has a cylindrical shape having an inner surface and an outer surface, and is configured to support the microphone by contacting the outer periphery of the microphone as a contact surface with the inner surface, and to support the microphone by contacting the inner periphery of a hole provided in the controlled device as a contact surface with the outer surface, At least one of the inner surface and the outer surface is configured so that the contact ratio is 50% or less, The contact ratio is a ratio of an area of ​​the portion in contact with the contact surface to an entire area of ​​the contact surface. Sound collection device.

2. The sound collector according to claim 1, The at least one surface has a protrusion with a pointed tip, and is configured so that the tip of the protrusion is brought into contact with the contact surface. Sound collection device.

3. The sound collector according to claim 1, The at least one surface has a shape of a side surface of a polygonal prism, and is configured so that a part of the side surface is in contact with the contact surface. Sound collection device.

4. The sound collector according to claim 1, Further comprising a lid portion, the support portion has a first opening portion that opens to the outside of the controlled device when supported by the controlled device, The lid portion is provided to cover the first opening, has a hole for passing sound from outside, and is configured so that a surface facing the inside of the support portion forms a focus. Sound collection device.

5. The sound collector according to claim 1, Further comprising a bottom; the support portion has a second opening portion that opens to the inside of the controlled device when supported by the controlled device, The bottom is configured to cover the second opening. Sound collection device.

6. A controlled device, A sound collection device comprising: a sound collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5; a drive unit; and a control unit; the drive unit is configured to generate a drive force and perform a predetermined operation by the drive force; The control unit controls the operation of the drive unit based on the sound collected by the sound collection device. Controlled device.

7. 7. The controlled device according to claim 6, The control unit controls the drive unit to perform an operation according to an instruction indicated by the sound collected by the sound collection device. Controlled device.

8. 7. The controlled device according to claim 6, the drive unit is configured to move the controlled device, The control unit controls the drive unit so that the sound collection device approaches a target that emitted the collected sound. Controlled device.

9. 7. The controlled device according to claim 6, Further comprising a cultivation unit and a measurement unit, The cultivation unit is configured to be able to cultivate plants, the measuring unit measures a degree of water supply to the plants cultivated by the cultivation unit, the driver is configured to emit a sound; The control unit controls the drive unit to emit a sound corresponding to the supply level measured by the measurement unit. Controlled device.

10. 10. The controlled device according to claim 9, the drive unit is further configured to move the controlled device; When the supply rate measured by the measurement unit is less than a threshold value, the control unit controls the drive unit to move the controlled device to a predetermined water supply device. Controlled device.

Images