Information processing system and information processing method

Abstract

To provide an information processing system configured to improve performance of protecting privacy.SOLUTION: An information processing system 40 includes: a voice acquisition unit 63 which acquires voice; a voice distribution unit 64 which inputs the voice acquired by the voice acquisition unit 63 to a plurality of voice processing units 65 which receive and process voice; a detection unit 66 which detects operation state of at least on voice processing unit 65; and a control unit 67 which controls operation of the voice distribution unit. When the detection unit 66 detects a predetermined operation state of a one voice processing unit 65 determined in advance, the control unit 67 stops inputting voice to at least some of the other voice processing units 65.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an information processing device equipped with a plurality of voice agent functions (voice assistant functions) and a hands-free calling function. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-144712 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The voice agent function is usually activated when the voice acquired from the microphone contains a predetermined wake-up word, and therefore the voice acquired from the microphone is usually always distributed and input to each voice agent function unit. Therefore, for example, even when a hands-free call is being made, the voice picked up from the microphone is input to the voice agent function unit, and if the call voice contains a wake-up word, the voice agent function unit corresponding to the wake-up word may be activated. In this case, the contents of the call may be unintentionally input to the activated voice agent function unit, which is undesirable from the viewpoint of privacy protection. The present invention provides an information processing system with improved privacy protection performance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is an information processing system comprising: a voice acquisition unit that acquires voice; a voice distribution unit that inputs the voice acquired by the voice acquisition unit to a plurality of voice processing units that receive and process the voice; a detection unit that detects whether operation of at least one of the voice processing units has started; and a control unit that controls the operation of the voice distribution unit, wherein at least some of the plurality of voice processing units are agent function units that provide a voice agent service through communication with an external server; when the detection unit detects that operation of one of the voice processing units has started, the control unit stops the input of the voice to the agent function unit, which is at least one of the other voice processing units; the one voice processing unit is a call processing unit that processes hands-free calls; the voice processing unit includes a recording unit that records voice in a drive recorder installed in a vehicle; and the control unit continues the input of the voice from the voice distribution unit to the recording unit even when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. According to another aspect of the present invention, each of the audio processing units has a predetermined priority for audio input, and when the control unit detects the start of operation of one of the audio processing units, it stops the audio input to other audio processing units that have a lower priority than the one audio processing unit. According to another aspect of the present invention, the control unit displays on a display device information about the audio processing unit to which the audio is input from the audio distribution unit when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. According to another aspect of the present invention, the control unit switches the audio input from the audio distribution unit on and off for each of the audio processing units in response to a switching instruction input by the user when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. Another aspect of the present invention is an information processing method performed by a computer, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a voice; detecting whether or not at least one of a plurality of voice processing units that receive and process the voice has started operating; and inputting the voice acquired in the acquiring step to the voice processing unit, wherein at least some of the plurality of voice processing units are agent function units that provide a voice agent service by communicating with an external server; and in the inputting step, when the start of operation of one of the voice processing units is detected in the detecting step, the input of the voice to the agent function unit that is at least one of the other of the voice processing units is stopped; and the one voice processing unit is a call processing unit that processes hands-free calls, and the voice processing unit includes a recording unit that records voice in a drive recorder mounted on a vehicle; and in the inputting step, even when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call, The voice acquired in the acquiring step, To the recording section Enter It is a method of processing information that maintains power. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing system with improved privacy protection performance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control system including an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a priority table. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a voice input information screen. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the procedure of audio distribution processing in the information processing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a control system 1 for a vehicle. The control system 1 includes a central ECU 2 that performs overall control and information processing of the vehicle. The central ECU 2 may have a function for performing OTA (Over The Air) management. The OTA management includes control related to the process of downloading update programs for the in-vehicle devices installed in the vehicle from a server outside the vehicle and the process of applying the downloaded update programs to the in-vehicle devices.

[0009] The central ECU 2 is connected to a communication line 3. The communication line 3 is configured as a bus for performing communication conforming to a standard such as CAN or Ethernet (registered trademark), or a communication line for performing P2P (Peer to Peer) communication. Note that the communication line 3 may be configured as a plurality of communication lines for performing communication conforming to the same standard, or may be configured as a plurality of communication lines for performing communication conforming to different standards.

[0010] An IVI (In-Vehicle Infotainment) 6, a speaker 8, and a microphone 9 are connected to the communication line 3 via an in-vehicle connection link 5. In addition, a TCU (Telematics Control Unit) 12 and a touch panel 15 are connected to the in-vehicle connection link 5. The TCU 12 is a wireless communication device that complies with the communication standard of the mobile communication system. The touch panel 15 includes a display 16 and a touch sensor 17.

[0011] The IVI 6 uses a speaker 8, a microphone 9, a touch panel 15, and the like to provide various information and entertainment to the vehicle occupants. The in-vehicle connection link 5 is configured by a plurality of communication transmission paths conforming to various communication standards. The in-vehicle connection link 5 may include, for example, a plurality of network transmission paths. In this case, the plurality of network transmission paths may be connected to each other via a device having a gateway function or the like. The in-vehicle connection link 5 may also include a transmission path for P2P communication. The network transmission path may employ various communication buses that perform network communication conforming to various standards. Examples of such standards include CAN, Ethernet, USB (Universal Serial Bus), LIN (Local Interconnect Network), and LVDS (Low Voltage Differential Signaling), but other standards may also be used.

[0012] The control system 1 further includes a drive recorder 38. The drive recorder 38 is connected to the in-vehicle connection link 5, acquires audio picked up by the microphone 9 via the IVI 6, and records the acquired audio. Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with the control system 1 will be referred to as a host vehicle, and a user who uses the host vehicle will be referred to as a vehicle user.

[0013] An information processing system 40 according to this embodiment includes the IVI 6, the speaker 8, the microphone 9, the TCU 12, the touch panel 15, and the drive recorder 38 of the control system 1 shown in FIG.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the IVI 6 and the drive recorder 38 included in the information processing system 40. As shown in FIG. The drive recorder 38 includes a first processor 50, a first memory 51, and a camera 52. The first memory 51 is configured, for example, with a volatile and / or non-volatile semiconductor memory. The camera 52 acquires images of the surrounding environment of the host vehicle, including the environment ahead of the host vehicle.

[0015] The first processor 50 is, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU. The first processor 50 includes, as functional elements or units, a sound recording unit 65a and a video recording unit 53. These functional elements can be realized by the first processor 50, which is a computer, executing a program. The computer program can be stored in any computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, all or part of the functional elements of the first processor 50 can be configured as hardware, each including one or more electronic circuit components.

[0016] The recording unit 65a acquires and records the sound picked up by the microphone 9 via the IVI 6. Specifically, the recording unit 65a stores the acquired sound data in the first memory 51. Here, the recording unit 65a corresponds to one of the multiple sound processing units in the present disclosure that receive and process sound.

[0017] Recording unit 53 acquires, as a moving image, an image of the surrounding environment of the vehicle captured by camera 52. Recording unit 53 associates the acquired moving image data with audio data acquired by audio recording unit 65a and stores the data in first memory 51. In this way, recording unit 53 records the image of the surrounding environment.

[0018] In this embodiment, the IVI 6 not only provides information and entertainment to the passengers of the vehicle, but also functions as an information processing device that controls the distribution of the sound acquired from the microphone 9.

[0019] The IVI 6 includes a second processor 60 and a second memory 61. The second memory 61 is, for example, a volatile and / or non-volatile semiconductor memory. The second processor 60 is, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU. The second processor 60 includes, as functional elements or units, an information providing unit 62, a voice acquiring unit 63, and a voice distributing unit 64. The second processor 60 also includes, as functional elements or units, a first agent function unit 65b1, a second agent function unit 65b2, a third agent function unit 65b3, and a call processing unit 65c. The second processor 60 further includes, as functional elements or units, a detection unit 66 and a control unit 67.

[0020] These functional elements can be realized by the second processor 60, which is a computer, executing a program stored in, for example, the second memory 61. The computer program can be stored in any computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, all or part of the functional elements of the second processor 60 can be configured by hardware including one or more electronic circuit components.

[0021] Here, the first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, the third agent function unit 65b3, and the call processing unit 65c, together with the recording unit 65a, correspond to the multiple voice processing units in this disclosure that receive and process voice. Hereinafter, the first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, and the third agent function unit 65b3 will also be collectively referred to as the agent function unit 65b. Furthermore, the recording unit 65a, the agent function unit 65b, and the call processing unit 65c will also be collectively referred to as the voice processing unit 65.

[0022] The information providing unit 62 included in the second processor 60 communicates with various web servers (not shown) via a communication network 70 such as the Internet using the TCU 12 according to conventional technology, and provides various information and entertainment to passengers of the vehicle via the speaker 8 and the touch panel 15, etc. Furthermore, the information providing unit 62 communicates with, for example, a GNSS sensor (not shown) to acquire position information of the vehicle, and provides route guidance via the touch panel 15, etc.

[0023] The voice acquisition unit 63 acquires sounds in the vehicle cabin, including the voice of the vehicle user, from the microphone 9. The audio distribution unit 64 distributes and inputs the audio acquired by the audio acquisition unit 63 to the multiple audio processing units 65. In this embodiment, in particular, the audio distribution unit 64 switches on / off the input of the audio to each of the audio processing units 65 under the control of the control unit 67, which will be described later. As described above, in this embodiment, the multiple audio processing units 65 are the recording unit 65a of the drive recorder 38, the first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, the third agent function unit 65b3, and the call processing unit 65c.

[0024] The first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, and the third agent function unit 65b3 cooperate with agent servers 71a, 71b, and 71c, respectively, which are communicatively connected to the TCU 12 via a communication network 70 such as the Internet, to provide a voice agent service to the vehicle user. Hereinafter, the agent servers 71a, 71b, and 71c will also be collectively referred to as agent servers 71. Here, the agent servers 71a, 71b, and 71c correspond to external servers in this disclosure.

[0025] The voice agent service, also known as a voice assistant service, refers to a function or service that combines processes such as speech recognition and natural language processing to provide appropriate answers to questions or requests spoken by a user or to perform requested actions. The agent function unit 65b functions as, for example, a user interface for the voice agent service. Each agent server 71 performs processes such as speech recognition, sentence understanding, response selection, and / or instruction execution on the voice input from the corresponding agent function unit 65b, and returns the processing results to the agent function unit 65b.

[0026] The first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, and the third agent function unit 65b3 cooperate with the agent servers 71a, 71b, and 71c, respectively, according to conventional techniques to provide different voice agent services. For example, the first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, and the third agent function unit 65b3 provide Google Assistant (registered trademark), Alexa (registered trademark), and CarPlay (registered trademark) services, respectively, as voice agent services.

[0027] A different wake-up word is defined for each of the voice agent services provided by the first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, and the third agent function unit 65b3. When the vehicle user utters the wake-up word of the voice agent service they wish to use, the agent function unit 65b corresponding to that voice agent service starts processing the voice agent function.

[0028] The call processing unit 65c provides the vehicle user with a telephone function for hands-free calling in accordance with conventional technology, in cooperation with the speaker 8, the microphone 9, and the TCU 12. In this embodiment, in particular, the call processing unit 65c acquires the call voice of the vehicle user acquired by the microphone 9 via the voice acquisition unit 63 and the voice distribution unit 64, and processes the hands-free call.

[0029] The detection unit 66 detects the operating state of at least one of the voice processing units 65, namely, the recording unit 65a, the first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, the third agent function unit 65b3, and the call processing unit 65c of the drive recorder 38. Here, the operating state may include recording execution and recording stop states for the recording unit 65a of the drive recorder 38. Furthermore, the operating state for the agent function unit 65b may include a wake-up word reception standby state and a service execution state of the voice agent service after receiving the wake-up word. Furthermore, the operating state for the call processing unit 65c may include a call in progress state and a call standby state.

[0030] The control unit 67 controls the operation of the audio distribution unit 64 based on the operating state of the audio processing unit 65 detected by the detection unit 66. In this embodiment, particularly, when the detection unit 66 detects a predetermined operating state of a predetermined audio processing unit 65, the control unit 67 stops the input of audio to at least some of the other audio processing units 65. Here, at least some of the other audio processing units 65 may include at least part of an agent function unit 65b that provides a voice agent service.

[0031] Specifically, when the detection unit 66 detects the start of a call in the call processing unit 65c, i.e., the start of a call in progress, the control unit 67 instructs the audio distribution unit 64 to stop input of audio to the first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, and the third agent function unit 65b3. Therefore, in the information processing system 40, even if the user's call audio during a hands-free call provided by the call processing unit 65c includes any of the wake-up words described above, the corresponding agent function unit 65b can start processing to prevent the user's voice from being transmitted outside the vehicle. This allows the information processing system 40 to enhance privacy protection.

[0032] Furthermore, in this embodiment, even when the detection unit 66 detects the start and continuation of a call in progress in the call processing unit 65c, the control unit 67 instructs the audio distribution unit 64 to continue inputting audio to the recording unit 65a of the drive recorder 38. As a result, in the information processing system 40, for the drive recorder 38 that needs to record audio at all times, audio recording can be performed at all times even during a hands-free call.

[0033] For example, the control unit 67 can identify the other audio processing units 65 whose audio input should be stopped when the operation of one of the audio processing units 65 starts, based on a priority table 68 stored in advance in the second memory 61. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the priority table 68. In Fig. 3, the first row excluding the top title row indicates the priority of the recording unit 65a of the drive recorder 38, and the second row indicates the priority of the call processing unit 65c. Furthermore, the third to fifth rows indicate the priorities of the three agent function units: the first agent function unit 65b1, the second agent function unit 65b2, and the third agent function unit 65b3, respectively.

[0034] 3, the highest priority of "1" is assigned to the recording unit 65a of the drive recorder 38, and the next highest priority of "2" is assigned to the call processing unit 65c. The same priority of "3" is assigned to each of the three agent function units 65b.

[0035] When the detection unit 66 detects the start of operation in any of the voice processing units 65, the control unit 67 refers to the priority table 68 to identify the priority assigned to the voice processing unit 65 that has started operation, and instructs the voice distribution unit 64 to stop voice input to the voice processing unit 65 that has been assigned a priority equal to or lower than the priority assigned to the voice processing unit 65. As a result, in addition to the operations described above, when the detection unit 66 detects the start of operation of the first agent function unit 65b1, the control unit 67 instructs the voice distribution unit 64 to stop voice input to the other second agent function unit 65b2 and third agent function unit 65b3.

[0036] When the call processing unit 65c is executing call processing, the control unit 67 displays information about the audio processing unit 65 to which audio is input from the audio distribution unit on the display device, that is, the touch panel 15. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an audio input information screen that the control unit 67 displays on the display 16 of the touch panel 15.

[0037] 4, labels 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, and 73e reading "Drive Recorder," "Hands-Free Call," "First Agent," "Second Agent," and "Third Agent" are displayed corresponding to the recording unit 65a, call processing unit 65c, first agent function unit 65b1, second agent function unit 65b2, and third agent function unit 65b3 of the drive recorder 38. Labels 73c, 73d, and 73e corresponding to the first agent function unit 65b1, second agent function unit 65b2, and third agent function unit 65b3 to which no voice is currently being input from the voice distribution unit 64 are displayed, for example, in a grayed-out state (indicated by lines in the drawing).

[0038] This allows the vehicle user to check the state of audio input to each audio processor 65, and therefore allows for safe conversation without worrying about the conversation being leaked outside the vehicle.

[0039] 4 also displays buttons 74a, 74b, 74c, 74d, and 74e to the right of the labels 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, and 73e, respectively, for switching the state of audio input from the audio distribution unit 64 to the corresponding audio processing unit 65. By operating these buttons, the vehicle user can input an instruction to switch on / off the audio input to the corresponding audio processing unit 65.

[0040] As a result, when the call processing unit 65c is performing call processing, the control unit 67 can switch on / off the voice input from the voice distribution unit 64 for each of the voice processing units 65 in response to the switching instruction input by the vehicle user. For example, if the vehicle user wants to use one of the voice agent services while making a hands-free call, the vehicle user can temporarily mute the hands-free call and turn on the voice input to the desired agent function unit 65b by issuing a switching instruction using the button.

[0041] Next, a description will be given of the procedure of the operation of distributing audio from the audio acquisition unit 63 to the audio processing unit 65 in the information processing system 40. Fig. 5 is a flow diagram showing the procedure of the audio distribution process in the information processing system 40. The process in Fig. 5 is executed repeatedly.

[0042] When the process starts, first, the audio distribution unit 64 starts inputting the audio acquired by the audio acquisition unit 63 from the microphone 9 to the audio processing unit 65 (S100). Next, the detection unit 66 determines whether or not the start of a hands-free call in the call processing unit 65c has been detected (S102). If the start of a call is detected (S102, YES), the control unit 67 refers to the priority table 68 and stops the input of audio to the agent function unit 65b that has a priority equal to or lower than the priority assigned to the call processing unit 65c (S104). This stopping of audio input is performed by the control unit 67 instructing the audio distribution unit 64.

[0043] Next, the control unit 67 displays audio input information, which is information about the audio processing unit 65 to which audio is input from the audio distribution unit, on the touch panel 15 (S106). This display is performed, for example, by the control unit 67 displaying an audio input information screen 72 as shown in FIG.

[0044] Next, the control unit 67 determines whether or not a switching instruction for the voice input has been input by the vehicle user (S108). This switching instruction can be input by, for example, operating the buttons 74a, 74b, 74c, 74d, and 74e on the voice input information screen 72 shown in Fig. 4. When a switching instruction has been input in step S108 (YES in S108), the control unit 67 switches the voice input of the corresponding voice processing unit 65 on and off in accordance with the input switching instruction (S110).

[0045] Next, the detection unit 66 determines whether the call has ended (S112). If the call has ended (YES in S112), the control unit 67 turns on the audio input to all of the audio processing units 65 (S114) and ends the process.

[0046] On the other hand, if a switching instruction has not been input in step S108 (S108, NO), the process proceeds to step S112. On the other hand, if the call has not ended in step S112 (S112, NO), the detection unit 66 returns the process to step S108.

[0047] On the other hand, if the start of a hands-free call is not detected in step S102 (S102, NO), the detection unit 66 determines whether or not the start of operation of any of the agent function units 65b has been detected (S116). If the operation of the agent function unit 65b has not been started (S116, NO), the detection unit 66 S Return to step 102 and repeat the process.

[0048] On the other hand, when any of the agent function units 65b starts operating (S116, YES), the control unit 67 refers to the priority table 68 and stops inputting voice to the other agent function units 65b (S118).

[0049] Next, the control unit 67 displays, on the touch panel 15, audio input information, which is information about the audio processing unit 65 to which audio is input from the audio distribution unit 64 (S120). Next, the control unit 67 determines whether or not a switching instruction for audio input has been input from the vehicle user (S122). Then, when a switching instruction has been input (YES in S122), the control unit 67 switches the audio input of the corresponding audio processing unit 65 on and off in accordance with the input switching instruction (S124).

[0050] Next, the detection unit 66 determines whether the operation of the agent function unit 65b started in step S116 has ended (S126). If the operation has ended (YES in S126), the control unit 67 proceeds to step S114.

[0051] On the other hand, if a switching instruction is not input in step S122 (S122, NO), the process proceeds to step S126. On the other hand, if the operation in the agent function unit 65b started in step S116 has not ended in step S126 (S126, NO), the detection unit 66 returns the process to step S122.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0053] [Configuration supported by the above embodiment] The above-described embodiment supports the following configurations.

[0054] (Configuration 1) An information processing system comprising: an audio acquisition unit that acquires audio; an audio distribution unit that inputs the audio acquired by the audio acquisition unit to a plurality of audio processing units that receive and process the audio; a detection unit that detects the operating state of at least one of the audio processing units; and a control unit that controls the operation of the audio distribution unit, wherein when the detection unit detects a predetermined operating state of one of the audio processing units, the control unit stops the input of the audio to at least some of the other audio processing units. According to the information processing system of configuration 1, when one audio processing unit starts operating, it is possible to prevent audio from being unintentionally input to other audio processing units, thereby improving the privacy protection performance of the information processing system.

[0055] (Configuration 2) The information processing system according to configuration 1, wherein at least a part of the other voice processing units is an agent function unit that provides a voice agent service through communication with an external server. According to the information processing system of configuration 2, for example, it is possible to prevent the user's voice from unintentionally leaking to an agent server outside the vehicle.

[0056] (Configuration 3) The one audio processing unit is a hands-free communication Talk and when the control unit detects the start of a hands-free call in the call processing unit, it stops the input of the audio to at least some of the other audio processing units. According to the information processing system of configuration 3, it is possible to prevent the vehicle user's private conversations from being unintentionally leaked outside the vehicle when using the telephone.

[0057] (Configuration 4) The information processing system described in Configuration 3, wherein the control unit displays, on a display device, information about the audio processing unit to which the audio is input from the audio distribution unit when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. According to the information processing system of configuration 4, the vehicle user can check the state of audio input to each audio processing unit, so that the user can make calls with peace of mind without worrying about the call being leaked outside the vehicle.

[0058] (Configuration 5) An information processing system described in configuration 3 or 4, wherein the control unit switches on / off the audio input from the audio distribution unit for each of the audio processing units in response to a switching instruction input by a user when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. According to the information processing system of configuration 5, the vehicle user can use a desired voice agent service at a desired timing, even while, for example, making a hands-free call.

[0059] (Configuration 6) An information processing system described in any one of configurations 3 to 5, wherein the audio processing unit includes a recording unit that records audio in a drive recorder installed in a vehicle, and the control unit continues inputting the audio from the audio distribution unit to the recording unit even when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. According to the information processing system of configuration 6, for a drive recorder that needs to record audio at all times, audio recording can be performed at all times even during a hands-free call.

[0060] (Configuration 7) An information processing method performed by a computer, comprising the steps of acquiring audio, detecting the operating state of at least one of a plurality of audio processing units that receive and process audio, and inputting the audio acquired in the acquiring step to the audio processing unit, wherein in the inputting step, when a predetermined operating state of a predetermined one of the audio processing units is detected in the detecting step, the input of the audio to at least some of the other audio processing units is stopped. According to the information processing method of configuration 7, when one audio processing unit starts operating, it is possible to prevent audio from being unintentionally input to other audio processing units, thereby improving the privacy protection performance of the information processing system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 1...control system, 2...central ECU, 3...communication line, 5...in-vehicle connection link, 6...IVI, 8...speaker, 9...microphone, 12...TCU, 15...touch panel, 16...display, 17...touch sensor, 38...drive recorder, 40...information processing system, 50...first processor, 51...first memory, 52...camera, 53...recording unit, 60...second processor, 61...second memory, 62...information providing unit, 63...audio acquisition unit, 64...audio distribution unit, 65...audio processing processing unit, 65a...recording unit, 65b...agent function unit, 65b1...first agent function unit, 65b2...second agent function unit, 65b3...third agent function unit, 65c...call processing unit, 66...detection unit, 67...control unit, 68...priority table, 70...communication network, 71, 71a, 71b, 71c...agent server, 72...voice input information screen, 73a, 73b, 73c, 73d, 73e...labels, 74a, 74b, 74c, 74d, 74e...buttons.

Claims

1. a voice acquisition unit that acquires voice; an audio distribution unit that inputs the audio acquired by the audio acquisition unit to a plurality of audio processing units that receive and process the audio; a detection unit that detects whether or not an operation of at least one of the audio processing units has started; a control unit that controls the operation of the audio distribution unit; Equipped with at least some of the plurality of voice processing units are agent function units that provide a voice agent service through communication with an external server, when the detection unit detects the start of operation of one of the voice processing units, the control unit stops input of the voice to the agent function unit, which is at least one other of the voice processing units; The one audio processing unit is a call processing unit that processes hands-free calls, the audio processing unit includes a recording unit that records audio in a drive recorder mounted on the vehicle, the control unit continues inputting the audio from the audio distribution unit to the recording unit even when the call processing unit is executing the hands-free call. Information processing system.

2. Priority of audio input is predetermined for each of the audio processing units, When start of operation of one of the audio processing units is detected, the control unit stops input of the audio to the other audio processing units that have a lower priority than the one audio processing unit. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit displays, on a display device, information about the audio processing unit to which the audio is input from the audio distribution unit when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit switches on / off the input of the audio from the audio distribution unit for each of the audio processing units in response to a switching instruction input by a user while the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

5. An information processing method performed by a computer, comprising: acquiring audio; detecting whether or not operation of at least one of a plurality of audio processing units that receive and process audio has started; inputting the voice acquired in the acquiring step into the voice processing unit; and at least some of the plurality of voice processing units are agent function units that provide a voice agent service through communication with an external server, In the inputting step, when the start of operation of one of the voice processing units is detected in the detecting step, the input of the voice to the agent function unit, which is at least one other of the voice processing units, is stopped; The one audio processing unit is a call processing unit that processes hands-free calls, the audio processing unit includes a recording unit that records audio in a drive recorder mounted on the vehicle, In the inputting step, the voice acquired in the acquiring step continues to be input to the recording unit even when the call processing unit is performing the hands-free call. Information processing methods.

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