Broadcast radio system and master station equipment for the broadcast radio system

Abstract

To provide a broadcast radio system and a master station facility for the same that can transmit voice information without losing the immediacy of a broadcast on each district when information transmitted from a station facility is different for each district is broadcast on a loudspeaker sub-station in each district.SOLUTION: The broadcast radio system includes a master station facility and a plurality of loudspeaker sub-stations installed outdoors. The broadcast radio system is for broadcasting from the plurality of loudspeaker sub-stations voice information transmitted from the master station facility to the plurality of loudspeaker sub-stations. The master station facility has a transmitter that alternately transmits in one division unit first and second voice information that is divided into a single unit of any number of words. The plurality of loudspeaker sub-stations each includes a first loudspeaker sub-station that broadcasts voice data of the first voice information in the one-division unit and a second loudspeaker sub-station that broadcasts voice data of the second voice information in the one-division unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology of a synchronization radio system that broadcasts disaster prevention information and the like using a plurality of speakers installed outdoors, for example.

Background Art

[0002] In disaster prevention radio broadcasts in municipalities and the like, a synchronization radio system is widely used. The synchronization radio system is one of the information transmission means that broadcasts voice information simultaneously distributed from a master station facility to a plurality of wireless voice slave stations installed at various locations outdoors from each wireless voice slave station to disaster prevention sites and residential houses. For such purposes, it is desired that the broadcast content be clearly and accurately transmitted to the residents in the area covered by each wireless voice slave station. As a technology for achieving such a purpose, for example, a disaster prevention radio system described in Patent Document 1 is known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the current disaster prevention radio, due to the characteristics of the synchronization device, voices are broadcast from the master station facility to each slave station all at once, so broadcasts of different contents cannot be made at the same time. Therefore, conventionally, when performing different broadcasts in a plurality of regions (for example, Region A and Region B), after the broadcast to Region A, the broadcast to Region B was sequentially carried out. However, since the immediacy of the broadcast at the slave station in Region B is lost, it becomes inconvenient in the case of broadcast content with urgency such as emergency evacuation information.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, the object of the present invention is to provide a broadcast radio system and a broadcast radio system base station equipment that can transmit voice information without losing the immediacy of broadcasting in each area, when different information transmitted from a base station equipment is broadcast by loudspeaker substations in each area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A broadcast radio system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a master station and a plurality of loudspeaker substations installed outdoors, and broadcasts voice information transmitted from the master station to the plurality of loudspeaker substations from the plurality of loudspeaker substations, The aforementioned master station equipment has a transmitter that alternately transmits first audio information and second audio information, each divided into any number of words as a unit, in the unit of the unit. The plurality of loudspeaker substations include a first loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the first audio information in the unit of one segment, and a second loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the second audio information in the unit of one segment.

[0007] In this broadcast radio system, the master station equipment alternately transmits the first voice information and the second voice information in segments, and the first and second loudspeaker substations alternately broadcast these first and second voice information in segments. As a result, even when different information is transmitted from the master station equipment to each district and broadcast by the loudspeaker substations in each district, the voice information can be transmitted without losing the immediacy of the broadcast in each district.

[0008] The master station equipment may further include: an audio information generation unit that generates first audio data which is audio data of the first audio information and second audio data which is audio data of the second audio information; and a control unit that causes the transmitter to alternately transmit the first audio data and the second audio data in the unit of one segment.

[0009] The voice information generation unit may generate the first voice data and the second voice data by dividing the first voice information and the second voice information into phrase units.

[0010] The base station equipment further includes an input unit that generates text data of the first voice information and the second voice information, and the voice information generation unit may divide the first voice information and the second voice information based on predetermined symbols included in the text data.

[0011] The transmitter transmits the first audio data and the second audio data in each segment unit in predetermined data units. The voice information generation unit may further generate first control data which is added to each data unit of the first voice data to sound the first loudspeaker substation, and second control data which is added to each data unit of the second voice data to sound the second loudspeaker substation.

[0012] The first loudspeaker substation may play the first audio data based on the first control data, and the second loudspeaker substation may play the second audio data based on the second control data.

[0013] The second audio information may be audio information with content different from the first audio information.

[0014] The transmitter transmits, in sequence, audio data of the first audio information, audio data of the second audio information, and audio data of the third audio information, each divided into any number of words as a unit, and the plurality of loudspeaker substations may further include a third loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the third audio information in the units of the first audio information.

[0015] A master station for a broadcast radio system according to one embodiment of the present invention is a master station for a broadcast radio system that transmits voice information to a plurality of loudspeaker substations installed outdoors, including a first loudspeaker substation and a second loudspeaker substation, A transmitter is provided that divides the first audio information broadcast from the first loudspeaker station and the second audio information broadcast from the second loudspeaker station into a plurality of audio data with an arbitrary number of words as a single division unit, and alternately transmits the audio data of the first audio information and the audio data of the second audio information in a single division unit.

Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, when broadcasting different information for each area transmitted from the master station equipment at the loudspeaker stations in each area, it is possible to accurately transmit audio information without losing the immediacy of the broadcast in each area.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a radio paging system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing an operation procedure of a conventional radio paging system. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of an audio file created in the master station equipment in the radio paging system of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a conceptual diagram showing the structure of data transmitted from the master station equipment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of control data for controlling a loudspeaker station. [Figure 6] It is a sequence diagram showing an operation example of the radio paging system of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example of a conventional radio paging system. <​​​​​​​​​​​​ [Figure 12] It is an explanatory diagram showing an operation example of the notification radio system of FIG. 9. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram showing another operation example of the notification radio system of FIG. 9. [Figure 14] It is an explanatory diagram showing still another operation example of the notification radio system of FIG. 9.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0019] <First Embodiment> [Basic Configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a notification radio system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The notification radio system 100 of the present embodiment includes a master station facility 10 and a plurality of outdoor installed loudspeaker slave stations 20 (20A, 20B). The notification radio system 100 distributes voice data from the master station facility 10 to each loudspeaker slave station 20 in a batch, and broadcasts voice information, which is the reproduced sound of the distributed voice data, from the loudspeaker slave station 20. The notification radio system 100 is operated, for example, as a disaster prevention administrative radio system that transmits disaster prevention information and administrative information to local residents.

[0020] The master station facility 10 is installed, for example, in an administrative agency such as a city hall or a public facility such as a school or a community center. At least one loudspeaker slave station 20 is installed for each area under the jurisdiction of a municipality. The sound transmission range or service area, which is the range within which one loudspeaker slave station 20 can transmit sound, may be different for each loudspeaker slave station 20, or may partially overlap.

[0021] In addition to the above configuration, a relay station may be installed to relay communications from the master station equipment 10 to the loudspeaker substations 20. Furthermore, there is no particular limit to the number of loudspeaker substations 20 installed, as long as there are multiple units. In this embodiment, two units (the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B) are used as an example for explanation, but of course, there may be three or more units. In the following explanation, unless otherwise specified individually, the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B will be collectively referred to as loudspeaker substation 20.

[0022] The master station equipment 10 includes an operating console 11, a transmitter 12, and a master station control device 13.

[0023] The control console 11 has an input unit 111 and a display unit 112. The control console 11 is not limited to being located in the same facility as the transmitter 12, but may be located in a different facility from the facility where the transmitter 12 is installed.

[0024] The input unit 111 generates text data of the audio information broadcast by each loudspeaker substation 20 based on the operator's input. The input unit 111 includes a touch panel, mouse, keyboard, and a microphone for voice input. The display unit 112 includes a screen that displays the various information generated by the input unit 111.

[0025] The transmitter 12 is a communication device that receives control commands from the master station control device 13 and wirelessly transmits the voice data generated in the master station control device 13 to each loudspeaker substation 20. The transmitter 12 includes a modulator and the like that encodes the voice data into a predetermined voice codec.

[0026] The master station control unit 13 comprehensively controls the operation of the master station equipment 10. For example, the master station control unit 13 creates an audio file containing audio data (audio signals) generated using an audio synthesis engine, based on the text data of the audio information generated by the input unit 111. The master station control unit 13 also outputs control commands to the transmitter 12 for transmitting the generated audio data to each loudspeaker substation 20. These control commands include control data that individually instructs each loudspeaker substation 20 to either blow or mute (silence).

[0027] The master control unit 13 can be implemented using hardware elements used in computers, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory), as well as necessary software. Details of the master control unit 13 will be described later. The master control unit 12 may also be part of the control console 11.

[0028] The loudspeaker substation 20 includes a receiver 21, a loudspeaker 22, an equalizer 23, and a substation control device 24.

[0029] The receiver 21 is a communication device that receives voice data transmitted from the master station equipment 10. The receiver 21 has a demodulator that decodes the received voice data. The demodulator may also be provided by the loudspeaker 22 or the slave station control device 24.

[0030] The loudspeaker 22 is a speaker that plays back the audio data received by the receiver 21. At least one loudspeaker 22 is installed at each loudspeaker substation 20. The loudspeaker 22 includes an amplifier that amplifies the sound pressure level of the played audio data (audio information). The loudspeaker 22 plays back the audio data at a sound pressure level that can transmit the audio information over a preset sound range.

[0031] The number and type of loudspeakers 22 are not particularly limited; they may be a single point source or line source speaker, multiple point source or line source speakers, or multiple speakers containing both point and line sources simultaneously. A point source refers to a speaker with general characteristics, such as a straight horn type, while a line source refers to a speaker with characteristics that emphasize the high-frequency range more than a point source, such as a line array type.

[0032] The equalizer 23 is an audio device that modifies the frequency characteristics of the audio data played back by the loudspeaker 22 based on control commands from the substation control unit 24. The equalizer 23 improves the transmission characteristics of audio information so that the audibility of the audio is improved over the sound range of the loudspeaker 22 by emphasizing or attenuating specific frequency bands of the audio data. The equalizer 23 may be omitted if necessary.

[0033] The substation control unit 24 comprehensively controls the operation of the entire loudspeaker substation 20. As will be described later, the substation control unit 24 controls the switching between blowing and muting (silencing) the loudspeaker 22 based on the control data contained in the audio data transmitted from the transmitter 12 of the master station equipment 10.

[0034] The substation control unit 24 can be implemented using hardware elements used in computers, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), and ROM (Read Only Memory), as well as the necessary software.

[0035] In current disaster prevention radio systems, due to their nature as broadcasting devices, audio data is transmitted simultaneously from the main station to each loudspeaker substation, making it impossible to broadcast different content at the same time. Therefore, conventionally, when broadcasting different content to multiple areas (for example, area A and area B), as shown in Figure 2, the broadcast to area A was followed by the broadcast to area B. In this case, if it takes 5 minutes from the start to the end of the broadcast to area A, the broadcast to area B will start 5 minutes later than the broadcast to area A. As a result, the broadcast at the loudspeaker substation in area B loses its immediacy, which can be problematic when broadcasting urgent content such as emergency evacuation information. As a workaround, it is possible to pre-record broadcast content in each loudspeaker station and individual receiver, and then issue a playback command at the same time to broadcast different content to multiple areas. However, this method has several drawbacks: it requires all loudspeaker stations and individual receivers to be equipped with recording capabilities, it cannot handle immediate broadcasts (it cannot respond to unexpected events) because pre-recording is necessary, and it can only handle scheduled broadcasts (such as time signals).

[0036] In light of this situation, the purpose of this embodiment of the broadcast radio system is to transmit voice information without losing the immediacy of broadcasting in each area, when different information transmitted from the master station equipment to each area is broadcast by loudspeaker substations in each area.

[0037] [Broadcast radio system] Next, the details of the broadcast radio system of this embodiment will be described. Here, we will explain using as an example the case in which audio data with different broadcast content is simultaneously transmitted from the master station equipment 10 to the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B.

[0038] Hereinafter, the audio information broadcast by the first loudspeaker substation 20A will be referred to as the first audio information, and the audio information broadcast by the second loudspeaker substation 20B will be referred to as the second audio information. The second audio information includes audio information that is different from the first audio information.

[0039] In this embodiment, as will be described in detail below, the master station equipment 10 divides the first audio information broadcast by the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second audio information broadcast by the loudspeaker substation 20B into any number of words, and transmits the audio data of the first audio information and the audio data of the second audio information alternately as a single unit (hereinafter also referred to as a single unit) of the divided audio information. The first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B each receive the audio data of the first audio information and the second audio information transmitted alternately as single units, but the first loudspeaker substation 20A broadcasts only the first audio information sequentially as a single unit, and the second loudspeaker substation 20B broadcasts only the second audio information sequentially as a single unit. As a result, the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B achieve different broadcasts at approximately the same time.

[0040] (master station equipment) As shown in Figure 1, the master control unit 13 has an audio information generation unit 131 and a control unit 132.

[0041] The voice information generation unit 131 generates first voice data, which is the voice data of the first voice information, and second voice data, which is the voice data of the second voice information. More specifically, the voice information generation unit 131 creates a voice file using a speech synthesis engine based on the text data generated using the input device 111 of the control console 11. The voice file can be in any file format.

[0042] In this embodiment, we will explain using the example where the first audio information and the second audio information are each the following simple sentences. For the sake of explanation, the sentence following the symbol "♪" in parentheses (『』) indicates the content of the audio to be played.

[0043] First audio information: "Today is the voting day for the city council elections." Second audio information: "♪A siren will be sounded from noon for the memorial service."

[0044] The voice information generation unit 131 divides the first voice information and the second voice information into any number of words. Figure 3(A) shows an example of the division of the first voice information, and Figure 3(B) shows an example of the division of the second voice information.

[0045] As shown in Figure 3(A), the voice information generation unit 131 divides the voice data that forms the first voice information into three voice files (A-1, A-2, A-3). Voice file A-1 is voice data of the spoken word "♪Today is" Voice file A-2 is voice data of the spoken word "♪The city council election is" And voice file A-3 is voice data of the spoken word "♪It is election day" Each of the voice files A-1, A-2, and A-3 corresponds to one division unit of the first voice data, which is the voice data of the first voice information.

[0046] Similarly, the voice information generation unit 131 divides the voice data forming the second voice information into three voice files (B-1, B-2, B-3), as shown in Figure 3(B). Voice file B-1 is voice data of the spoken word "♪From noon". Voice file B-2 is voice data of the spoken word "♪For the memorial service". And voice file B-3 is voice data of the spoken word "♪We will sound the siren". Each of the voice files B-1, B-2, and B-3 corresponds to one division unit of the second voice data, which is the voice data of the second voice information.

[0047] A single unit of audio information is formed by any number of words. Here, a word is the smallest unit of language that represents a coherent meaning and has an independent grammatical function. Words are broadly classified into independent words and dependent words. For example, in the spoken content of audio file A-1, "today is", "today" is an independent word and "is" is a dependent word.

[0048] Preferably, each segment is divided within a meaningful range, and in this embodiment, the audio information is divided into units of phrases consisting of two or more words. The phrases forming a segment are not limited to a single phrase; for example, as in audio file B-3 "♪ We're playing the siren," they may be a collection of two or more phrases. In addition, some segments may be formed from a single word.

[0049] On the other hand, audio information broadcast by loudspeaker substations is characterized by being played slowly with large pauses between words due to the echo of sound. For this reason, it is necessary to insert silent periods between each individual segment of the audio information. In this embodiment, the audio information is divided based on predetermined symbols included in the text data of the audio information, and these predetermined symbols are defined as silent periods. The predetermined symbols are not particularly limited as long as they are symbols that a computer can recognize, for example, punctuation marks ("," and ".") can be used, but other symbols such as "space" may also be used.

[0050] The audio information generation unit 131 divides the audio information based on punctuation marks (",", ".") in the text data of the audio information in the manner described above, and sets silent periods. In this case, the audio files of the first audio information and the second audio information are represented as follows.

[0051] First audio information: "♪Today is the (silent period) voting day for the city council election." Second audio information: "♪From noon (silence period), a siren will be sounded for the memorial service (silence period)."

[0052] The silence period is not particularly limited, but it is preferable that it is longer than the playback time of one segment of audio information. For example, if the broadcast of one segment of the second audio information is completed within the silence period of the first audio information, it is possible to avoid overlapping (interference) of the audio due to simultaneous broadcasting of both audio information, thereby preventing the audio from becoming difficult to hear due to simultaneous broadcasting. As an example, the silence period is set to a length of 3 seconds or more. The silence period is not always constant, and different periods may be set depending on the insertion point of the silence period, taking into consideration the relationship between the silence period of one loudspeaker substation and the broadcast time of other loudspeaker substations.

[0053] Meanwhile, the control unit 132 generates a control command to alternately transmit the first audio data and the second audio data from the transmitter 12 in units of one segment. In this embodiment, the control command generates a control command to transmit the audio files shown in Figures 3(A) and (B) from the transmitter 12 in the order of "A-1", "B-1", "A-2", "B-2", "A-3", and "B-3". The content of the spoken audio is as follows: "Today," "starting at noon," "is election day," "for the memorial service," "for the city council elections," "and a siren will be sounded."

[0054] The method for transmitting voice information from the transmitter 12 to each loudspeaker substation 20 is not particularly limited, but typically a method of intermittently transmitting voice data at a predetermined period (packet communication method) is employed. In this embodiment, voice data is transmitted in predetermined data units with a transmission period of 80 milliseconds. For example, when transmitting 1.6 seconds of voice data, the voice data is transmitted in 20 separate transmissions.

[0055] Here, the amount of audio data transmitted at 80-millisecond intervals is referred to as a "single data unit." A single data unit is a different concept from a "single segment unit" of audio information, which is divided into phrase units as described above. Therefore, in the example above, the entire audio data of the first audio file, "Today," is transmitted in multiple parts (single data units each) at 80-millisecond intervals, and then the entire audio data of the second audio file, "From Noon," is transmitted in multiple parts (single data units each) at the same 80-millisecond intervals. The same applies to the third and subsequent audio files.

[0056] Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the structure of the above-mentioned data unit. As shown in the figure, each data unit includes control data (header) and audio data (payload), which will be described later. The amount of data for the control data and audio data is, for example, several octets to tens of octets (1 octet = 8 bits).

[0057] The control unit 132 generates control data for controlling the sounding and silencing of the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B. The control data includes first control data and second control data. The first control data is control data that causes only the first loudspeaker substation 20A to sound, and the second control data is control data that causes only the second loudspeaker substation 20B to sound.

[0058] Figure 5 is a diagram that shows a list of control data and their contents. The control data is broadly divided into three types of control data: "0", "1", and "2". Control data "0" is control data that causes all loudspeaker substations (first loudspeaker substation 20A, second loudspeaker substation 20B) to sound. This control data is applied when the first voice information and the second voice information are the same voice information. Control data "1" is control data that causes the first loudspeaker substation 20A to sound and the second loudspeaker substation 20B to be silenced, and corresponds to the first control data described above. Control data "2" is control data that silences the first loudspeaker substation 20A and causes the second loudspeaker substation 20B to sound, and corresponds to the second control data described above.

[0059] Control data is added to each of the audio files A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, and B-3, corresponding to one segment. In this embodiment, the first control data is added to each of the audio files A-1, A-2, and A-3, and the second control data is added to each of the audio files B-1, B-2, and B-3. When each of the above audio files is transmitted in a predetermined data unit (amount of data transmitted in an 80-millisecond cycle (one data unit)), the corresponding control data is set in the header of each data unit.

[0060] (Low-phone radio station) The substation control device 24 controls the sound output and muting of the loudspeaker 22 based on control data attached to the audio data transmitted from the master station equipment 10. When each loudspeaker substation 20 plays back the received audio data, it broadcasts sound (blowing) for audio data to which its own control information has been attached, and mutes (silences) for audio data to which its own control information has not been attached. In other words, audio data to which its own control information has not been attached is not outwardly broadcast.

[0061] Therefore, when the substation control device 24 of the first loudspeaker substation 20A receives first voice information (first voice data) to which first control data has been added, it plays the first voice information through the loudspeaker 22, and when it receives second voice information (second voice data) to which second control data has been added, it silences the loudspeaker 22. On the other hand, when the substation control device 24 of the second loudspeaker substation 20B receives second voice information (second voice data) to which second control data has been added, it plays the second voice information through the loudspeaker 22, and when it receives first voice information (first voice data) to which first control data has been added, it silences the loudspeaker 22.

[0062] [Operation of the broadcast radio system] Next, the operation of the broadcast wireless system 100 of this embodiment, configured as described above, will be explained.

[0063] Figure 6 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation of the broadcast radio system 100. In the following description, the service area of ​​the first loudspeaker substation 20A will be referred to as Area A, and the service area of ​​the second loudspeaker substation 20B will be referred to as Area B.

[0064] The master station equipment 10 creates audio files for the first and second audio information, divided into segment units, as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), from the text data of the first audio information to be broadcast in area A and the text data of the second audio information to be broadcast in area B. Then, as shown in Figure 6, the master station equipment 10 alternately transmits the first audio information, consisting of three audio files A-1, A-2, and A-3, and the second audio information, consisting of three audio files B-1, B-2, and B-3.

[0065] The first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B receive the first voice information and the second voice information transmitted alternately from the master station equipment 10 in units of one section. The first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B switch between sounding and silencing based on the control data contained in one data unit of each received voice information.

[0066] More specifically, when an audio file A-1 with the first control data attached is received, the first loudspeaker substation 20A plays (blows) the audio data that makes up the audio file A-1, and the second loudspeaker substation 20B plays (silences) the audio data that makes up the audio file A-1 by muting it. As a result, the audio information of audio file A-1 ("♪Today's...") is transmitted only to area A. Next, when the audio file B-1 with the second control data added is received, the first loudspeaker substation 20A mutes the audio data that makes up the audio file B-1 and plays (silences) it, while the second loudspeaker substation 20B plays (blows) the audio data that makes up the audio file B-1. As a result, the audio information of audio file B-1 ("♪From noon") is transmitted only to area B. Thereafter, the audio information from each audio file will be broadcast alternately by the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B in the order of audio files A-2, B-2, A-3, B-3, A-4, and B-4. As a result, in area A, "Today is" (silence) "the voting day" for the city council elections. The audio was broadcast in the following order, and simultaneously in area B, (Silent period) "From noon" (Silent period) "For the memorial service" (Silent period) "We will sound the siren." The audio will be broadcast in this order.

[0067] Thus, according to the broadcast radio system 100 of this embodiment, when different information transmitted from the master station equipment 10 to each district is broadcast by the loudspeaker substations 20A and 20B in each district, voice information can be transmitted without losing the immediacy of the broadcast in each district.

[0068] As a comparative example, Figure 7 shows the broadcasting procedure when broadcasting to Area B is performed after broadcasting to Area A. As shown in the figure, broadcasting to Area B will begin after the time required for broadcasting to Area A has elapsed from start to finish. For example, if the time required to start broadcasting (startup time including the time for sounding a chime or other signal to start broadcasting) is 15 seconds, the time required to end broadcasting (end broadcast time including the time for sounding a chime or other signal to end broadcasting) is 5 seconds, and the broadcast time and silent period are both 2 seconds, then broadcasting to Area B will begin 30 seconds after broadcasting to Area A. As a result, the broadcasting at the loudspeaker substation in Area B will lose its immediacy. In addition, the wireless occupancy time between the master station equipment and the loudspeaker substation when broadcasting to Area A and Area B will be 60 seconds (30 seconds x 2).

[0069] In contrast, according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, broadcasts to Area A and Area B are alternated using the silent period, so the time delay from the first broadcast in Area A to the first broadcast in Area B can be significantly reduced to 2 seconds, and the immediacy of broadcasts to Area A and Area B can be ensured. Furthermore, since the start time for broadcasting in Area A and Area B and the end time for broadcasting in Area B can be set to the same time, the wireless occupancy time between the master station equipment and the loudspeaker substation when broadcasting to Area A and Area B can be significantly reduced to 32 seconds (see Figure 8).

[0070] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since broadcasts to area A and area B are alternately carried out using silent periods, audio is not broadcast simultaneously in area A and area B. Therefore, the reduction in the audibility of the broadcast content caused by simultaneous audio broadcasts in each area can be minimized.

[0071] <Second Embodiment> Figure 9 is a schematic diagram of a broadcast wireless system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The following description will mainly focus on configurations different from the first embodiment, while components similar to those in the first embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions will be omitted or simplified.

[0072] The broadcast radio system 200 of this embodiment comprises a master station 10 and a plurality of loudspeaker substations 20 installed outdoors. In this embodiment, the case in which there are three loudspeaker substations 20 (a first loudspeaker substation 20A, a second loudspeaker substation 20B, and a third loudspeaker substation 20C) will be described as an example.

[0073] The first loudspeaker substation 20A, the second loudspeaker substation 20B, and the third loudspeaker substation 20C are each configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the first loudspeaker substation 20A is installed in the east district, the second loudspeaker substation 20B is installed in the west district, and the third loudspeaker substation is installed in the south district.

[0074] The master station equipment 10 generates a first audio information broadcast to the east district, a second audio information broadcast to the west district, and a third audio information broadcast to the south district, and transmits these to each of the loudspeaker substations 20A, 20B, and 20C. The first, second, and third audio information each have different broadcast content, and this audio information is generated by the master station control device 13. Here, we will explain using the example where the first to third audio information are emergency evacuation information.

[0075] In this embodiment, we will explain using the example where the first audio information, the second audio information, and the third audio information are each the following simple sentences.

[0076] First audio information: "♪Please evacuate immediately. The evacuation site is Higashi Daiichi Elementary School." Second audio information: "♪Please evacuate immediately. The evacuation site is Nishi Daini Elementary School." Third audio information: "♪Please evacuate immediately. The evacuation site is Minami Third Elementary School."

[0077] The following explains how to create each of the above audio pieces.

[0078] First, at the master station equipment 10, the operator selects the type of content to be broadcast at the control console 11 (e.g., Evacuation: Coast, or Evacuation: Mountain). A district selection screen is displayed on the display unit 112, from which the district to be broadcast is selected (in this embodiment, East District, West District, South District). Based on the selected district, "Evacuation Shelter Information" is automatically entered. Next, candidate texts to be broadcast are displayed on the display unit 112, and the text to be broadcast is selected from among them. This creates the following text, for example, as shown in Figure 10(A) (Figure 10(A)). "Evacuate immediately. [Evacuation shelter information]"

[0079] In the above text, the contents within brackets ([]) are the variable information section. The master station control device 13 (voice information generation unit 131) automatically inserts appropriate words corresponding to the broadcast area into the variable information section to create broadcast text (voice information). The master station control device 13 stores information on evacuation shelters that have been opened in the immediate vicinity of the broadcast target area, for example, as shown in Figure 10(B). In this embodiment, evacuation shelters associated with the broadcast target area are automatically input into the variable information section.

[0080] The audio information generation unit 131 combines the created broadcast text as follows: "♪Please evacuate immediately. The evacuation site is Higashi Daiichi Elementary School. The evacuation board is at Nishi Daini Elementary School. The evacuation site is Minami Daisan Elementary School." Punctuation marks in the text are set to silent periods, as in the first embodiment. The audio information generation unit 131 divides the combined broadcast text into four audio files separated by silent periods, as shown in Figure 10(C).

[0081] In Figure 10(C), the audio file "♪Please evacuate immediately" with file number 1 is a common unit for each of the first to third audio information segments. The audio file number 2, "♪The evacuation site is Higashi Daiichi Elementary School," is a unique segment of the first audio information. The audio file number 3, "♪The evacuation site is Nishi Daini Elementary School," is a unique segment of the second audio information. The audio file number 4, "♪The evacuation site is Minami Third Elementary School," is a unique segment of the third audio information.

[0082] The master station control device 13 (control unit 132) generates control data for controlling the sounding and silencing of the first loudspeaker substation 20A, the second loudspeaker substation 20B, and the third loudspeaker substation 20C. The control data includes first control data, second control data, and third control data. The first control data is control data to sound only the first loudspeaker substation 20A, the second control data is control data to sound only the second loudspeaker substation 20B, and the third control data is control data to sound only the third loudspeaker substation 20C.

[0083] Figure 11 is a diagram that shows a list of control information and its contents for control data. The control data is broadly divided into three types of control information: "0", "1", "2", and "3". Control information "0" is the control data that causes all loudspeaker substations (the first loudspeaker substation 20A, the second loudspeaker substation 20B, and the third loudspeaker substation 20C) to sound. This control data is added to the audio file number 1 shown in Figure 10(C). Control information "1" is control data that causes the first loudspeaker substation 20A to sound and the second loudspeaker substation 20B and the third loudspeaker substation 20C to be silenced, and corresponds to the first control data described above. This control data is added to the audio file number 2 shown in Figure 10(C). Control information "2" is control data that causes the second loudspeaker substation 20B to sound and the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the third loudspeaker substation 20C to be silenced, and corresponds to the second control data mentioned above. This control data is added to the audio file number 3 shown in Figure 10(C). Control information "3" is control data that causes the third loudspeaker substation 20C to sound and the first loudspeaker substation 20A and the second loudspeaker substation 20B to be silenced, and corresponds to the third control data mentioned above. This control data is added to the audio file number 4 shown in Figure 10(C).

[0084] The transmitter of the master station equipment 10 sequentially transmits audio data of the first audio information, the second audio information, and the third audio information, each divided into units of any number of consecutive words. In this embodiment, audio files numbered 1 to 4 are transmitted sequentially.

[0085] Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the broadcast radio system 200 of this embodiment. At the same time immediately after the start of broadcasting, the audio file "♪Please evacuate immediately" with file number 1 is played at the first loudspeaker substation 20A, the second loudspeaker substation 20B, and the third loudspeaker substation 20C. Next, after a period of silence, the audio file with file number 2, "♪The evacuation site is Higashi Daiichi Elementary School," is played on the first loudspeaker substation 20A. Next, after a period of silence, the audio file with file number 3, "♪The evacuation site is Nishi Daini Elementary School," is played on the second loudspeaker substation 20B. Next, after a period of silence, the audio file with file number 4, "♪The evacuation site is South Third Elementary School," is played on the third loudspeaker substation 20C.

[0086] As described above, according to this embodiment, emergency evacuation information can be broadcast to multiple districts (District A, District B, and District C) at the same time, so that residents in each district can be alerted at almost the same time. This makes it easier to guide residents to the evacuation sites that will be broadcast in each district afterward. Therefore, in this embodiment as well, evacuation information can be transmitted to multiple districts without losing the immediacy of the broadcast in each district.

[0087] Figure 13 shows an example of operation of the broadcast radio system 200 according to another modification of this embodiment. This modification shows an example in which the audio files numbered 2 to 4 shown in Figure 10(C) are divided into phrases (corresponding to one division unit), and these divided audio information are broadcast sequentially using the silent period in each area. Similarly, Figure 14 shows an example of operation of the broadcast radio system 200 according to a modified version of this embodiment. In this modified version, two audio files, "♪Please evacuate immediately" and "♪Evacuation locations are," are created as a common unit of division for the first to third audio information, and these two audio files are broadcast simultaneously to each area sequentially with a silent period in between. As shown in the modified versions in Figures 13 and 14, the broadcast time in each district following "♪Please evacuate immediately" can be shortened, thus reducing the time difference in the start of broadcasts regarding evacuation locations between districts. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0088] 10…Master station equipment 11...Operation console 12…Transmitter 13…Master Station Control Unit 20... Loudspeaker substation 20A...First loudspeaker substation 20B...Second loudspeaker substation 20C... Third loudspeaker substation 21... Receiver 22... Megaphone 24... Substation control unit 100,200... Simultaneous broadcasting system 131...Speech information generation unit 132... Control Unit

Claims

1. A broadcast radio system comprising a master station and a plurality of loudspeaker substations installed outdoors, wherein voice information transmitted from the master station to the plurality of loudspeaker substations is broadcast from the plurality of loudspeaker substations, The aforementioned base station equipment is A transmitter that alternately transmits audio data of a first audio information and audio data of a second audio information, each divided into any number of words as a unit, The system includes: an audio information generation unit that generates first audio data, which is audio data of the first audio information, and second audio data, which is audio data of the second audio information; and a control unit that causes the transmitter to alternately transmit the first audio data and the second audio data in the unit of one segment. The plurality of loudspeaker substations include a first loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the first audio information in the unit of one segment, and a second loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the second audio information in the unit of one segment, The transmitter transmits the first audio data and the second audio data in each segment unit in predetermined data units. The control unit generates first control data which is added to each data unit of the first audio data to sound the first loudspeaker, and second control data which is added to each data unit of the second audio data to sound the second loudspeaker. Broadcast radio system.

2. A broadcast wireless system according to claim 1, The voice information generation unit generates the first voice data and the second voice data by dividing the first voice information and the second voice information into phrase units. Broadcast radio system.

3. A broadcast wireless system according to claim 2, The aforementioned master station equipment further includes an input unit that generates text data of the first voice information and the second voice information, The voice information generation unit divides the first voice information and the second voice information based on predetermined symbols included in the text data. Broadcast radio system.

4. A broadcast wireless system according to claim 1, The first loudspeaker unit plays the first audio data based on the first control data. The second loudspeaker unit plays the second audio data based on the second control data. Broadcast radio system.

5. A broadcast wireless system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The second audio information is audio information with content different from the first audio information. Broadcast radio system.

6. A broadcast wireless system according to claim 1, The transmitter sequentially transmits audio data of the first audio information, audio data of the second audio information, and audio data of the third audio information, each divided into any number of words as a unit. The plurality of loudspeaker substations further include a third loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the third audio information in the unit of the division. Broadcast radio system.

7. A broadcast radio system comprising a master station and a plurality of loudspeaker substations installed outdoors, wherein voice information transmitted from the master station to the plurality of loudspeaker substations is broadcast from the plurality of loudspeaker substations, The aforementioned master station equipment has a transmitter that sequentially transmits audio data of a first audio information, audio data of a second audio information, and audio data of a third audio information, each divided into any number of words as a unit. The plurality of loudspeaker substations include a first loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the first audio information in the unit of one segment, a second loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the second audio information in the unit of one segment, and a third loudspeaker substation that broadcasts the audio data of the third audio information in the unit of one segment. Broadcast radio system.

8. A master station for a broadcast radio system that transmits voice information to a plurality of loudspeaker substations installed outdoors, including a first loudspeaker substation and a second loudspeaker substation, A transmitter that divides the first audio information broadcast from the first loudspeaker substation and the second audio information broadcast from the second loudspeaker substation into multiple audio data sets, each with an arbitrary number of words as a unit, and transmits the audio data of the first audio information and the audio data of the second audio information alternately in units of one unit. A voice information generation unit that generates first voice data which is voice data of the first voice information and second voice data which is voice data of the second voice information, and a control unit that causes the transmitter to alternately transmit the first voice data and the second voice data in the unit of one segment, Equipped with, The transmitter transmits the first audio data and the second audio data in each segment unit in predetermined data units. The control unit generates first control data which is added to each data unit of the first audio data to sound the first loudspeaker, and second control data which is added to each data unit of the second audio data to sound the second loudspeaker. Master station equipment for a broadcast radio system.

9. A master station equipment for a broadcast radio system that transmits voice information to a plurality of loudspeaker substations installed outdoors, including a first loudspeaker substation, a second loudspeaker substation, and a third loudspeaker substation, The system includes a transmitter that divides the first audio information broadcast from the first loudspeaker substation, the second audio information broadcast from the second loudspeaker substation, and the third audio information broadcast from the third loudspeaker substation into multiple audio data sets, each consisting of an arbitrary number of words as a unit, and then transmits the audio data of the first audio information, the audio data of the second audio information, and the audio data of the third audio information in sequence. Master station equipment for a broadcast radio system.

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