Speech operation device, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and method

Abstract

The present invention improves a technology for speech-operating on-vehicle equipment provided in a vehicle. This speech operation device is in a vehicle, and comprises a control unit. When an occupant requests operation of on-vehicle equipment by using speech, the control unit identifies a first seat position of the occupant who has made an utterance, and when the on-vehicle equipment of which the speaker demands the operation is not provided at a position corresponding to the first seat position, the control unit executes operation of on-vehicle equipment associated with a second seat position .

Description

Voice-operated device, non-transitory computer-readable medium, and method CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims priority to Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-223322, filed on December 28, 2023, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a voice-operated device, a program, and a method.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, various techniques for operating in-vehicle equipment provided in a vehicle by voice have been studied.

[0004] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a voice dialogue control device that controls voice operations of a plurality of operation devices that can operate independently at a plurality of execution locations.

[0005] International Publication No. 2020 / 240789

[0006] Patent Literature 1 discloses a voice-operated control technology for multiple devices that can be operated independently at multiple execution locations. However, the technology in Patent Literature 1 does not consider at all how to deal with a situation where the in-vehicle equipment that the speaker requests to operate is not located in a position corresponding to the seat position. As such, there is room for improvement in the voice-operated control technology.

[0007] An object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for voice control of in-vehicle equipment installed in a vehicle.

[0008] A voice-operated device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a voice-operated device in a vehicle that includes a control unit, which identifies a first seat position of the occupant who spoke when the occupant requests operation of on-board equipment by voice, and if the on-board equipment that the speaker requests to operate is not located in a position corresponding to the first seat position, performs operation of the on-board equipment associated with a second seat position.

[0009] A program according to one embodiment of the present disclosure causes a voice-operated device in a vehicle to perform operations including: identifying the first seat position of the occupant who spoke when the occupant vocally requests the operation of on-board equipment; and, if the on-board equipment that the speaker requests to operate is not located in a position corresponding to the first seat position, performing an operation of the on-board equipment associated with the second seat position.

[0010] A method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a method executed by a voice-operated device in a vehicle, and includes: identifying a first seat position of the occupant who spoke when the occupant vocally requests the operation of on-board equipment; and, if the on-board equipment that the speaker requests to operate is not located in a position corresponding to the first seat position, executing the operation of the on-board equipment associated with a second seat position.

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the technology for voice-operating in-vehicle equipment installed in a vehicle.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system including a voice-operated device according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the arrangement of the system according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure in a vehicle; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of a system including a voice-operated device according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure; and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the system according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure.

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) An overview of a system 1 including a voice-operated device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 is provided in a vehicle 2. The system 1 includes a voice-operated device 10, a plurality of microphones 20, a speaker 30, a display device 40, and on-board equipment 50.

[0015] The vehicle 2 is, for example, an automobile, but is not limited to this and may be any vehicle. The vehicle 2 is, for example, a gasoline-powered automobile, an electric vehicle (EV), a hybrid vehicle (HV), a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHV), or a fuel cell vehicle (FCV), but is not limited to these. The vehicle 2 may be a manned vehicle or any autonomous vehicle that runs unmanned.

[0016] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be provided later. When an occupant vocally requests the operation of on-board equipment, the voice-operated device 10 in the vehicle 2 identifies the seat position of the occupant who made the utterance (hereinafter also referred to as the first seat position). Furthermore, when the on-board equipment requested by the occupant is not located in a position corresponding to the first seat position, the voice-operated device 10 executes the operation of the on-board equipment associated with a seat position different from the first seat position (hereinafter also referred to as the second seat position).

[0017] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the in-vehicle equipment requested by the occupant is not located at the first seat position, which is the seat position of the occupant who made the utterance, the voice-operated device 10 executes the operation of the in-vehicle equipment associated with the second seat position. Therefore, even when the in-vehicle equipment requested by the occupant is not located at the seat position of the occupant, the voice-operated device 10 can execute the operation of the in-vehicle equipment at the second seat position, which improves the voice operation technology.

[0018] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1 , the voice operation device 10 includes a control unit 11 , a storage unit 12 , and a communication unit 13 .

[0020] The control unit 11 includes one or more processors, one or more programmable circuits, one or more dedicated circuits, or a combination thereof. The processor may be, for example, a general-purpose processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process, but is not limited to these. The programmable circuit may be, for example, but is not limited to, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array). The dedicated circuit may be, for example, but is not limited to, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). The control unit 11 controls the overall operation of the voice-operated device 10.

[0021] The storage unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM). The RAM is, for example, a static random access memory (SRAM) or a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The ROM is, for example, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The storage unit 12 functions as, for example, a main storage device, an auxiliary storage device, or a cache memory. The storage unit 12 stores data used in the operation of the voice-operated device 10 and data obtained by the operation of the voice-operated device 10. For example, the storage unit 12 stores a program related to voice processing (hereinafter also referred to as a voice assistant), data, etc. The voice assistant is a program that is activated by a predetermined voice instruction (hereinafter also referred to as a wake word). The voice assistant performs voice recognition of utterances uttered after activation and estimates the user's intention. The voice assistant performs a predetermined process based on the estimated intention.

[0022] The communication unit 13 includes at least one external communication interface. The communication interface may be either a wired or wireless communication interface. In the case of wired communication, the communication interface may be an interface compatible with communication standards such as a local area network (LAN) interface, a universal serial bus (USB), or a high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI). In the case of wireless communication, the communication interface may be an interface compatible with mobile communication standards such as long term evolution (LTE), fourth generation (4G), or fifth generation (5G), or an interface compatible with short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth. The communication unit 13 receives data used in the operation of the voice-operated device 10 and transmits data obtained by the operation of the voice-operated device 10.

[0023] The functions of the voice-operated device 10 are realized by executing a program according to this embodiment on a processor corresponding to the voice-operated device 10. That is, the functions of the voice-operated device 10 are realized by software. The program causes a computer to execute the operations of the voice-operated device 10, thereby causing the computer to function as the voice-operated device 10. That is, the computer functions as the voice-operated device 10 by executing the operations of the voice-operated device 10 in accordance with the program.

[0024] In this embodiment, the program can be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes non-transitory computer-readable media, such as a magnetic recording device, an optical disc, a magneto-optical recording medium, or a semiconductor memory. The program can be distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending a portable recording medium, such as a DVD (digital versatile disc) or a CD-ROM (compact disc read only memory), on which the program is recorded. The program can also be distributed by storing the program in the storage of an external server and transmitting the program from the external server to another computer. The program can also be provided as a program product.

[0025] Some or all of the functions of the voice-operated device 10 may be realized by a dedicated circuit equivalent to the control unit 11. In other words, some or all of the functions of the voice-operated device 10 may be realized by hardware.

[0026] The system 1 also includes a plurality of microphones 20. The plurality of microphones 20 are provided, for example, at each seat in the vehicle 2. The plurality of microphones 20 accept voice input from the occupants of each seat. The plurality of microphones 20 transmit the accepted voice input to the voice operation device 10 via the communication unit 13.

[0027] The system 1 also includes a speaker 30. The speaker 30 outputs information by voice. The number of speakers 30 may be one or more. When there are multiple speakers 30, for example, a speaker 30 may be provided for each seat in the vehicle 2.

[0028] The system 1 also includes a display device 40. The display device 40 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display that outputs information as a video. The display is, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display) or an organic EL (electro luminescence) display. The display device 40 displays and outputs data obtained by operation of the voice-operated device 10. The display device 40 may include a touch screen. In this case, the display device 40 accepts an operation to input data used in operation of the voice-operated device 10, and displays and outputs data obtained by operation of the voice-operated device 10. In this embodiment, the display device 40 is described as including a touch screen. For example, the display device 40 may be provided in a center console.

[0029] The system 1 also includes an on-board device 50. The on-board device 50 includes at least one of an air conditioner, power windows, a sunroof, a speaker, and an interior light. The on-board device 50 is controlled by control instructions from the voice assistant of the voice-operated device 10.

[0030] The operation of the system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0031] Step S10: The control unit 11 of the voice-operated device 10 activates the voice assistant by receiving the wake word uttered by the occupant from the microphone 20. The activation of the voice assistant is not limited to this, and it may also be activated by detecting the occupant pressing a physical button or the like. Such a physical button may be provided on some of the seats, or on each seat. For example, the physical button may be a steering switch provided on the steering wheel. After the voice assistant is activated, it can accept a voice request from the occupant to operate the in-vehicle equipment 50.

[0032] Step S20: The control unit 11 checks whether or not there is any in-vehicle equipment 50. Specifically, the control unit 11 checks whether or not there is any in-vehicle equipment 50 that can be controlled by the voice assistant and that is equipped in the vehicle 2. This allows the controllable in-vehicle equipment 50 to be identified after the voice assistant is activated.

[0033] Step S30: When an occupant requests operation of the in-vehicle equipment 50 by voice, the control unit 11 first identifies the first seat position of the occupant. In other words, when an occupant requests operation of the in-vehicle equipment by voice, the control unit 11 identifies the first seat position. Any method can be used for the process of identifying the first seat position. For example, the control unit 11 identifies the first seat position of the occupant based on the volume of the voice input to the multiple microphones 20, etc.

[0034] Step S40: The control unit 11 performs a voice recognition process to recognize the contents of the speech from the occupant. The algorithm for the voice recognition process may include a deep neural network, etc.

[0035] Step S50: The control unit 11 performs an intention estimation process of the occupant based on the voice recognition result. The algorithm for the intention estimation process may include a deep neural network, etc. For example, the control unit 11 estimates the in-vehicle equipment 50 to be operated and the specific content of the operation. For example, if the voice content of the occupant based on the voice recognition result is to lower the temperature in the vehicle cabin, the control unit 11 performs the intention estimation process to estimate that the intention of the voice content is to lower the temperature of the air conditioner by a predetermined value.

[0036] Step S60: The control unit 11 determines whether or not there is an in-vehicle equipment 50 at a position corresponding to the first seat position. Since the control unit 11 has information about the in-vehicle equipment 50 that can be controlled after the voice assistant is activated in step S20, the control unit 11 can determine whether or not there is an in-vehicle equipment 50 at a position corresponding to the first seat position based on that information. The position corresponding to the first seat position is a position close to the first seat position. If it is determined that there is an in-vehicle equipment 50 at a position corresponding to the first seat position, the process proceeds to step S70. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no in-vehicle equipment 50 at a position corresponding to the first seat position, the process proceeds to step S80.

[0037] Step S70: If it is determined that the in-vehicle equipment 50 is located at a position corresponding to the first seat position, the control unit 11 executes a function related to the in-vehicle equipment 50. For example, if the intention of the utterance is to lower the temperature of the air conditioner by a predetermined temperature, the control unit 11 executes a process to lower the set temperature of the air conditioner located at a position corresponding to the first seat position.

[0038] Step S80: If it is determined that there is no in-vehicle equipment 50 at a position corresponding to the first seat position, the control unit 11 executes a function related to the in-vehicle equipment 50 associated with the second seat position. The in-vehicle equipment 50 associated with the second seat position refers to the in-vehicle equipment 50 provided at a position corresponding to the second seat position. For example, if the intention of the utterance is to lower the temperature of the air conditioner by a predetermined temperature, the control unit 11 executes a process to lower the set temperature of the air conditioner associated with the second seat position. Here, the correspondence between the first seat position and the second seat position may be determined in advance.

[0039] For example, the second seat position may be the seat position closest to the first seat position, which allows the in-vehicle equipment 50 at the seat position closest to the first seat position to be operated, thereby improving the possibility that the function of the in-vehicle equipment 50 will satisfy the passenger's request.

[0040] The first seat position may be a position related to the third-row seats. In this case, the second seat position may be a position related to the second-row seats. Figure 3 shows an example of the positional relationship between the seats and the on-board equipment 50. Here, an example will be described in which the on-board equipment 50 is air conditioners 501 to 504 and power windows 511 to 514.

[0041] The vehicle 2 shown in FIG. 3 has three rows of seats and includes seats 61 to 66. Seat 61 is the driver's seat (seat D). Seat 62 is the passenger seat (seat P). Seat 63 is the right seat in the second row (seat 2RR). Seat 64 is the left seat in the second row (seat 2RL). Seat 65 is the right seat in the third row (seat 3RR). Seat 66 is the left seat in the third row (seat 3RL). Microphones 201 to 206 are mounted near the front of each of the seats 61 to 66 to detect the speech of the occupant in each seat.

[0042] Here, the air conditioner 501 and the power window 511 are provided at a position corresponding to the seat position of seat 61. In other words, the air conditioner 501 and the power window 511 are associated with seat 61. The air conditioner 502 and the power window 512 are provided at a position corresponding to the seat position of seat 62. In other words, the air conditioner 502 and the power window 512 are associated with seat 62. The air conditioner 503 and the power window 513 are provided at a position corresponding to the seat position of seat 63. In other words, the air conditioner 503 and the power window 513 are associated with seat 63. Similarly, the air conditioner 504 and the power window 514 are provided at a position corresponding to the seat position of seat 64. In other words, the air conditioner 504 and the power window 514 are associated with seat 64. On the other hand, the air conditioner and the power window are not provided at a position corresponding to the seat position of seat 65. Similarly, the air conditioner and the power window are not provided at a position corresponding to the seat position of seat 66.

[0043] For example, if an occupant in seat 65, which is a third-row seat, vocalizes a request to operate the air conditioner or power windows, the in-vehicle equipment that the speaker requests to operate is not located in a position corresponding to seat 65. Therefore, control unit 11 executes the operation of air conditioner 503 or power windows 513 associated with seat 63, which is a second-row seat. Note that in this case, seat 63 closest to seat 65, which is the first seat position, is the second seat position.

[0044] For example, if an occupant in seat 66, which is a third-row seat, vocalizes a request to operate the air conditioner or power windows, the in-vehicle equipment that the speaker requests to operate is not located in a position corresponding to seat 66. Therefore, control unit 11 executes the operation of air conditioner 504 or power windows 514 associated with seat 64, which is a second-row seat. Note that in this case, seat 64 closest to seat 66, which is the first seat position, is the second seat position.

[0045] As described above, according to the present embodiment, when the in-vehicle equipment requested by the occupant is not located at the first seat position, which is the seat position of the occupant who made the utterance, the voice-operated device 10 executes the operation of the in-vehicle equipment associated with the second seat position. Therefore, even when the in-vehicle equipment requested by the occupant is not located at the seat position of the occupant, the voice-operated device 10 can execute the operation of the in-vehicle equipment at the second seat position, which improves the voice operation technology.

[0046] (Embodiment 2) A system 1' according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure will be described below. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the system 1' according to embodiment 2 of the present disclosure. The same components as those in embodiment 1 are assigned the same reference numerals, and descriptions thereof will be omitted. The system 1' according to embodiment 2 differs from the configuration according to embodiment 1 in that it includes an occupant recognition device 60. The occupant recognition device 60 is a device that determines whether or not an occupant is present in each seat. The occupant recognition device 60 may include, for example, a weight sensor, a sensor attached to a seat belt buckle, etc., and detects whether or not an occupant is present in each seat based on the detection results of these sensors. The occupant recognition device 60 transmits the detection results to the voice-operated device 10. In summary, the voice-operated device 10 of the system 1' adjusts whether or not to operate an in-vehicle device associated with the second seat position depending on whether or not an occupant is present in the second seat position.

[0047] The operation of the system 1' according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Note that the same operations (steps S10 to S70) as those of the system 1 according to the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted.

[0048] Step S90: If it is determined in step S60 that there is no in-vehicle equipment 50 in a position corresponding to the first seat position, the control unit 11 determines whether or not there is an occupant (hereinafter also referred to as another occupant) in the second seat position. The control unit 11 receives a detection result from the occupant recognition device 60 and executes a determination process based on the detection result. If it is determined that there is another occupant, the process proceeds to step S100. If it is determined that there is no other occupant in the second seat position, the process proceeds to step S150.

[0049] Step S100: The control unit 11 determines whether the inquiry setting is ON. The inquiry setting is a setting item that indicates whether or not the occupant in the second seat position is to be inquired about whether or not it is permitted to operate the in-vehicle equipment associated with the second seat position. If the inquiry setting is ON, the occupant in the second seat position is inquired about whether or not it is permitted to operate the in-vehicle equipment associated with the second seat position. On the other hand, if the inquiry setting is OFF, the occupant in the second seat position is inquired about whether or not it is permitted to operate the in-vehicle equipment associated with the second seat position. The inquiry setting may be set to ON by default, for example, or may be set to OFF by default. The occupant can change the inquiry setting by, for example, inputting information to the display device 40. If the inquiry setting is ON, the process proceeds to S110. On the other hand, if the inquiry setting is not ON, the process proceeds to S150.

[0050] Step S110: The control unit 11 generates an inquiry response and outputs the generated inquiry response through the speaker 30. The inquiry response is generated based on the result of the intention estimation process in step S50. For example, if the intention of the utterance content is to lower the temperature of the air conditioner by a predetermined temperature, the content of the inquiry response may be, for example, "Can I lower the temperature of the air conditioner?"

[0051] Step S120: The control unit 11 performs a voice recognition process to recognize the content of the speech from the other occupant.

[0052] Step S130: The control unit 11 performs processing to estimate the intention of the other occupant based on the voice recognition result. Specifically, the control unit 11 estimates whether the other occupant has consented to the operation of the in-vehicle equipment 50.

[0053] Step S140: The control unit 11 determines whether the other occupant has consented based on the estimation result of step S130. If it is determined that the other occupant has consented, the process proceeds to step S150. On the other hand, if it is determined that the other occupant has not consented, the process ends.

[0054] Step S150: If it is determined in step S90 that there is no other occupant in the second seat position, if the inquiry setting is not ON in step S100 (if the inquiry setting is OFF), or if it is determined in step S140 that another occupant has consented, the control unit 11 executes a function related to the on-board equipment 50 associated with the second seat position.

[0055] As described above, according to this embodiment, when the in-vehicle equipment requested by the occupant is not located at the first seat position corresponding to the seat position of the occupant who made the utterance, the voice-operated device 10 executes the operation of the in-vehicle equipment associated with the second seat position based on the consent of another occupant sitting in the second seat position. Therefore, even when the in-vehicle equipment requested by the occupant is not located at the seat position corresponding to the occupant's seat position, the voice-operated technology is improved in that the operation of the in-vehicle equipment at the second seat position can be executed. Furthermore, by obtaining the consent of the other occupant, the voice-operated technology is improved in that the other occupant's satisfaction can be enhanced.

[0056] According to the second embodiment, the control unit 11 checks the consent of another occupant based on the inquiry setting. Therefore, it is possible to switch whether or not to inquire about consent depending on the situation, thereby improving the convenience of the occupant. For example, when only family members are riding in the vehicle 2, and it is highly likely that the consent of other occupants is not particularly required, the control unit 11 can adaptively control the voice-operated device 10 according to the situation, such as by turning off the inquiry setting.

[0057] In the above description, in step S100, the control unit 11 executes a determination process related to the inquiry setting, but this determination process may be omitted. For example, if it is determined in step S90 that an occupant is present in the second seat position, the process may proceed to step S110. In other words, if it is determined that an occupant is present in the second seat position, the control unit 11 may inquire of another occupant about whether or not to execute an operation of the in-vehicle equipment 50.

[0058] Although the present disclosure has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0059] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the configuration and operation of the voice-operated device 10 may be distributed among multiple computers that can communicate with each other. Also, for example, an embodiment in which some or all of the components of the voice-operated device 10 are provided in equipment mounted on the vehicle 2 may be possible. For example, a navigation device mounted on the vehicle 2 may include some or all of the components of the voice-operated device 10.

[0060] Also, for example, an embodiment is possible in which a general-purpose computer functions as the voice-operated device 10 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for realizing each function of the voice-operated device 10 according to the above-described embodiment is stored in the memory of the general-purpose computer, and the program is read and executed by a processor. Therefore, the present disclosure according to this embodiment can also be realized as a program executable by a processor or a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing the program.

[0061] Furthermore, for example, a general-purpose electronic device such as a smartphone or a computer may be configured to function as the voice-operated device 10 according to the above-described embodiment. Specifically, a program describing the processing content for realizing each function of the voice-operated device 10 according to the embodiment may be stored in the memory of the electronic device, and the program may be read and executed by a processor of the electronic device. Therefore, the disclosure according to an embodiment may also be realized as a program executable by a processor.

[0062] Some embodiments of the present disclosure are exemplified below. However, it should be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to these. [Supplementary Note 1] A voice-operated device in a vehicle including a control unit, wherein the control unit, when an occupant vocally requests the operation of on-vehicle equipment, identifies a first seat position of the occupant who made the utterance, and, if the on-vehicle equipment requested by the speaker is not located in a position corresponding to the first seat position, executes the operation of the on-vehicle equipment associated with a second seat position. [Supplementary Note 2] The voice-operated device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein the second seat position is a seat position closest to the first seat position. [Supplementary Note 3] The voice-operated device according to Supplementary Note 1 or Supplementary Note 2, wherein the first seat position is a position associated with a seat in a third row, and the second seat position is a position associated with a seat in a second row. [Supplementary Note 4] The voice-operated device according to any one of Supplements 1 to 3, wherein, when another occupant is seated in the second seat position, the control unit inquires of the other occupant about whether or not to execute the operation of the on-vehicle equipment. [Supplementary Note 5] The voice-operated device according to any one of Supplements 1 to 4, wherein, when another occupant is seated in a second seat position and a reply setting is ON, the control unit inquires of the other occupant about whether or not to operate the in-vehicle equipment. [Supplementary Note 6] The voice-operated device according to Supplementary Note 5, wherein, when the reply setting is OFF, the control unit does not inquire of the other occupant about whether or not to operate the in-vehicle equipment. [Supplementary Note 7] The voice-operated device according to any one of Supplements 1 to 6, wherein the in-vehicle equipment includes at least one of an air conditioner, a power window, a sunroof, a speaker, and an interior light. [Supplementary Note 8] A program that causes an in-vehicle voice-operated device to perform operations including: identifying a first seat position of the occupant who spoke when the occupant requests operation of in-vehicle equipment by voice; and performing operation of the in-vehicle equipment associated with the second seat position when the in-vehicle equipment that the speaker requests to operate is not provided in a position corresponding to the first seat position. [Supplementary Note 9] The program according to Supplementary Note 8, wherein the second seat position is a seat position closest to the first seat position.[Supplementary Note 10] The program according to Supplementary Note 8 or Supplementary Note 9, wherein the first seat position is a position associated with a seat in a third row, and the second seat position is a position associated with a seat in a second row. [Supplementary Note 11] The program according to any one of Supplements 8 to 10, wherein, when another occupant is seated in the second seat position, the program inquires of the other occupant as to whether or not to operate the on-vehicle equipment. [Supplementary Note 12] The program according to any one of Supplements 8 to 11, wherein, when another occupant is seated in the second seat position and a reply setting is ON, the program inquires of the other occupant as to whether or not to operate the on-vehicle equipment. [Supplementary Note 13] The program according to Supplementary Note 12, wherein, when the reply setting is OFF, the control unit does not inquire of the other occupant as to whether or not to operate the on-vehicle equipment. [Supplementary Note 14] The program according to any one of Supplements 8 to 13, wherein the on-vehicle equipment includes at least one of an air conditioner, a power window, a sunroof, a speaker, and an interior light. [Supplementary Note 15] A method executed by a voice-operated device in a vehicle, comprising: identifying a first seat position of a occupant who has spoken when the occupant has made a request to operate on-vehicle equipment by voice; and executing the operation of on-vehicle equipment associated with a second seat position when the on-vehicle equipment requested to be operated by the speaker is not provided in a position corresponding to the first seat position. [Supplementary Note 16] The method of Supplementary Note 15, wherein the second seat position is a seat position closest to the first seat position. [Supplementary Note 17] The program described in Supplementary Note 15 or Supplementary Note 16, wherein the first seat position is a position associated with a seat in a third row, and the second seat position is a position associated with a seat in a second row. [Supplementary Note 18] The program described in any one of Supplements 15 to 17, wherein, when another occupant is seated in the second seat position, the program inquires of the other occupant about whether or not to execute the operation of the on-vehicle equipment. [Supplementary Note 19] The program according to any one of Supplementary Notes 15 to 18, wherein, when another occupant is seated in the second seat position and a reply setting is ON, the control unit queries the other occupant about whether or not to execute the operation of the in-vehicle equipment. [Supplementary Note 20] The program according to Supplementary Note 19, wherein, when the reply setting is OFF, the control unit does not query the other occupant about whether or not to execute the operation of the in-vehicle equipment.

[0063] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 System 2 Vehicle 10 Voice-operated device 11 Control unit 12 Memory unit 13 Communication unit 20 Multiple microphones 30 Speaker 40 Display device 50 In-vehicle equipment 60 Occupant recognition device 61-66 Seats 201-206 Microphones 501-504 Air conditioners 511-514 Power windows

Claims

1. A voice operation device in a vehicle including a control unit, wherein the control unit identifies a first seat position of an occupant who has spoken when the occupant requests an operation of in-vehicle equipment by voice, and when the in-vehicle equipment that the speaker requests an operation for is not provided at a position corresponding to the first seat position, executes an operation of the in-vehicle equipment associated with a second seat position.

2. The voice operation device according to claim 1, wherein the second seat position is the seat position closest to the first seat position.

3. The voice operation device according to claim 1, wherein the first seat position is a position related to the seat in the third row of seats, and the second seat position is a position related to the seat in the second row of seats.

4. The voice operation device according to claim 1, wherein when another occupant is in the second seat position, the control unit inquires of the other occupant whether to execute the operation of the in-vehicle equipment.

5. The voice operation device according to claim 1, wherein when another occupant is in the second seat position and the inquiry setting is ON, the control unit inquires of the other occupant whether to execute the operation of the in-vehicle equipment.

6. The voice operation device according to claim 5, wherein when the inquiry setting is OFF, the control unit does not inquire of the other occupant whether to execute the operation of the in-vehicle equipment.

7. The voice operation device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the in-vehicle equipment includes at least any one of an air conditioner, a power window, a sunroof, a speaker, and an interior light.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a program that causes a voice operation device in a vehicle to perform operations including: identifying a first seat position of an occupant who has spoken when the occupant requests an operation of in-vehicle equipment by voice; and when the in-vehicle equipment that the speaker requests an operation for is not provided at a position corresponding to the first seat position, executing an operation of the in-vehicle equipment associated with a second seat position.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the second seat position is the seat position closest to the first seat position.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 8, wherein the first seat position is a position related to the seat in the third row of seats, and the second seat position is a position related to the seat in the second row of seats.

11. The non - transitory computer - readable medium according to claim 8, wherein when another occupant is sitting in the second seat position, it queries the other occupant about whether to execute the operation of the in - vehicle equipment.

12. The non - transitory computer - readable medium according to claim 8, wherein when another occupant is sitting in the second seat position and the query setting is ON, it queries the other occupant about whether to execute the operation of the in - vehicle equipment.

13. The non - transitory computer - readable medium according to claim 12, wherein when the query setting is OFF, it does not query the other occupant about whether to execute the operation of the in - vehicle equipment.

14. The in - vehicle equipment includes at least one of an air conditioner, a power window, a sunroof, a speaker, and an interior light, and the non - transitory computer - readable medium according to any one of claims 8 to 13.

15. A method executed by a voice operation device in a vehicle, comprising: identifying a first seat position of an occupant who spoke when the occupant requests an operation of in - vehicle equipment by voice; and when there is no in - vehicle equipment that the speaker requests an operation at a position corresponding to the first seat position, executing an operation of the in - vehicle equipment associated with the second seat position.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the second seat position is the seat position closest to the first seat position.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first seat position is a position related to a seat in the third - row seat, and the second seat position is a position related to a seat in the second - row seat.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein when another occupant is sitting in the second seat position, it queries the other occupant about whether to execute the operation of the in - vehicle equipment.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein when another occupant is sitting in the second seat position and the query setting is ON, it queries the other occupant about whether to execute the operation of the in - vehicle equipment.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein when the query setting is OFF, it does not query the other occupant about whether to execute the operation of the in - vehicle equipment.

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