Presentation system, information processing system, and presentation method

Abstract

A presentation system according to the present invention is one of a plurality of presentation systems, each being provided with at least one display unit from among display units disposed at each seat of an aircraft, and comprises: an acquisition unit (for example, a communication unit (121a)) that acquires voice information obtained by collecting the sound of an in-flight announcement broadcast within the aircraft; a processing unit (124a) that converts the acquired voice information into text information; and an output unit (for example, a display unit (125a)) that outputs information based on the converted text information.

Description

Presentation system, information processing system, and presentation method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a presentation system, an information processing system, and a presentation method.

[0002] In aircraft, cabin crew or pilots make PA (Passenger Announcement) announcements to passengers in various situations, such as when takeoff or landing, when turbulence is expected, when there is a delay, or when there is a diversion (landing at an airport other than the destination).

[0003] When an announcement is made by a flight attendant or pilot on an entertainment terminal installed on an aircraft, even if content such as a movie is being played, the playback of the content is interrupted and the announcement audio is output from headphones (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] International Publication No. 2018 / 051570

[0005] However, there are cases where passengers cannot understand the content of in-flight announcements due to inability to hear them, etc. Since in-flight announcements include safety-related announcements, it is necessary for passengers to be able to understand the content of in-flight announcements more reliably.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure provides a presentation system, an information processing system, and a presentation method that can assist passengers in understanding the content of in-flight announcements.

[0007] A presentation system according to one aspect of the present disclosure is one of a plurality of presentation systems, each of which has at least one of the display units disposed in each seat of an aircraft, and which includes an acquisition unit that acquires audio information of in-flight announcements broadcast on the aircraft, a first processing unit that converts the acquired audio information into text information, and an output unit that outputs information based on the converted text information.

[0008] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of presentation systems including one presentation system that is the presentation system described above, and a server that is communicatively connected to the plurality of presentation systems, the server including a second processing unit that determines a presentation system from the plurality of presentation systems that will perform a conversion process to convert the audio information into the text information, and the one presentation system is the presentation system determined by the second processing unit to perform the conversion process.

[0009] An information processing system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of presentation systems including one presentation system that is the presentation system described above, and a server communicatively connected to the plurality of presentation systems, wherein the plurality of presentation systems are capable of translating the text information into one or more languages ​​different from the in-flight announcement, the server includes a second processing unit that determines a presentation system from the plurality of presentation systems that will perform the translation of the text information, and the one presentation system is the presentation system determined by the second processing unit to perform the translation.

[0010] A presentation method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a presentation method executed by one of a plurality of presentation systems, each of which has at least one of the display units disposed in each seat of an aircraft, and which acquires audio information collected from in-flight announcements broadcast on the aircraft, converts the acquired audio information into text information, and outputs information based on the converted text information.

[0011] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, it is possible to realize a presentation system or the like that can assist passengers in understanding the content of in-flight announcements.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an overall configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an arrangement configuration of a plurality of passenger terminals according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a first operation of the information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a first example of a display of a passenger terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a second operation of the information processing system according to an embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a second example of a display of a passenger terminal according to an embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of a plurality of passenger terminals according to a first modification of an embodiment. FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of an operation of an information processing system according to a second modification of an embodiment.

[0013] (Background to the Disclosure) In an aircraft, flight attendants or pilots make in-flight announcements to passengers to provide various information. In addition, passenger seats are equipped with entertainment terminals (passenger terminals, described later), which allow passengers to watch movies and the like. Announcements by the flight attendants or pilots are made using microphones and output from broadcast speakers inside the aircraft.

[0014] In-flight announcements include safety announcements, emergency announcements, important announcements, etc., so passengers are required to understand the content of the in-flight announcements. However, there are cases where passengers are unable to understand the content of the in-flight announcements because they cannot hear or miss the announcements.

[0015] Therefore, the inventors of the present application have conducted extensive research into presentation systems and the like that can assist passengers in understanding the content of in-flight announcements, and have devised the following presentation system and the like.

[0016] Furthermore, with conventional entertainment terminals installed on aircraft, when a flight attendant or pilot makes an announcement, the playback of content, such as a movie, is interrupted. Furthermore, when traveling on international flights, in-flight announcements may be made in a language other than the passenger's native language. For example, in-flight announcements are usually made in two or three popular languages, which can result in long interruptions and potentially reduce passenger comfort.

[0017] Therefore, the inventors of the present application are also actively studying a presentation system or the like that can prevent passengers' comfort from being impaired due to a long interruption in content playback.

[0018] Note that aircraft server devices generally do not have high processing capabilities (information processing capabilities), and may not have enough processing capabilities to execute processes that assist passengers in understanding the content of in-flight announcements and processes that prevent passenger comfort from being impaired. For example, the processing capabilities of aircraft server devices may be insufficient to convert the audio of in-flight announcements into text or translate them (collectively referred to as AI (Artificial Intelligence) processing), as described below.

[0019] Here, the CPU (Central Processing Unit) mounted on an IFE (In-Flight Entertainment) monitor (a passenger terminal described later) that is installed at each seat and provides various entertainment to passengers often incorporates a relatively high-performance GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit) (for example, higher performance than the server device 110 shown in FIG. 1 described later). Note that the CPU is not limited to incorporating a GPU or NPU. For example, the monitor may be equipped with a graphics board or the like. The graphics board may be built into the monitor or may be connected to the monitor as an add-on.

[0020] The present inventors focused on this point and came up with the idea of ​​performing processing (e.g., AI processing) to solve the problem of the present disclosure using an IFE system rather than an aircraft server device. Furthermore, there are problems with increasing power consumption if AI processing or the like is performed on each monitor simultaneously after an in-flight announcement, and with inefficiency because the same processing is performed on multiple monitors. Therefore, the present inventors focused on this problem and came up with the idea of ​​the present disclosure, in which the results of AI processing or the like performed on one IFE monitor are shared and displayed on other IFE monitors.

[0021] A presentation system according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is one of a plurality of presentation systems, each of which includes at least one of the display units disposed in each seat of an aircraft, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires audio information of picked-up in-flight announcements broadcast on the aircraft, a first processing unit that converts the acquired audio information into text information, and an output unit that outputs information based on the converted text information.

[0022] This outputs information based on text information obtained by converting the in-flight announcement into text. In other words, even if passengers cannot hear the in-flight announcement, they can check the content of the in-flight announcement. Therefore, the presentation system can help passengers understand the content of the in-flight announcement. Furthermore, because the processing for passengers to understand the content of the in-flight announcement is performed by the presentation system, i.e., the IFE monitor, the risk of insufficient processing capacity can be reduced.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, a presentation system according to a second aspect may be the presentation system according to the first aspect, in which the output unit includes a display unit that displays information based on the text information.

[0024] This allows the system to display information based on the text information.

[0025] Also, for example, a presentation system according to a third aspect may be the presentation system according to the first aspect, and the output unit may output information based on the text information to another presentation system among the plurality of presentation systems.

[0026] This allows information based on text information to be presented on other systems, thereby preventing increased power consumption due to transcription processing and inefficiencies caused by performing similar processing on multiple presentation systems.

[0027] Furthermore, for example, a presentation system according to a fourth aspect may be a presentation system according to any one of the first to third aspects, in which the first processing unit translates the text information into one or more languages ​​different from the language of the in-flight announcement, and the output unit outputs information including the translation result as information based on the text information.

[0028] This allows passengers to understand the content of the in-flight announcement by checking the translation results, even if the language of the in-flight announcement is different from a language they can understand (e.g., their native language).

[0029] Also, for example, a presentation system according to a fifth aspect may be the presentation system according to the fourth aspect, in which the acquisition unit acquires input information previously input regarding a language, and the first processing unit translates the text information into a language indicated by the input information.

[0030] This allows the in-flight announcements to be automatically translated into the passenger's language based on the input information entered in advance. This presentation system can improve passenger convenience.

[0031] Also, for example, the presentation system according to the sixth aspect may be the presentation system according to the fourth or fifth aspect, further comprising a reception unit that receives language-related input from passengers on board, and the first processing unit may translate the text information into the language received by the reception unit.

[0032] This allows in-flight announcements to be translated into the language obtained via the presentation system.

[0033] Furthermore, for example, a presentation system according to a seventh aspect may be the presentation system according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, wherein the one or more languages ​​include two or more languages, each different from the language of the in-flight announcement, the first processing unit sequentially translates the text information for each language, and the output unit outputs, as information based on the text information, information including a translation result translated into one of the two or more languages ​​to a presentation system among the plurality of presentation systems in which the one language is set, and outputs, as information based on the text information, information including a translation result translated into another of the two or more languages ​​to a presentation system among the plurality of presentation systems in which the other language is set.

[0034] This allows in-flight announcements to be translated into multiple languages ​​using a single presentation system. For example, by having a presentation system corresponding to an empty seat translate in-flight announcements into multiple languages, it is possible to prevent an increase in the processing load on the presentation system used by passengers.

[0035] Furthermore, for example, the presentation system according to the eighth aspect may be the presentation system according to the seventh aspect, wherein the first processing unit determines a priority based on the number of presentation systems among the plurality of presentation systems in which the one language is set and the number of presentation systems among the plurality of presentation systems in which the other one language is set, so that a language in which a greater number of presentation systems are set is given priority for translation, and performs sequential translation according to the determined priority.

[0036] This allows translations to be made in order of the number of languages ​​set up on the aircraft, thereby effectively helping passengers to understand the content of in-flight announcements.

[0037] Also, for example, a presentation system according to a ninth aspect may be a presentation system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, further comprising a second processing unit that determines from among the plurality of presentation systems a presentation system that will perform a conversion process to convert the audio information into the text information, and the one presentation system may be the presentation system determined by the second processing unit to perform the conversion process.

[0038] As a result, the selected presentation system executes the conversion process, so that the conversion process can be carried out efficiently.

[0039] Also, for example, a presentation system according to a tenth aspect may be a presentation system according to any one of the fourth to ninth aspects, further comprising a second processing unit that determines a presentation system from the plurality of presentation systems that will perform the translation of the text information, and the one presentation system may be the presentation system determined by the second processing unit to perform the translation.

[0040] As a result, the translation process is carried out by the selected presentation system, so that the translation process can be carried out efficiently.

[0041] Furthermore, an information processing system according to an eleventh aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of presentation systems including one presentation system that is a presentation system according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, and a server communicatively connected to the plurality of presentation systems, wherein the server includes a second processing unit that determines from the plurality of presentation systems a presentation system that will perform a conversion process to convert the audio information into the text information, and the one presentation system is the presentation system determined by the second processing unit to perform the conversion process.

[0042] This allows the server device and the presentation system to perform processing in cooperation with each other, thereby preventing processing from concentrating on the presentation system.

[0043] Furthermore, for example, the information processing system according to the twelfth aspect may be the information processing system according to the eleventh aspect, and the second processing unit may determine, among the plurality of presentation systems, a presentation system that has a relatively low amount of information processing, heat generation, or power consumption in a specified period of time, a presentation system that corresponds to an empty seat, or a presentation system that has a relatively high information processing capability, as the presentation system that will perform the conversion process.

[0044] As a result, only a presentation system that satisfies a predetermined condition will execute the conversion process, so that the conversion process can be performed more efficiently.

[0045] Also, for example, an information processing system according to a thirteenth aspect may be the information processing system according to the eleventh or twelfth aspect, wherein each of the plurality of presentation systems includes a memory that stores data required for processing by the processing unit of that presentation system, and the second processing unit may store in advance in the memory of one of the presentation systems selected from the plurality of presentation systems the data required for the first processing unit of the one of the presentation systems to convert the audio information into the text information.

[0046] As a result, the data required for the conversion process of the processing unit is stored in memory in advance, so there is no need to read the data from storage when performing the conversion process. In other words, the time required to read the data when performing the conversion process can be reduced, thereby speeding up the conversion process.

[0047] Furthermore, an information processing system according to a fourteenth aspect of the present disclosure includes a plurality of presentation systems including one presentation system that is a presentation system according to any one of the fourth to eighth aspects, and a server communicatively connected to the plurality of presentation systems, wherein the plurality of presentation systems are capable of translating the text information into one or more languages ​​different from the in-flight announcement, the server includes a second processing unit that determines a presentation system from the plurality of presentation systems that will perform the translation of the text information, and the one presentation system is the presentation system determined by the second processing unit to perform the translation.

[0048] This allows the server device and the presentation system to perform processing in cooperation with each other, thereby preventing processing from concentrating on the presentation system.

[0049] Furthermore, for example, an information processing system according to a fifteenth aspect may be the information processing system according to the fourteenth aspect, and the second processing unit may determine, among the plurality of presentation systems, a presentation system that has a relatively low amount of information processing, heat generation, or power consumption in a specified period of time, a presentation system that corresponds to an empty seat, or a presentation system that has a relatively high information processing capability, as the presentation system that will perform the translation of the text information.

[0050] As a result, the translation process can be performed more efficiently because a presentation system that satisfies predetermined conditions will execute the translation process.

[0051] Also, for example, an information processing system according to a sixteenth aspect may be the information processing system according to the fourteenth or fifteenth aspect, wherein each of the plurality of presentation systems includes a memory that stores data required for processing by the processing unit of that presentation system, and the second processing unit may store in advance in the memory of one of the presentation systems selected from the plurality of presentation systems the data required for the first processing unit of the one of the presentation systems to translate the text information.

[0052] As a result, the data required for the translation process of the processing unit is stored in memory in advance, so there is no need to read the data from storage when executing the translation process. In other words, the time required to read data when executing the translation process can be reduced, thereby speeding up the translation process.

[0053] Furthermore, for example, an information processing system according to a seventeenth aspect is an information processing system according to any one of the fourteenth to sixteenth aspects, wherein a corresponding language is set for each of the plurality of presentation systems, the second processing unit groups presentation systems that have a common set language, and for each of the plurality of groups, determines a presentation system that will perform translation from one or more presentation systems that belong to the group, and the output unit outputs information based on the text information to other presentation systems that belong to the group to which the one presentation system belongs.

[0054] This allows efficient translation even when translation into multiple languages ​​is required.

[0055] Also, for example, an information processing system according to an 18th aspect may be a presentation system according to the 17th aspect, in which the acquisition unit acquires input information previously input regarding a language, and the group is set based on the input information acquired via the acquisition unit.

[0056] This allows groups to be set in advance based on input information that has been input in advance.

[0057] Also, for example, the information processing system according to the 19th aspect may be the presentation system according to the 17th aspect, further comprising a reception unit that receives language-related input from passengers on board, and the group may be set based on information indicating the language obtained via the reception unit.

[0058] This allows groups to be set based on information acquired via the presentation system.

[0059] Furthermore, a presentation method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a presentation method executed by one of a plurality of presentation systems, each of which has at least one of the display units disposed in each seat of an aircraft, and which acquires audio information of an in-flight announcement broadcast on the aircraft, converts the acquired audio information into text information, and outputs information based on the converted text information.

[0060] This provides the same effect as the presentation system described above.

[0061] These general or specific aspects may be realized as a system, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a non-transitory recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM, or as any combination of the system, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium. The program may be pre-stored in the recording medium, or may be supplied to the recording medium via a wide area communication network including the Internet.

[0062] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be specifically described with reference to the drawings.

[0063] The embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, components, component placement and connection configurations, steps, and step order shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components not described in independent claims are described as optional components.

[0064] Furthermore, each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily an exact illustration. Therefore, for example, the scales of the figures do not necessarily match. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially the same components are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0065] Furthermore, in this specification, terms indicating relationships between elements such as "same," as well as numerical values ​​and numerical ranges, are not expressions that express only the strict meaning, but are expressions that also include a substantially equivalent range, for example, a difference of about several percent (or about 10%).

[0066] Furthermore, in this specification, ordinal numbers such as "first" and "second" do not refer to the number or order of components unless otherwise specified, but are used for the purpose of avoiding confusion and distinguishing between components of the same type.

[0067] In this specification, communication between A and B is not limited to direct communication between A and B, but also includes communication between A and B via one or more relay devices.

[0068] (Embodiment) Hereinafter, an information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0069] [1. Configuration] The configuration of an information processing system 100 including a plurality of passenger terminals according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram of the information processing system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0070] The information processing system 100 in this embodiment is disposed inside the aircraft 1 together with a storage medium 200 (see FIG. 3 ). The information processing system 100 references information stored in the storage medium 200 and further communicates with, for example, an off-board management system 300 installed on the ground. Note that the information processing system 100 may communicate with the off-board management system 300 via, for example, a satellite or a terrestrial base station. The aircraft 1 is, for example, a passenger aircraft.

[0071] The information processing system 100 has the function of, for example, an IFE system, and includes a server device 110, a plurality of passenger terminals 120 (so-called IFE monitors), and a plurality of crew terminals 130. The server device 110 provides various services to the plurality of passenger terminals 120 and the plurality of crew terminals 130. Note that the information processing system 100 does not necessarily have to include a plurality of crew terminals 130.

[0072] Each of the multiple passenger terminals 120 is a terminal device used by a passenger on the aircraft 1. Each of the multiple crew terminals 130 is a terminal device used by a crew member on the aircraft 1. The crew terminal 130 may be, for example, a device installed inside the aircraft 1 (a so-called crew terminal), or may be a portable terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal. The crew member is specifically a cabin crew member, and is also called a CA (Cabin Attendant), FA (Flight Attendant), or cabin crew.

[0073] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the layout of a plurality of passenger terminals 120 in this embodiment.

[0074] A passenger terminal 120 is attached to each of a plurality of seats 2 arranged in the cabin of the aircraft 1. In other words, the passenger terminal 120 is fixedly attached to the rear side of the backrest of the seat 2. The display of the passenger terminal 120 attached to a seat 2 faces the rear seat, which is another seat 2 immediately behind that seat 2, and is visible to passengers sitting in those seats. Such a passenger terminal 120 is used by passengers in those seats.

[0075] The display of the passenger terminal 120 (for example, display units 125a and 125b shown in FIG. 3 ) displays content such as movies, games, maps, in-flight sales, etc. The passenger terminal 120 also includes an input device and accepts input operations by passengers on the input device. The input device may be a touch sensor disposed on the display of the passenger terminal 120. In this case, the display and the touch sensor form a touch panel. The input device may also be one or more physical buttons, a keyboard, a touchpad, etc. The input device may also be a microphone. In this case, the passenger terminal 120 accepts input in accordance with the passenger's voice picked up by the microphone.

[0076] When an in-flight announcement is made while video and audio are being output, the passenger terminal 120 stops outputting the video and audio while the in-flight announcement is being played. In other words, the in-flight announcement takes priority. After the in-flight announcement has ended, the video and audio output is resumed.

[0077] In-flight announcements are broadcasts made by the crew or pilot on board aircraft 1 using dedicated equipment including a microphone to address passengers, and include announcements related to safety and in-flight services.

[0078] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of each component in the aircraft 1 including the information processing system 100 according to the embodiment.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 3, an aircraft system 400 is installed in addition to an information processing system 100 within the aircraft 1. Note that the crew terminal 130 is not shown in Fig. 3.

[0080] The server device 110 includes a communication unit 111, an input / output unit 112, a control unit 113, and a storage medium 200. The functions of the server device 110 are realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU included in the server device 110 executing a program stored in a memory included in the server device 110.

[0081] The communication unit 111 communicates with each passenger terminal 120 and the aircraft system 400 via wired or wireless communication. The wireless communication may be performed using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or a specific low-power radio.

[0082] The input / output unit 112 functions as a communication interface between the communication unit 111 and the control unit 113. The input / output unit 112 is also used to access the storage medium 200.

[0083] The control unit 113 determines the passenger terminal 120 that will perform at least one of the transcription and translation of the in-flight announcement based on the passenger terminal information 210 stored in the storage medium 200. The in-flight announcement is also referred to as an in-flight broadcast. The control unit 113 functions as a second processing unit. The control unit 113 also controls the transfer of at least one of the transcription result, which is the result of transcription performed by one passenger terminal 120, and the translation result, which is the result of translation performed by one passenger terminal 120, to another passenger terminal 120. The control unit 113 also controls the storage of various information acquired from each passenger terminal 120 and the aircraft system 400 via the communication unit 111 in the storage medium 200.

[0084] The storage medium 200 is a resource within the aircraft 1, and stores information about the passenger terminals 120 as passenger terminal information 210. The passenger terminal information 210 includes language information 211, mode information 212, power information 213, seat information 214, and model information 215. The storage medium 200 stores the language information 211, mode information 212, power information 213, seat information 214, and model information 215 separately for each seat.

[0085] The storage medium 200 may be composed of one recording medium or multiple recording media, i.e., the above-mentioned multiple pieces of information may be stored on the same recording medium, or may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple recording media.

[0086] The language information 211 includes selection information indicating a language selected for a service provided by the passenger terminal 120. The language information 211 may include input information regarding a language input in advance by a passenger, or may include input information acquired via an input device of the passenger terminal 120. The input information input in advance by a passenger may be information (e.g., nationality) input by the passenger when making a reservation for the aircraft 1, or may be acquired via the communication unit 111 via an external server or the like. "Acquired in advance" means, for example, that the information is acquired before the passenger boards the aircraft 1. Note that the service may be the display of content such as video (e.g., video including text such as subtitles) or the output of content such as music.

[0087] The mode information 212 includes information indicating the current operation mode of the passenger terminal 120. The operation mode includes a startup mode in which a service is provided, a sleep mode in which the passenger terminal 120 operates in a power-saving state, etc. The operation mode is obtained from each passenger terminal 120, for example.

[0088] The power information 213 includes information indicating the power consumption currently being consumed by the passenger terminal 120. If the passenger terminal 120 has a USB (Universal Serial Bus) terminal, the power consumption may include, for example, power consumed via the USB terminal (for example, power used to charge devices). The power consumption is obtained, for example, from each passenger terminal 120.

[0089] The seat information 214 includes information about each seat, such as reservation information indicating whether the seat is reserved or not, and presence / absence information indicating whether a passenger is currently sitting in the seat. The reservation information may be acquired from an external server via the communication unit 111. The presence / absence information may be acquired from a sensor installed in each seat, etc.

[0090] The model information 215 includes information related to the model of each passenger terminal 120. The model information 215 may include, for example, performance information such as the processing power and memory capacity of each passenger terminal 120, or may include information such as the model number. The model information 215 may also include information indicating the hardware configuration, such as whether the passenger terminal 120 is equipped with a GPU or NPU.

[0091] Such passenger terminal information 210 is referenced by the control unit 113 .

[0092] The storage medium 200 may be configured as, for example, a hard disk drive, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), or a semiconductor memory. The storage medium 200 may be volatile or non-volatile. The storage medium 200 may be a resource located outside the server device 110 and within the aircraft 1.

[0093] Passenger terminals 120a and 120b are passenger terminals included in the plurality of passenger terminals 120. The configurations of the plurality of passenger terminals 120 including passenger terminals 120a and 120b may be similar, and the following description will be given using passenger terminal 120a. Note that on aircraft 1, the hardware configuration of the passenger terminal 120 may differ depending on the seat class.

[0094] At least one of the passenger terminals 120 is an example of a presentation system. The presentation system may include two or more passenger terminals 120. The presentation system does not include the server device 110.

[0095] The passenger terminal 120a includes a communication unit 121a, a terminal information acquisition unit 122a, an input / output unit 123a, a processing unit 124a, and a display unit 125a. The functions of the passenger terminal 120a are realized, for example, by a processor such as a CPU included in the passenger terminal 120a executing a program stored in a memory included in the passenger terminal 120a.

[0096] The communication unit 121a communicates with the other passenger terminals 120 and the server device 110 via wired or wireless communication. The wireless communication may be performed using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or a specific low-power radio. The same applies to the communication unit 121b of the passenger terminal 120b.

[0097] The terminal information acquisition unit 122a acquires the usage status of the passenger terminal 120a. The terminal information acquisition unit 122a acquires, for example, the operation mode and power consumption of the passenger terminal 120a as the usage status. The terminal information acquisition unit 122a may acquire the information by measuring the power consumption. The same applies to the terminal information acquisition unit 122b of the passenger terminal 120b.

[0098] The input / output unit 123a functions as an interface for communication between the communication unit 121a, the processing unit 124a, and the display unit 125a. The same applies to the input / output unit 123b of the passenger terminal 120b.

[0099] The processing unit 124a performs at least a process related to the transcription of in-flight announcements, and in this embodiment, further performs a process of translating the text information obtained by performing the transcription. The processing unit 124a is an example of a first processing unit. The same applies to the processing unit 124b of the passenger terminal 120b. Transcription is the conversion of in-flight announcements into text information in the same language as the in-flight announcements. Transcription can also be said to be the execution of a conversion process that converts audio information into text information. The transcription results may be displayed on the display unit 125a or may be used when translating into another language.

[0100] The display unit 125a displays the video selected by the passenger. The display unit 125a includes a display panel such as a liquid crystal display. The display unit 125a further displays the results of transcription or translation by the processing unit 124a, or the results of transcription or translation by another passenger terminal 120 and acquired via the communication unit 121a. The display unit 125a is an example of a presentation unit.

[0101] The display unit 125a may also have, for example, a touch panel and function as a reception unit that receives input information from passengers on board the aircraft 1. The input from the passengers may include an input that can identify the language in which the service is provided. The same applies to the display unit 125b of the passenger terminal 120b.

[0102] The passenger terminal 120a also includes a memory (not shown) for (temporarily) storing data required for processing by the processing unit 124a.

[0103] The passenger terminals 120 may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via the server device 110, or may be connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other directly. For example, the passenger terminals 120a and 120b may be able to communicate with each other directly. The passenger terminal 120a may store the addresses of one or more passenger terminals 120, including the passenger terminal 120b.

[0104] The passenger terminal 120 may be realized as a single device including the processing unit 124 and the display unit 125 (for example, a single housing including the processing unit 124 and the display unit 125). Alternatively, the processing unit 124 and the display unit 125 may be provided in two (or three or more) different devices, and the passenger terminal 120 may be realized by the two (or three or more) devices. In the latter case, a device including the processing unit 124 (for example, a seat box) and a device including the display unit 125 (for example, a monitor) are disposed at each seat. The two devices disposed at each seat are connected to each other via a wired or wireless connection for communication. The location where the device including the processing unit 124 is disposed is not particularly limited, and the device may be under the seat or in a location other than the seat, such as on the ceiling.

[0105] The aircraft system 400 includes a communication unit 410 and an in-flight broadcast generation unit 420 .

[0106] The communication unit 410 communicates with the server device 110 via wired communication or wireless communication. The communication unit 410 may notify the server device 110 that an in-flight announcement will be made before the in-flight announcement is played. The communication unit 410 may also notify the server device 110 of information indicating the language of the in-flight announcement. The wireless communication may be performed using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or specified low-power radio.

[0107] The in-flight announcement generating unit 420 generates an in-flight announcement based on audio information collected by a sound collection device such as a microphone. The generated in-flight announcement is broadcast at a predetermined timing. The in-flight announcement may be generated based on audio information recorded in advance. The present disclosure is also effective when such pre-recorded audio is played back. Note that "in advance" may be, for example, before passengers board the aircraft 1.

[0108] [2. Operation] The operation of the information processing system 100 configured as described above will be described with reference to Figures 4 to 7. In the information processing system 100, different processes are executed depending on whether the language set in the passenger terminal 120 matches the language of the in-flight announcements. First, the process executed when the language set in the passenger terminal 120 matches the language of the in-flight announcements will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0109] 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a first operation (presentation method) of the information processing system 100 according to the present embodiment. Japanese is set as the language on both the passenger terminals 120a and 120b, and in-flight announcements are also made in Japanese.

[0110] As shown in FIG. 4 , the control unit 113 of the server device 110 determines a passenger terminal to perform transcription (S10). The control unit 113 may determine a passenger terminal 120 whose processor throughput (e.g., processor usage rate) in a given time period is lower than that of other passenger terminals 120 as the passenger terminal to perform transcription. For example, the control unit 113 may determine, based on the seat information 214, a passenger terminal 120 corresponding to a seat where no passenger is seated or an unreserved seat, i.e., an empty passenger terminal 120, as the passenger terminal to perform transcription. The control unit 113 may also determine a passenger terminal 120 that still displays the "Welcome" screen as the passenger terminal to perform transcription. The control unit 113 may also determine a passenger terminal 120 that is not playing content, playing a game, displaying a map, or the like (e.g., a passenger terminal 120 that is less affected by an increase in processing load due to transcription processing) as the passenger terminal to perform transcription.

[0111] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 113 may determine, as the passenger terminal to perform transcription, a passenger terminal 120 that consumes less power in a predetermined period of time than the other passenger terminals 120. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 113 may determine, as the passenger terminal to perform transcription, a passenger terminal 120 that does not consume power due to USB charging or the like, or a passenger terminal 120 that consumes power equal to or less than a predetermined amount. It can also be said that the control unit 113 determines, as the passenger terminal to perform transcription, a passenger terminal 120 that does not or is unlikely to restrict the processing of hardware such as the CPU due to heat generated by USB charging or the like.

[0112] Furthermore, for example, if the hardware configurations of the passenger terminals 120 are different, the control unit 113 may determine the passenger terminal that will perform transcription based on the hardware configuration. In other words, the control unit 113 may determine the passenger terminal that will perform transcription based on the processing capabilities of the hardware of each passenger terminal 120 (e.g., differences in processing capabilities). The control unit 113 may determine the passenger terminal 120 that will perform transcription based on hardware with processing capabilities higher than a predetermined level (e.g., a GPU) or hardware specialized for predetermined processing (e.g., an NPU suitable for AI processing, a so-called AI processor). The processor includes any of a CPU, a GPU, and an NPU. The predetermined processing includes at least one of transcription processing and translation processing.

[0113] Note that a processing capacity higher than a predetermined level may mean, for example, that the processing capacity is higher than that of the server device 110, higher than a predetermined threshold, or higher than that of other passenger terminals 120. The control unit 113 may determine that a passenger terminal 120 having a processing capacity higher than a predetermined level and having an available processor is to be the passenger terminal that performs transcription preferentially.

[0114] Furthermore, if there is a passenger terminal 120 corresponding to a seat that is not currently being used or a passenger terminal 120 whose processor usage rate has been low for a predetermined period of time, the control unit 113 may read data to be used for transcription (e.g., a machine learning model) from storage and store it in the memory of the passenger terminal 120. The passenger terminal 120 may be, for example, the passenger terminal determined in step S10 as the passenger terminal that will perform transcription. The process of storing data in this memory may be executed before step S20 is executed, and may be executed before step S10, for example. In this manner, the control unit 113 may pre-store, in the memory of one passenger terminal 120 determined from among the multiple passenger terminals 120, data required for the processing unit of the one passenger terminal 120 to convert voice information into text information. Note that in this paragraph, "storage" refers to non-volatile memory, and "memory" may refer to volatile memory.

[0115] This allows data to be pre-loaded into the memory of an unused passenger terminal 120 on the aircraft 1 and kept on standby, eliminating the need to read data from storage when transcribing, thereby reducing the time required for transcription.

[0116] In this way, the control unit 113 determines the passenger terminal that will perform transcription using at least one of the processing amount (information processing amount) of the processing unit 124, the amount of power consumption, and whether or not the terminal has a predetermined hardware configuration. For example, the control unit 113 may determine, among the multiple passenger terminals 120, a passenger terminal 120 that has a relatively low (e.g., lowest) amount of processing (e.g., processor usage), heat generation, or power consumption in a predetermined period of time, a passenger terminal 120 that corresponds to an empty seat, or a passenger terminal 120 that has a relatively high (e.g., highest) processing capacity, as the passenger terminal 120 that will perform transcription. Furthermore, the control unit 113 may determine, among the multiple passenger terminals 120, a passenger terminal 120 that will perform transcription based on its hardware configuration (e.g., whether or not the terminal has predetermined hardware).

[0117] The predetermined time may be the time from when passengers boarded the aircraft 1 or when the aircraft took off until the present time, or may be the past 30 minutes from the present time. 30 minutes is just an example, and any other time (e.g., 10 minutes, 60 minutes, etc.) may be used as long as it is determined in advance.

[0118] The control unit 113 may select a passenger terminal 120 with fewer relay devices from the head end (e.g., the server device 110 or the sound collection device) as the passenger terminal that will perform the transcription. For example, if there are two or more passenger terminals 120 with similar processing amounts of the processing unit 124, the passenger terminal 120 with the fewer relay devices may be selected as the passenger terminal that will perform the transcription. This can reduce communication delays of the audio information.

[0119] The processing of step S10 may be performed at predetermined intervals regardless of whether an in-flight announcement is made or not, or may be performed when a notification that an in-flight announcement will be made is received from the aircraft system 400.

[0120] Next, the communication unit 111 transmits a transcription execution command to the passenger terminal 120a determined in step S10 under the control of the control unit 113 (S20). The execution command is a command to execute a process of converting the audio information of the in-flight announcement into text information.

[0121] Next, upon receiving the execution command from the server device 110, the communication unit 121a of the passenger terminal 120a acquires audio information generated by collecting the target in-flight announcement (S30). The communication unit 121a may acquire the audio information from the server device 110, or may acquire the audio information from a sound collection device such as a microphone without going through the server device 110. For example, the communication unit 121a may be communicably connected to the sound collection device. The communication unit 121a functions as an acquisition unit that acquires the audio information.

[0122] The passenger terminal 120 that will perform the transcription process may be determined by the time the in-flight announcement starts, and the in-flight announcement may be directly recorded on the passenger terminal 120 that will perform the transcription process. This allows the transmission time of the audio information to be shortened compared to when the audio information is acquired from the server device 110.

[0123] Next, the processing unit 124a transcribes the acquired audio information (S40). That is, the processing unit 124a converts the audio information into text information. The transcription method is not particularly limited, and may be performed using, for example, a machine learning model trained to input audio information and output text information.

[0124] Next, the communication unit 121a returns the transcription result, which is the result of the transcription performed by the processing unit 124a, to the server device 110 (S50). The transcription result includes text information.

[0125] Next, the control unit 113 of the server device 110 transmits the transcription result and a display command to two or more passenger terminals 120 including the passenger terminals 120a and 120b (S60).

[0126] Next, when the display unit 125a of the passenger terminal 120a receives the transcription result and the display command via the communication unit 121a, it displays the transcription result (S70). The display unit 125a functions as an output unit that outputs the transcription result as information based on the converted text information. Furthermore, when the display unit 125b of the passenger terminal 120b receives the transcription result and the display command via the communication unit 121b, it displays the transcription result (S80).

[0127] Note that the transmission of the transcription result and the display command to the passenger terminal 120b is not limited to being performed by the server device 110, and may be performed by, for example, the passenger terminal 120a. In other words, the passenger terminal 120a may directly transmit the transcription result and the display command to the passenger terminal 120b.

[0128] At least a part of the period during which step S40 is executed overlaps with at least a part of the period during which the passenger terminal 120a suspends the reproduction of the content due to an in-flight announcement.

[0129] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing a first display example of the passenger terminal 120 according to the present embodiment. The display units 125a and 125b display the text shown in Fig. 5 as the transcription result. In other words, the display units 125a and 125b display a common image.

[0130] As shown in Fig. 5, when a sound output device 500 such as a broadcast speaker makes an in-flight announcement in Japanese, the display unit 125 of the passenger terminal 120 displays the text of the in-flight announcement in the same Japanese as the in-flight announcement. Note that the text is not limited to being displayed, and sound may also be output. Display and sound output are examples of presentation.

[0131] The display unit 125 may further receive an input from the passenger indicating that the passenger has confirmed the text. For example, the display unit 125 may continue to display the text until the input is received. This allows passengers to more reliably understand the content of the in-flight announcement. The display unit 125 may also highlight predetermined keywords such as "seat belt" and "do not stand up." This makes it easier for passengers to understand the content of the in-flight announcement.

[0132] Note that the translation process is not executed if the language of the in-flight announcement matches the language set in the passenger terminal 120. In other words, the translation process is prohibited if the language of the in-flight announcement matches the language set in the passenger terminal 120.

[0133] Although the control unit 113 has determined one passenger terminal 120 as the passenger terminal that will perform transcription, this is not limited thereto, and two or more passenger terminals 120 may be determined as the passenger terminals that will perform transcription. In this case, audio information may be divided into certain periods and assigned to two or more passenger terminals 120, and transcription may be performed in parallel. The control unit 113 generates a single translation result by combining the transcription results from two or more passenger terminals 120. This can improve the real-time nature of transcription.

[0134] Next, a process when the language set in the passenger terminal 120 and the language of the in-flight announcements are different will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG.

[0135] FIG. 6 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a second operation (presentation method) of the information processing system 100 according to the present embodiment. A corresponding language is set for each passenger terminal 120 provided at each seat, and passenger terminals 120 having the same set language are grouped together. The grouping process may be performed by the control unit 113 based on the language information 211. FIG. 6 illustrates an example in which passenger terminals 120c and 120d, each set to a second language (e.g., English), belong to a first group G1, and passenger terminals 120e and 120f, each set to a third language (e.g., German), belong to a second group G2. The grouping may be performed in advance, and the storage medium 200 may store identification information indicating the group and information recording one or more passenger terminals 120 belonging to the group. The passenger terminals 120c, 120d, 120e, and 120f are passenger terminals included in the plurality of passenger terminals 120 provided on the aircraft 1.

[0136] Note that the process of converting voice information into text information is not shown in Fig. 6. The passenger terminal 120 that executes this process is determined in the same manner as in the method shown in Fig. 4. For example, the passenger terminal 120 may be any one of the passenger terminals 120c, 120d, 120e, and 120f, or may be another passenger terminal 120.

[0137] 6 , the control unit 113 of the server device 110 determines, for each language, a passenger terminal 120 that will translate the text information into which the voice information has been converted, based on the passenger terminal information 210 (S110). For example, for each of a plurality of groups in which different languages ​​are set, the control unit 113 determines a passenger terminal 120 that will translate from one or more passenger terminals 120 that belong to the group. The method for determining the passenger terminal 120 that will translate may be the same as the method for determining the passenger terminal 120 that will transcribe. In other words, the expression "transcription" in the description of step S10 may be replaced with "translation."

[0138] For example, the control unit 113 may determine, as the passenger terminal 120 that will translate the text information, a passenger terminal 120 among the multiple passenger terminals 120 that has a relatively low (e.g., lowest) processing amount (e.g., processor usage rate), heat generation amount, or power consumption amount in a predetermined time, a passenger terminal 120 corresponding to an empty seat, or a passenger terminal 120 that has a relatively high (e.g., highest) processing capacity. Furthermore, for example, the control unit 113 may determine, as the passenger terminal 120 that will translate the text information, based on the hardware configuration (e.g., whether or not the specified hardware is provided).

[0139] In this example, passenger terminals 120c and 120d belong to the first group G1, and passenger terminal 120c is determined to be the passenger terminal that will perform the translation, while passenger terminals 120e and 120f belong to the second group G2, and passenger terminal 120e is determined to be the passenger terminal that will perform the translation. In this case, passenger terminals 120d and 120f may be prohibited from performing the translation process.

[0140] The control unit 113 may determine that the passenger terminal 120 that performed the transcription is the passenger terminal 120 that will perform the translation. This eliminates the need to communicate text information, thereby reducing the time required for the translation process.

[0141] Next, under the control of the control unit 113, the communication unit 111 transmits a translation execution command to the passenger terminals 120c and 120e determined in step S110 (S120). The translation execution command is a command to execute a process of translating the text information obtained by converting the in-flight announcement into text.

[0142] Next, the processing unit 124 of the passenger terminal 120c translates the acquired text information into a second language different from the language of the in-flight announcement (S131). That is, the processing unit 124 of the passenger terminal 120c converts the language of the text information from the first language to the second language (here, from Japanese to English). The translation method is not particularly limited, and may be performed using, for example, a machine learning model trained to input text information in the first language and output text information in the second language. The second language can be acquired based on the reservation information or the input information.

[0143] Next, the communication unit 121 of the passenger terminal 120c returns the translation result, which is the result of the translation performed by the processing unit 124, to the server device 110 (S132).

[0144] Furthermore, the processing unit 124 of the passenger terminal 120e translates the acquired text information into a third language different from the language of the in-flight announcement and the second language (S141). That is, the processing unit 124 of the passenger terminal 120e converts the language of the text information from the first language to the third language (here, from Japanese to German). The translation method is not particularly limited, and may be performed, for example, using a machine learning model trained to input text information in the first language and output text information in the third language.

[0145] Next, the communication unit 121 of the passenger terminal 120e returns the translation result, which is the result of the translation performed by the processing unit 124, to the server device 110 (S142).

[0146] Next, the control unit 113 of the server device 110 transmits the translation result in the second language and a display command to the passenger terminals 120c and 120d (S150). It can also be said that the control unit 113 transmits the translation result as information based on the text information to the other passenger terminal 120d belonging to the first group G1 to which the passenger terminal 120c belongs, via the communication unit 111. It is sufficient that the control unit 113 transmits the translation result in the second language and a display command to at least the passenger terminal 120d.

[0147] Next, when the display unit 125 of the passenger terminal 120c receives the translation result and the display command via the communication unit 121, it displays the translation result in the second language (S161). Also, when the display unit 125 of the passenger terminal 120d receives the translation result in the second language and the display command via the communication unit 121, it displays the translation result in the second language (S162). The display units 125 of the passenger terminals 120c and 120d function as output units that output the translation result in the second language as information based on the converted text information.

[0148] The translation result and the display command may be transmitted to the passenger terminal 120d without going through the server device 110, and may be transmitted by the passenger terminal 120c, for example.

[0149] 7 is a diagram showing a second display example of passenger terminal 120 according to the present embodiment. Display units 125 of passenger terminals 120c and 120d display the text shown in FIG. 7 as the translation result. In other words, display units 125 of passenger terminals 120c and 120d display a common image.

[0150] As shown in Figure 7, when a sound output device 500 such as a speaker makes an in-flight announcement in Japanese, the display unit 125 of the passenger terminal 120 displays the text of the in-flight announcement in English, which is the language set in the first group G1.

[0151] When announcements are made in a language other than the passenger's native language, there is a risk that the content of the in-flight announcement may be incomprehensible, and passengers may not be able to hear or understand emergency or important announcements. By displaying the translated text, passengers can understand the content of the in-flight announcement even when the announcement is made in a language that passengers cannot understand, such as a language other than their native language.

[0152] The display unit 125 may further receive an input from the passenger indicating that the passenger has confirmed the text. For example, the display unit 125 may continue to display the text until the input is received. This allows passengers to more reliably understand the content of the in-flight announcement. The display unit 125 may also highlight predetermined keywords. This makes it easier for passengers to understand the content of the in-flight announcement.

[0153] 6 again, next, the control unit 113 of the server device 110 transmits the translation result in the third language and a display command to the passenger terminals 120e and 120f (S170). It can also be said that the control unit 113 transmits the translation result as information based on the text information to the other passenger terminals 120f belonging to the second group G2 to which the passenger terminal 120e belongs, via the communication unit 111. It is sufficient that the control unit 113 transmits the translation result in the third language and a display command to at least the passenger terminal 120f.

[0154] Next, when the display unit 125 of the passenger terminal 120e receives the translation result and the display command via the communication unit 121, it displays the translation result in the third language (S181). Also, when the display unit 125 of the passenger terminal 120f receives the translation result in the third language and the display command via the communication unit 121, it displays the translation result in the third language (S182). The display units 125 of the passenger terminals 120e and 120f function as output units that output the translation result in the third language as information based on the converted text information.

[0155] In this way, since the passenger terminal 120 has the function of translating the language of the in-flight announcement, it is only necessary to broadcast the in-flight announcement in one language, thereby shortening the time for which the in-flight announcement is broadcast. This shortens the time during which content playback is interrupted on the passenger terminal 120 due to the in-flight announcement, thereby reducing the discomfort felt by passengers when content viewing on the passenger terminal 120 is interrupted. In other words, it is possible to prevent a loss of comfort.

[0156] 6 illustrates an example in which the translation result is displayed, but the presenting of the translation result is not limited to this example, and the translation result may be output as audio. For example, if earphones are connected to the passenger terminal 120, the translation result may be output as audio.

[0157] Note that the control unit 113 determines one passenger terminal 120 in each group as the passenger terminal that will perform the translation, but this is not limited to this, and two or more passenger terminals 120 may be determined as the passenger terminal that will perform the translation. In this case, text information may be assigned to two or more passenger terminals 120 at fixed intervals, and the translation may be performed in parallel. The control unit 113 generates a single translation result by combining the translation results from two or more passenger terminals 120. This makes it possible to improve the real-time nature of the translation.

[0158] The control unit 113 may execute distributed processing among multiple passenger terminals 120. This allows the use of a machine learning model on a scale that cannot be handled by a single passenger terminal 120, thereby improving, for example, translation accuracy.

[0159] (First Variation of the Embodiment) A passenger terminal according to this variation will be described below with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a plurality of passenger terminals according to this variation. In this variation, an example will be described in which components for displaying information and components for performing information processing such as translation are configured separately from each other and are connected to enable communication. Note that FIG. 8 describes an example in which passenger terminal units (so-called IFE monitors) are provided at three seats, and one seat box is provided spaced apart from the three passenger terminal units. Note that the number of passenger terminal units connected to one seat box is not particularly limited, and may be two or more.

[0160] As shown in Figure 8, a seat box 610 and a passenger terminal unit 620a may form one passenger terminal (i.e., one presentation system), a seat box 610 and a passenger terminal unit 620b may form one passenger terminal (i.e., one presentation system), and a seat box 610 and a passenger terminal unit 620c may form one passenger terminal (i.e., one presentation system).

[0161] The seat box 610 is disposed in or near the seat, and houses hardware for realizing a communication unit 611, a terminal information acquisition unit 612, an input / output unit 613, and a processing unit 614. The terminal information acquisition unit 612 has the same function as the terminal information acquisition unit 122 according to the embodiment, the input / output unit 613 has the same function as the input / output unit 123 according to the embodiment, and the processing unit 614 has the same function as the processing unit 124 according to the embodiment.

[0162] The communication unit 611 communicates with the server device 110 and each of the passenger terminal units 620a to 620c that constitute the passenger terminal, via wired or wireless communication. The wireless communication may be performed using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or a specific low-power radio.

[0163] The passenger terminal units 620a to 620c have the same configuration and include a communication unit 621, an input / output unit 623, and a display unit 625. The input / output unit 623 has the same function as the input / output unit 123 according to the embodiment, and the display unit 625 has the same function as the display unit 125 according to the embodiment.

[0164] The communication unit 621 communicates with the seat box 610 constituting the passenger terminal via wired or wireless communication. The wireless communication may be performed using Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), ZigBee (registered trademark), or a specific low-power radio.

[0165] In this way, the passenger terminal may be realized by two or more components that are physically spaced apart within the aircraft 1 and communicatively connected to each other.

[0166] In this way, the information processing system may be configured to include a plurality of presentation systems, each of which has at least one of the display units 625 arranged in each seat of the aircraft 1.

[0167] (Second Modification of the Embodiment) An information processing system according to this modification will be described below with reference to FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the operation (presentation method) of the information processing system according to this modification. In this modification, an example will be described in which the server device 110 performs the transcription and translation processes. In this case, each passenger terminal 120, including passenger terminals 120c and 120e, may not be equipped with a processing unit 124. In other words, each passenger terminal 120 may not have the function of performing transcription and translation. Note that FIG. 9 shows the process after the acquisition of the text information, in which audio information is acquired via the communication unit 111 and transcription is performed by the control unit 113 to obtain text information.

[0168] The control unit 113 of the server device 110 determines the order in which to perform the translation (S210). In the example of Fig. 9, the second language is set in the passenger terminal 120c, and the third language is set in the passenger terminal 120e. The control unit 113 determines whether to perform the translation from the second language or the third language.

[0169] The control unit 113 may determine the order of translation execution based on the number of passenger terminals 120 for each language set therein. In the example of Fig. 9, the control unit 113 compares the number of passenger terminals 120 for which the second language is set with the number of passenger terminals 120 for which the third language is set, and determines the priority order (i.e., the order of languages ​​to be translated) so that the language set for a greater number of passenger terminals 120 is given priority for translation. In this way, when the server device 110 performs translation processing sequentially for each language, it performs translation in descending order of the number of languages ​​set therein. Here, it is assumed that it has been determined that translation will be performed in the order of the second language, then the third language.

[0170] Next, the control unit 113 of the server device 110 translates the text information into the second language (S220), and transmits the translation result in the second language and a display command to the passenger terminal 120c via the communication unit 111 (S230). The display unit 125 of the passenger terminal 120c displays the translation result obtained from the server device 110 (S240).

[0171] Next, the control unit 113 of the server device 110 translates the text information into the third language (S250), and transmits the translation result in the third language and a display command to the passenger terminal 120e via the communication unit 111 (S260). The display unit 125 of the passenger terminal 120e displays the translation result obtained from the server device 110 (S270).

[0172] Note that Figure 9 describes an example in which the server device 110 translates multiple languages ​​sequentially, but this is not limited to this. For example, any one of multiple passenger terminals 120 may execute the processing of the server device 110 shown in Figure 9.

[0173] For example, the processing unit 124 of the one passenger terminal 120 translates the text information sequentially for each language. The processing unit 124 determines a priority order based on the number of passenger terminals 120c among the multiple passenger terminals 120 for which the second language is set and the number of passenger terminals 120e among the multiple passenger terminals 120 for which the third language is set, so that the language set for a greater number of passenger terminals 120 is given priority for translation, and performs the sequential translation according to the determined priority order. Furthermore, the communication unit 121 of the one passenger terminal 120 outputs information including the translation result in the second language to the passenger terminal 120c among the multiple passenger terminals 120 for which the second language is set, and outputs information including the translation result in the third language to the passenger terminal 120e among the multiple passenger terminals 120 for which the third language is set. The communication unit 121 functions as an output unit.

[0174] (Other Embodiments) As described above, the presentation system etc. according to one or more aspects has been described based on the embodiment and the first and second modified examples of the embodiment (embodiments etc.), but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments etc. As long as it does not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure, various modifications that a person skilled in the art can conceive of to the present embodiment and forms constructed by combining components of different embodiments may also be included in the present disclosure.

[0175] For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which the presentation system is mounted on an aircraft 1 has been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this and may be mounted on a moving object having a display unit at each seat. For example, if a display unit is provided at each seat of a train such as a Shinkansen, the presentation system may be realized as including the display unit. In other words, the present disclosure can provide a presentation system and a presentation method that can assist passengers in understanding the content of announcements made in a moving object.

[0176] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiment and the like, an example has been described in which the control unit 113 functions as the second processing unit, but this is not limiting, and the processing unit 124 of any of the passenger terminals 120 may execute the processing of the second processing unit described above. For example, the processing unit 124 may access various information stored in the storage medium 200 and, based on the acquired information, determine a presentation system that performs at least one of transcription and translation.

[0177] Furthermore, for example, in the above-described embodiments and the like, examples have been described in which each process is executed locally by a device within the aircraft 1. However, this is not limiting. During a period in which the information processing system 100 is able to communicate with the external management system 300, some of the processes may be executed by the external management system 300. For example, the control unit 113 may transmit a translation execution command and text information to the external management system 300 via the communication unit 111, and the external management system 300 may translate the text information into a language specified by the translation execution command and obtain a translation result via the communication unit 111. For example, because machine learning models tend to be able to translate into English in a shorter time or with greater accuracy than translations into other languages, the control unit 113 may execute the translation into English locally within the aircraft 1 (for example, by the processing unit 124), and have the external management system 300 execute the translation into one or more other languages. In this way, at least one of transcription and translation may be performed in cooperation (shared) between the processing unit 124 within the aircraft 1 and the external management system 300.

[0178] Furthermore, for example, the control unit 113 according to the above embodiment may switch the passenger terminal 120 that executes the processing of the processing unit 124 in accordance with changes in the usage status of each passenger terminal 120 disposed at each seat. The control unit 113 may, for example, periodically execute the processing of steps S10 and 110. This allows an appropriate passenger terminal 120 to be determined as the passenger terminal that executes the processing of the processing unit 124 in accordance with the usage status of the passenger terminal 120 by the boarding passenger.

[0179] In the above embodiments, each component may be configured with dedicated hardware, or may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0180] The order in which the steps in the flowchart are executed is merely an example for specifically explaining the present disclosure, and other orders may be used. Some of the steps may be executed simultaneously (in parallel) with other steps, or some of the steps may not be executed.

[0181] The division of functional blocks in the block diagram is an example, and multiple functional blocks may be realized as a single functional block, one functional block may be divided into multiple blocks, or some functions may be moved to another functional block.Furthermore, the functions of multiple functional blocks having similar functions may be processed in parallel or time-shared by a single piece of hardware or software.

[0182] Furthermore, the passenger terminal 120 according to the above-described embodiments and the like may be realized as a single device or may be realized by multiple devices. When the passenger terminal 120 is realized by multiple devices, the components of the passenger terminal 120 may be distributed among the multiple devices in any manner. For example, the present disclosure may be realized by cloud computing or edge computing. When the passenger terminal 120 is realized by multiple devices, the communication method between the multiple devices is not particularly limited and may be wireless communication or wired communication. Furthermore, wireless communication and wired communication may be combined between the devices.

[0183] Furthermore, each component described in the above embodiments may be implemented as software or, typically, as an LSI, which is an integrated circuit. These components may be individually integrated into a single chip, or some or all of them may be integrated into a single chip. Here, the term "LSI" is used, but depending on the level of integration, it may also be referred to as an IC, system LSI, super LSI, or ultra LSI. Furthermore, the integrated circuit implementation method is not limited to LSI, and may be implemented using a dedicated circuit (a general-purpose circuit that executes a dedicated program) or a general-purpose processor. After LSI fabrication, a field programmable gate array (FPGA) that can be programmed or a reconfigurable processor that can reconfigure the connections or settings of circuit cells within the LSI may also be used. Furthermore, if an integrated circuit technology that replaces LSI emerges due to advances in semiconductor technology or a derivative technology, that technology may naturally be used to integrate the components.

[0184] A system LSI is an ultra-multifunctional LSI manufactured by integrating multiple processing units on a single chip, and is specifically a computer system comprising a microprocessor, ROM, RAM, etc. The ROM stores computer programs. The system LSI achieves its functions when the microprocessor operates in accordance with the computer programs.

[0185] Furthermore, one aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer program that causes a computer to execute each of the characteristic steps included in the presentation method shown in any one of FIG. 4, FIG. 6, and FIG.

[0186] Furthermore, for example, the program may be a program to be executed by a computer. Another aspect of the present disclosure may be a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded. For example, such a program may be recorded on a recording medium and distributed or circulated. For example, the distributed program may be installed in a device having another processor, and the program may be executed by the processor, thereby causing the device to perform each of the above processes.

[0187] The presentation system of the present disclosure can be applied to, for example, an IFE system installed on an aircraft.

[0188] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Aircraft 2 Seat 100 Information processing system 110 Server device 111, 121, 121a, 121b, 410, 611, 621 Communication unit 112, 123, 123a, 123b, 613, 623 Input / output unit 113 Control unit 120, 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d, 120e, 120f Passenger terminal 122, 122a, 122b, 612 Terminal information acquisition unit 124, 124a, 124b, 614 Processing unit 125, 125a, 125b, 625 Display unit 130 Crew terminal 200 Storage medium 210 Passenger terminal information 211 Language information 212 Mode information 213 Power information 214 Seat information 215 Model information 300: External management system 400: Aircraft system 420: In-flight broadcast generating unit 500: Sound output device 610: Seat box 620a, 620b, 620c: Passenger terminal unit G1: First group G2: Second group

Claims

1. One of a plurality of presentation systems, each of which has at least one of the display units provided in each seat of an aircraft, the presentation system comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires audio information of in-flight announcements broadcast on the aircraft; a first processing unit that converts the acquired audio information into text information; and an output unit that outputs information based on the converted text information.

2. The presentation system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit has a display unit that displays information based on the text information.

3. The presentation system according to claim 1, wherein the output unit outputs information based on the text information to another presentation system among the plurality of presentation systems.

4. The presentation system according to claim 1, wherein the first processing unit translates the text information into one or more languages ​​different from the language of the in-flight announcement, and the output unit outputs information including the translation result as information based on the text information.

5. The presentation system according to claim 4, wherein the acquisition unit acquires input information regarding a language that has been input in advance, and the first processing unit translates the text information into a language indicated by the input information.

6. The presentation system according to claim 4, further comprising a reception unit that receives language-related input from passengers on board, wherein the first processing unit translates the text information into the language received by the reception unit.

7. The presentation system according to claim 4, wherein the one or more languages ​​include two or more languages ​​each different from the language of the in-flight announcements, the first processing unit sequentially translates the text information for each language, and the output unit outputs, as information based on the text information, information including a translation result translated into one of the two or more languages ​​to a presentation system among the plurality of presentation systems in which the one language is set, and outputs, as information based on the text information, information including a translation result translated into another of the two or more languages ​​to a presentation system among the plurality of presentation systems in which the other language is set.

8. The presentation system according to claim 7, wherein the first processing unit determines a priority based on the number of presentation systems among the plurality of presentation systems in which the one language is set and the number of presentation systems among the plurality of presentation systems in which the other one language is set, so that a language in which a greater number of presentation systems are set is given priority for translation, and performs sequential translation according to the determined priority.

9. A presentation system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising a second processing unit that determines from among the plurality of presentation systems a presentation system that will execute a conversion process for converting the audio information into the text information, and the one presentation system is the presentation system determined by the second processing unit to execute the conversion process.

10. A presentation system according to any one of claims 4 to 8, further comprising a second processing unit that determines a presentation system from among the plurality of presentation systems that will perform the translation of the text information, and the one presentation system is the presentation system determined by the second processing unit to perform the translation.

11. An information processing system comprising: a plurality of presentation systems including one presentation system that is the presentation system described in any one of claims 1 to 8; and a server communicatively connected to said plurality of presentation systems, wherein said server comprises a second processing unit that determines from said plurality of presentation systems which presentation system will perform a conversion process that converts said audio information into said text information; and said one presentation system is the presentation system determined by said second processing unit to perform said conversion process.

12. The information processing system described in claim 11, wherein the second processing unit determines, from among the plurality of presentation systems, a presentation system that has a relatively low amount of information processing, heat generation, or power consumption in a specified period of time, a presentation system that corresponds to an empty seat, or a presentation system that has a relatively high information processing capability, as the presentation system that will perform the conversion process.

13. The information processing system according to claim 11, wherein each of the plurality of presentation systems includes a memory for storing data required for processing by the processing unit of that presentation system, and the second processing unit stores in advance in the memory of one presentation system selected from the plurality of presentation systems the data required for the first processing unit of that presentation system to convert the audio information into the text information.

14. An information processing system comprising: a plurality of presentation systems including one presentation system that is the presentation system described in any one of claims 4 to 8; and a server communicatively connected to said plurality of presentation systems, wherein said plurality of presentation systems are capable of translating said text information into one or more languages ​​different from said in-flight announcements; said server comprising a second processing unit that determines a presentation system from said plurality of presentation systems that will translate said text information; and said one presentation system being the presentation system determined by said second processing unit to perform translation.

15. The information processing system described in claim 14, wherein the second processing unit determines, from among the plurality of presentation systems, a presentation system that has a relatively low amount of information processing, heat generation, or power consumption in a given period of time, a presentation system that corresponds to an empty seat, or a presentation system that has a relatively high information processing capability, as the presentation system that will perform the translation of the text information.

16. The information processing system according to claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of presentation systems includes a memory for storing data required for processing by the processing unit of that presentation system, and the second processing unit pre-stores, in the memory of one presentation system selected from the plurality of presentation systems, data required for the first processing unit of that presentation system to translate the text information.

17. An information processing system as described in claim 14, wherein a corresponding language is set for each of the plurality of presentation systems, the second processing unit groups presentation systems that have a common set language, and for each of the plurality of groups, determines a presentation system that will perform translation from one or more presentation systems belonging to the group, and the output unit outputs information based on the text information to other presentation systems that belong to the group to which the one presentation system belongs.

18. The information processing system according to claim 17, wherein the acquisition unit acquires input information regarding a language that has been input in advance, and the group is set based on the input information acquired via the acquisition unit.

19. The information processing system according to claim 17, further comprising a reception unit that receives language-related input from passengers on board, and the group is set based on information indicating the language acquired via the reception unit.

20. A presentation method executed by one of a plurality of presentation systems, each of which has at least one display unit among the display units provided in each seat of an aircraft, the presentation method comprising: acquiring audio information of in-flight announcements broadcast on the aircraft; converting the acquired audio information into text information; and outputting information based on the converted text information.

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