Medical practice support system

• US 20060200354A1
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Original Assignee: Olympus Corporation
• Inventors: Nakamitsu, Takechiyo, Ito, Masaru, Yamaki, Masahide, Sekiguchi, Kiyoshi, Ushifusa, Hiroyuki
• Application Number:
  US11/353,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200354A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A medical practice support system according to the present invention comprises a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data; a voice recognition unit for recognizing the voice data and generating character information by converting the voice to a character string, or controlling an operation of an equipment corresponding to the recognition result; and a control unit for controlling the voice recognition unit, wherein the control unit controls the voice recognition unit to make it generate character information if the voice recognition unit judges that the voice data is instruction information for making the character string be generated.

Claims

1. A medical practice support system, comprising:

a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data;

a voice recognition unit for recognizing the voice data and generating character information by converting the voice to a character string, or controlling an operation corresponding to the recognition result; and

a control unit for controlling the voice recognition unit, wherein

the control unit controls the voice recognition unit to make it generate character information if the voice recognition unit judges that the voice data is instruction information for making the character string be generated.

2. The medical practice support system according to claim 1, wherein

said voice recognition unit comprises

a voice-to-character string conversion unit for recognizing said voice data obtained by said voice conversion unit and converting the voice to a character string, and

a voice operation unit for recognizing said voice data obtained by said voice conversion unit and controlling an operation of said equipment corresponding to the recognition result, wherein

said control unit controls a drive of the voice-to-character string conversion unit and voice operation unit.

3. The medical practice support system according to claim 2, wherein

said control unit stops an operation instruction to said equipment controlled by said voice operation unit while said voice-to-character string conversion unit is driven.

4. The medical practice support system according to claim 2, wherein

said control unit stops a drive of said voice-to-character string conversion unit if the voice-to-character string conversion unit judges that said voice data is instruction information so as to make a drive of the voice-to-character string conversion unit stop.

5. The medical practice support system according to claim 4, wherein

said control unit makes said voice operation unit drive if the voice-to-character string conversion unit judges that said voice data is instruction information so as to make a drive of the voice-to-character string conversion unit stop.

6. The medical practice support system according to claim 1, wherein

said voice recognition unit comprises

a voice identification information output unit for recognizing said voice data and outputting voice identification information corresponding to the voice data, and

a voice relation storage unit for at least storing the voice identification information, equipment control information relating to a control of said equipment corresponding to the voice identification information, and voice-character information which is a characterization of the voice corresponding to the voice identification information, wherein

said control unit judges whether a state in which the voice recognition unit controls an operation of the equipment by said voice or a state in which the voice recognition unit converts the voice to a character string, and controls the equipment or a conversion of the voice to a character string based on the equipment control information or voice-character information which are specified by the judgment result or the voice identification information.

7. A medical practice support system, comprising:

a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data;

a voice recognition unit for recognizing the voice data and generating character information by converting the voice to a character string, or controlling an operation corresponding to the recognition result; and

a control unit for controlling the voice recognition unit, wherein

the control unit controls the voice recognition unit so as to make it generate character information if the control unit receive a notice signal for giving effect to imaging an endoscope image.

8. The medical practice support system according to claim 7, wherein

said voice recognition unit comprises

a voice-to-character string conversion unit for recognizing said voice data obtained by said voice conversion unit and converting the voice to a character string, and

a voice operation unit for recognizing said voice data obtained by said voice conversion unit and controlling an operation of said equipment corresponding to the recognition result, wherein

said control unit controls a drive of the voice-to-character string conversion unit and voice operation unit.

9. The medical practice support system according to claim 8, wherein

said control unit makes a drive of said voice-to-character string conversion unit stop if it has been driven for a predetermined time.

10. The medical practice support system according to claim 8, wherein

said control unit makes a drive of said voice-to-character string conversion unit stop if a voice has not been obtained for a predetermined time while the voice-to-character string conversion unit is driven.

11. The medical practice support system according to claim 8, further comprising

a voice-character edit unit for editing a voice character which is converted to a character string by said voice-to-character string conversion unit after a driving thereof stops.

12. The medical practice support system according to claim 8, further comprising

a storage unit for storing a voice-character, which is converted to a character string while said voice-to-character string conversion unit is driven, and said endoscope image, which corresponds to said endoscope image acquisition signal of the last time, by correlating them if a driving of the voice-to-character string conversion unit is stopped by the said control unit receiving said notice signal again while the voice-to-character string conversion unit is driven.

13. The medical practice support system according to claim 7, wherein

said voice recognition unit comprises:

a voice identification information output unit for recognizing said voice data and outputting voice identification information corresponding to the voice data, and

a voice relation storage unit for at least storing the voice identification information, equipment control information relating to a control of said equipment corresponding to the voice identification information and voice-character information which is a characterization of the voice corresponding to the voice identification information, wherein

said control unit judges whether a state in which the voice recognition unit controls an operation of the equipment by said voice or a state in which the voice recognition unit converts the voice to a character string, and controls the equipment or a conversion of the voice to a character string based on the equipment control information or voice-character information which are specified by the judgment result and the voice identification information.

14. A medical practice support system, comprising:

a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data;

a voice recognition unit for recognizing the voice data and generating character information by converting the voice to a character string, or controlling an operation corresponding to the recognition result; and

a control unit for controlling the voice recognition unit, wherein

the control unit controls the voice recognition unit so as to make it generate character information when receiving a notice signal from an endoscope image imaging apparatus for giving effect to imaging an endoscope image if the voice recognition unit judges that the voice data is instruction information giving effect to making the character information be generated.

15. The medical practice support system according to claim 14, wherein

said voice recognition unit comprises:

a voice identification information output unit for recognizing said voice data and outputting voice identification information corresponding to the voice data, and

a voice relation storage unit for at least storing the voice identification information, equipment control information relating to a control of said equipment corresponding to the voice identification information and voice-character information which is a characterization of the voice corresponding to the voice identification information, wherein

said control unit judges whether a state in which the voice recognition unit controls an operation of the equipment by said voice or a state in which the voice recognition unit converts the voice to a character string, and controls the equipment or a conversion of the voice to a character string based on the equipment control information or voice-character information which are specified by the judgment result and the voice identification information.

16. A voice recognition apparatus, comprising:

a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data;

a voice identification information output unit for recognizing the voice data and outputting voice identification information corresponding to the voice data; and

a voice relation storage unit for at least storing the voice identification information, equipment control information relating to a control of the equipment corresponding to the voice identification information and voice-character information which is a characterization of the voice corresponding to the voice identification information; and

a control unit for judging whether a state in which the voice recognition apparatus controls an operation of the equipment by the voice or a state in which the voice recognition unit converts the voice to a character string, and controlling the equipment or a conversion of the voice to a character string based on the equipment control information or voice-character information which are specified by the judgment result or the voice identification information.

17. A control method for a medical practice support system comprising a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data;

a voice recognition unit for recognizing the voice data and generating character information by converting the voice to a character string, or controlling an operation corresponding to the recognition result; and

a control unit for controlling the voice recognition unit, comprising the step of

making character information be generated by the control unit controlling the voice recognition unit if the voice recognition unit judges that the voice data is instruction information giving effect to making the character information be generated.

18. A control method for a medical practice support system comprising a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data;

a voice recognition unit for recognizing the voice data and generating character information by converting the voice to a character string, or controlling an operation of an equipment corresponding to the recognition result; and

a control unit for controlling the voice recognition unit, comprising the steps of

receiving, by the control unit, an endoscope image acquisition signal transmitted from an endoscope image imaging apparatus giving effect to imaging an endoscope image, and making character information be generated by the voice recognition unit which is controlled by the control unit.

19. A control method for a medical practice support system comprising a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data;

a voice recognition unit for recognizing the voice data and generating character information by converting the voice to a character string, or controlling an operation of an equipment corresponding to the recognition result; and

a control unit for controlling the voice recognition unit, comprising the step of

making character information be generated by controlling the voice recognition unit if the control unit receives a notice signal from an endoscope image imaging apparatus for giving effect to imaging an endoscope image when the voice recognition unit judges that the voice data is instruction information giving effect to making the character information be generated.

20. A control method for a voice recognition apparatus comprising a voice conversion unit for obtaining a voice and converting the voice to an electric signal for making voice data;

a voice identification information output unit for recognizing said voice data and outputting voice identification information corresponding to the voice data; and

a voice relation storage unit for at least storing the voice identification information, equipment control information relating to a control of said equipment corresponding to the voice identification information and voice-character information which is a characterization of the voice corresponding to the voice identification information, comprising the steps of

judging whether a state in which the voice recognition apparatus controls an operation of the equipment by said voice or a state in which the voice recognition unit converts the voice to a character string, and controlling the equipment or converting the voice to a character string based on the equipment control information or voice-character information which are specified by the judgment result or the voice identification information.