Direction guidance from voice reproduction apparatus and system

• US 6,317,715 B1
• Filed: 11/03/1998
• Issued: 11/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: D&M Holdings Incorporated (DEI Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. (Faith, Inc.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Yasuhisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Korzuch, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Storm, Donald L.
• Application Number:
  US09/184,586
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 340/996, 340/825.25, 340/825.49, 340/825.19, 704/271, 704/200, 704/270, 704/258, 701/211, 701/209
• US Class Current: 704/271
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 11/00 Arrangements, systems or apparatus for checking, e.g. the occurrence of a condition, not provided for elsewhere
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2011/02 related to amusement parks
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 25/00 Audible advertising sound recording or reproducing per se G11B; public address systems H04R27/00

Abstract

A voice reproduction apparatus and voice reproduction system for providing guide voice corresponding to a moving direction of a user, for example a visually handicapped person, in a theme park or the like. The voice reproduction apparatus comprises: a receiving part for receiving an identifying signal; an identifying signal discriminating part that discriminates the identifying signal received in the receiving part and discriminates a combination of an identifying signal received and an identifying signal received subsequently; a voice data storage part for storing voice data, relating the voice data to the combination of the received identifying signals; a voice reproduction part reproducing the voice data stored in the voice data storage part; and a reproduction control part that reads out, from the voice data storage part, voice data corresponding to the combination discriminated by the identifying signal discriminating part, and causes the voice reproduction part to reproduce the voice data.

Claims

1. A voice reproduction apparatus, comprising:

a receiving part for receiving an identifying signal;

an identifying signal discriminating part for discriminating whether said identifying signal received by said receiving part is a reproduction identifying signal or a direction identifying signal;

a voice data storage part for storing a plurality of voice data, each voice data corresponding to a combination of a previous direction identifying signal received previously by said receiving part and a subsequent direction identifying signal received by said receiving part subsequently to said previous direction identifying signal;

a voice reproduction part for reproducing said voice data stored in said voice data storage part; and

a reproduction control part for controlling reproduction when said identifying signal discriminating part discriminates that said previous direction identifying signal and said subsequent direction identifying signal received by said receiving part are said direction identifying signals so that said voice reproduction part reproduces a voice data stored in said voice data storage part in correspondence to a combination of said direction identifying signals discriminated by said identifying signal discriminating part.

4. The voice reproduction apparatus according to any one of claims 1-3, wherein a detachable storage medium is used as said voice data storage part.

2. A voice reproduction apparatus, comprising:

a receiving part for receiving an identifying signal;

an identifying signal discriminating part for judging if a previous identifying signal received previously by said receiving part is a reference-point identifying signal for setting a reference point, and if a subsequently received identifying signal is a direction identifying signal for indicating a direction;

a voice data storage part for storing a plurality of voice data, each voice data corresponding to a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal;

a voice reproduction part for reproducing said voice data stored in said voice data storage part; and

a reproduction control part for controlling reproduction so that said voice reproduction part reproduces a voice data stored in said voice data storage part, corresponding to a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal, said combination being discriminated by said identifying signal discriminating part.

3. A voice reproduction apparatus, comprising:

a receiving part for receiving an identifying signal;

an identifying signal discriminating part for judging if a previous identifying signal received previously by said receiving part is a reference-point identifying signal which regulates a direction identifying signal for indicating a direction and which sets a reference point, and judging if a direction identifying signal subsequently received by said receiving part is said direction identifying signal regulated by said reference-point identifying signal or not;

a voice data storage part for storing a plurality of voice data, each voice data corresponding to a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal regulated by said reference-point identifying signal;

a voice reproduction part for reproducing said voice data stored in said voice data storage part; and

a reproduction control part for controlling reproduction so that said voice reproduction part reproduces a voice data stored in said voice data storage part in correspondence with a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal regulated by said reference-point identifying signal, said combination being discriminated by said identifying signal discriminating part.

5. A voice reproduction system, comprising:

a plurality of transmitting units, each for transmitting an identifying signal, each of said transmitting units transmits a reproduction identifying signal for instructing reproduction of voice data and a direction identifying signal for identifying a direction; and

a voice reproduction apparatus for receiving said identifying signals transmitted from said transmitting units;

wherein, said voice reproduction apparatus comprises;

a receiving part for receiving said identifying signal;

an identifying signal discriminating part for discriminating whether said identifying signal received by said receiving part is said reproduction identifying signal or said direction identifying signal;

a voice data storage part for storing a plurality of voice data, each voice data corresponding to said combination of a previous direction identifying signal received previously by said receiving part and a subsequent direction identifying signal received by said receiving part subsequently to said previous direction identifying signal;

a voice reproduction part for reproducing said voice data stored in said voice data storage part; and

a reproduction control part for controlling reproduction when said identifying signal discriminating part discriminates that said previous direction identifying signal and said subsequent direction identifying signal received by said receiving part are said direction identifying signals so that said voice reproduction part reproduces a voice data stored in said voice data storage part in correspondence with a combination of said direction identifying signals discriminated by said identifying signal discriminating part.

8. The voice reproduction system according to claim 5, further comprising a power unit for supplying electric power for said transmitting units, wherein:

said power unit comprises;

a power supply part;

an auxiliary power supply part;

a power breakdown detection part for detecting power breakdown or voltage reduction in said power supply part; and

a switching part for switching between said power supply part and said auxiliary power supply part; and

said system is controlled so that said switching part is switched from said power supply part to said auxiliary power supply part, when said power breakdown detection part detects power breakdown or voltage reduction in said power supply part.

10. The voice reproduction system according to any one of claims 5-8, wherein a detachable storage medium is used as said voice data storage part.

6. A voice reproduction system, comprising:

a reference-point transmitting unit transmitting a reference-point identifying signal that is an identifying signal for setting a reference point;

a plurality of direction transmitting units, each transmitting a direction identifying signal that is an identifying signal for indicating a direction; and

a voice reproduction apparatus for receiving said reference-point identifying signal transmitted from said reference-point transmitting unit and said direction identifying signal transmitted from said direction transmitting units;

wherein, said voice reproduction apparatus comprising;

a receiving part for receiving said identifying signals;

an identifying signal discriminating part for judging if a previous identifying signal previously received by said receiving part is said reference-point identifying signal and if a subsequent identifying signal subsequently received by said receiving part is said direction identifying signal;

a voice data storage part for storing a plurality of voice data, each voice data corresponding to a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal;

a voice reproduction part for reproducing said voice data stored in said voice data storage part; and

a reproduction control part for controlling reproduction so that said voice reproduction part reproduces a voice data stored in said voice data storage part in correspondence with a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal, said combination being discriminated by said identifying signal discriminating part.

9. The voice reproduction system according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising a power unit for supplying electric power for said reference-point transmitting unit and said direction transmitting units, wherein:

said power unit comprises;

a power supply part;

an auxiliary power supply part;

a power breakdown detection part for detecting power breakdown or voltage reduction in said power supply part; and

a switching part for switching between said power supply part and said auxiliary power supply part; and

said system is controlled so that said switching part is switched from said power supply part to said auxiliary power supply part, when said power breakdown detection part detects power breakdown or voltage reduction in said power supply part.

11. The voice reproduction system according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising a power unit for supplying electric power for said reference-point transmitting unit and said direction transmitting units, wherein:

said power unit comprises;

a power supply part;

an auxiliary power supply part;

a power breakdown detection part for detecting power breakdown or voltage reduction in said power supply part; and

a switching part for switching between said power supply part and said auxiliary power supply part;

said system is controlled so that said switching part is switched from said power supply part to said auxiliary power supply part, when said power breakdown detection part detects power breakdown or voltage reduction in said power supply part, and

a detachable storage medium is used as said voice data storage part.

7. A voice reproduction system, comprising:

a plurality of direction transmitting units, each transmitting a direction identifying signal that is an identifying signal for indicating a direction;

a reference-point transmitting unit for transmitting a reference-point identifying signal that is an identifying signal for regulating said direction identifying signal and for setting a reference point; and

a voice reproduction apparatus for receiving said reference-point identifying signal transmitted from said reference-point transmitting unit and said direction identifying signal transmitted from said direction transmitting units;

wherein, said voice reproduction apparatus comprises;

a receiving part for receiving said identifying signals;

an identifying signal discriminating part for judging if a previous identifying signal received previously by said receiving part is said reference-point identifying signal that regulates said direction identifying signal for identifying the direction and for setting the reference point, and judging if a subsequent direction identifying signal subsequently received by said receiving part is said direction identifying signal regulated by said reference-point identifying signal or not;

a voice data storage part for storing a plurality of voice data, each voice data corresponding to a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal regulated by said reference-point identifying signal;

a voice reproduction part for reproducing said voice data stored in said voice data storage part; and

a reproduction control part for controlling reproduction so that said voice reproduction part reproduces a voice data stored in said voice data storage part in correspondence with a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal regulated by said reference-point identifying signal, said combination being discriminated by said identifying signal discriminating part.