VOICE GUIDANCE SYSTEM AND ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT

• US 20140074482A1
• Filed: 08/22/2013
• Published: 03/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Original Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation
• Inventors: Ohno, Kazuyuki
• Granted Patent: US 9,368,125 B2
• 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 13/033 Voice editing, e.g. manipulating the voice of the synthesiser
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/047 characterised by the type of waveform to be thinned out or inserted
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/06 Transformation of speech into a non-audible representation, e.g. speech visualisation or speech processing for tactile aids G10L15/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72

Abstract

A voice guidance system is provided in which the voice guidance is enabled to easily follow a trend of change intervals, a rapid change of change intervals, etc. in a menu operation. The voice guidance system is configured with an input analyzing unit which inputs and analyzes an operation instruction signal of a menu item, a voice guidance control unit which controls voice guidance of the menu item according to the analysis result by the input analyzing unit, and a textual guidance control unit which performs display control of the menu item according to the analysis result by the input analyzing unit. The voice guidance control unit determines reproduction speed of the voice guidance according to the analysis result, on the basis of a speed trend obtained from a speed history as a set of plural pieces of reproduction speed information.

Claims

1. A voice guidance system comprising:

an input analyzing unit operable to input and to analyze an operation instruction signal of a menu item;

a voice guidance control unit operable to control voice guidance of the menu item according to the analysis result by the input analyzing unit; and

a display guidance controller operable to perform display control of the menu item according to the analysis result by the input analyzing unit,

wherein the voice guidance control unit determines reproduction speed of the voice guidance according to the analysis result, on the basis of a speed trend obtained from a speed history as a set of plural pieces of reproduction speed information.

2. voice guidance system according to claim 1,

wherein, when a new operation instruction of the menu item is issued in the middle of reproduction of the voice guidance, the voice guidance control unit increases the reproduction speed in the middle of reproduction within the highest speed.

3. The voice guidance system according to claim 2,

wherein, when a new operation instruction of the menu item is issued in the middle of reproduction of the voice guidance, the voice guidance control unit enables addition of increased reproduction speed information to the speed history.

4. The voice guidance system according to claim 3,

wherein, when the period during which the voice guidance of the menu item is stopped exceeds a prescribed period, the voice guidance control unit enables addition of decreased reproduction speed information to the speed history.

5. The voice guidance system according to claim 4,

wherein the voice guidance control unit determines the reproduction speed of the present voice guidance by a weighted average which allots larger weight to new reproduction speed information rather than old reproduction speed information, in adding to the speed history.

6. The voice guidance system according to claim 5,

wherein, when a new operation instruction of the menu item is issued in the middle of reproduction of the voice guidance at the presently determined reproduction speed, the voice guidance control unit invalidates the request of the new operation instruction concerned.

7. The voice guidance system according to claim 2,

wherein, when a new operation instruction of the menu item is issued in the middle of reproduction of the voice guidance at the presently determined reproduction speed, the voice guidance control unit updates speech speed mode data which determines the reproduction speed in the middle of reproduction to a value which increases the reproduction speed in the middle of reproduction by one step, and at the same time, when a mean value of the request interval obtained from a request interval history as a set of the interval time at which the voice guidance of the menu item has been requested by an operation instruction signal of the menu item is shorter than the remaining time of the voice guidance in the middle of reproduction, the voice guidance control unit increases the reproduction speed in the middle of reproduction within the highest speed, through the processing for updating the speech speed mode data to a value which increases the reproduction speed by one more step.

8. The voice guidance system according to claim 7,

wherein the reproduction speed information to be stored in the speed history is the speech speed mode data.

9. The voice guidance system according to claim 7,

wherein, when the period during which the voice guidance of the menu item is stopped exceeds a prescribed period, the voice guidance control unit adds, to the speed history, reproduction speed information which indicates the reproduction speed less than that of the immediately preceding reproduction speed information and greater than a reference speed, on condition that the immediately preceding reproduction speed is greater than the reference speed.

10. voice guidance system according to claim 9,

wherein the reproduction speed information to be stored in the speed history is the speech speed mode data which determines the reproduction speed.

11. The voice guidance system according to claim 1,

wherein the voice guidance control unit analyzes the voice data at a reference speed which is employed for the voice guidance of the menu item according to the analysis result of the operation instruction signal, grasps a repeated waveform portion, and generates the voice data to be employed for the voice guidance by omitting a repeated waveform portion by the necessary amount to satisfy the presently determined reproduction speed.

12. The voice guidance system according to claim 11,

wherein, when a new operation instruction of the menu item is issued in the middle of reproduction of the voice guidance, the voice guidance control unit increases the reproduction speed from the middle of the menu item under reproduction, by changing a portion of the subsequent reproduction to voice data in which the repeated waveform portion is furthermore omitted.

13. The voice guidance system according to claim 12,

wherein the voice guidance control unit holds the reference speed voice data in a storage device for each voice guidance, and acquires the reference speed voice data employed for the analysis from the storage device.

14. The voice guidance system according to claim 1,

wherein the display guidance controller switches the display to the corresponding menu item in synchronization with completion of the voice guidance.

15. Electronic equipment comprising:

a control device operable to input an operation instruction from an operating device and to respond to the operation instruction;

a display device operable to input a picture signal outputted from the control device; and

a speaker device operable to input an audio signal outputted from the control device,

wherein the control device comprises;

an input analyzing unit operable to input and to analyze an operation instruction signal of a menu item from the operating device;

a voice guidance control unit operable to perform voice guidance of the menu item according to the operation instruction using the speaker device, on the basis of the analysis result by the input analyzing unit;

a display guidance controller operable to display the menu item according to the operation instruction using the display device, on the basis of the analysis result by the input analyzing unit; and

an execution control unit operable to perform processing of the menu item instructed by the operation instruction, on the basis of the analysis result by the input analyzing unit, and

wherein the voice guidance control unit determines reproduction speed of the voice guidance according to the analysis result, on the basis of a speed trend obtained from a speed history as a set of plural pieces of reproduction speed information.

16. The electronic equipment according to claim 15,

wherein, when a new operation instruction of the menu item is issued in the middle of reproduction of the voice guidance, the voice guidance control unit increases the reproduction speed in the middle of reproduction within the highest speed.

17. The electronic equipment according to claim 16,

wherein, when a new operation instruction of the menu item is issued in the middle of reproduction of the voice guidance, the voice guidance control unit enables addition of the increased reproduction speed information to the speed history.

18. The electronic equipment according to claim 17,

wherein, when the period during which the voice guidance of the menu item is stopped exceeds a prescribed period, the voice guidance control unit enables addition of decreased reproduction speed information to the speed history.

19. The electronic equipment according to claim 15,

wherein, when a new operation instruction of the menu item is issued in the middle of reproduction of the voice guidance at the presently determined reproduction speed, the voice guidance control unit updates speech speed mode data which determines the reproduction speed in the middle of reproduction to a value which increases the reproduction speed in the middle of reproduction by one step, and at the same time, when a mean value of the request interval obtained from a request interval history as a set of the interval time at which the voice guidance of the menu item has been requested by an operation instruction signal of the menu item is shorter than the remaining time of the voice guidance in the middle of reproduction, the voice guidance control unit increases the reproduction speed in the middle of reproduction within the highest speed, through the processing for updating the speech speed mode data to a value which increases the reproduction speed by one more step.

20. electronic equipment according to claim 19,

wherein, when the period during which the voice guidance of the menu item is stopped exceeds a prescribed period, the voice guidance control unit adds, to the speed history, reproduction speed information which indicates the reproduction speed less than that of the immediately preceding reproduction speed information and greater than a reference speed, on condition that the immediately preceding reproduction speed is greater than the reference speed.