CONVERSATION SUPPORT APPARATUS, CONTROL METHOD OF CONVERSATION SUPPORT APPARATUS, AND PROGRAM FOR CONVERSATION SUPPORT APPARATUS

• US 20150154957A1
• Filed: 10/27/2014
• Published: 06/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: NAKADAI, Kazuhiro, NAKAMURA, Keisuke
• Granted Patent: US 9,691,387 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/263 Language identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/58 Use of machine translation, e.g. for multi-lingual retrieval, for server-side translation for client devices or for real-time translation
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0272 Voice signal separating

Abstract

A conversation support apparatus includes: a speech input unit configured to input speech signals of two or more users; a speech recognizing unit configured to recognize the speech signals input from the speech input unit; a display unit configured to display the recognition results of the speech recognizing unit; and an image processing unit configured to set display areas respectively corresponding to the users into an image display area of the display unit.

Claims

1. A conversation support apparatus comprising:

a speech input unit configured to input speech signals of two or more users;

a speech recognizing unit configured to recognize the speech signals input from the speech input unit;

a display unit configured to display the recognition results of the speech recognizing unit; and

an image processing unit configured to set display areas respectively corresponding to the users into an image display area of the display unit.

2. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sound source estimating unit configured to estimate sound source directions of the users,

wherein the image processing unit displays the recognition results of the speech recognizing unit in the display areas, which respectively correspond to the users, of the display unit at display angles respectively based on the sound source directions estimated by the sound source estimating unit.

3. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the image processing unit displays images based on the sound source directions estimated by the sound source estimating unit in the display areas, which respectively correspond to the users, of the display unit.

4. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sound source separating unit configured to separate the speech signals input from the speech input unit by the users,

wherein the image processing unit displays the recognition results of the speech signals of the users other than one of the users corresponding to one of the display areas, out of the speech signals by the users separated by the sound source separating unit, in the one display area.

5. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a position estimating unit configured to estimate positions of the users,

wherein the image processing unit sets or rearranges the display areas respectively corresponding to the users at positions respectively corresponding to the positions of the users estimated by the position estimating unit into the image display area of the display unit.

6. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the position estimating unit estimates the positions of the users using the speech signals input from the speech input unit.

7. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a translation unit configured to translate the recognition results of the speech recognizing unit,

wherein the image processing unit displays the translation results of the translation unit in the display areas, which respectively correspond to the users, of the display unit.

8. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a language information detecting unit configured to detect languages uttered by the users,

wherein the translation unit translates the recognition results of the speech signals of the users other than one of the users corresponding to one of the display areas into the language of the one user detected by the language information detecting unit.

9. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a communication unit configured to communicate with another conversation support apparatus,

wherein the speech input unit inputs a speech signal received by the communication unit from the another conversation support apparatus, and

wherein the speech recognizing unit recognizes a speech signal of an user other than the users corresponding to the display areas out of the speech signals input from the speech input unit.

10. The conversation support apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising an input unit configured to select a part of an image displayed on the display unit,

wherein the image processing unit displays other recognition candidates corresponding to the selected part of the image on the display unit when the part of the image selected by the input unit is the recognition result displayed on the display unit, corrects the recognition result to the recognition candidate selected by the input unit out of the recognition candidates, and transmits the corrected recognition result to the another conversation support apparatus through the use of the communication unit.

11. A control method of a conversation support apparatus, comprising:

a speech input step of causing a speech input unit to input speech signals of two or more users;

a speech recognizing step of causing a speech recognizing unit to recognize the speech signals input in the speech input step; and

an image processing step of causing an image processing unit to set display areas respectively corresponding to the users into an image display area of a display unit which is configured to display the recognition results of the speech recognizing step.

12. A program for a conversation support apparatus causing a computer of the conversation support apparatus to perform:

a speech input procedure of inputting speech signals of two or more users;

a speech recognizing procedure of recognizing the speech signals input in the speech input procedure; and

an image processing procedure of setting display areas respectively corresponding to the users into an image display area of a display unit which is configured to display the recognition results of the speech recognizing procedure.