WO2019174622A1 - Voice control device and voice control method - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a voice control device, which has: an instruction server (1a), which analyzes an instruction of a volume control inputted from the outside and outputs an operation signal to a broadcast receiving device (1) serving as a control object; and a control unit (10), which determines a changed volume value (Vo) on the basis of the operation signal and compares a current volume value (Vp) of the broadcast receiving device (1) with the changed volume value (Vo), and, if the changed volume value (Vo) is greater than a set volume maximum value (Vh) or the difference between the current volume value (Vp) and the changed volume value (Vo) is greater than a set maximum volume change magnitude Vcl, resets the changed volume value (Vo).

Description

Voice control device and voice control method Technical field

The present embodiment relates to a voice control device and a voice control method.

Background technique

In recent years, in the process of connecting various devices to the network and promoting the Internet of Things (IoT), the situation in which each device operates in tandem has increased. In particular, after a speaker having an AI function-equipped wireless communication connection function and an auxiliary function for sound operation (hereinafter referred to as an AI speaker) has been put into practical use, the use of an AI speaker to operate a device connected via a network has been increasing.

For example, when the AI speaker is used, the operation using the remote control method or the like of the power-on/off, volume adjustment, and the like of the device can be remotely operated in a hands-free manner, and thus the convenience is greatly improved for the user.

However, on the other hand, in the case of remote control from other devices such as AI speakers, the user does not actually need to look at the device of the controlled object for operation, and thus the user sometimes performs an erroneous operation (incorrect input) Instructions). In addition, due to the user's erroneous operation of the AI speaker, a failure in the middle of the instruction transmission path, etc., it is possible to perform an operation that is not intended by the user.

For example, when it is desired to control the volume of an audio device (speaker) built in a broadcast receiving device or the like by a voice recognition function of another device such as an AI speaker, there is a case where the volume becomes extremely large due to erroneous recognition of the sound or the like. The problem.

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2017-175397

Summary of the invention

An object of the present invention is to provide a voice control device and a voice control method capable of suppressing a change in volume to an unintended size while reducing volume by remote operation.

The voice control device of the present invention includes: an instruction server that analyzes an instruction of volume control input from the outside, and outputs an operation signal to a voice control device that is a controlled object; and a volume control unit that determines to change the volume value based on the operation signal, And comparing the current volume value of the voice control device with the changed volume value, where the changed volume value is greater than the set maximum volume value, or the difference between the changed volume value and the current volume value is greater than In the case of the set maximum volume change amount, the volume control unit resets the changed volume value.

DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a configuration of a sound control system using a sound control device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a broadcast receiving apparatus which is an example of a voice control device according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of a method of setting the maximum value of the volume and the maximum value of the volume change range.

4 is a flow chart for explaining an example of a voice control method according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a flow chart showing an example of a method for determining whether or not the volume can be changed.

Fig. 6 is a flow chart showing an example of a method of resetting the volume after the change.

Fig. 7 is a flow chart showing another example of the voice control method according to the present invention.

detailed description

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of a configuration of a sound control system using a sound control device according to the present invention. The voice control device 100 has a voice control device 1 and an instruction server 1a. Further, the speaker 200 with a microphone is connected to the command server 1a via the network line 400 and the voice recognition server 300.

The voice control device 1 can adjust the volume of the built-in audio device according to a control instruction from the outside. Hereinafter, a broadcast receiving device will be described as an example of the voice control device 1. The broadcast receiving device 1 as a voice control device has a control unit 10. The control unit 10 is configured by a processor using a CPU or the like, and can control each unit in accordance with a program stored in the ROM 10a using the RAM 10b, or can realize some or all of the functions by using an electronic circuit of hardware. Further, a nonvolatile memory 10c is also provided in the control unit 10. The preset volume maximum value Vh and the volume change width maximum value Vcl are stored in the nonvolatile memory 10c. Further, various kinds of information extracted from a broadcast signal to be described later are stored in the nonvolatile memory 10c. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a broadcast receiving apparatus as an example of a volume control device according to an embodiment.

The antenna 21 receives the height BS broadcast and the high-bandwidth CS broadcast (hereinafter referred to as high-bandwidth broadcast) and supplies the high-bandwidth broadcast signal to the input terminal 2a of the broadcast receiving apparatus 1. The height wideband broadcast signal input to the input terminal 2a is supplied to the tuner section Tu.

The tuner section Tu has a plurality of tuners Tu1, Tu2, ... (hereinafter collectively referred to as tuner Tun). The tuner Tun is controlled by the control unit 10, and selects a broadcast signal of a desired channel from the respective high-bandwidth broadcast signals input, and outputs the selected signal to the signal processing unit 3. The signal processing unit 3 demodulates the input broadcast signal.

In the example of FIG. 2, only one antenna 21 corresponding to the high-bandwidth broadcast is shown. However, an antenna corresponding to terrestrial digital broadcasting, BS broadcasting, or CS broadcasting may be provided, and signals from the respective antennas may be supplied to the tuning unit. Tu. In this case, the signal processing unit 3 performs demodulation in accordance with the modulation scheme of each broadcast. Thereby, the stream of each broadcast signal is obtained in the signal processing unit 3. It is to be noted that an example in which each broadcast signal is input via an antenna is shown in FIG. 2, but the transmission path of the broadcast signal is not particularly limited, and may be an IP broadcast received via a network line without an antenna, via a cable television broadcast network. Received broadcast.

For example, for the highly wideband broadcast signal, a TLV (Type Length Value) stream can be obtained by demodulation by the signal processing unit 3. The signal processing unit 3 separates the IP packets included in the TLV stream, extracts video data, audio data, subtitle data, character superimposition (text), application data, and ECM (Entitlement Control Message) included in the IP packet. : Authorization Control Message), EMM (Entitlement Management Message) various messages.

Further, the signal processing unit 3 extracts a transport stream (a transport stream multiplexed according to the MPEG-2 Systems standard) by a demodulation process with respect to a current broadcast signal such as a terrestrial digital broadcast signal. The signal processing unit 3 extracts video data and audio data from the transport stream, and extracts various messages including ECM and EMM.

A CAS module 15 is provided in the broadcast receiving apparatus 1. The CAS module 15 is used to define the control of the reception mode. The CAS module 15 may be mounted on a chip embedded in the broadcast receiving device 1 and may be configured by a substrate in which a CAS module is embedded, and the substrate may be inserted into a narrow not shown in the broadcast receiving device 1 . A slot is implemented to limit the reception function. In addition, the CAS module 15 also has a function of a limited reception function of a high-bandwidth broadcast and a limited reception function of a current broadcast, or a limited reception function of only a high-bandwidth broadcast, and the limited reception function of the current broadcast is adopted as an IC. The case where the CAS card of the card 23 is implemented.

The signal processing unit 3 performs predetermined signal processing on the extracted video and audio of each broadcast method, and obtains video data and audio data. The signal processing unit 3 supplies video data and audio data to the graphics processing unit 4 or the audio processing unit 7, and supplies other data to the control unit 10.

The OSD (On-screen display) signal generation unit 5 generates image information (OSD signal) for overprint display based on the information supplied from the control unit 10 and supplies it to the graphics processing unit 4. The graphics processing unit 4 manages the digitized video data from the signal processing unit 3 and the GUI (Graphical User Interface)-based window drawing from the OSD signal generating unit 5, and superimposes the data based on the image data-based image. The broadcast, the image of the GUI, and the like are sent to the image processing unit 6.

For example, in addition to the video data, various data for acquiring a program, electronic program guide (EPG) information, program attribute information, subtitle information, and the like are supplied to the graphics processing unit 4, and the graphics processing unit 4 can perform the above-described The image generation processing of the EPG, the subtitle, and the like is displayed by the input information.

The video processing unit 6 is controlled by the control unit 10 to convert the digital video signal from the graphics processing unit 4 into a format (number of pixels, frame rate, scanning method) that can be displayed on the video display unit 8, or to arbitrarily adjust the display color. It is output to the image display unit 8. Thereby, the video can be displayed on the display screen of the video display unit 8.

Further, the sound processing unit 7 converts the digitized sound data from the signal processing unit 3 into an analog sound signal that can be played by the speaker 9, and then outputs it to the speaker 9 to play the sound. It should be noted that when the broadcast receiving device is a set top box or the like, it is not necessary to include the video display unit 8 and the speaker 9.

A card interface (I/F) 13, a communication I/F 16, a USB I/F 17, and an HDMI I/F 18 are provided in the broadcast receiving apparatus 1. The card I/F 13 enables data transmission and reception between the IC card 23 attached to the card holder 14 and the control unit 10. For example, in the case where a CAS card (hereinafter referred to as a B-CAS card) corresponding to the current digital broadcast is employed as the IC card 23, the card I/F 13 transmits and receives data related to descrambling of the current broadcast.

The communication I/F 16 is an interface corresponding to a predetermined communication path such as a telephone line or a LAN. The terminal 2b is connected to the command server 1a so that data can be transmitted and received via the command server 1a between the external device and the control unit 10. An operation signal such as a volume change can be input from the command server 1a via the communication I/F 16, and the communication I/F 16 can output the received operation signal to the control unit 10.

The control unit 10 as the volume control unit controls the respective portions of the broadcast receiving device 1 based on the operation signal input from the command server 1a via the communication I/F 16. For example, when the operation of increasing the volume is performed, the control unit 10 generates an appropriate volume change instruction signal and outputs it to the sound processing unit 7 after verifying the validity of the input volume change operation. The sound processing unit 7 performs volume change processing based on the volume change instruction signal.

In addition, the HDMI I/F 18 is an interface corresponding to the HDMI (registered trademark) standard, and can be connected to an external device (not shown) via the terminal 2d, and can receive an HDMI (registered trademark) signal from the external device and output it to the control unit 10. Alternatively, an HDMI (registered trademark) signal from the control unit 10 is output to the external device via the terminal 2d.

The USBI/F 17 is an interface corresponding to the USB standard, and is connected to a USB-compatible device such as the HDD 24 via the terminal 2c, so that data can be transmitted and received between the USB-compatible device and the control unit 10. For example, when the HDD 24 is connected to the terminal 2c, the control unit 10 can supply image data to the HDD 24 via the USB I/F 17 and the terminal 2c for recording.

In the case where the recording unit is configured by an HDD, an optical disk drive, an SD (registered trademark) card reader/writer or the like (not shown) built in the broadcast receiving device 1, the control unit 10 can also transmit a signal of the broadcast program. Recorded in each of these recording sections.

For example, the control unit 10 is configured such that the descrambled program data (video and audio data) acquired by the signal processing unit 3 can be supplied to the USB I/F 17 via the USB I/F 17 when the user specifies the recording of the broadcast program. HDD24, making it record. It is to be noted that the control unit 10 is configured to be able to perform recording of a broadcast program even in a standby state (function standby state).

The broadcast receiving device 1 is provided with an operation unit 11 and a receiving unit 12. The operation unit 11 is constituted by a switch, a key, a button, and the like (not shown), and outputs an operation signal based on a user operation to the control unit 10. Further, the receiving unit 12 receives an operation signal based on a user operation from the remote controller 22, and outputs the received operation signal to the control unit 10. The control unit 10 controls each part of the broadcast receiving device 1 based on an operation signal from the operation unit 11 and the receiving unit 12. For example, when an operation of designating a channel number is designated by the up/down key, the one-touch dial key, or the like by the remote controller 22, each tuner Tun performs a channel selection operation based on an operation signal from the receiving unit 12.

A power switch (not shown) for turning on/off the power of the broadcast receiving device 1 is disposed in the operation unit 11 and the remote controller 22. The broadcast receiving device 1 is provided with a power supply circuit (not shown) for supplying power to each unit, and the control unit 10 is configured to control the power supply state to each part of the broadcast receiving device 1 by operating a switch of the power supply. , thus set to standby.

It should be noted that, in the standby state, at least the graphics processing unit 4, the OSD signal generating unit 5, the video processing unit 6, the audio processing unit 7, the video display unit 8, and the speaker 9 of FIG. 2 are stopped, even if the control unit 10 is When the action is taken, the user cannot watch the broadcast program. Further, when the present embodiment is applied to a decoder that receives a high-bandwidth broadcast and outputs video and audio, the standby state means an output stop state of video and audio data.

The control unit 10 can realize various functions as described below in the standby state. For example, the control unit 10 has a power supply that supplies power to a circuit necessary for receiving the download content information based on the notification information in the standby state, downloads the downloaded content at the same time, and cuts off the power supply when the download ends. control function. In addition, the control unit 10 has a power supply control function that allows the download content to be downloaded and the power supply to be turned off when the download is completed, even when the power switch is turned off to the standby state.

The control unit 10 can also operate in the same manner as the above-described energization control process for the EMM acquisition.

The control unit 10 can acquire EPG information using the channel search in the standby state.

The control unit 10 can receive the TMCC in the standby state, and monitors the emergency notification descriptor (MH) of the MPT in the reception channel even when the start control bit of the TMCC is 1, so that the emergency alarm broadcast (EWS) can be received and processed. .

The control unit 10 is capable of executing various reservation operations (program reservations, etc.) of the recipient.

The command server 1a receives an operation signal input from the outside via the network line 400 and input to the broadcast receiving apparatus 1. The instruction content, parameters, and the like of the received operation signal are interpreted, converted into a format that can be processed by the broadcast receiving apparatus 1, and output. The operation signal output from the command server 1a is input to the control unit 10 of the broadcast receiving device 1 via the terminal 2b and the communication I/F 16.

The speaker 200 with a microphone is a speaker having an auxiliary function of a network connection function and a sound operation. After the voice command issued by the user is input to the speaker 200 with the microphone, the sound command signal is output to the voice recognition server 300. The microphone-equipped speaker 200 can output not only the voice command from the user to the voice recognition server 300 but also the voice input from the voice recognition server 300.

The voice recognition server 300 performs language analysis on the voice command input from the speaker 200 with the microphone, and recognizes the operation content and the operation target that the voice command is intended to perform. For example, when the user inputs a voice command "raise the volume of the television" to the speaker 200 with the microphone, the voice recognition server 300 recognizes that the operation content is "increased volume" by the language analysis, and the operation target is "television (=broadcast receiving device 1) ". Then, the operation content is output as an operation instruction signal to the device of the operation target or the device of the device that controls the operation target.

For example, in the case shown in FIG. 1, in the case where an operation instruction to the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 input from the speaker 200 with a microphone is instructed as a voice command, the voice recognition server 300 moves toward the command server 1a via the network line 400. The operation instruction content is output to the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 as an operation instruction signal.

Next, the voice control method in the present embodiment will be described. As a pre-work for receiving a remote operation from the outside, first, the broadcast receiving device 1 sets the volume maximum value Vh and the volume change width maximum value Vcl. This setting operation will be described using FIG. 3. Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing an example of a method of setting the maximum value of the volume and the maximum value of the volume change width.

First, the user turns on the power of the broadcast receiving device 1, and displays a setting menu screen for setting the maximum value of the volume and the maximum value of the volume change width on the display screen of the video display unit 8 using the remote controller 22 or the like (S1).

Next, the value of the volume maximum value Vh and the volume change width maximum value Vcl (S2) is input using the remote controller 22 or the like. The volume maximum value Vh should be selected from a value within a range from 0 to the maximum volume that the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 can output. For example, when the volume can be set to 0 to 100, the volume maximum value Vh is selected (or input) to a value of 100 or less. Further, the volume change width maximum value Vcl is also selected from a value within a range from 0 to the maximum volume that the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 can output.

Finally, the value set in S2 is written in the nonvolatile memory 10c by pressing the save button or the like displayed on the screen (S3).

It is to be noted that, in the case where the default volume maximum value Vh and the volume change width maximum value Vcl are previously recorded in the nonvolatile memory 10c when the product is shipped, if the user does not perform the volume maximum value and the volume change amount is the largest. The default values can be used for the value settings.

Further, when the default value is not set and the user does not perform the setting, the maximum volume that can be set by the broadcast receiving device 1 is set to the volume maximum value Vh, and the maximum value can be set within the range in which the volume can be set. The value obtained by subtracting the minimum volume from the volume is set to the maximum value of the volume change range Vcl. For example, when the volume range that can be set is 0 to 100, the volume maximum value Vh=100 and the volume change width maximum value Vcl=100 (=100-0) are set.

Next, the voice control method in the present embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, a method of increasing the volume of the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 by remote operation in accordance with a user's voice command will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a voice control method according to the embodiment.

First, the user inputs the content to the speaker 200 with the microphone in order to increase the volume of the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 (S11). For example, the user issues a voice command such as "increasing the volume of the television" to the speaker 200 with the microphone. The speaker 200 with a microphone outputs the input voice command as sound data to the voice recognition server 300 (S12).

The voice recognition server 300 analyzes the input voice data and analyzes the user's intention (S13). Specifically, the operation content is discriminated by the analysis of the sound data, and the device as the operation target is judged. For example, when the sound data of "increasing the volume of the television" is input, it is determined that the operation content is the volume increase, and it is determined that the device to be operated is the broadcast receiving apparatus 1.

Next, the voice recognition server 300 outputs the analysis result to the command server 1a via the network line 400 (S14). The output destination of the analysis result is selected based on the operation target device determined in S13. In the case where the operation target is the broadcast receiving apparatus 1, the instruction server 1a to which the operation signal is input is selected to output the analysis result.

The instruction server 1a recognizes the content of the operation, the parameters, and the operation target device based on the analysis result input from the voice recognition server 300. When it recognizes that the operation target device is the broadcast receiving device 1, and the operation content is the volume increase, an operation signal in a form that can be processed in the broadcast receiving device 1 as the volume control device is generated and output (S15). The operation signal output from the command server 1a is input to the control unit 10 of the broadcast receiving device 1 via the terminal 2b and the communication I/F 16.

In the broadcast receiving apparatus 1, the control unit 10 checks the validity when the volume is controlled based on the operation signal input from the command server 1a (S16). Specifically, when the content is an instruction to increase the volume, it is determined whether or not the changed volume Vo exceeds the set volume maximum value Vh. Further, it is also determined whether or not the volume change amount Vc from the current volume Vp exceeds the maximum value Vcl of the set change width. The specific inspection procedure in S16 will be described using FIG.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a method of determining whether or not the volume can be changed. First, the current volume value Vp stored in the nonvolatile memory 10c is acquired (S21). Next, it is determined whether or not the changed volume value Vo is input from the command server 1a (S22). When the user specifies a specific volume in S11 of FIG. 4 and inputs an instruction to increase the volume to the microphone-equipped speaker 200, the operation signal output from the command server 1a to the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 also includes the change in S15. After the volume value Vo. When the changed volume value Vo is input (S22, YES), the changed volume value Vo and the set volume maximum value Vh are compared (S23).

On the other hand, when the changed volume value Vo is not included in the operation signal output from the command server 1a to the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 (No in S22), it is determined whether or not the volume change amount Vc is input from the command server 1a (S24). ). In S11 of FIG. 4, when the user specifies a specific volume change amount and inputs an instruction to increase the volume to the microphone-equipped speaker 200, for example, when an audio command such as "increasing the volume of the television by 10" is input, The volume change amount Vc is also included in the operation signal output from the command server 1a to the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 in S15.

When the volume change amount Vc is input (Yes in S24), the current volume value Vp is added to the volume change amount Vc, and the changed volume value Vo is calculated (S26). On the other hand, when the volume change amount Vc is not input (No in S24), the current volume value Vp is added to the preset volume change setting amount Vcd, and the changed volume value Vo is calculated (S25). . It is to be noted that the volume change setting amount Vcd is a value (predetermined value) used for the volume control when only the instruction to change the volume is input and the change condition is not input. The volume maximum value Vh and the volume change width maximum value Vcl are stored in advance in the nonvolatile memory 10c.

When the changed volume value Vo is calculated in S25 or S26, the changed volume value Vo and the set volume maximum value Vh are compared (S23). When the changed volume value Vo is larger than the volume maximum value Vh (S23, YES), it is determined that the inspection result is unchangeable (S29), and the series of inspection steps is ended.

On the other hand, when the changed volume value Vo is equal to or less than the volume maximum value Vh (No in S23), the volume change range is compared with the set volume change width maximum value Vcl (S27). It should be noted that the magnitude of the volume change is calculated by subtracting the current volume value Vp from the changed volume value Vo. When the volume change amount is larger than the set volume change width maximum value Vcl (S27, YES), it is determined that the check result is unchangeable (S29), and the series of inspection steps is ended.

On the other hand, when the volume change range is equal to or smaller than the set volume change width maximum value Vcl (No in S27), it is determined that the check result is OK (S28), and the series of inspection steps is ended.

When the result of the check is OK (S17, YES), the control unit 10 outputs a control signal to the sound processing unit 7 in accordance with an instruction input from the command server 1a to change the volume of the speaker 9 to the change. After the volume value Vo. The sound processing unit 7 changes the volume in accordance with the control signal (S18), and ends the series of processes of the voice control.

On the other hand, if the result of the check is not changeable (No in S17), the control unit 10 resets the volume value Vo after the change (S19). The specific procedure of resetting the changed volume value Vo will be described using FIG.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a method of resetting the volume after the change. First, the value obtained by subtracting the current volume value Vp from the changed volume value Vo set at the time point, that is, the volume change range is compared with the volume change width maximum value Vcl (S31). When the volume change range is equal to or less than the volume change width maximum value Vcl (No in S31), the changed volume value Vo is compared with the set volume maximum value Vh (S33).

On the other hand, when the volume change range is larger than the volume change width maximum value Vcl (S31, YES), the volume obtained by adding the current volume value Vp and the volume change width maximum value Vcl is reset to the changed value. The volume value is Vo (S32). Then, the changed volume value Vo is compared with the set volume maximum value Vh (S33).

When the changed volume value Vo is equal to or smaller than the set volume maximum value Vh (No in S33), the changed volume value Vo is determined, and a series of volume resetting steps are ended. When the changed volume value Vo is larger than the set volume maximum value Vh (S33, YES), the volume maximum value Vh is reset to the changed volume value Vo (S34), and the series of volume ends. Reset the steps.

Returning to the step of FIG. 4, after the changed volume value Vo is reset, the control unit 10 outputs a control signal to the sound processing unit 7 to change the volume of the speaker 9 to the changed volume value Vo. The sound processing unit 7 changes the volume in accordance with the control signal (S19). Then, the user is notified of the content indicating that the content is restricted to be executed (S20), and the series of processing of the voice control is ended.

The notification of the content indicating that the content is restricted to be executed is output from the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 via the instruction server 1a, the network line 400, and the voice recognition server 300 from the speaker 200 with the microphone.

For example, when the current volume of the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 is 19 and the volume maximum value Vh is 40, when the user inputs "the volume of the television is increased by 30" to the speaker 200 with the microphone, the limit according to the volume maximum value Vh is limited. Condition, the volume after the change is not the user's desired 49 but 40. In this way, when the volume is not changed to the state intended by the user, the speaker is notified to the user via the speaker via the microphone 200. It should be noted that the manner of notification is not limited to sound. For example, the notification may be displayed as a message on the display screen of the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 or the like, or may be notified to the user in other manners. Further, the notification depending on the sound can be performed not only by the device (=the speaker 200 with a microphone) to which the operation content is input, but also by the speaker 9 of the broadcast receiving device 1, for example.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, in the case where the content of the audio device is instructed to increase the volume by remote control from another device such as a speaker with a microphone, the volume maximum value Vh and the volume change range maximum value Vcl are set in advance in the audio device. By comparing the contents of the operation instruction input by the volume with these set values, it is judged whether or not the operation instruction content is appropriate. When it is judged as "appropriate", the volume is changed in accordance with the input operation instruction content. On the other hand, when it is judged as "inappropriate", the volume is changed within a predetermined range based on the volume maximum value Vh and the volume change width maximum value Vcl. This makes it possible to prevent a sudden output of a large volume from the audio device, and it is possible to reduce irritation to the user.

In addition, the above-mentioned content is a determination as to whether or not the content of the operation instruction by the control unit 10 of the broadcast receiving device 1 as the audio device is appropriate, and when the content of the operation instruction is determined to be inappropriate, the operation may be performed by an instruction. The server 1a is coming.

For example, an operation signal is input to the command server 1a, and the operation target device is the broadcast receiving device 1. When the operation content is recognized as the volume increase, the command server 1a outputs the volume maximum value Vh and the volume change range to the broadcast receiving device 1. The maximum value Vcl and an indication of the current volume value Vp. When receiving the instruction, the control unit 10 of the broadcast receiving device 1 outputs the values stored in the nonvolatile memory 10c to the command server 1a. The instruction server 1a judges whether or not the operation instruction content is appropriate using these input values. If the determination is not appropriate, the volume value Vo after the change is reset, and an operation signal is input to the broadcast receiving device 1.

Further, the above two servers are provided with a voice recognition server having a function of analyzing a voice command input from a speaker with a microphone, analyzing a text data to analyze a user's intention, and an instruction server for giving an operation instruction to the audio device. The device transmits the operation content based on the voice instruction from the user. However, these functions may be performed by one server, or may be configured such that three or more servers share the functions.

Alternatively, the command server 1a may be configured inside the volume control device 1.

Further, in the case where the determination operation instruction content is "inappropriate", the volume change is performed by resetting the sound operation device to the appropriate operation instruction content, but the user may be inquired as to whether or not the operation is possible. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating another example of the voice control method according to the embodiment.

When the user inputs a voice command to increase the volume of the broadcast receiving device 1 to the speaker 200 with the microphone, the user proceeds to the validity of the check operation instruction content (a series of steps from S11 to S17 in FIG. 4), and the determination check is performed. If the result is inappropriate (S17, NO), the broadcast receiving apparatus 1 notifies the user that the result of the check is "inappropriate" and asks whether or not the volume can be changed (S41). As a method of notification, in S20 of FIG. 4, similarly to the method of notifying that the change is controlled, the command server 1a, the network line 400, and the voice recognition server 300 are notified by sound from the speaker 200 with a microphone.

The user inputs the operation instruction again by voice according to the inquiry of whether or not the volume can be changed. The voice command input from the user is again subjected to predetermined analysis by the voice recognition server 300, and is input as an operation signal to the command server 1a via the network line 400. The command server 1a converts the operation signal into a predetermined format and inputs it to the broadcast receiving apparatus 1. The control unit 10 outputs a control signal to the sound processing unit 7 in accordance with an instruction input from the command server 1a to change the volume of the speaker 9 in accordance with an operation instruction input from the user. The sound processing unit 7 changes the volume in accordance with the control signal (S42), and ends the series of processes of the voice control.

When it is determined that the content of the initial operation instruction is not appropriate, the user is again inquired, and when the user wants to change the volume by exceeding the set value (volume maximum value Vh, volume change width maximum value Vcl) It can cope with and can perform volume adjustment operations more flexibly.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and applications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims (10)

A sound control device characterized by having: An instruction server that parses an instruction of a volume control input from the outside and outputs an operation signal to a voice control device that is a controlled object; The volume control unit determines to change the volume value based on the operation signal, and compares the current volume value of the voice control device with the changed volume value, where the changed volume value is greater than the set maximum volume value, or When the difference between the changed volume value and the current volume value is greater than the set maximum volume change amount, the volume control unit resets the changed volume value. The sound control device according to claim 1, wherein The volume control command is a voice command. The sound control device according to claim 1, wherein The volume control unit resets the value smaller than the changed volume value, or resets the changed volume value to a value such that the difference is smaller than the set maximum volume change amount, as the re set up. The sound control device according to claim 2, wherein The volume control unit resets the value smaller than the changed volume value, or resets the changed volume value to a value such that the difference is smaller than the set maximum volume change amount, as the re set up. A voice control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that When the volume change value is reset, the volume control unit notifies that the content has been reset. A voice control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that The volume control unit issues an inquiry as to whether the volume can be changed when the changed volume value is greater than the maximum volume value or the difference between the changed volume value and the current volume value is greater than the maximum volume change amount. . A voice control method, comprising: An instruction for volume control input from the outside is parsed, and an operation signal is output to the voice control device as the controlled object; Determining a volume change value based on the operation signal; Comparing a current volume value of the voice control device with the changed volume value; Rechanging the changed volume value when the changed volume value is greater than the set maximum volume value or the difference between the changed volume value and the current volume value is greater than the set maximum volume change amount set up. The voice control method according to claim 7, wherein The volume control command is a voice command. A voice control method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein When the change volume value is reset, the notification is reset. A voice control method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein When the changed volume value is greater than the maximum volume value, or the difference between the changed volume value and the current volume value is greater than the maximum volume change amount, an inquiry is made as to whether the volume can be changed.

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