Data processing: speech signal processing – linguistics – language – Speech signal processing – Application
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-03
2001-11-13
Korzuch, William (Department: 2641)
Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language
Speech signal processing
Application
C704S258000, C701S211000, C340S996000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06317715
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a voice reproduction apparatus which receives an identifying signal from a transmitting unit and reproduces voice data, and to a voice reproduction system which employs the voice reproduction apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
In amusement parks, museums, theme parks, etc., portable voice reproduction apparatuses are used for providing vocal announcements such as guidance for respective sites visited. A user takes this voice reproduction apparatus to the front of a desired site or the like, and can listen to voice data such as guidance, explanation, etc. corresponding to that site, using a speaker, a headphone, an earphone, or the like.
A portable voice reproduction apparatus receives an ID signal (identifying signal) sent from a transmitting unit installed in the neighborhood of an exhibit or in a place where voice information is needed. Then, in accordance with the received ID signal, the voice reproduction apparatus reproduces and outputs, through a speaker or an earphone, voice information related to the received ID signal from among a plurality of voice data stored in a memory or the like in advance.
In the above described portable voice reproduction apparatus, it is possible that explanation in a foreign language such as English is recorded in advance for users who can not understand Japanese such as tourists from abroad. Thus, a user can perform key operation to select a reproduction number of an explanation corresponding to a desired site or the like, so as to listen to and understand the explanation in that foreign language.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-250863 discloses a wireless guide system in which a receiver for giving guide information is installed in advance at a site to be visited. When the receiver receives an ID code and a function code sent intermittently from a transmitter carried by a walker, the voice of the guide information is given through a speaker provided in the receiver.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-32891 discloses a method of and an apparatus for guiding a visually handicapped person. According to that method, along a walking path of a visiting site, there are embedded a memory part which stores identifying data corresponding to that place or the like and a transmitting part which transmits data from the memory part, and the data transmitted from the transmitting part is received by a receiving part provided in a tip portion of a white stick or the like carried by a visually handicapped person for selecting and reproducing a guide voice for guiding him.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In a case where a visually handicapped person carries such a voice guide apparatus as described above, they may lose their sense of direction.
The wireless guide system disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid-open No. 7-250863 can guide a walker by voice data. In the case, however, that a plurality of users carrying voice reproduction apparatuses are present in the same place, it is impossible to guide the users individually in accordance with respective users' necessity.
Although, according to the method of and apparatus for guiding a visually handicapped person disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Laid-open No. 4-32891, voice data can be used to guide a person, it is expensive to embed the equipment in a road. Further, with this construction of the embedded and fixed equipment, the guide path for users carrying the voice reproduction apparatuses is limited in its flexibility, and it is not easy to change the guide path.
An object of the present invention is to provide a voice reproduction apparatus and a voice reproduction system for reproducing a guide voice data corresponding to a moving direction of a user carrying the voice reproduction apparatus, which reproduces a voice data stored in advance in a storage part, being related to an identifying signal received.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a voice reproduction apparatus and voice reproduction system such that, even when a visually handicapped person uses them, he can recognize his moving direction using the guide voice.
According to a first embodiment of the present invention, a voice reproduction apparatus comprises:
a receiving part for receiving an identifying signal;
an identifying signal discriminating part for discriminating a combination of a previous identifying signal received previously by said receiving part and a subsequent identifying signal received by the receiving part next to said previous identifying signal;
a voice data storage part for storing a voice data, relating said voice data to said combination of identifying signals;
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 and corresponding to a combination of identifying signals discriminated by said identifying signal discriminating part.
With the voice reproduction apparatus of the first embodiment, it is possible to select and reproduce voice data corresponding to a user's moving direction, based on a combination of identifying signals in consideration of their receiving order as the user moves.
According to a second embodiment of the present invention, a voice reproduction apparatus comprises:
a receiving part for receiving an identifying signal;
an identifying signal discriminating part for judging if the identifying signal received by said receiving part is a reference-point identifying signal for setting a reference point or a direction identifying signal for indicating a direction, and discriminating a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said direction identifying signal;
a voice data storage part for storing a voice data, relating said voice data 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 and 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.
With the voice reproduction apparatus of the second embodiment, it is possible to select and reproduce voice data corresponding to a user's moving direction, based on a combination of a received reference-point identifying signal and a received direction identifying signal.
According to a third embodiment of the present invention, a voice reproduction apparatus comprises:
a receiving part for receiving an identifying signal;
an identifying signal discriminating part for judging if the identifying signal received by said receiving part is a direction identifying signal for indicating a direction or a reference-point identifying signal for regulating said direction identifying signal and setting a reference point, judging if said direction identifying signal is a regulated direction identifying signal or not, and discriminating a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said regulated direction identifying signal;
a voice data storage part for storing a voice data, relating said voice data to a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said regulated 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 and corresponding to a combination of said reference-point identifying signal and said regulated direction identifying signal, said
Dickstein , Shapiro, Morin & Oshinsky, LLP
Korzuch William
Nippon Columbia Co. Ltd.
Storm Donald L.
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