JP7557822B2 - Wiring systems and communication systems - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure generally relates to wiring systems and communication systems. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a wiring system for supplying power from an external power source to an external electrical device, and a communication system including the wiring system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a communication device. This communication device includes an embedded module and an exposed module. The embedded module includes a housing whose rear portion is inserted into a construction hole provided in the construction surface. The exposed module includes a case that includes an engagement portion that engages with an engaged portion included in the embedded module and is detachably attached to the front surface of the embedded module. The embedded module and exposed module each include a terminal portion that electrically connects them to each other.

The embedded module includes a transmission unit that transmits signals sent and received between the remote communication device, and a power supply unit that supplies power to the exposed module. The exposed module includes an audio input/output unit that inputs and outputs audio, and a signal processing unit that is connected to the audio input/output unit and the transmission unit and inputs and outputs audio signals.

JP 2009-267524 A

In the communication device of Patent Document 1, the user can talk to the user of the other communication device by using the voice input/output unit, but cannot perform other control based on the input/output voice. Therefore, there is a demand for improving user convenience.

The purpose of this disclosure is to improve user convenience.

A wiring system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a power connector, a load connector, a microphone, a command recognition unit, a speaker recognition unit, a determination unit, a communication unit, and a registration processing unit. The power connector is connected to an external power source. The load connector is connected to an external electrical device, and outputs power received from the power source via the power connector to the electrical device. The microphone outputs an electrical signal based on an input sound. The command recognition unit performs voice recognition to recognize a voice included in the sound based on the electrical signal, and recognizes a command indicated by the recognized voice. The speaker recognition unit recognizes a speaker of the voice indicating the command based on the electrical signal. The determination unit determines whether or not speaker voice information related to the voice of the speaker recognized by the speaker recognition unit matches registered voice information. When the speaker voice information matches the registered voice information, the communication unit transmits an instruction signal including the command recognized by the command recognition unit to an external target device. The registration processing unit registers the registered voice information related to the voice of the target person. The registration processing unit acquires voice information of the subject based on the sound input to the microphone, and registers the registration voice information based on the acquired voice information of the subject. The communication unit communicates with an external communication device. The registration processing unit starts acquiring the voice information of the subject in response to a registration instruction signal transmitted from the communication device.

A communication system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes the wiring system and the target device.

The present disclosure has the advantage of making it possible to improve user convenience.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a communication system including a wiring system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic system configuration diagram showing the above communication system. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication system. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication system.

The wiring system and communication system according to the embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. However, the embodiment described below is merely one of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The embodiment described below can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved. In addition, each figure described in the embodiment described below is a schematic diagram, and the ratio of the size and thickness of each component in the figure does not necessarily reflect the actual dimensional ratio.

(1) Overview The wiring system 1 (wiring device) of the present embodiment is installed in a facility 7. The facility 7 is, for example, a residential facility such as a detached house or an apartment building, or a non-residential facility such as an office, a store, an underground shopping mall, a hotel, a station, an airport, a school, a factory, a library, an art gallery, a museum, a hospital, or a nursing home. In the present embodiment, a case in which the wiring system 1 is used in a detached house as the facility 7 will be described as an example. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 , the wiring system 1 of the present embodiment is an outlet 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wiring system 1 includes a power supply side connector 17 and a load side connector 18. The power supply side connector 17 is connected to an external power supply 90, such as a commercial power supply or a distributed power supply. The load side connector 18 is connected to an external electrical device. The load side connector 18 outputs the power received from the power supply 90 via the power supply side connector 17 to the electrical device.

As shown in FIG. 1, the wiring system 1 of this embodiment further includes a microphone 11, a command recognition unit 121, and a communication unit 13.

The microphone 11 outputs an electrical signal based on the input sound. The command recognition unit 121 performs voice recognition to recognize the voice contained in the sound based on the electrical signal output from the microphone 11, and recognizes the command indicated by the recognized voice. The communication unit 13 transmits an instruction signal S1 including the command recognized by the command recognition unit 121 to the external target device 2.

In this manner, in this embodiment, the wiring system 1 installed in the facility 7 can transmit an instruction signal S1 to the target device 2 to control the target device 2. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the convenience for the user.

(2) Details The wiring system 1 of the present embodiment and the communication system 100 including the same will be described below with reference to the drawings. As described above, the wiring system 1 of the present embodiment is an outlet. Therefore, hereinafter, the wiring system 1 may be referred to as an "outlet 10."

(2.1) Communication System FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system 100 including an outlet 10. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a facility 7 to which the communication system 100 is applied. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the communication system 100 includes an outlet 10 (wiring system 1), a target device 2, a communication device 3, and an electrical device 80 to be controlled. The electrical device 80 to be controlled here is the electrical device 80 to be controlled by the outlet 10. The communication device 3 and the electrical device 80 may not be included as components of the communication system 100. In addition, the facility 7 may be appropriately provided with other elements such as an outlet not including a command recognition unit 121, an electrical device other than the electrical device 80 to be controlled, etc. In addition, in the example of FIG. 2, the communication system 100 includes three outlets 10 (wiring system 1), but this is not limited thereto, and the communication system 100 may include one or more outlets 10.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the outlet 10 (wiring system 1) includes a microphone 11, a processing unit 12, a communication unit 13, a memory unit 14, a power supply unit 15, a power supply side connector 17, a load side connector 18, and a housing 19.

The microphone 11 outputs an electrical signal based on the input sound. Specifically, the microphone 11 collects sounds such as human speech, converts them into an electrical signal, and outputs the converted electrical signal to the processing unit 12. In this embodiment, the microphone 11 has an analog-to-digital conversion unit (A/D conversion unit) and converts analog electrical signals into digital electrical signals for output.

The processing unit 12 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer whose main components are a processor and a memory. In other words, the processing unit 12 is realized by a computer system having a processor and a memory. The processor executes an appropriate program, causing the computer system to function as the processing unit 12. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card. The processing unit 12 performs overall control of the outlet 10. Details of the processing unit 12 will be described later.

The communication unit 13 includes a first communication unit 131 and a second communication unit 132.

The first communication unit 131 communicates with the target device 2. The first communication unit 131 has, for example, a communication interface that complies with the standard for low-power radio that does not require a radio station license. For this type of low-power radio, the specifications such as the frequency band or antenna power to be used depending on the application are stipulated in each country. In Japan, low-power radio (specified low-power radio) that uses radio waves in the 920 MHz band or 420 MHz band is stipulated. In other words, the first communication unit 131 communicates with the target device 2 in accordance with the first communication protocol (communication protocol for specified low-power radio).

The second communication unit 132 communicates with the communication device 3. The second communication unit 132 has a communication interface that complies with the Bluetooth (registered trademark) standard, for example. That is, the second communication unit 132 communicates with the communication device 3 according to the second communication protocol (Bluetooth communication protocol).

In this way, the first communication protocol (the communication protocol that the communication unit 13 follows when communicating with the target device 2) and the second communication protocol (the communication protocol that the communication unit 13 follows when communicating with the communication device 3) are different from each other.

The storage unit 14 includes a rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory). The storage unit 14 stores various information used in the processing of the processing unit 12. The storage unit 14 may also serve as the memory of the processing unit 12.

The power supply side connector 17 has, for example, a pair of power supply side connection terminals. Each power supply side connection terminal is, for example, a quick-connect terminal. The pair of power supply side connection terminals are each connected to a pair of electric wires of a power line connected to the power supply 90 (via a distribution board 70 in the example of FIG. 2).

The load side connector 18 has, for example, a pair of load side connection terminals. Each load side connection terminal is, for example, a blade receiver. The pair of load side connection terminals are respectively connected to a pair of plug blades of a plug connected to the electrical device 80.

The power supply unit 15 generates operating power for each part in the outlet 10, such as the processing unit 12. The power supply unit 15 is connected to an electric circuit connecting the power supply side connector 17 and the load side connector 18. The power supply unit 15 includes, for example, an AC/DC converter. The AC/DC converter converts AC power received from the power supply 90 via the power supply side connector 17 into DC power, and supplies the obtained DC power to the processing unit 12, etc. as operating power.

The housing 19 accommodates the microphone 11, the command recognition unit 121, the communication unit 13, the power connector 17, and the load connector 18. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 19 is installed (fixed) in a structure such as a wall of the facility 7. As another example, the outlet 10 is assumed to be an embedded type in which the rear of the housing 19 is embedded in a construction hole in the structure. In this case, the outlet 10 is attached to the structure (here, a wall) using a mounting member such as an embedded switch box. For example, a construction hole is formed in the structure, and the housing 19 is attached to a mounting member such as a switch box arranged on the rear side (behind the wall) of the structure through the construction hole. However, the housing 19 may be fixed to a structure other than a wall, such as a ceiling or floor, or to a fixture (including fittings) such as a desk, shelf, or counter. The outlet 10 may also be an exposed type in which the housing 19 is directly attached to the surface of the structure 71, or a stationary type such as a table tap.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in the communication system 100 of this embodiment, the target device 2 is a switch (wall switch). Therefore, hereinafter, the target device 2 may be referred to as a "switch 20." The switch 20 controls (directly or indirectly) the operation of the electrical device 80 that is the control target.

Here, the switch 20 is a lighting switch for controlling a lighting fixture. The switch 20 is connected to a lighting fixture 81 via a power line. In this embodiment, the electrical device 80 to be controlled includes the lighting fixture 81 connected to the switch 20 (target device 2) via a power line.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the switch 20 includes a touch panel 21, a communication unit 22, a processing unit 23, a memory unit 24, a phase control unit 25, a power supply unit 26, and a housing 27 that houses or holds these. As shown in Fig. 2, the switch 20 (housing 27) is installed (fixed) to a structure such as a wall of the facility 7.

The touch panel 21 is disposed on the front surface of the body 27. The touch panel 21 functions as a display unit 211. The display unit 211 has, for example, an electronic paper screen capable of displaying two colors, white and black. Electronic paper is a self-holding display. The touch panel 21 is also configured as a well-known touch panel such as a resistive film type, a capacitive type, or an electromagnetic induction type, and allows touch operation (tap) with a user's finger or a pen. In other words, the touch panel 21 also functions as an operation unit 212 that accepts operations by the user.

The display unit 211 of the touch panel 21 displays, for example, an image (icon) showing the electrical appliance 80 to be controlled. The electrical appliance 80 to be controlled may include, in addition to the lighting fixture 81 described above, electrical appliances 82 other than the lighting fixture 81, such as air conditioners, television sets, and electric curtains. With the image of the electrical appliance 80 to be controlled displayed on the display unit 211, the operation unit 212 accepts appropriate touch operations from the user.

The communication unit 22 communicates with the outlet 10 (more specifically, the first communication unit 131). Here, the communication unit 22 has a communication interface that complies with the standard for low-power radio that does not require a radio station license. The communication unit 22 communicates with the outlet 10 according to the first communication protocol (a communication protocol for a specific low-power radio). By communicating with the outlet 10, the communication unit 22 receives an instruction signal S1 from the communication unit 13.

The communication unit 22 also communicates with the electrical device 80 (electrical device 82 other than the lighting fixture 81) to be controlled. Here, the communication unit 22 communicates with an external control device, and the control device communicates with the electrical device 82, so that the communication unit 22 indirectly communicates with the electrical device 82. The communication protocol that the communication unit 22 follows when communicating with the control device may be a first communication protocol (a specific low-power radio communication protocol) or another communication protocol (e.g., a Bluetooth communication protocol). The control device communicates with the electrical device 82 according to an appropriate communication protocol (e.g., an infrared communication protocol). The communication unit 22 transmits an instruction signal S1 to the electrical device 82 (control device) by communicating with the electrical device 82. Specifically, the communication unit 22 transfers the instruction signal S1 received from the outlet 10 to the electrical device 82. Note that the communication unit 22 may have a communication interface that can directly communicate with the electrical device 82, and may directly communicate with the electrical device 82 without going through the control device.

The processing unit 23 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer whose main components are a processor and a memory. In other words, the processing unit 23 is realized by a computer system having a processor and a memory. The processor executes an appropriate program, causing the computer system to function as the processing unit 23. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card. The processing unit 23 performs overall control of the switch 20.

The processing unit 23 controls the operation of the power supply unit 26. The power supply unit 26 generates operating power for the touch panel 21, the communication unit 22, the phase control unit 25, etc. to operate, and supplies the generated operating power to them. The power supply unit 26 has, for example, a rectifier that rectifies the input voltage from the power line connected to the power supply 90, and a switching power supply or linear power supply that converts the output voltage of the rectifier into a DC voltage.

The processing unit 23 controls the operation of the phase control unit 25. The phase control unit 25 includes semiconductor switching elements such as triacs, thyristors, FETs (field effect transistors), and bipolar transistors. The phase control unit 25 is connected in series with the power source 90 and the lighting fixture 81. The processing unit 23 has a function of adjusting the period (conduction angle) during which power is supplied from the power source 90 to the lighting fixture 81 in one cycle of AC power by controlling the on-period of the semiconductor switching elements of the phase control unit 25. The processing unit 23 can switch the lighting fixture 81 on and off, and adjust the brightness and color of the lighting fixture 81 by adjusting the conduction angle. In this way, the switch 20 (target device 2) directly controls the operation of the lighting fixture 81 as the electrical device 80 to be controlled. When an image of the lighting device 81 is displayed on the display unit 211 and the processing unit 23 receives an appropriate touch operation from the user on the operation unit 212, the processing unit 23 appropriately changes the lighting state of the lighting device 81 (switching between on and off, adjusting the brightness, adjusting the color, etc.).

The processing unit 23 also controls the operation of an electrical device 82 other than the lighting fixture 81 by transmitting an instruction signal S1 from the communication unit 22 via the control device to the electrical device 82. When the processing unit 23 receives an appropriate touch operation from the user on the operation unit 212 while an image of the electrical device 82 is displayed on the display unit 211, the processing unit 23 transmits an instruction signal S1 including an instruction corresponding to the received touch operation to the electrical device 82 via the control device. In this way, the switch 20 (target device 2) indirectly controls the operation of the electrical device 82 as the electrical device 80 to be controlled.

Furthermore, when the processing unit 23 receives an instruction signal S1 including a command from the outlet 10, it controls the operation of the electrical device 80 (lighting device 81 and electrical device 82) to be controlled in accordance with the command.

The storage unit 24 includes a rewritable non-volatile memory such as an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) or a flash memory. The storage unit 24 stores various information used in the processing of the processing unit 23. The storage unit 24 may also serve as the memory of the processing unit 23.

The housing 27 houses the touch panel 21, the communication unit 22, the processing unit 23, the memory unit 24, the phase control unit 25, and the power supply unit 26. As shown in FIG. 2, the housing 27 is installed (fixed) on a structure such as a wall of the facility 7. In particular, the housing 27 may be installed in a position above the housing 19 of the outlet 10 in the facility 7. "Above" here is not limited to directly above the housing 19 in the strict sense, and may include an error within the allowable range. In this way, the housing 19 of the outlet 10 (wiring system 1) is disposed in a position below the switch 20 (target device 2) in the facility 7. In this case, it is possible to suppress an increase in the wiring length between the outlet 10 and the switch 20, and it is also possible to simplify the wiring work by the installer. The housing 27 and the housing 19 may be installed on the same wall in the facility 7.

Here, the communication device 3 is a portable information terminal 30 carried by a user. The information terminal 30 is, for example, a smartphone. However, the information terminal 30 is not limited to a smartphone, and may be a tablet terminal, a personal computer (desktop computer, laptop computer, etc.), etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information terminal 30 includes an operation unit 31, a display unit 32, a communication unit 33, and a processing unit 34.

The operation unit 31 is used to input information to the information terminal 30. The operation unit 31 includes an input device for operating the information terminal 30. The input device includes, for example, a touchpad and/or one or more buttons. The input device is not limited to a touchpad, and may be a keyboard, a pointing device, a mechanical switch, or the like. The input device may include a voice input device. The operation unit 31 may include multiple input devices.

The display unit 32 is used to output information from the information terminal 30. The display unit 32 includes an image display device for displaying information. The image display device is, for example, a thin display device such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. Note that the touch pad of the operation unit 31 and the image display device of the display unit 32 may form a touch panel. The information terminal 30 may also include an audio output device that outputs information as sound.

The communication unit 33 communicates with the communication unit 13 (more specifically, the second communication unit 132) of the outlet 10. The communication unit 33 has a communication interface that complies with the Bluetooth standard, for example. That is, the communication unit 33 communicates with the outlet 10 according to the second communication protocol (Bluetooth communication protocol).

The processing unit 34 is configured, for example, by a microcomputer whose main components are a processor and a memory. In other words, the processing unit 34 is realized by a computer system having a processor and a memory. The processor executes an appropriate program, causing the computer system to function as the processing unit 34. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory, or may be provided via a telecommunications line such as the Internet, or recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card.

The processing unit 34 is configured to perform overall control of the information terminal 30, i.e., to control the operation unit 31, the display unit 32, and the communication unit 33. The functions of the processing unit 34 are realized by one or more processors of the processing unit 34 executing a program.

The processing unit 34 has a function of causing the outlet 10 to perform a process (setting process) for registering setting information. The setting process will be described later.

The electrical equipment 80 is placed (installed) at an appropriate location within the facility 7. The electrical equipment 80 includes a lighting fixture 81 that is connected to the switch 20 and whose operating state (lighting state) is controlled by the switch 20. The electrical equipment 80 also includes electrical equipment 82 other than the lighting fixture 81. Examples of the electrical equipment 82 may include an air conditioner, a television set, and electric curtains. The electrical equipment 82 includes a communication unit that communicates with the switch 20 via the control device.

(2.2) Processing Unit of Wiring System The function of the processing unit 12 of the outlet 10 (wiring system 1) will now be described in more detail.

As shown in FIG. 1, the processing unit 12 includes a voice recognition unit 120 and a setting processing unit 124. Note that the voice recognition unit 120 and the setting processing unit 124 are not tangible components, but represent functions realized by the processing unit 12.

The voice recognition unit 120 performs voice recognition based on the electrical signal output from the microphone 11. The "voice recognition" referred to here includes not only the process of converting a person's voice into a character string, but also natural language processing such as semantic analysis and context analysis. Specifically, the voice recognition unit 120 compares the electrical signal with a plurality of voice models pre-stored in the storage unit 14. If there is a voice model that matches the electrical signal, the voice recognition unit 120 recognizes that the sound input to the microphone 11 contains an instruction voice. The instruction voice here means a voice indicating an instruction to the controlled electrical device 80 to execute a specific function. Hereinafter, the "instruction to the electrical device 80 to execute a specific function" may be simply referred to as a "command". Also, the voice model stored in the storage unit 14 may be referred to as a "command candidate". Also, in this disclosure, "match" is not limited to a case where the comparison targets are completely matched, but also includes a similarity with a predetermined similarity or higher.

In this embodiment, a "command (command candidate)" includes a first layer indicating the electrical device 80 to be controlled, and a second layer indicating the command content (control content) for the electrical device 80. The first layer may include the type of electrical device 80 and the installation location of the electrical device 80. In other words, a "command" may be a command that instructs the electrical device 80 indicated in the first layer to execute the control content indicated in the second layer. Table 1 below shows an example of a voice model (command candidate) stored in the memory unit 14.

In the example of Table 1, "living room air conditioner," "living room lighting," "living room TV," and "living room curtains" in the first layer refer to the air conditioner, lighting fixtures, television set, and motorized curtains installed in the living room of facility 7, respectively. Similarly, "bedroom air conditioner," "bedroom lighting," "bedroom TV," and "bedroom curtains" in the first layer refer to the air conditioner, lighting fixtures, television set, and motorized curtains installed in the bedroom of facility 7, respectively.

In the second layer, "cool," "heat," "blow," "dehumidify," and "auto" associated with air conditioners indicate control content that instructs the operation mode of the air conditioner to be switched to "cool," "heat," "blow," "dehumidify," and "auto," respectively. In the second layer, "turn off" associated with air conditioners indicates control content that instructs the operation of the air conditioner to be stopped. In the second layer, "turn up the temperature" and "turn down the temperature" associated with air conditioners indicate control content that instructs the air conditioner to increase or decrease its set temperature, respectively. In the second layer, "turn up the wind" and "turn down the wind" associated with air conditioners indicate control content that instructs the air conditioner to increase or decrease its set air volume, respectively. In the second layer, "sleep mode" and "clean inside" associated with air conditioners indicate control content that instructs the air conditioner to switch its operation mode to sleep mode or clean inside mode, respectively.

In the second layer, "Turn on" and "Turn off" associated with a lighting fixture indicate control content to turn on or off the lighting fixture, respectively. In the second layer, "Brighten up" and "Dim down" associated with a lighting fixture indicate control content to dim the lighting fixture (increase or decrease the dimming level), respectively. In the second layer, "Full light" associated with a lighting fixture indicates control content to dim the lighting fixture (increase the dimming level to 100%). In the second layer, "Warm color" and "White color" associated with a lighting fixture indicate control content to adjust the color of the lighting fixture (change to a warm color or change to a cool color), respectively. In the second layer, "Night light" associated with a lighting fixture indicates control content to turn on the night light of the lighting fixture.

In the second layer, "Turn on" and "Turn off" associated with a television set indicate control instructions to turn the television set's power on and off, respectively. In the second layer, "Channel up" and "Channel down" associated with a television set indicate control instructions to change the channel selected for the television set, respectively. In the second layer, "Volume up" and "Volume down" associated with a television set indicate control instructions to increase and decrease the volume of the television set, respectively.

In the second layer, "open" and "close" associated with the electric curtain indicate control content that instructs the electric curtain to open or close. In the second layer, "stop" associated with the electric curtain indicates control content that instructs the electric curtain to stop opening or closing.

In the first layer, "all control" and "all" refer to all of the electrical devices 80 that are the target of control. In the second layer, "turn on" and "turn off" associated with multiple devices refer to control content that instructs turning on and off the power of all of the electrical devices 80 that are the target of control, respectively.

In Table 1, "sleep mode," "good morning mode," "go out mode," and "at home mode" are each command candidates for collectively instructing preset control content for one or more electrical appliances 80 associated with the target mode. For example, "sleep mode" is a command candidate for turning off the power to the living room lights, bedroom lights, living room TV, bedroom TV, and living room air conditioner, operating the bedroom air conditioner in sleep mode, and closing the living room curtains and bedroom curtains. There is no distinction between the first and second layers for these command candidates, and one command candidate is composed of one voice model corresponding to a continuous character string.

For example, when the voice model included in the first layer and the voice model included in the second layer are consecutively recognized within a predetermined time in the sound input to the microphone 11, the voice recognition unit 120 recognizes that the sound input to the microphone 11 includes an instruction voice. The voice recognition unit 120 recognizes a command based on the instruction voice included in the sound input to the microphone 11.

As described above, the voice recognition unit 120 includes a command recognition unit 121. The command recognition unit 121 performs voice recognition to recognize the voice contained in the sound input to the microphone 11 based on the electrical signal, and recognizes the command indicated by the recognized voice. The command recognition unit 121 recognizes the command indicated by the recognized voice based on a plurality of command candidates stored in the memory unit 14.

Note that the commands (command candidates) are not limited to those shown in Table 1, and may be changed/added/deleted as appropriate.

The voice recognition unit 120 of this embodiment further has a function of performing speaker recognition based on an electrical signal based on the sound input to the microphone 11. Speaker recognition is a process on a computer that recognizes a speaker from a voice. Here, the voice recognition unit 120 recognizes the speaker of the voice using speaker identification technology. For example, information indicating the voice features of one or more subjects is stored as registered voice information in the storage unit 14. The voice recognition unit 120 recognizes the speaker by comparing the voice features input to the microphone 11 with the registered voice information (the voice features of the subjects) stored in the storage unit 14. The voice recognition unit 120 recognizes the speaker, particularly for a voice indicating an instruction voice among the sounds input to the microphone 11.

As such, the voice recognition unit 120 includes a speaker recognition unit 122. The speaker recognition unit 122 recognizes the speaker of the voice indicating the command (instruction voice).

The processing unit 12 (voice recognition unit 120) also includes a judgment unit 123. The judgment unit 123 judges whether or not speaker voice information (voice features) relating to the voice of the speaker recognized by the speaker recognition unit 122 matches registered voice information relating to the voice of a pre-registered target person. In other words, the judgment unit 123 judges whether or not the speaker recognized by the speaker recognition unit 122 is registered as a target person. The processing of the judgment unit 123 may be performed simultaneously in parallel with the processing of the speaker recognition unit 122 described above. The processing of the speaker recognition unit 122 and the processing of the judgment unit 123 may also be performed simultaneously in parallel with the processing of the command recognition unit 121 described above.

The processing unit 12 causes the communication unit 13 (first communication unit 131) to transmit an instruction signal S1 including a command instructed by the instruction voice only when the judgment unit 123 judges that the speaker voice information matches the registered voice information. In other words, the communication unit 13 (first communication unit 131) transmits the instruction signal S1 when the speaker voice information matches the registered voice information.

In this way, in the outlet 10 of this embodiment, the instruction signal S1 including the command is transmitted only if the speaker of the instruction voice (voice indicating a command) is registered as the intended person. This reduces the possibility that an instruction signal S1 not intended by the intended person will be transmitted to the switch 20, causing the electrical device 80 to malfunction. For example, the possibility of the electrical device 80 malfunctioning due to everyday sounds such as voices emitted by a television receiver or artificial sounds emitted by electrical devices is reduced.

The setting processing unit 124 performs a setting process to register setting information. The setting information includes various information used by the voice recognition unit 120. The setting processing unit 124 registers the setting information in response to a setting instruction signal S2 transmitted from the information terminal 30. The setting processing unit 124 stores the setting information in the storage unit 14.

The setting information may include, for example, information indicating whether each of the multiple command candidates is enabled or disabled. The setting information may include, for example, information indicating a newly added command candidate. The setting information may include, for example, information indicating the changed control content when changing the control content (second layer) of a command candidate. The setting information may include, for example, information indicating a command candidate to be deleted when deleting a command candidate. In this way, the communication unit 13 (second communication unit 132) receives setting information regarding the setting of at least one command candidate out of the multiple command candidates from the information terminal 30 (communication device 3).

The setting processing unit 124 of this embodiment also includes a registration processing unit 125. The registration processing unit 125 registers registration voice information. The registration voice information is information related to the voice of the subject that is stored (registered) in the memory unit 14, and specifically, is information indicating the characteristics of the subject's voice. For example, the registration voice information is linked to the subject's identification information and stored (registered) in the memory unit 14 for each subject. The subject may include a resident of a detached house as the facility 7. The subject may also include the resident's relatives, friends, associates, etc.

In the outlet 10 of this embodiment, the registration processing unit 125 performs registration processing of the registration voice information in response to a registration instruction signal S20 transmitted from the information terminal 30.

More specifically, when the information terminal 30 receives an appropriate input operation from the user via the operation unit 31, it transmits a registration instruction signal S20 to the outlet 10. The registration instruction signal S20 may include information indicating the subject to be registered (identification information of the subject) and an instruction to the outlet 10 to start the process of acquiring voice (electrical signal indicating voice).

When the outlet 10 (processing unit 12) receives the registration instruction signal S20 via the communication unit 13 (second communication unit 132), it starts the voice acquisition process via the microphone 11. The outlet 10 (processing unit 12) executes the voice acquisition process via the microphone 11 for a predetermined period of time after starting the acquisition process. The processing unit 12 extracts features of the voice input to the microphone 11 based on an electrical signal based on the acquired voice, and links the extracted features to the subject's identification information and registers them as registered voice information (stores them in the memory unit 14).

In this way, in the outlet 10 of this embodiment, the registration processing unit 125 starts acquiring information about the target person's voice in response to a registration instruction signal S20 transmitted from the information terminal 30 (communication device 3). Therefore, it is possible to simplify the structure of the outlet 10 compared to a case where acquisition of information about the target person's voice is started in response to, for example, pressing a switch or the like provided on the outlet 10.

In addition, in the outlet 10 of this embodiment, the registration processing unit 125 acquires information about the target person's voice based on the sound input to the microphone 11 of the outlet 10 (wiring system 1), and registers the registration voice information based on the acquired information about the target person's voice. In other words, the registration processing unit 125 acquires information about the target person's voice based on the voice acquired by the microphone 11, which acquires the sound used by the voice recognition unit 120 for voice recognition. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of voice recognition by the voice recognition unit 120 compared to acquiring information about the target person's voice based on voice input other than the microphone 11, for example, voice input to the voice input unit of the information terminal 30.

(2.3) Operation Hereinafter, the operation of the communication system 100 when recognizing a voice uttered by a user and transmitting an instruction signal S1 will be described with reference to FIG.

First, when sound is input to the microphone 11, the microphone 11 outputs an electrical signal based on the input sound. The processing unit 12 performs voice recognition processing based on the electrical signal from the microphone 11. Specifically, the processing unit 12 compares the electrical signal with a voice model (a voice model included in the first layer) and determines whether or not a voice model that matches the electrical signal exists. If the result of the voice recognition shows that the sound input to the microphone 11 does not contain any voice (ST1: No) or that there is no voice model that matches the electrical signal (ST2: No), the processing unit 12 returns to step ST1 and waits for the input of an electrical signal from the microphone 11.

On the other hand, if the result of the voice recognition shows that the sound input to the microphone 11 contains a voice (ST1: Yes) and the electrical signal matches one of the voice models included in the first layer (ST2: Yes), the processing unit 12 determines whether the speaker of the voice is a target person registered in the registered voice information.

If the speaker is not the target person (ST3: No), the processing unit 12 ends the processing. If the speaker is the target person (ST3: Yes), the processing unit 12 judges whether the subsequently received electrical signal matches a voice model (any of the voice models included in the second layer). If the electrical signal matches any of the voice models included in the second layer (ST4: Yes), the processing unit 12 determines the content of the command indicated by voice (ST6) and outputs an instruction signal S1 including the command (ST7). On the other hand, if a predetermined time has passed since the detection of a voice matching the voice model of the first layer, but a voice matching the voice model of the second layer is not detected (ST5: Yes), the processing unit 12 ends the processing.

Next, the operation of the communication system 100 when performing the registration process will be described with reference to FIG. 4.

First, when an appropriate operation input is received from the user via the operation unit 31 (ST11), the information terminal 30 transmits a registration instruction signal S20 to the outlet 10 to cause the outlet 10 to start the registration process (ST12). The information terminal 30 also displays an appropriate message on the display unit 32 encouraging the user to speak into the microphone 11 of the outlet 10 (for example, "Please say XX in front of the outlet").

The outlet 10 executes a voice acquisition process using the microphone 11 for a predetermined period of time after receiving the registration instruction signal S20 (ST13).

When the voice is acquired, the processing unit 12 of the outlet 10 extracts features of the acquired voice (ST14), and links the extracted features to the identification information included in the registration instruction signal S20 and registers them as registered voice information (ST15).

As described above, in this embodiment, the wiring system 1 (outlet 10) equipped with the load side connector 18 and installed in the facility 7 can transmit an instruction signal S1 to the target device 2 (switch 20) to control the target device 2. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve user convenience.

In addition, in this embodiment, the wiring system 1 (outlet 10) equipped with the voice recognition unit 120 is installed in a structure of the facility 7, making it possible to effectively utilize the space within the facility 7.

(3) Modifications The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments. The above-described embodiments can be modified in various ways depending on the design and the like as long as the object of the present disclosure can be achieved.

The communication system 100 in the present disclosure includes a computer system, for example, in the processing unit 12 of the wiring system 1, the processing unit 23 of the target device 2, the processing unit 34 of the communication device 3, etc. The computer system is mainly composed of a processor and a memory as hardware. The processor executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system, thereby realizing the functions of the processing units 12, 23, and 34 in the present disclosure. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, may be provided through an electric communication line, or may be recorded and provided in a non-transitory recording medium such as a memory card, an optical disk, or a hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system is composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) or a large-scale integrated circuit (LSI). The integrated circuits such as IC or LSI referred to here are called different names depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSI, VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) that is programmed after the manufacture of the LSI, or a logic device that allows reconfiguration of the connection relationships within the LSI or reconfiguration of the circuit partitions within the LSI, can also be used as a processor. The multiple electronic circuits may be integrated into one chip, or may be distributed across multiple chips. The multiple chips may be integrated into one device, or may be distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller is also composed of one or more electronic circuits including a semiconductor integrated circuit or a large-scale integrated circuit.

Below, we list some variations of the above-mentioned embodiment. The variations described below can be applied in appropriate combinations.

In one modified example, the wiring system 1 is not limited to the outlet 10, but may be, for example, a ceiling rosette, a USB outlet, or a switch 20 (wall switch), etc.

In one variation, the communication unit 13 may communicate directly with the electrical device 80 without going through the switch 20. In other words, the target device 2 may be the electrical device 80.

In one modified example, the processing unit 12 may not include the setting processing unit 124 (including the registration processing unit 125). For example, the voice recognition unit 120 may perform voice recognition based only on a voice model that is pre-stored in the storage unit 14.

In one variant, the voice recognition unit 120 may not include the speaker recognition unit 122 and the determination unit 123.

In one variant, the first communication protocol is not limited to a specific low-power radio communication protocol, but may be another wireless communication protocol such as a Bluetooth communication protocol or a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication protocol, or may be a wired communication protocol or a PLC communication protocol.

In one variant, the second communication protocol is not limited to the Bluetooth communication protocol, but may be another wireless communication protocol such as a specific low-power radio communication protocol or a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication protocol, or may be a wired communication protocol. The second communication unit 132 may be a connector such as a USB connector.

In one variant, the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol may be the same. The communication unit 13 may have only one communication interface.

(4) Aspects The following aspects are disclosed from the above-described embodiment and modified examples.

The wiring system (1) of the first aspect includes a power supply side connector (17), a load side connector (18), a microphone (11), a command recognition unit (121), and a communication unit (13). The power supply side connector (17) is connected to an external power supply (90). The load side connector (18) is connected to an external electrical device, and outputs power received from the power supply (90) via the power supply side connector (17) to the electrical device. The microphone (11) outputs an electrical signal based on the input sound. The command recognition unit (121) performs voice recognition based on the electrical signal, and recognizes the command indicated by the recognized voice. The communication unit (13) transmits an instruction signal (S1) including the command recognized by the command recognition unit (121) to the external target device (2).

According to this aspect, a wiring system (1) equipped with a load side connector (18) and installed in a facility (7) can transmit an instruction signal (S1) to a target device (2) to control the target device (2). This makes it possible to improve user convenience.

The wiring system (1) of the second aspect is the same as the wiring system of the first aspect, but further includes a housing (19). The housing (19) houses the microphone (11), the command recognition unit (121), the communication unit (13), the power supply side connector (17), and the load side connector (18). The housing (19) is installed on the construction surface of the facility (7). The housing (19) is disposed in the facility (7) below the target device (2).

This aspect makes it possible to simplify the wiring work performed by installers.

The wiring system (1) of the third aspect is the first or second aspect, and further includes a speaker recognition unit (122) and a judgment unit (123). The speaker recognition unit (122) recognizes the speaker of the voice indicating the command based on the electrical signal. The judgment unit (123) judges whether speaker voice information related to the voice of the speaker recognized by the speaker recognition unit (122) matches registered voice information related to the voice of a target person registered in advance. The communication unit (13) transmits an instruction signal (S1) when the speaker voice information matches the registered voice information.

According to this aspect, the possibility that an instruction signal (S1) not intended by the user is transmitted to the target device (2) is reduced.

The wiring system (1) of the fourth aspect further includes a registration processing unit (125) that registers the registration voice information in the third aspect. The registration processing unit (125) acquires information on the voice of the subject based on the sound input to the microphone (11) of the wiring system (1), and registers the registration voice information based on the acquired information on the voice of the subject.

According to this aspect, it is possible to improve the accuracy of voice recognition compared to acquiring information on the target person's voice based on voice input other than the microphone (11), for example, voice input to the voice input section of the communication device (3).

In the fifth aspect of the wiring system (1), in the fourth aspect, the communication unit (13) communicates with an external communication device (3). The registration processing unit (125) starts acquiring information on the subject's voice in response to a registration instruction signal (S20) transmitted from the communication device (3).

This aspect makes it possible to simplify the structure of the wiring system (1).

In the sixth aspect of the wiring system (1), in any one of the first to fifth aspects, the communication unit (13) further communicates with an external communication device (3). The communication unit (13) communicates with the target device (2) according to a first communication protocol. The communication unit (13) communicates with the communication device (3) according to a second communication protocol that is different from the first communication protocol.

According to this aspect, it is possible to adopt a suitable communication protocol for communication with the target device (2) and communication with the communication device (3).

The wiring system (1) of the seventh aspect is the sixth aspect, and further includes a storage unit (14) that stores a plurality of command candidates. The command recognition unit (121) recognizes a command indicated by the recognized voice based on the plurality of command candidates. The communication unit (13) receives setting information regarding the setting of at least one of the plurality of command candidates from the communication device (3).

According to this aspect, it becomes possible to set command candidates using the communication device (3), improving user convenience.

The eighth aspect of the communication system includes a wiring system (1) of any one of the first to seventh aspects and a target device (2).

This aspect improves user convenience.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Wiring system 11 Microphone 121 Command recognition unit 122 Speaker recognition unit 123 Determination unit 125 Registration processing unit 13 Communication unit 14 Storage unit 17 Power supply side connector 18 Load side connector 19 Housing 2 Target device 3 Communication device 7 Facility 90 Power supply S1 Instruction signal S20 Registration instruction signal

Claims (5)

A power connector to be connected to an external power source;
a load-side connector that is connected to an external electrical device and that outputs power received from the power source via the power-side connector to the electrical device;
A microphone that outputs an electrical signal based on an input sound;
a command recognition unit that performs voice recognition to recognize a voice included in the sound based on the electrical signal, and recognizes a command indicated by the recognized voice;
a speaker recognition unit that recognizes a speaker of the voice indicating the command based on the electrical signal;
a determination unit that determines whether or not speaker voice information related to the speaker's voice recognized by the speaker recognition unit matches registered voice information;
a communication unit that transmits an instruction signal including the command recognized by the command recognition unit to an external target device when the speaker voice information matches the registered voice information ;
A registration processing unit that registers the registration voice information related to the voice of a subject;
Equipped with
The registration processing unit acquires voice information of the subject based on a sound input to the microphone, and registers the registration voice information based on the acquired voice information of the subject;
The communication unit communicates with an external communication device,
The registration processing unit starts acquiring voice information of the target person in response to a registration instruction signal transmitted from the communication device.
Wiring system. A housing that houses the microphone, the command recognition unit, the communication unit, the power supply side connector, and the load side connector and is installed on a construction surface of a facility,
The housing is disposed below the target device in the facility.
The wiring system according to claim 1 . The communication unit is
Communicating with the target device according to a first communication protocol;
communicating with the communication device according to a second communication protocol different from the first communication protocol;
The wiring system according to claim 1 or 2. Further comprising a storage unit for storing a plurality of command candidates;
the command recognition unit recognizes the command indicated by the recognized voice based on the plurality of command candidates;
The communication unit receives setting information regarding a setting of at least one command candidate from the plurality of command candidates from the communication device.
The wiring system according to claim 3 . A wiring system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The target device;
Equipped with
Communication systems.

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