WO2019069597A1 - Home electric system - Google Patents

Home electric system Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2019069597A1
WO2019069597A1 PCT/JP2018/032235 JP2018032235W WO2019069597A1 WO 2019069597 A1 WO2019069597 A1 WO 2019069597A1 JP 2018032235 W JP2018032235 W JP 2018032235W WO 2019069597 A1 WO2019069597 A1 WO 2019069597A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
server
home appliance
speaker device
home
user
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/JP2018/032235
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French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
慶彦 氏田
弘暁 川口
裕樹 丸谷
幸雄 町田
翼 鷲崎
健吾 松永
Original Assignee
東芝ライフスタイル株式会社
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
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Publication date
Application filed by 東芝ライフスタイル株式会社 filed Critical 東芝ライフスタイル株式会社
Priority to CN201880062915.1A priority Critical patent/CN111183416B/en
Publication of WO2019069597A1 publication Critical patent/WO2019069597A1/en

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F13/00—Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04Q—SELECTING
    • H04Q9/00—Arrangements in telecontrol or telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station, in which substation desired apparatus is selected for applying a control signal thereto or for obtaining measured values therefrom

Definitions

  • the technology disclosed herein relates to a home appliance system.
  • a home appliance system is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-100951.
  • this home appliance system when a button provided on the home appliance or its remote control is pressed, the home appliance performs a self-diagnosis and the diagnosis result is transmitted to the server.
  • the server that has received the diagnosis result determines an answer to the diagnosis result, and transmits the answer to the home appliance.
  • the transmitted answer is presented to the user by being displayed on the home appliance or its remote control.
  • the user when a failure occurs in the home appliance, the user can acquire useful information from the server.
  • the user in order to obtain such information, the user needs to approach the home appliance or its remote control, which is troublesome. Therefore, a technique is disclosed herein that can also provide useful information from the server to users located remotely from the home appliance or its remote control.
  • the technology disclosed herein is embodied in a consumer electronics system.
  • the home appliance system includes at least one home appliance, and a speaker device connected to the at least one home appliance and the server via a communication network.
  • the home appliance system includes at least one home appliance and a speaker device connected to the at least one home appliance via a communication network.
  • the speaker device includes a microphone (also referred to simply as a microphone in this specification) for acquiring a user's inquiry regarding a home electric appliance, a control device for acquiring an answer to the inquiry from the server via the communication network, and an answer acquired from the server And a speaker for outputting the
  • a speaker device is prepared separately from the home appliance.
  • the speaker device can obtain the answer from the external server in response to the user's voice inquiry and can convey it to the user by voice. Since the speaker device is connected to the home electric appliance via the communication network, its arrangement can be freely determined based on the user's live activity line, for example, as arranged in a room different from the home electric appliance. .
  • the user can request information on the home appliance from the server without approaching the home appliance or the remote control thereof, and can receive the information.
  • FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the speaker device 12
  • FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the speaker device 12
  • FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a speaker device 112 of a modified example.
  • the home appliance may transmit its identification information to the server in response to a request from the server.
  • the server in response to a user's inquiry, the server can correctly identify the target home electric appliance and return an appropriate answer to the speaker device.
  • the identification information referred to here is not limited to the individual identification information attached to the home appliance, but may be information that can specify the specification of the home appliance, such as information such as a manufacturer and a model of the home appliance.
  • the response may include at least one of information on a failure of the home appliance and information on a response method to the failure.
  • the user may inquire the content of the failure on the speaker device. An answer thereto is obtained from the server and provided to the user by voice from the speaker device. As a result, the user can appropriately respond to the failure without checking the manual of the home appliance.
  • the answer may include at least one of information on how to use the home appliance and information on the function of the home appliance.
  • the user inquires the speaker device about a request for the home appliance, an answer to that can be provided from the server to the user via the speaker device. The user can effectively use the home appliance without checking the home appliance manual or the like.
  • the server may transmit the information transmitted from the speaker device or the home appliance to the call center or the service person. According to such a configuration, even if, for example, a problem occurs in a home electric appliance and the failure requires repair, the user needs only to inquire the content of the problem to the speaker device, and the necessary support from the call center or service person is required. Can be received early.
  • the speaker device or the server may determine the control request for the home appliance in response to the user's voice.
  • the home appliance may operate in response to a control request transmitted from the speaker device or the server. According to such a configuration, the user can operate the home appliance at a remote position by voice by using the speaker device.
  • the home appliance system 10 includes a speaker device 12 and a plurality of home appliances 14.
  • the speaker device 12 is connected to the plurality of home appliances 14 via the communication network 16.
  • the communication network 16 in the present embodiment includes a wireless local area network, and the speaker device 12 is communicably connected to a plurality of home appliances 14 via the wireless router 2.
  • the wireless router 2 is connected to the Internet 6 through the modem 4 and is configured to be able to communicate with the server 18 through the Internet 6.
  • the server 18 is also communicably connected to the call center 42 and the service person 44.
  • the server 18 can also be accessed by the mobile terminal 8, and the mobile terminal 8 can communicate with the speaker device 12 and the plurality of home appliances 14 via the server 18.
  • the form and method of the communication network 16 are not particularly limited, and some or all of them may be configured by wire.
  • the speaker device 12 is a device independent of the home appliance 14, and can be freely arranged regardless of the position of the home appliance 14.
  • the speaker device 12 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a smart speaker. Alternatively, the speaker device 12 may be mounted on an autonomous mobile robot. As will be described in detail later, the speaker device 12 can obtain an answer to the user's voice inquiry regarding the home appliance 14 from the server 18 and can provide it to the user by voice. Further, by using the speaker device 12, the user can operate the home appliance 14 at a distant position by voice.
  • the home appliance system 10 includes, for example, a washing machine 14 a, a vacuum cleaner 14 b, and a refrigerator 14 c as the plurality of home appliances 14.
  • the vacuum cleaner 14 b is a robot vacuum cleaner that can travel autonomously.
  • these home appliances 14 are an example, and the home appliance system 10 includes various home appliances 14 such as an air conditioner, a microwave, a rice cooker, an iron, an air cleaner, a fan, a ventilation fan, a television, a video recorder, and a video media player. Can be provided.
  • the household appliance system 10 does not necessarily need to be equipped with the several household appliances 14, and should just be equipped with at least one household appliance 14.
  • the speaker device 12 includes a microphone 22 and a speaker 24, a communication module 26 communicating with the home appliance 14 via the communication network 16, and a control device 28.
  • the control device 28 is connected to the microphone 22, the speaker 24, and the communication module 26, and can use them to execute various operations.
  • the control device 28 functionally includes an audio receiving unit 32, an audio output unit 34, a data transmitting / receiving unit 36, and a device control unit 38. These configurations are realized by the memory and processor of the control unit 28.
  • the specific structure of the control device 28 (that is, the program and data stored in the memory) is not particularly limited.
  • the audio receiving unit 32 is connected to the microphone 22 and receives audio data output from the microphone 22. For example, when the user 1 speaks to the speaker device 12, the voice of the user 1 is converted into voice data by the microphone 22, and the voice data is input to the voice reception unit 32.
  • the audio output unit 34 is connected to the speaker 24 and outputs audio data to the speaker 24. Although details will be described later, the voice data output from the voice output unit 34 is a response to the inquiry regarding the home appliance 14 of the user 1 and is transmitted from the server 18. When the audio output unit 34 outputs the audio data to the speaker 24, an answer to the user's inquiry is output from the speaker 24 as an audio.
  • the data transmission / reception unit 36 is connected to the communication module 26, and transmits / receives data to / from the plurality of home appliances 14 and the server 18 via the communication module 26.
  • the control request to the home appliance 14 is generated by the device control unit 38 based on the voice of the user received by the microphone 22.
  • step S2 when the user 1 speaks to the speaker device 12, the speaker device 12 receives the voice of the user 1 (step S2).
  • the voice of the user 1 is received by the microphone 22, and the voice data is input to the control device 28.
  • control device 28 receives audio data from microphone 22, a series of processing shown in FIG. 4 is started accordingly.
  • the user 1 can utter to the speaker device 12 various inquiries regarding the home appliance 14 and commands and requests for the home appliance 14.
  • the former as shown in FIG. 5, a thing such as "fridge is strange" or “fuzzy from the refrigerator” is mentioned. Examples of the latter include “Start laundry” and "Please dry".
  • the user 1 freely speaks various inquiries, commands or requests to the speaker device 12 such as "Temperature appropriate for cooling OO" or "I want to make ice quickly, but how?" be able to.
  • the control device 28 transmits the audio data received from the microphone 22 to the server 18 (step S4).
  • the server 18 having received the voice data analyzes the voice data (step S8), and specifies at least one of the plurality of home appliances 14 (step S14).
  • the home appliance 14 intended by the user 1 is specified by extracting a keyword related to the home appliance 14 from the voice data.
  • the refrigerator 14c is specified as the home appliance 14 intended by the user 1 by extracting the keyword "refrigerator” from the voice data "fridge is wrong".
  • keywords such as "beer” and "ice” are also keywords related to the refrigerator 14c, and when those keywords are extracted, the refrigerator 14c is specified.
  • keywords such as “washing” and “drying” are keywords related to the washing machine 14a, and when those keywords are extracted, the washing machine 14a is specified.
  • the server 18 having specified the home appliance 14 requests the home appliance 14 for identification information in order to acquire the identification information of the home appliance 14 (step S 8).
  • the home appliance 14 having received the request for the identification information transmits its own identification information to the server 18 (S10).
  • the request for the identification information and the response thereof may be made via the speaker device 12 or may be made directly between the server 18 and the home appliance 14.
  • the identification information referred to here is not limited to the individual identification information attached to the home appliance 14, and may be information that can specify the specification of the home appliance 14, such as information such as a manufacturer and a model of the home appliance 14. .
  • the acquired identification information is used in processing for determining a subsequent answer, processing in cooperation with the service person 44, and the like.
  • the server 18 determines the response to the inquiry of the user 1 using its own database (YES in step S12) (step S18). At this time, if, for example, its own database is insufficient (NO in step S12), the server 18 requests necessary data from the external device 30 (step S14), and transmits necessary data from the external device 30. You may acquire (step S12). The answer determined by the server 18 is transmitted to the speaker device 12 (step S20), and the speaker device 12 provides the user 1 by voice. In the process described above, when information such as the current state and operation history of the home appliance 14 is required, the server 18 requests information from the home appliance 14 via the speaker device 12 and the information from the home appliance 14 is An offer can be received (steps S28 and S30).
  • the processing so far is repeatedly performed as necessary, and information may be communicated between the user 1 and the speaker device 12 in a conversational manner.
  • the speaker device 12 outputs an answer "in the wrong place” by voice by executing the process from step S2.
  • the processing from step S2 is executed again, and the speaker device 12 again outputs a new answer by voice.
  • the process of step S8 which concerns on acquisition of identification information, and S10 if identification information is already acquired, you may be abbreviate
  • omitted automatically omitted automatically.
  • the server 18 accesses the database (an example of the external device 30) of the manufacturer of the refrigerator 14c (step S16) in response to the inquiry that "an abnormal noise occurs from the refrigerator".
  • the voice information of the normal operation sound of the refrigerator 14c provided by the database is acquired.
  • the speaker device 12 can reproduce the normal operation sound of the refrigerator 14 c to the user 1 together with the message “Is it such a sound?”.
  • a normal operation sound may be sequentially reproduced for each main sound source such as a compressor and a cooling fan.
  • the reproduced operation sound matches the abnormal sound felt by the user 1.
  • it means that no problem occurs in the refrigerator 14c.
  • the processing from step S2 is executed again, and from the speaker device 12, "This is the sound of the compressor.
  • the operation noise of the compressor increases when it is frozen by air or by ice making operation. This is not a malfunction.
  • the user 1 can obtain an appropriate answer to his / her inquiry without checking the manual or the like of the refrigerator 14c.
  • the server 18 performs the refrigerator 14c of the user 1 Judge that there is a risk of Then, it communicates with the serviceman 44 (or the call center 42) to convey that a failure has occurred in the refrigerator 14c of the user 1 (step S36), and transmits an answer indicating that to the speaker device 12 (step S36) S20).
  • the answer “The information has been sent. Please wait for a while” is output as a voice.
  • the serviceman 44 (or the call center 42) can immediately contact the user 1 through the speaker device 12.
  • the inquiry of the user 1 received by the speaker device 12 is not limited to the one related to the malfunction of the home appliance 14, and the above-mentioned "appropriate temperature for cooling OO" and "I want to make ice quickly, but The method may be an inquiry about the request. Even in this case, the processing from step S2 to step S22 shown in FIG. 4 is similarly executed, and try using "one ice making" by operating "about 4 degrees Celsius is appropriate” or “menu button.” The answer such as “” is output from the speaker device 12 as voice.
  • the user does not check the manual or the like of the home appliance 14, and the speaker apparatus provides information on how to use the home appliance 14, information on functions of the home appliance 14, etc. It can be obtained from 12.
  • the speaker device 12 and the server 18 can control the operation of the home appliance 14 by the user 1's utterance, the instruction of the serviceman 44, the judgment of the user, or the like. For example, when the user 1 utters "Start laundry" (step S2 in FIG. 4), the voice data is transmitted to the server 18 (step S4), and the server 18 analyzes it (step S4). In this case, it can be determined from the keywords "washing” and "start” that the user 1 instructs the washing machine 14a to start washing.
  • the server 18 After analyzing the voice data, the server 18 acquires the identification information of the home appliance 14 as necessary (steps S8 and S10), and determines the control content for the home appliance 14 (here, the washing machine 14a) (step S24). The control content determined by the server 18 is transmitted to the home appliance 14 via the speaker device 12 (steps S26 and S32), and a response thereto is sent from the home appliance 14 to the speaker device 12 (step S34). As a result, the user 1 can operate the home appliance 14 simply by talking to the speaker device 12 at a position away from the home appliance 14.
  • the specific configuration of the home appliance system 10 can be changed as appropriate.
  • the speaker apparatus 112 of a modification is demonstrated.
  • a temperature sensor 102 and a humidity sensor 104 are added as compared with the above-described speaker device 12.
  • the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 104 are an example of a sensor for detecting ambient environment information.
  • the speaker device 112 can obtain surrounding environment information by itself without communicating with, for example, the server 18 or the like.
  • the configuration of the control device 128 is also changed as compared with the above-described speaker device 12, and more specifically, the sensor receiving unit 108, the voice recognition unit 110, and the voice database 114 are added. .
  • the sensor receiving unit 108 is connected to the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 104, and receives detection signals output from them.
  • the voice recognition unit 110 receives voice data from the voice reception unit 32 and analyzes the voice data using the voice database 114 to recognize the content of the utterance of the user 1.
  • a part of the process performed by the server 18 described above is configured to be executable inside the speaker device 112.
  • a well-known method can be employ
  • the speaker device 112 of this modification can determine, for example, the content of control on the home appliance 14 without communicating with the server 18.
  • the content of the control may be determined based on the surrounding environment information by using the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 104.

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  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
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Abstract

A home electric system comprises: at least one home electric appliance; and a speaker device connected to at least one home electric appliance and a server via a communication network. This home electric system comprises: at least one home electric appliance; and a speaker device connected to the at least one home electric appliance via a communication network. The speaker device is provided with: a microphone for acquiring user inquiries relating to a home electric appliance; a control device for acquiring a response to the inquiries from the server via the communication network; and a speaker for outputting the response acquired from the server by voice.

Description

家電システムHome appliance system
　本明細書に開示する技術は、家電システムに関する。 The technology disclosed herein relates to a home appliance system.
　特開２００６－１００９５１号公報に、家電システムが記載されている。この家電システムでは、家電機器又はそのリモコンに設けられたボタンが押されたときに、家電機器において自己診断が実施されるとともに、その診断結果がサーバへ送信される。診断結果を受信したサーバは、その診断結果に対する回答を決定して、その回答を家電機器へ送信する。送信された回答は、家電機器又はそのリモコンに表示されることにより、ユーザに提示される。 A home appliance system is described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-100951. In this home appliance system, when a button provided on the home appliance or its remote control is pressed, the home appliance performs a self-diagnosis and the diagnosis result is transmitted to the server. The server that has received the diagnosis result determines an answer to the diagnosis result, and transmits the answer to the home appliance. The transmitted answer is presented to the user by being displayed on the home appliance or its remote control.
　上記した家電システムによると、例えば家電機器に不具合が生じたときに、ユーザはサーバから有用な情報を取得することができる。しかしながら、そのような情報を取得するために、ユーザは、家電機器又はそのリモコンに対して接近する必要があり、面倒である。従って、本明細書では、家電機器又はそのリモコンから離れて位置するユーザにも、サーバからの有用な情報を提供し得る技術を開示する。 According to the above-described home appliance system, for example, when a failure occurs in the home appliance, the user can acquire useful information from the server. However, in order to obtain such information, the user needs to approach the home appliance or its remote control, which is troublesome. Therefore, a technique is disclosed herein that can also provide useful information from the server to users located remotely from the home appliance or its remote control.
　本明細書が開示する技術は、家電システムに具現化される。この家電システムは、少なくとも一つの家電機器と、少なくとも一つの家電機器及びサーバと通信ネットワークを介して接続されるスピーカ装置とを備える。この家電システムは、少なくとも一つの家電機器と、その少なくとも一つの家電機器と通信ネットワークを介して接続されるスピーカ装置とを備える。スピーカ装置は、家電機器に関するユーザの問い合わせを取得するマイクロホン（本明細書では単にマイクとも称する）と、その問い合わせに対する回答を、通信ネットワークを介してサーバから取得する制御装置と、サーバから取得した回答を音声で出力するスピーカとを備える。 The technology disclosed herein is embodied in a consumer electronics system. The home appliance system includes at least one home appliance, and a speaker device connected to the at least one home appliance and the server via a communication network. The home appliance system includes at least one home appliance and a speaker device connected to the at least one home appliance via a communication network. The speaker device includes a microphone (also referred to simply as a microphone in this specification) for acquiring a user's inquiry regarding a home electric appliance, a control device for acquiring an answer to the inquiry from the server via the communication network, and an answer acquired from the server And a speaker for outputting the
　上記した家電システムでは、家電機器とは別に、スピーカ装置が用意されている。スピーカ装置は、ユーザの音声による問い合わせに対して、その回答を外部のサーバから取得し、それを音声でユーザに伝えることができる。スピーカ装置は、通信ネットワークを介して家電機器と接続されているので、例えば家電機器とは別の部屋に配置するといったように、その配置はユーザの生活動線に基づいて自由に定めることができる。これにより、ユーザは、家電機器又はそのリモコンに接近することなく、家電機器に関する情報をサーバに要求し、その提供を受けることができる。 In the above-described home appliance system, a speaker device is prepared separately from the home appliance. The speaker device can obtain the answer from the external server in response to the user's voice inquiry and can convey it to the user by voice. Since the speaker device is connected to the home electric appliance via the communication network, its arrangement can be freely determined based on the user's live activity line, for example, as arranged in a room different from the home electric appliance. . Thus, the user can request information on the home appliance from the server without approaching the home appliance or the remote control thereof, and can receive the information.
実施例の家電システム１０を模式的に示す図である。It is a figure showing typically household appliance system 10 of an example.
スピーカ装置１２を模式的に示す斜視図である。FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the speaker device 12;
スピーカ装置１２の構成を模式的に示すブロック図である。FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the speaker device 12;
実施例の家電システム１０で実行される処理を示すシーケンス図である。It is a sequence diagram which shows the process performed with the household appliance system 10 of an Example.
家電システム１０がユーザの問い合わせに対して回答する動作例であって、冷蔵庫１４ｃの異音を感じたユーザ１に、サーバ１８から取得された冷蔵庫１４ｃの正常な動作音を、スピーカ装置１２からユーザ１へ提供するときの例を示す。This is an operation example in which the home appliance system 10 responds to a user's inquiry, and for the user 1 who feels the abnormal sound of the refrigerator 14 c, the normal operation sound of the refrigerator 14 c acquired from the server 18 is An example of providing to 1 is shown.
家電システム１０がユーザの問い合わせに対して回答する動作例であって、図５の動作例に続いて、ユーザ１の感じた異音が、サーバ１８から提供された正常な動作音に一致した場合の例を示す。This is an operation example in which the home appliance system 10 answers the user's inquiry, and following the operation example in FIG. 5, the abnormal noise felt by the user 1 matches the normal operation sound provided by the server 18. An example of
家電システム１０がユーザの問い合わせに対して回答する動作例であって、図５の動作例に続いて、ユーザ１の感じた異音が、サーバ１８から提供された正常な動作音に一致しない場合の例を示す。This is an operation example in which the home appliance system 10 answers the user's inquiry, and following the operation example in FIG. 5, the abnormal noise felt by the user 1 does not match the normal operation sound provided from the server 18. An example of
変形例のスピーカ装置１１２の構成を模式的に示すブロック図。FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a speaker device 112 of a modified example.
　本技術の一実施形態では、家電機器が、サーバからの要求に応じて、自己の識別情報をサーバへ送信するとよい。このような構成によると、サーバは、ユーザの問い合わせに対して、その対象である家電機器を正しく特定し、適切な回答をスピーカ装置へ返信することができる。ここでいう識別情報は、家電機器に付された個体識別情報に限られず、家電機器の製造業者及び型式といった情報のように、家電機器の仕様が特定できる情報であればよい。 In one embodiment of the present technology, the home appliance may transmit its identification information to the server in response to a request from the server. According to such a configuration, in response to a user's inquiry, the server can correctly identify the target home electric appliance and return an appropriate answer to the speaker device. The identification information referred to here is not limited to the individual identification information attached to the home appliance, but may be information that can specify the specification of the home appliance, such as information such as a manufacturer and a model of the home appliance.
　本技術の一実施形態では、回答が、家電機器の不具合に関する情報と、その不具合に対する対応方法に関する情報との少なくとも一方を含むとよい。このような構成によると、例えば家電機器に不具合が生じたときに、ユーザは、その不具合の内容をスピーカ装置へ問い掛ければよい。それに対する回答がサーバから取得され、スピーカ装置から音声でユーザに提供される。これにより、ユーザは、家電機器のマニュアル等を調べることなく、不具合に対して適切な対応を行うことができる。 In one embodiment of the present technology, the response may include at least one of information on a failure of the home appliance and information on a response method to the failure. According to such a configuration, for example, when a failure occurs in the home appliance, the user may inquire the content of the failure on the speaker device. An answer thereto is obtained from the server and provided to the user by voice from the speaker device. As a result, the user can appropriately respond to the failure without checking the manual of the home appliance.
　本技術の一実施形態では、回答が、家電機器の使い方に関する情報と、家電機器が有する機能に関する情報との少なくとも一方を含むとよい。このような構成によると、ユーザが家電装置に対する要望をスピーカ装置へ問い掛けたときに、それに対する回答をサーバからスピーカ装置を介してユーザに提供することができる。ユーザは、家電機器のマニュアル等を調べることなく、家電機器を有効に使用することができる。 In one embodiment of the present technology, the answer may include at least one of information on how to use the home appliance and information on the function of the home appliance. According to such a configuration, when the user inquires the speaker device about a request for the home appliance, an answer to that can be provided from the server to the user via the speaker device. The user can effectively use the home appliance without checking the home appliance manual or the like.
　本技術の一実施形態では、サーバが、スピーカ装置又は前記家電機器から送信された情報を、コールセンタ又はサービスマンへ送信してもよい。このような構成によると、例えば家電機器に不具合が生じており、その不具合が修理を必要とする場合でも、ユーザがその不具合の内容をスピーカ装置へ問い掛けるだけで、コールセンタ又はサービスマンから必要なサポートを早期に受けることができる。 In an embodiment of the present technology, the server may transmit the information transmitted from the speaker device or the home appliance to the call center or the service person. According to such a configuration, even if, for example, a problem occurs in a home electric appliance and the failure requires repair, the user needs only to inquire the content of the problem to the speaker device, and the necessary support from the call center or service person is required. Can be received early.
　本技術の一実施形態では、スピーカ装置又はサーバが、ユーザの音声に応じて家電機器に対する制御要求を決定してもよい。この場合、家電機器は、スピーカ装置又はサーバから送信された制御要求に応じて動作するとよい。このような構成によると、ユーザは、スピーカ装置を用いることによって、離れた位置にある家電機器を音声で操作することができる。 In one embodiment of the present technology, the speaker device or the server may determine the control request for the home appliance in response to the user's voice. In this case, the home appliance may operate in response to a control request transmitted from the speaker device or the server. According to such a configuration, the user can operate the home appliance at a remote position by voice by using the speaker device.
　以下では、本発明の代表的かつ非限定的な具体例について、図面を参照して詳細に説明する。この詳細な説明は、本発明の好ましい例を実施するための詳細を当業者に示すことを単純に意図しており、本発明の範囲を限定することを意図したものではない。また、以下に開示される追加的な特徴ならびに発明は、さらに改善された家電システム、並びにその使用方法及び製造方法を提供するために、他の特徴や発明とは別に、又は共に用いることができる。 In the following, representative and non-limiting embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This detailed description is merely intended to show the person skilled in the art the details for practicing the preferred embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Also, the additional features and invention disclosed below can be used separately or together with other features and inventions to provide a further improved consumer electronics system as well as its use and manufacturing method. .
　また、以下の詳細な説明で開示される特徴や工程の組み合わせは、最も広い意味において本発明を実施する際に必須のものではなく、特に本発明の代表的な具体例を説明するためにのみ記載されるものである。さらに、上記及び下記の代表的な具体例の様々な特徴、ならびに、独立及び従属クレームに記載されるものの様々な特徴は、本発明の追加的かつ有用な実施形態を提供するにあたって、ここに記載される具体例のとおりに、あるいは列挙された順番のとおりに組合せなければならないものではない。 Also, the combination of features and processes disclosed in the following detailed description is not essential to the practice of the present invention in its broadest sense, and in particular, to illustrate representative examples of the present invention. It is described. Furthermore, various features of the above and below described representative embodiments, as well as various features of what is set forth in the independent and dependent claims, are set forth herein to provide additional and useful embodiments of the present invention. It does not have to be combined as per the example given or in the order listed.
　本明細書及び／又は請求の範囲に記載された全ての特徴は、実施例及び／又はクレームに記載された特徴の構成とは別に、出願当初の開示ならびにクレームされた特定事項に対する限定として、個別に、かつ互いに独立して開示されることを意図するものである。さらに、全ての数値範囲及びグループ又は集団に関する記載は、出願当初の開示ならびにクレームされた特定事項に対する限定として、それらの中間の構成を開示する意図を持ってなされている。 All features described in the present specification and / or claims are separate from the configuration of the features described in the examples and / or claims, as limitations on the initial disclosure of the application and the specific matters claimed. And intended to be disclosed independently of one another. In addition, the descriptions of all numerical ranges and groups or groups are intended to disclose intermediate constructions as limitations on the initial disclosure and the specific matters claimed.
　図面を参照して、実施例の家電システム１０を説明する。図１に示すように、家電システム１０は、スピーカ装置１２と、複数の家電機器１４とを備える。スピーカ装置１２は、複数の家電機器１４と通信ネットワーク１６を介して接続されている。一例ではあるが、本実施例にける通信ネットワーク１６は、無線式のローカルエリアネットワークを含み、スピーカ装置１２は、無線ルータ２を介して複数の家電機器１４と通信可能に接続されている。無線ルータ２は、モデム４を介してインターネット６に接続されており、インターネット６を通じてサーバ１８と通信可能に構成されている。サーバ１８は、コールセンタ４２及びサービスマン４４にも通信可能に接続されている。なお、サーバ１８は、携帯端末８によるアクセスも可能となっており、携帯端末８はサーバ１８を介してスピーカ装置１２及び複数の家電機器１４と通信することができる。ここで、通信ネットワーク１６の形態や方式は特に限定されず、その一部または全部が有線で構成されていてもよい。 The household appliance system 10 of the embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the home appliance system 10 includes a speaker device 12 and a plurality of home appliances 14. The speaker device 12 is connected to the plurality of home appliances 14 via the communication network 16. Although it is an example, the communication network 16 in the present embodiment includes a wireless local area network, and the speaker device 12 is communicably connected to a plurality of home appliances 14 via the wireless router 2. The wireless router 2 is connected to the Internet 6 through the modem 4 and is configured to be able to communicate with the server 18 through the Internet 6. The server 18 is also communicably connected to the call center 42 and the service person 44. The server 18 can also be accessed by the mobile terminal 8, and the mobile terminal 8 can communicate with the speaker device 12 and the plurality of home appliances 14 via the server 18. Here, the form and method of the communication network 16 are not particularly limited, and some or all of them may be configured by wire.
　スピーカ装置１２は、家電機器１４とは独立した装置であり、家電機器１４の位置にかかわらず、自由に配置することができる。スピーカ装置１２は、特に限定されないが、例えばスマートスピーカであってもよい。あるいは、スピーカ装置１２は、自律移動型のロボットに搭載されてもよい。詳しくは後述するように、スピーカ装置１２は、家電機器１４に関するユーザの音声による問い合わせに対して、それに対する回答をサーバ１８から取得し、ユーザに音声で提供することができる。また、スピーカ装置１２を用いることにより、ユーザは、離れた位置にある家電機器１４を音声で操作することができる。 The speaker device 12 is a device independent of the home appliance 14, and can be freely arranged regardless of the position of the home appliance 14. The speaker device 12 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a smart speaker. Alternatively, the speaker device 12 may be mounted on an autonomous mobile robot. As will be described in detail later, the speaker device 12 can obtain an answer to the user's voice inquiry regarding the home appliance 14 from the server 18 and can provide it to the user by voice. Further, by using the speaker device 12, the user can operate the home appliance 14 at a distant position by voice.
　家電システム１０は、複数の家電機器１４として、例えば洗濯機１４ａ、掃除機１４ｂ及び冷蔵庫１４ｃを備える。掃除機１４ｂは、自律走行可能なロボット掃除機である。但し、これらの家電機器１４は一例であり、家電システム１０は、エアコン、電子レンジ、炊飯器、アイロン、空機清浄機、扇風機、換気扇、テレビ、ビデオレコーダ、ビデオメディアプレーヤといった各種の家電機器１４を備えることができる。また、家電システム１０は、必ずしも複数の家電機器１４を備える必要はなく、少なくとも一つの家電機器１４を備えればよい。 The home appliance system 10 includes, for example, a washing machine 14 a, a vacuum cleaner 14 b, and a refrigerator 14 c as the plurality of home appliances 14. The vacuum cleaner 14 b is a robot vacuum cleaner that can travel autonomously. However, these home appliances 14 are an example, and the home appliance system 10 includes various home appliances 14 such as an air conditioner, a microwave, a rice cooker, an iron, an air cleaner, a fan, a ventilation fan, a television, a video recorder, and a video media player. Can be provided. Moreover, the household appliance system 10 does not necessarily need to be equipped with the several household appliances 14, and should just be equipped with at least one household appliance 14. FIG.
　図２、図３に示すように、スピーカ装置１２は、マイク２２及びスピーカ２４と、通信ネットワーク１６を介して家電機器１４と通信する通信モジュール２６と、制御装置２８とを備える。制御装置２８は、マイク２２、スピーカ２４及び通信モジュール２６に接続されており、それらを用いて各種の動作を実行することができる。制御装置２８は、機能的に、音声受信部３２、音声出力部３４、データ送受信部３６及び機器制御部３８を備える。これらの構成は、制御装置２８のメモリ及びプロセッサによって実現されている。なお、制御装置２８の具体的な構造（即ち、メモリに記憶されるプログラムやデータ）は、特に限定されない。 As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the speaker device 12 includes a microphone 22 and a speaker 24, a communication module 26 communicating with the home appliance 14 via the communication network 16, and a control device 28. The control device 28 is connected to the microphone 22, the speaker 24, and the communication module 26, and can use them to execute various operations. The control device 28 functionally includes an audio receiving unit 32, an audio output unit 34, a data transmitting / receiving unit 36, and a device control unit 38. These configurations are realized by the memory and processor of the control unit 28. The specific structure of the control device 28 (that is, the program and data stored in the memory) is not particularly limited.
　音声受信部３２は、マイク２２と接続されており、マイク２２が出力する音声データを受信する。例えば、ユーザ１がスピーカ装置１２に対して発話すると、ユーザ１の音声はマイク２２において音声データに変換され、その音声データが音声受信部３２へ入力される。音声出力部３４は、スピーカ２４と接続されており、スピーカ２４へ音声データを出力する。詳しくは後述するが、音声出力部３４が出力する音声データは、ユーザ１の家電機器１４に関する問い合わせに対する回答であって、サーバ１８から送信される。音声出力部３４がスピーカ２４へ音声データが出力されると、ユーザの問い合わせに対する回答がスピーカ２４から音声で出力される。 The audio receiving unit 32 is connected to the microphone 22 and receives audio data output from the microphone 22. For example, when the user 1 speaks to the speaker device 12, the voice of the user 1 is converted into voice data by the microphone 22, and the voice data is input to the voice reception unit 32. The audio output unit 34 is connected to the speaker 24 and outputs audio data to the speaker 24. Although details will be described later, the voice data output from the voice output unit 34 is a response to the inquiry regarding the home appliance 14 of the user 1 and is transmitted from the server 18. When the audio output unit 34 outputs the audio data to the speaker 24, an answer to the user's inquiry is output from the speaker 24 as an audio.
　データ送受信部３６は、通信モジュール２６と接続されており、通信モジュール２６を介して、複数の家電機器１４やサーバ１８との間でデータの送受信を行う。この送受信されるデータには、前述した音声データの他に、例えば、サーバ１８への情報要求やそれに対するサーバ１８の応答、家電機器１４への情報要求やそれに対する家電機器１４の応答、及び、家電機器１４への制御要求やそれに対する家電機器１４の応答等が含まれる。家電機器１４への制御要求は、マイク２２によって受信されたユーザの音声に基づき、機器制御部３８によって生成される。 The data transmission / reception unit 36 is connected to the communication module 26, and transmits / receives data to / from the plurality of home appliances 14 and the server 18 via the communication module 26. For the data to be transmitted and received, in addition to the voice data described above, for example, the information request to the server 18 and the response of the server 18 to it, the information request to the home appliance 14 and the response of the home appliance 14 to that The control request to the home appliance 14 and the response of the home appliance 14 to the request are included. The control request to the home appliance 14 is generated by the device control unit 38 based on the voice of the user received by the microphone 22.
　次に、図４－図７を参照して、家電システム１０で実行される処理の流れについて説明する。図４に示すように、先ず、ユーザ１がスピーカ装置１２に対して発話すると、スピーカ装置１２がユーザ１の音声を受信する（ステップＳ２）。ユーザ１の音声はマイク２２によって受信され、その音声データが制御装置２８に入力される。制御装置２８がマイク２２からの音声データを受信すると、それに応じて図４に示す一連の処理が開始される。ここで、ユーザ１は、家電機器１４に関する各種の問い合わせや、家電機器１４に対する命令や要望を、スピーカ装置１２に対して発話することができる。前者の例としては、図５に示すように、「冷蔵庫がおかしい。」や「冷蔵庫から異音がする。」といったものが挙げられる。後者の例としては、「洗濯を開始して。」、「乾燥までお願い。」といったものが挙げられる。その他、ユーザ１は、「〇〇を冷やすのに適切な温度は」や「氷を早く作りたいけど、その方法は。」等、各種の問い合わせ、命令又は要望をスピーカ装置１２へ自由に発話することができる。 Next, the flow of processing performed by the home appliance system 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 7. As shown in FIG. 4, first, when the user 1 speaks to the speaker device 12, the speaker device 12 receives the voice of the user 1 (step S2). The voice of the user 1 is received by the microphone 22, and the voice data is input to the control device 28. When control device 28 receives audio data from microphone 22, a series of processing shown in FIG. 4 is started accordingly. Here, the user 1 can utter to the speaker device 12 various inquiries regarding the home appliance 14 and commands and requests for the home appliance 14. As an example of the former, as shown in FIG. 5, a thing such as "fridge is strange" or "fuzzy from the refrigerator" is mentioned. Examples of the latter include "Start laundry" and "Please dry". In addition, the user 1 freely speaks various inquiries, commands or requests to the speaker device 12 such as "Temperature appropriate for cooling OO" or "I want to make ice quickly, but how?" be able to.
　制御装置２８は、マイク２２から受信した音声データを、サーバ１８へ送信する（ステップＳ４）。音声データを受信したサーバ１８は、その音声データを分析して（ステップＳ８）、複数の家電機器１４のうちの少なくとも一つを特定する（ステップＳ１４）。この処理では、特に限定されないが、家電機器１４に関連するキーワードを、音声データから抽出することによって、ユーザ１が意図している家電機器１４を特定する。例えば、「冷蔵庫がおかしい。」という音声データのなかから、「冷蔵庫」というキーワードを抽出することにより、ユーザ１が意図している家電機器１４として、冷蔵庫１４ｃを特定する。その他の例として、「ビール」や「氷」といったキーワードも、冷蔵庫１４ｃに関連するキーワードであり、それらのキーワードが抽出されたときは、冷蔵庫１４ｃが特定される。一方、「洗濯」や「乾燥」といったキーワードは、洗濯機１４ａに関連するキーワードであり、それらのキーワードが抽出されたときは、洗濯機１４ａが特定される。 The control device 28 transmits the audio data received from the microphone 22 to the server 18 (step S4). The server 18 having received the voice data analyzes the voice data (step S8), and specifies at least one of the plurality of home appliances 14 (step S14). In this process, although not particularly limited, the home appliance 14 intended by the user 1 is specified by extracting a keyword related to the home appliance 14 from the voice data. For example, the refrigerator 14c is specified as the home appliance 14 intended by the user 1 by extracting the keyword "refrigerator" from the voice data "fridge is wrong". As another example, keywords such as "beer" and "ice" are also keywords related to the refrigerator 14c, and when those keywords are extracted, the refrigerator 14c is specified. On the other hand, keywords such as "washing" and "drying" are keywords related to the washing machine 14a, and when those keywords are extracted, the washing machine 14a is specified.
　図４に示すように、家電機器１４を特定したサーバ１８は、その家電機器１４の識別情報を取得するために、その家電機器１４へ識別情報を要求する（ステップＳ８）。識別情報の要求を受けた家電機器１４は、自己の識別情報をサーバ１８へ送信する（Ｓ１０）。ここで、識別情報の要求及びその応答は、スピーカ装置１２を介して行われてもよいし、サーバ１８と家電機器１４との間で直接的に行われてもよい。また、ここでいう識別情報は、家電機器１４に付された個体識別情報に限られず、家電機器１４の製造業者及び型式といった情報のように、家電機器１４の仕様が特定できる情報であればよい。取得された識別情報は、その後の回答を決定する処理やサービスマン４４と連携する処理等において利用される。 As shown in FIG. 4, the server 18 having specified the home appliance 14 requests the home appliance 14 for identification information in order to acquire the identification information of the home appliance 14 (step S 8). The home appliance 14 having received the request for the identification information transmits its own identification information to the server 18 (S10). Here, the request for the identification information and the response thereof may be made via the speaker device 12 or may be made directly between the server 18 and the home appliance 14. Further, the identification information referred to here is not limited to the individual identification information attached to the home appliance 14, and may be information that can specify the specification of the home appliance 14, such as information such as a manufacturer and a model of the home appliance 14. . The acquired identification information is used in processing for determining a subsequent answer, processing in cooperation with the service person 44, and the like.
　続いて、サーバ１８は、自己のデータベースを利用して（ステップＳ１２でＹＥＳ）、ユーザ１の問い合わせに対する回答を決定する（ステップＳ１８）。このとき、サーバ１８は、例えば自己のデータベースが不十分であれば（ステップＳ１２でＮＯ）、外部の装置３０へ必要なデータを要求して（ステップＳ１４）、外部の装置３０から必要なデータを取得してもよい（ステップＳ１２）。サーバ１８が決定した回答は、スピーカ装置１２へ送信され（ステップＳ２０）、スピーカ装置１２により音声でユーザ１に提供される。なお、上述してきた処理において、家電機器１４の現状や動作履歴といった情報が必要とされる場合、サーバ１８は、スピーカ装置１２を介して家電機器１４へ情報を要求し、家電機器１４から情報の提供を受けることができる（ステップＳ２８、Ｓ３０）。 Subsequently, the server 18 determines the response to the inquiry of the user 1 using its own database (YES in step S12) (step S18). At this time, if, for example, its own database is insufficient (NO in step S12), the server 18 requests necessary data from the external device 30 (step S14), and transmits necessary data from the external device 30. You may acquire (step S12). The answer determined by the server 18 is transmitted to the speaker device 12 (step S20), and the speaker device 12 provides the user 1 by voice. In the process described above, when information such as the current state and operation history of the home appliance 14 is required, the server 18 requests information from the home appliance 14 via the speaker device 12 and the information from the home appliance 14 is An offer can be received (steps S28 and S30).
　ここまでの処理は、必要に応じて繰り返し実施され、ユーザ１とスピーカ装置１２との間の情報伝達が、会話形式で行われることがある。例えば図５に示すように、ユーザ１が「冷蔵庫がおかしい。」という問い合わせを行うと、ステップＳ２から処理が実行されることによって、スピーカ装置１２は「どこがおかしいですか」という回答を音声で出力する。それに対してユーザ１が、「冷蔵庫から異音がする」と返答すると、ステップＳ２からの処理が再度実行され、スピーカ装置１２は新たな回答を音声で再び出力する。なお、識別情報の取得に係るステップＳ８及びＳ１０の処理については、識別情報が既に取得されていれば自動的に省略されてもよい。図５に示す例では、「冷蔵庫から異音がする」という問い合わせに対して、サーバ１８は、冷蔵庫１４ｃの製造業者のデータベース（外部の装置３０の一例）にアクセスして（ステップＳ１６）、当該データベースが提供する冷蔵庫１４ｃの正常な動作音の音声情報を取得する。それにより、スピーカ装置１２は、「このような音でしょうか。」というメッセージとともに、冷蔵庫１４ｃの正常な動作音をユーザ１に対して再生することができる。この場合、例えば圧縮機、冷却ファンといった主要な音源毎に、正常な動作音が順に再生されるとよい。 The processing so far is repeatedly performed as necessary, and information may be communicated between the user 1 and the speaker device 12 in a conversational manner. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when the user 1 inquires that "the refrigerator is wrong", the speaker device 12 outputs an answer "in the wrong place" by voice by executing the process from step S2. Do. On the other hand, when the user 1 responds that "an abnormal noise occurs from the refrigerator", the processing from step S2 is executed again, and the speaker device 12 again outputs a new answer by voice. In addition, about the process of step S8 which concerns on acquisition of identification information, and S10, if identification information is already acquired, you may be abbreviate | omitted automatically. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the server 18 accesses the database (an example of the external device 30) of the manufacturer of the refrigerator 14c (step S16) in response to the inquiry that "an abnormal noise occurs from the refrigerator". The voice information of the normal operation sound of the refrigerator 14c provided by the database is acquired. Thereby, the speaker device 12 can reproduce the normal operation sound of the refrigerator 14 c to the user 1 together with the message “Is it such a sound?”. In this case, a normal operation sound may be sequentially reproduced for each main sound source such as a compressor and a cooling fan.
　冷蔵庫１４ｃの正常な動作音が再生されると、次のようなる二つのケースが想定される。第１のケースとして、図６に示すように、再生された動作音が、ユーザ１の感じた異音に一致したとする。この場合、冷蔵庫１４ｃには不具合が発生していないことを意味する。再生された動作音に対して、例えばユーザ１が「この音だ。」と返答すると、ステップＳ２からの処理が再度実行され、スピーカ装置１２からは「これは圧縮機の音です。夏場や電源投入直後、一気冷凍、一気製氷動作時のときは、圧縮機の運転音が大きくなります。故障ではありません。」といった回答が音声で出力される。これにより、ユーザ１は、冷蔵庫１４ｃのマニュアル等を調べることなく、自己の問い合わせに対して適切な回答を得ることができる。 When the normal operation sound of the refrigerator 14c is reproduced, the following two cases are assumed. As a first case, as shown in FIG. 6, it is assumed that the reproduced operation sound matches the abnormal sound felt by the user 1. In this case, it means that no problem occurs in the refrigerator 14c. For example, when the user 1 responds to the reproduced operation sound as "this sound.", The processing from step S2 is executed again, and from the speaker device 12, "This is the sound of the compressor. Immediately after turning on the compressor, the operation noise of the compressor increases when it is frozen by air or by ice making operation. This is not a malfunction. " Thus, the user 1 can obtain an appropriate answer to his / her inquiry without checking the manual or the like of the refrigerator 14c.
　第２のケースとして、図７に示すように、再生された動作音が、ユーザ１の感じた異音に一致しないとする。この場合、冷蔵庫１４ｃに故障といった不具合が発生しているおそれがある。再生された動作音に対して、例えばユーザ１が「違う。」と返答すると、ステップＳ２から処理が再度実行されるとともに、ステップＳ１８の回答を決定する処理において、サーバ１８はユーザ１の冷蔵庫１４ｃに不具合のおそれがあると判断する。そして、サービスマン４４（又はコールセンタ４２）と通信し、ユーザ１の冷蔵庫１４ｃに不具合が発生していることを伝達するとともに（ステップＳ３６）、その旨を示す回答をスピーカ装置１２へ送信する（ステップＳ２０）。その結果、スピーカ装置１２からは、「情報を送信しました。ご連絡までしばらくおまちください。」との回答が音声で出力される。サービスマン４４（又はコールセンタ４２）は、スピーカ装置１２を通じて直ちにユーザ１と連絡を取ることができる。 As a second case, as shown in FIG. 7, it is assumed that the reproduced operation sound does not match the abnormal sound felt by the user 1. In this case, there may be a problem such as a failure in the refrigerator 14c. For example, when the user 1 responds to the reproduced operation sound as "different", the process is executed again from step S2, and in the process of determining the answer in step S18, the server 18 performs the refrigerator 14c of the user 1 Judge that there is a risk of Then, it communicates with the serviceman 44 (or the call center 42) to convey that a failure has occurred in the refrigerator 14c of the user 1 (step S36), and transmits an answer indicating that to the speaker device 12 (step S36) S20). As a result, from the speaker device 12, the answer “The information has been sent. Please wait for a while” is output as a voice. The serviceman 44 (or the call center 42) can immediately contact the user 1 through the speaker device 12.
　ここで、スピーカ装置１２が受け付けるユーザ１の問い合わせは、家電機器１４の不具合に関するものに限定されず、前述した「〇〇を冷やすのに適切な温度は」や「氷を早く作りたいけど、その方法は。」といった要望に関する問い合わせであってもよい。この場合でも、図４に示すステップＳ２からＳ２２までの処理が同様に実行され、「摂氏４度ぐらいが適切です」や「メニューボタンを操作して、『一気製氷』を利用してみてください。」といった回答が、スピーカ装置１２から音声で出力される。このように、本実施例の家電システム１０によると、ユーザは、家電機器１４のマニュアル等を調べることなく、家電機器１４の使い方に関する情報や、家電機器１４が有する機能に関する情報等を、スピーカ装置１２から得ることができる。 Here, the inquiry of the user 1 received by the speaker device 12 is not limited to the one related to the malfunction of the home appliance 14, and the above-mentioned "appropriate temperature for cooling OO" and "I want to make ice quickly, but The method may be an inquiry about the request. Even in this case, the processing from step S2 to step S22 shown in FIG. 4 is similarly executed, and try using "one ice making" by operating "about 4 degrees Celsius is appropriate" or "menu button." The answer such as “” is output from the speaker device 12 as voice. As described above, according to the home appliance system 10 of the present embodiment, the user does not check the manual or the like of the home appliance 14, and the speaker apparatus provides information on how to use the home appliance 14, information on functions of the home appliance 14, etc. It can be obtained from 12.
　上述した処理に加えて、スピーカ装置１２及びサーバ１８は、ユーザ１の発話、サービスマン４４の指示又は自己の判断等により、家電機器１４の動作を制御することができる。例えば、ユーザ１が「洗濯を開始して。」と発話すると（図４のステップＳ２）、その音声データがサーバ１８へ送信され（ステップＳ４）、サーバ１８による分析が行われる（ステップＳ４）。この場合、「洗濯」及び「開始」というキーワードから、ユーザ１が洗濯機１４ａに対して洗濯の開始を指示していると判断することができる。音声データの分析後、サーバ１８は、必要に応じて家電機器１４の識別情報を取得した上で（ステップＳ８、Ｓ１０）、家電機器１４（ここでは洗濯機１４ａ）に対する制御内容を決定する（ステップＳ２４）。サーバ１８が決定した制御内容は、スピーカ装置１２を介して家電機器１４に送信され（ステップＳ２６、Ｓ３２）、それに対する応答が家電機器１４からスピーカ装置１２へ送信される（ステップＳ３４）。これにより、ユーザ１は、家電機器１４から離れた位置において、スピーカ装置１２へ単に話しかけることにより、家電機器１４を操作することができる。 In addition to the above-described processing, the speaker device 12 and the server 18 can control the operation of the home appliance 14 by the user 1's utterance, the instruction of the serviceman 44, the judgment of the user, or the like. For example, when the user 1 utters "Start laundry" (step S2 in FIG. 4), the voice data is transmitted to the server 18 (step S4), and the server 18 analyzes it (step S4). In this case, it can be determined from the keywords "washing" and "start" that the user 1 instructs the washing machine 14a to start washing. After analyzing the voice data, the server 18 acquires the identification information of the home appliance 14 as necessary (steps S8 and S10), and determines the control content for the home appliance 14 (here, the washing machine 14a) (step S24). The control content determined by the server 18 is transmitted to the home appliance 14 via the speaker device 12 (steps S26 and S32), and a response thereto is sent from the home appliance 14 to the speaker device 12 (step S34). As a result, the user 1 can operate the home appliance 14 simply by talking to the speaker device 12 at a position away from the home appliance 14.
　家電システム１０の具体的な構成は、適宜変更することができる。図７を参照して、変形例のスピーカ装置１１２について説明する。このスピーカ装置１１２では、前述したスピーカ装置１２と比較して、温度センサ１０２及び湿度センサ１０４が付加されている。温度センサ１０２及び湿度センサ１０４は、周囲の環境情報を検出するためのセンサの一例である。スピーカ装置１１２は、温度センサ１０２及び湿度センサ１０４を具備することにより、例えばサーバ１８等と通信することなく、周囲の環境情報を自ら取得することができる。 The specific configuration of the home appliance system 10 can be changed as appropriate. With reference to FIG. 7, the speaker apparatus 112 of a modification is demonstrated. In the speaker device 112, a temperature sensor 102 and a humidity sensor 104 are added as compared with the above-described speaker device 12. The temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 104 are an example of a sensor for detecting ambient environment information. By providing the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 104, the speaker device 112 can obtain surrounding environment information by itself without communicating with, for example, the server 18 or the like.
　変形例のスピーカ装置１１２では、前述したスピーカ装置１２と比較して、制御装置１２８の構成も変更されており、詳しくは、センサ受信部１０８、音声認識部１１０、音声データベース１１４が付加されている。センサ受信部１０８は、温度センサ１０２及び湿度センサ１０４にそれぞれ接続されており、それらが出力する検出信号を受信する。音声認識部１１０は、音声受信部３２から音声データを受け取るとともに、音声データベース１１４を用いて当該音声データを分析することにより、ユーザ１の発話内容を認識する。これにより、前述したサーバ１８で実行される処理の一部が、スピーカ装置１１２の内部で実施可能に構成されている。なお、音声認識の具体的な処理については、公知の手法を適宜採用することができる。本変形例のスピーカ装置１１２は、サーバ１８と通信することなく、例えば家電機器１４に対する制御の内容を決定することができる。この制御の内容を決定する処理では、温度センサ１０２及び湿度センサ１０４を利用することにより、周囲の環境情報に基づいて制御の内容を決定してもよい。 In the speaker device 112 of the modified example, the configuration of the control device 128 is also changed as compared with the above-described speaker device 12, and more specifically, the sensor receiving unit 108, the voice recognition unit 110, and the voice database 114 are added. . The sensor receiving unit 108 is connected to the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 104, and receives detection signals output from them. The voice recognition unit 110 receives voice data from the voice reception unit 32 and analyzes the voice data using the voice database 114 to recognize the content of the utterance of the user 1. Thereby, a part of the process performed by the server 18 described above is configured to be executable inside the speaker device 112. In addition, about the specific process of speech recognition, a well-known method can be employ | adopted suitably. The speaker device 112 of this modification can determine, for example, the content of control on the home appliance 14 without communicating with the server 18. In the process of determining the content of the control, the content of the control may be determined based on the surrounding environment information by using the temperature sensor 102 and the humidity sensor 104.
１：ユーザ
２：無線ルータ
４：モデム
６：インターネット
８：携帯端末
１０：家電システム
１２、１１２：スピーカ装置
１４：家電機器
１４ａ：洗濯機
１４ｂ：掃除機
１４ｃ：冷蔵庫
１６：通信ネットワーク
１８：サーバ
２２：マイク
２４：スピーカ
２６：通信モジュール
２８、１２８：制御装置
４２：コールセンタ
４４：サービスマン
１０２：温度センサ
１０４：湿度センサ 1: User 2: Wireless router 4: Modem 6: Internet 8: Mobile terminal 10: Home appliance system 12, 112: Speaker device 14: Home appliance 14a: Washing machine 14b: Vacuum cleaner 14c: Refrigerator 16: Communication network 18: Communication network 18: Server 22 : Microphone 24: Speaker 26: Communication module 28, 128: Controller 42: Call center 44: Serviceman 102: Temperature sensor 104: Humidity sensor

Claims (9)

  1. 　少なくとも一つの家電機器と、
    　前記少なくとも一つの家電機器及びサーバに通信ネットワークを介して接続されるスピーカ装置と、を備える家電システムであって、
    　前記スピーカ装置は、
    　前記家電機器に関するユーザの問い合わせを取得するマイクと、
    　前記問い合わせに対する回答を、前記通信ネットワークを介して前記サーバから取得する制御装置と、
    　前記回答を音声で出力するスピーカと、を備える、
    　家電システム。     At least one home appliance,
    A home appliance system comprising: a speaker device connected to the at least one home appliance and the server via a communication network,
    The speaker device is
    A microphone for acquiring a user's inquiry regarding the home appliance;
    A control device that acquires an answer to the inquiry from the server via the communication network;
    A speaker for outputting the answer in voice.
    Home appliance system.
  2. 　前記家電機器は、前記サーバからの要求に応じて、自己の識別情報を前記サーバへ送信する、請求項１に記載の家電システム。 The home electric appliance system according to claim 1, wherein the home electric appliance transmits its identification information to the server in response to a request from the server.
  3. 　前記回答は、前記家電機器の不具合に関する情報と、当該不具合に対する対応方法に関する情報との少なくとも一方を含む、請求項１又は２に記載の家電システム。 The home electric appliance system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the answer includes at least one of information on a failure of the home electric appliance and information on a response method to the failure.
  4. 　前記回答は、前記家電機器の使い方に関する情報と、前記家電機器が有する機能に関する情報との少なくとも一方を含む、請求項１から３のいずれか一項に記載の家電システム。 The home electric appliance system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the answer includes at least one of information on how to use the home electric appliance and information on a function of the home electric appliance.
  5. 　前記サーバは、前記スピーカ装置又は前記家電機器から送信された情報を、コールセンタ又はサービスマンへ送信する、請求項１から４のいずれか一項に記載の家電システム。 The home electric appliance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the server transmits the information transmitted from the speaker device or the home electric appliance to a call center or a service person.
  6. 　前記スピーカ装置又は前記サーバは、前記ユーザの音声に応じて前記家電機器に対する制御要求を決定し、
    　前記家電装置は、前記スピーカ装置又は前記サーバから送信された前記制御要求に応じて動作する、請求項１から５のいずれか一項に記載の家電システム。     The speaker device or the server determines a control request for the home appliance according to the voice of the user,
    The household appliance system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the household appliance device operates in response to the control request transmitted from the speaker device or the server.
  7. 　請求項１から６のいずれか一項に記載の家電システムと前記通信ネットワークを介して接続されるサーバであって、
    　前記家電システムから送信されたユーザの問い合わせに対する回答を決定し、その回答を前記スピーカ装置へ送信するサーバ。     A home server system according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and a server connected via the communication network,
    A server that determines an answer to a user's inquiry transmitted from the home appliance system, and transmits the answer to the speaker device.
  8. 　少なくとも一つの家電機器及び外部のサーバと通信ネットワークを介して接続されるスピーカ装置であって、
    　前記家電機器に関するユーザの問い合わせを取得するマイクと、
    　前記問い合わせに対する回答を、前記通信ネットワークを介して前記サーバから取得する制御装置と、
    　前記回答を音声で出力するスピーカと、
    　を備えるスピーカ装置。     A speaker device connected to at least one home appliance and an external server via a communication network,
    A microphone for acquiring a user's inquiry regarding the home appliance;
    A control device that acquires an answer to the inquiry from the server via the communication network;
    A speaker for outputting the answer in voice;
    Speaker apparatus provided with
  9. 　請求項８に記載のスピーカ装置と通信ネットワークを介して接続される家電機器であって、
    　前記サーバ又は前記スピーカ装置からの要求に応じて、自己の識別情報を前記サーバ又は前記スピーカ装置へ送信する、家電機器。     An electrical home appliance connected to the speaker device according to claim 8 via a communication network,
    A home electric appliance which transmits its identification information to the server or the speaker device in response to a request from the server or the speaker device.
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