JP6148969B2 - Listening support device - Google Patents

Description

  The embodiment described in this specification relates to a listening support device.

  By providing a magnetic induction loop and changing the intensity of the induced magnetic field generated from the magnetic induction loop according to the sound signal, a receiver such as a hearing aid located in the induced magnetic field generates an AC voltage with a receiving coil mounted thereon. There has been known a technique for outputting a sound by generating a sound signal by inducing the sound and driving an earphone mounted on the receiver by the sound signal.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-238098

  Installed such a magnetic induction loop in the accounting corner in stores such as supermarkets, and applied the above technology so that customers who wear receivers such as hearing aids can listen to the sound of the store clerk collected with a microphone etc. Then, noise in the store is also collected by the microphone. As a result, amplified noise is transmitted to the receiver.

  In particular, in a POS (point of sale) terminal system that performs product accounting processing, the scanning sound of a bar code scanner, the operation sound of a keyboard, etc. become loud and annoying for the listener wearing the hearing aid. . Therefore, it becomes difficult for the listener using the hearing aid to listen to the clerk's voice while being buried in the electronic sound.

  The embodiment has been made to solve the above-described problems, and enables a listener using a hearing aid to easily listen to a sound generated by a store clerk and to listen to a sound generated by the device. The purpose is to provide a technique for reducing the volume.

The listening support device according to the embodiment includes a sound input unit, a first unit, and a magnetic induction loop. The sound input unit collects sound from the outside. The first unit suppresses output of a sound signal of a specific frequency that is a sound signal emitted from the first device among sounds collected by the sound input unit and is defined in advance. The magnetic induction loop generates an induced magnetic field corresponding to the audio signal output from the first unit. The first unit is connected to the sound source of one of the plurality of first devices, mixes the suppressed audio signal and the sound signal from the sound source, and outputs the mixed signal to the magnetic induction loop. .

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the listening assistance apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the filter characteristic of the listening assistance apparatus which concerns on embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the utilization form of a listening assistance apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows a part of POS terminal device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment, and an example of a listening assistance apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the listening assistance apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

(First embodiment)
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a listening support apparatus according to the first embodiment. The listening support device 10 includes a main unit 1, a sound input unit 2, and a magnetic induction loop 3.

  The main unit 1 is connected to the sound input unit 2 and the magnetic induction loop 3 and uses them to perform processing for listening to the sound of the listener wearing the receiver. The receiver has a function of obtaining a sound signal from an induction magnetic field generated by the magnetic induction loop 3 by a reception coil (telephone coil) and outputting a sound represented by the sound signal from the earphone. As the receiver, a hearing aid such as a hearing aid, a sound collector, and a hearing aid, or a device for providing voice guidance only to a receiver wearer can be applied.

  The sound input unit 2 collects sound from the outside and outputs a sound signal representing this sound. The sound input unit 2 inputs sound to be provided to the listener, such as a human voice. The sound input unit 2 is typically a microphone, but various other devices for inputting sound can be used as appropriate.

  The magnetic induction loop 3 generates an induction magnetic field corresponding to the sound signal supplied from the main unit 1.

  The main unit 1 includes a filter 1a and an amplifier 1b. The filter 1a is, for example, a notch filter that is typically used, and has a function capable of appropriately setting a stop frequency. The filter 1a attenuates a sound signal having a set frequency from the sound signal output from the sound input unit 2. The amplifier 1b amplifies the sound signal output from the filter 1a and outputs the amplified signal to the magnetic induction loop 3.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of frequency characteristics of the filter 1a. In the present embodiment, characteristics are shown in which 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 1100 Hz are blocked with an attenuation of 30 dB.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a usage form of the listening support device 10. In this usage example, the customer 26 wearing the receiver 20 listens to the sound produced by the store clerk 25 at an accounting corner provided in a store such as a supermarket. 3A shows a state where the customer 26 is standing, and FIG. 3B shows a state where the customer 26 is sitting on a wheelchair.

  A soccer stand 24 is installed in the checkout corner, and a customer 26 who wants to make a checkup faces the store clerk 25 across the football stand 24. A POS terminal device 100 is disposed on the soccer stand 24. The POS terminal device 100 includes a scanner unit 23, an operator operation panel 27, and a card reader 28.

  The scanner unit 23 reads a barcode attached to a product. The operation panel 27 receives an operation input from the operator, and displays information such as the commodity and amount for which the transaction has been made. The operation panel 27 includes a flat panel for display and a touch panel laminated on the surface of the flat panel. The card reader 28 is a unit that scans a member card presented by the customer 26 and reads information such as a member number.

  The main unit 1 shown in FIG. The position at which the main unit 1 is attached to the soccer stand 24 is arbitrary, and may be placed on a shelf (not shown) of the soccer stand 24 or a floor near the soccer stand 24. Further, the main unit 1 may be mounted inside the POS terminal device 100.

  The sound input unit 2 is attached to the POS terminal device 100. More specifically, the sound input unit 2 is attached to the upper surface of the operation panel 27 of the POS terminal device 100. The sound input unit 2 is directed toward the clerk 25 in the direction of sound. The sound input unit 2 only needs to be attached to a position where the sound generated by the store clerk 25 is collected, and may be attached to or held by the store clerk 25.

  The magnetic induction loop 3 is installed on the floor surface when the customer 26 faces the store clerk 25. The magnetic induction loop 3 may be embedded under the floor surface.

  A plurality of accounting corners shown in FIG. 3 are installed side by side in an accounting corner such as a supermarket, that is, a so-called checkout lane. In general, the scanner unit 23 includes a speaker that emits a confirmation sound (scanning sound) indicating that a barcode attached to a product has been normally read, and emits a sine wave of 700 Hz, for example, for several hundred milliseconds. If there are multiple accounting corners, this confirmation sound is frequently generated from each device. When these confirmation sounds are input to the sound input unit 2, the sounds are amplified by the amplifier 1 b together with the sound of the store clerk 25, radiated as a magnetic field signal from the magnetic induction loop 3, and heard by the customer 26 wearing the receiver 20. become. If it is a normal hearing person, it is easy to distinguish the confirmation sound from the clerk's voice, but it is difficult for the hearing impaired person.

  Therefore, the blocking frequency of the filter 1a is preset to the frequency of the confirmation sound emitted by the scanner unit 23. Thereby, the dial tone of the scanner unit 23 input to the sound input unit 2 is blocked by the filter 1a. On the other hand, the voice of the clerk 25 input to the sound input unit 2 passes through the filter 1a without being attenuated, is amplified by the amplifier 1b, and is radiated from the magnetic induction loop 3 as a magnetic field signal. Therefore, the customer 26 wearing the receiver 20 can hear the voice of the clerk 25 clearly.

  The confirmation sound generated by the scanner unit 23 is a function provided for confirming the result of the bar clerk 25 scanning the bar code. However, since the confirmation sound of the scanner unit 23 at the adjacent accounting corner is also heard, It is difficult to discriminate whether the sound is due to the accounting process of No. 1 or the sound due to the accounting process of other adjacent lanes. Therefore, the frequency of the confirmation sound of the scanner unit 23 may be changed for each accounting corner. For example, when three scanner units 23 are arranged close to each other, in the present embodiment, frequencies of 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 1100 Hz are set, respectively. Therefore, the blocking frequency of the filter 1a is set to three frequencies of 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 1100 Hz.

  In addition, distortion of a speaker or the like included in the scanner unit 23 may cause a harmonic having a frequency component that is an integral multiple of the set confirmation sound. In preparation for such a case, in the present embodiment, for example, the blocking frequency of the filter 1a is set to 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, 1100 Hz of the fundamental wave and 1400 Hz, 2000 Hz, 2200 Hz of the harmonics thereof.

  In the above description, the confirmation sound emitted by the scanner unit 23 is the object to be blocked, but the sound emitted by the operation panel 27 and the sound emitted by the card reader 28 may be the removal object. Any one or all of these confirmation sounds may be blocked. If the confirmation sound emitted from the scanner unit 23 and the confirmation sound emitted from the operation panel 27 or the card reader 28 have the same frequency, the removal frequency of the file 1a is set to 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, 1100 Hz, for example, as described above. By setting the overtones to 1400 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 2200 Hz, it is possible to simultaneously block the sound emitted from the operation panel 27 and the card reader 28.

(Second Embodiment)
The confirmation sound emitted by the scanner unit and the confirmation sound emitted by the operation panel and the card reader are sounds generated to indicate to the store clerk and the customer that processing has been performed. Therefore, when these electronic sounds are simply removed, in the first embodiment, the customer wearing the receiver cannot confirm whether it has been scanned or the like. In the second embodiment, a mode for solving this problem will be described.

  FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a part of the POS terminal device and the listening support device according to the second embodiment. 4, the same elements as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  The card reader 28 shown in the first embodiment also includes a card scanner 28a that is a main part for reading a card, and includes a sound source 28b and a speaker 28c that emit sound when the card is read. The scanner unit 23 includes a barcode scanner 23a which is a main function unit, and includes a sound source 23b and a speaker 23c that emit sound during barcode scanning. The operation panel 27 includes a display operation unit 27a which is a main function unit, and includes a sound source 27b and a speaker 27c that emit sound when the operator operates the display operation unit 27a.

  The listening support device 30 includes a main unit 11 instead of the main unit 1 in the listening support device 10 of the first embodiment. The main unit 11 has a mixer 1c that mixes the sound source 23b of the scanner unit 23 and the output of the filter 1a. Similarly, the output of the sound source 27b of the operation panel 27 and the sound source 28b of the card reader 28 can also be input to the mixer 1c.

  The blocking frequency of the filter 1a is set to the frequency of the confirmation sound emitted by the sound source 23b of the plurality of scanner units 23, the sound source 27b of the operation panel 27, and the sound source 28b of the card reader 28. Therefore, the confirmation sound emitted from the speaker 23c of the scanner unit 23, the speaker 27c of the operation panel 27, and the speaker 28c of the card reader 28, which is input via the sound input unit 2, is blocked by the filter 1a. On the other hand, the signals from the sound sources 23b, 27b, and 28b connected to the mixer 1c are mixed with the voice of the store clerk 25 that has passed through the filter 1a by the mixer 1c and amplified by the amplifier 1b. The output signal of the amplifier 1b is radiated from the magnetic induction loop 3 as a magnetic field signal.

  With this configuration, the customer 26 wearing the receiver 20 can clearly hear the voice of the store clerk 25. At the same time, the customer 26 can confirm by voice whether the presented card has been read properly. Further, the customer 26 can grasp by confirming whether or not the barcode of the product to be purchased has been properly scanned by the scanner unit 23 and the number of items has been properly input by the operator operation panel 27.

  The confirmation sound generated by the scanner unit 23, the operation panel 27, and the card reader 28 is a sound provided for the store clerk 25 to confirm the barcode scanning result, the input on the operation panel 27, and the reading of the card reader 28. However, as described in the first embodiment, it is difficult to discriminate because the confirmation sound of the adjacent accounting corner can be heard.

Therefore, the frequency of the confirmation sound of the scanner unit 23, the operation panel 27, and the card reader 28 may be changed for each accounting corner. For example, when the frequencies of 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 1100 Hz are set as in the first embodiment, the blocking frequency of the filter 1a is set to three frequencies of 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 1100 Hz.

  Further, distortion of the speakers 23c, 27c, 28c, etc. may cause a sound having a frequency component that is an integral multiple of the set confirmation sound. In preparation for such a case, for example, the blocking frequency of the filter 1a may be set to 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, 1100 Hz of the fundamental wave and 1400 Hz, 2000 Hz, 2200 Hz of the harmonics thereof.

(Third embodiment)
In the first and second embodiments, the implementation example has been described in which sounds having specific frequencies such as 700 Hz, 1000 Hz, and 1100 Hz and overtones thereof such as 1400 Hz, 2000 Hz, and 2200 Hz are blocked. However, in recent years, there are some POS terminal systems that can be changed to special sound effects according to the store, for example, in the case of a store that handles animals, such as making an animal call. In the first and second embodiments, the filter 1a that blocks the sound of a specific frequency is an analog filter, and thus cannot handle such special sound effects. In the third embodiment, a mode using a digital filter will be described in order to prevent special sound effects. 5, the same elements as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 6 is a configuration example of a listening support apparatus described in the third embodiment. The listening support device 50 includes the main unit 12. The main unit 12 includes an A / D converter 1d, a processing unit 1e, and a D / A converter 1f instead of the filter 1a shown in the first and second embodiments. The A / D converter 1d digitally converts analog audio from the sound input unit 2. The processing unit 1e performs digital filter processing by DSP (Digital Signal Processing). The processing unit 1e cancels a predetermined waveform defined in advance among the audio data from the sound input unit 2 that has been digitally converted. The D / A converter 1f performs analog conversion on the audio data from which the predetermined audio is removed by the processing unit 1e.

  The processing unit 1e includes a processor 801 that is an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and a storage unit 802 that stores programs and data. In the case of this configuration, the processor 801 performs a cancellation process by calculating and executing a program introduced in advance in a storage unit such as the storage unit 802. Some or all of these may be implemented by an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or the like. The storage unit 802 may be outside the processing unit 1e.

  In the POS terminal device capable of emitting special sound effects, a plurality of special sound effects are stored in advance, and the user (store staff) selects a special sound effect from the plurality of patterns. . In the embodiment, data for canceling the special sound effects in association with the plurality of special sound effects is also stored in the storage unit 802, for example. Thereby, when the user selects a special sound effect, data for canceling the special sound effect can also be obtained. For example, the processor 801 may receive the special sound effect identification information from the POS terminal device via the communication unit 803 and select the cancel data corresponding to the special sound effect. Good. In addition, the listening support device 50 may be provided with a physical switch, and cancellation data may be selected by the user selecting the switch. When detecting the sound pattern of the special sound effect, the processing unit 1e mutes only the sound using the cancel data.

  The above embodiment can be modified in various ways as follows.

  In each embodiment, the installation state of the magnetic induction loop may be arbitrary. For example, the magnetic induction loop 3 shown in FIG. 3 may be installed on the ceiling.

  In each of the embodiments, a connector that allows the magnetic induction loop 3 to be attached and detached is provided, and the magnetic induction loop 3 can be modified into a configuration that does not constitute the components of the listening support devices 10, 30, and 50. Further, a connector that allows the sound input unit 2 to be attached and detached is provided, and the sound input unit 2 can be modified into a form that does not constitute the components of the listening support devices 10, 30, and 50.

  In the second embodiment, a connector that allows the scanner unit 23, the operation panel 27, and the card reader 28 to be detachable is provided, and the scanner unit 23, the operation panel 27, and the card reader 28 are not components of the listening support device 30. Variations can be made.

  You may combine the aspect of 2nd Embodiment, and the aspect of 3rd Embodiment. In this case, the filter 1a of the second embodiment may be replaced with an A / D converter 1d, a processing unit 1e, and a D / A converter 1f.

  As described in detail above, according to the aspect of the present embodiment, the listener using the hearing aid can more easily hear the sound produced by the store clerk.

  The present invention can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the spirit or main features thereof. Therefore, the above-described embodiment is merely an example in all respects and should not be interpreted in a limited manner. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the scope of claims, and is not restricted by the text of the specification. Further, all modifications, various improvements, alternatives and modifications belonging to the equivalent scope of the claims are all within the scope of the present invention.

1, 11, 12 Main unit, 2 sound input unit, 3 magnetic induction loop, 1a filter, 1b amplifier, 1c mixer, 1d A / D converter, 1e processing unit, 1f D / A converter, 10, 30, 50 Listening support device, 20 receiver, 23 scanner unit, 23a barcode scanner, 23b sound source, 23c speaker, 24 soccer table, 25 clerk, 26 customer, 27 operation panel, 27a display operation unit, 27b sound source, 27c speaker, 28 card reader , 28a card scanner, 28b sound source, 28c speaker, 100 POS terminal device, 801 processor, 802 storage unit, 803 communication unit.

Claims (3)

A sound input unit for collecting external audio;
A first unit that suppresses output of a sound signal of a specific frequency that is a signal of a sound emitted from the first device among sounds collected by the sound input unit;
A magnetic induction loop for generating an induced magnetic field in accordance with an audio signal output from the first unit;
I have a,
The first unit is connected to a sound source of one of the plurality of first devices, mixes the suppressed audio signal and a sound signal from the sound source, and A listening support device that outputs to the induction loop . The listening support device according to claim 1 ,
The first unit also suppresses output of a sound signal having a frequency that is an integral multiple of the specific frequency. The listening support apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 ,
The first unit is one of a bar code reading sound of the first device, an operation sound of the first device, and a card reading sound of the first device among the sounds collected by the sound input unit or Suppresses output of all sound signals.

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