JPH036956A - dial for telephone equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make an error rate as to a voice dial to zero by deciding a count sequentially with a voice control means and sending the decided count to a connection line. CONSTITUTION:When a handset 3 is lifted up, a pulse dialing section 11 generates a pulse, sends a pulse to a counter 12, it is displayed on a display device 14 one by one digit to appeal it to the visual sense of the operator and a simulated sound is generated from a simulating sound generating section 15 simultaneously. The operator recognizes whether or not the number is a number required at that time by the operator and utters 'Yes' to the handset 3. The numeral or symbol is decided by the input of the voice signal and the decided numeral or symbol is fed to an NCU section 1 and sent to the connection line as a dial signal. The succeeding digit is operated similarly and sent to the connection line as the dial signal.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Description of the Field to which the Invention Pertains] The present invention relates to dialing of a telephone device, in which an operator recognizes numbers or symbols that occur sequentially and uses voice control means etc. to dial the numbers or symbols. The present invention relates to a dial for a telephone device that is capable of determining a symbol and transmitting the determined number or symbol to a telephone line.

[Prior Art and its Problems] Telephone systems that are widely used generally have individual numbers for each party in order to basically allow the user to freely select the party to call. Figure 1 briefly shows the configuration of a conventional telephone, where 1 is the NCU, which is the network control unit, and 2 is the HY8.
2 shows an audio system 2-wire 4-wire conversion hybrid circuit. A handset 3 is connected to the hybrid circuit.

In addition, NCU1 is connected to an external public line, and in addition to HYB2, hook switch 4 and dial pushbutton 5 are
is connected. When a person desiring to make a call attempts to talk to a specific party, he dials the individual number of the specific party using a dial push button 5, selectively calls the party, waits for the party's response, and then makes the call. There are two types of dialing means for this purpose in current telephones: a rotary dialing system and a push button dialing system shown in FIG.

In either method, the caller receives numbers from 1 to O that are two-dimensionally configured, arranged, and represented on the telephone.
Dial numbers with the special symbols # and * were selected, and each number was mechanically ``pressed'' or ``rotated'' to determine the dial number, and then sent to the telephone line.

However, in modern telephones, emphasis has been placed on design for indoor interiors, rather than just the ability to make calls, and there are many telephones in various designs and colors. However, when trying to design various designs, due to the functional limitations of either the rotary dial method or the push button dial method, as mentioned earlier,
It was difficult to design freely, and this dial was the biggest bottleneck in the design.

Furthermore, as part of the diversification of telephones, portable telephones such as cordless telephones have appeared and have become widely used. Telephones such as car phones are not only used inside cars, but devices with names like ``shoulder phones'' or ``mobile phones'' that are used while moving are beginning to appear. Due to the necessity of these devices, the first requirement is to make them smaller and lighter, and there is a fierce competition in their development. Some products are becoming available with a capacity of 300CG or less.

As the entire device becomes smaller in size, dials such as push button dials have to be made smaller as well, and there is no choice but to make the size smaller at the expense of operability. As miniaturization progresses, push-button dials cannot be further miniaturized from the viewpoint of operability, and as a result, it becomes impossible to miniaturize the entire device, which is a serious problem. This has become a serious problem.

Furthermore, it goes without saying that the above-mentioned miniaturization is required not only for portable devices but also for some wired telephones.

Recently, advances in digital circuit technology have led to the emergence of so-called "voice dialing telephones" that identify voices. In this case, efforts are currently being made to eliminate identification errors by, for example, registering the voice of the unique person using the voice dial telephone. There are also various restrictions, such as standardizing the way numbers are read and limiting the speed at which people can speak. However, even if the method described above is used, it is difficult to reduce the error rate of voice identification to 0%, and it is also costly, so its practical use is still in its infancy.

As described above, conventional rotary dials, push button dials, and voice recognition dials have various problems, including problems with operability, in addition to the problems mentioned above.

[Purpose of the Invention] The present invention was made to solve these problems, and it changes the concept of the conventional dial, eliminates the conventional 10 to 12 dial buttons, and overcomes design constraints and miniaturization. In addition to relieving obstacles and paving the way for the creation of innovative designs and the possibility of miniaturization, it also improves operability and reduces the error rate inherent in voice dialing.
The purpose is to

[Description of structure and operation of the invention] The dial for a telephone device of the present invention includes: a pulse generating means, a counting means for counting the pulses,
comprising at least one of a display means for displaying the counted value or a means for converting the counted value into audio, a gate means for controlling passage of the counted value, and an audio control means for giving a trigger to the gate means. , a dial for a telephone device characterized in that the voice control means sequentially determines the counted value and sends the determined counted value to a connection line.

The present invention will be explained in detail below.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention, and in FIG. 2, numerals 1 to 4 are the same as a conventional telephone. The part indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 2 is a unit that replaces the dial part used in conventional telephones. Inside this dotted line are the pulse generator 11, counter 12, gate circuit 13, display 14, and pseudo voice generator 1.
5, and a waveform shaping section 1 for audio waveform as audio control means.
Next, the operation of this embodiment will be explained. First, when the operator lifts up the handset 3, the hook switch 4 connected to the NCU1 is turned on and the connection line is supplemented. At the same time, the pulse generator 11 generates a pulse and sends the pulse to the counter 12 (for example, a hexadecimal counter).

This pulse includes 1 to O and the special symbols # and *.
The numbers and symbols of 2 are displayed one digit at a time on the display 14 to appeal to the operator's visual sense. At the same time, the numbers and special symbols displayed on the display 14 are generated by the pseudo sound generator 15 as pseudo sounds, and this pseudo sound is sent to the handset 3 to appeal to the auditory sense of the operator, and the numbers and symbols are generated by sound. invite. Of course, it is not a fake voice, but a real voice recorded on an IC or the like. After hearing this visual and auditory guidance, the operator knows whether the number is the number he or she currently needs. For example, if "4" is displayed and "4" is heard from the handset 3 at the same time, At that point, say "Yes" into the handset 3. The waveform of this voice saying "yes" is shaped by the waveform shaping section 16,
It is sent to the gate circuit 13. A numerical value or symbol (for example, "4") is determined by inputting this audio signal, and the determined numerical value or symbol is sent to the NCU section 1 and transmitted to the connection line as a dial signal. Perform the same operation for the next digit and send it as a dial signal to the connecting line.

As explained above, conventional dial operation (pushing).

Instead of dialing the handset, you can now send the dial number by simply answering the handset. Of course, the reason why the display and audio are used together here is to appeal to the operator more reliably, and the number or symbol guide that appeals to the operator may be just the visual display 14. It goes without saying that only the pseudo-speech generating section 15 for pseudo-sounds is sufficient. It is inexpensive for the visual display 14 to sequentially display negative digit numbers, such as a 7-segment display. However, in the case of 7 segments, #,
Although the special symbol * cannot be expressed accurately, there is no major problem in practical use.

In addition, another display method is to print special symbols 1 to O and # and * on a straight line or circle, and
The value generated in is printed as a number from 1 to O, #,
A roulette system may also be used in which a mark is placed on an LCD or the like along with the special symbol value of *, and the mark moves sequentially. Alternatively, the LEDs may be turned on sequentially.

The telephone device of the present invention uses voice for communication from the handset of the telephone and does not require any special hardware, so it can be realized at low cost.

In the conventional packing machine, the handset 3 is held in one hand and the dial is made with the other hand, which is undesirable because both hands are occupied. To improve this, when switching by voice, it is only necessary to hold the handset 3, so one hand can be freed from operating the telephone. This allows one hand to work without interrupting writing or other tasks, greatly contributing to improved efficiency.

As mentioned above, since the present invention determines and sends a dial using voice, the voice is not just the word "yes", but also ``whistle'', ``shh'', or the number you are trying to call. It's also good to do. As a matter of course,
It does not identify the audio content and uses it only for the trigger, so there is no recognition error - it is cheap, fast, works reliably, has high performance,
We were able to achieve high reliability.

The dialing pulses from the pulse generator 11 are preferably generated at intervals of about 1 second, but this time interval must be changed depending on the response speed of the operator. That is, if it is slow, it will surely match the timing of the decision switch, but it has the disadvantage that it takes too much time for the numbers to turn around. On the other hand, if it is too early, there will be a delay in the decision and the wrong number will be decided. This method requires some getting used to, but once you get used to it, you can respond fairly quickly. Therefore, it is preferable that this time interval be made variable from about 0.1 to 3 seconds.

Further, in the present invention, the user recognizes the display or listens to the voice announcement, and after recognizing the numbers or symbols there, the voice control means makes the decision, so there is a time delay between the display and the decision. Therefore, it is necessary to correct this delay. Figure 3 shows this situation. That is, the value counted by the counter 12 is sent to the gate circuit 13 through the delay section 17 with a slight delay. In an extreme example, the value determined by the voice control means 16 will be the previous value even though the display already shows the next number. Although this delay time differs depending on the person, it is preferable to set it to an appropriate time of about 0.1 seconds.

Next, although it is not an original function, we have created a random number generator 1 so that you can enjoy the thrill of seeing what number will come out next.
FIG. 4 shows an example in which random numbers are generated using 9. According to this embodiment, children and the like in particular can dial in a playful manner as if it were a game, making it possible to create a unique telephone. Naturally, it is desirable that this random number function is switched between the sequential function and the changeover switches 20a and 20b.

In each of the above embodiments, a conventional push-button dial as shown in FIG. 1 may also be provided for arbitrary selection and operation. Furthermore, when used in conjunction with a multi-digit display to display numerical values and symbols determined one by one in sequence, convenience is improved and it becomes easier to judge whether or not the already determined numbers are correct.

As already shown in FIG. 2, the dial number generating means shown in the dotted line according to the present invention, which replaces the conventional dial, can realize the same function even if it is compatible with software, since the CPU has been developed. FIG. 5 shows this flowchart. In Figure 5, A
is expressed as a numeric value for a dial number. According to this flowchart, the pulse generator and counter within the dotted line in FIG.

The gate circuit can alternatively be executed by a CPU in the NCU, for example.

Incidentally, when a correction occurs in the numerical values etc. determined in each of the above embodiments, it is common to restart the operation from the beginning by turning the hook switch ON and OFF, as in a normal telephone. Therefore, in the present invention, for example, the counter is set in hexadecimal notation, and 1 to O, #, * plus, for example, a ★ mark (the character "'cancel" ° may also be added) is added. When this ★ mark appears, if you say "Yes" into handset 3, 1
By canceling the previous number, there is no need to start over. .

Furthermore, there is a method in which the determined numerical values or symbols are not sent to the connection line each time, but are temporarily stored in a register, and after confirming that they are the same as the desired number sequence, are sent to the connection line all at once. The method is to set the counter to hexadecimal and ☆
When the mark (or the characters ``send'' is displayed) says ``Yes'' into the handset 3, the pre-stored number sequence is sent out to the connection line all at once. This judgment was made by N.C.
This can be easily performed by the CPU in the U.

[Effects of the Invention] As explained above, in the present invention, the voice control means enables dialing, and therefore the following effects are produced.

■ Elimination of design constraints Since there is no longer a need to line up double-turn dials or push-button dials, it is now possible to create a clean design and a high degree of freedom in design.

■ Compatible with miniaturization Since there is no need to line up double-turn dials or push-button dials, there are no barriers to miniaturization due to switch limitations.

■Operation in the dark: Since there is voice guidance for the number, there is no need to see the number with the naked eye, and it is now possible to dial even in dark places. It is especially effective as a measure for the blind.

■Playfulness: By displaying dialing numbers quickly and changing the order with random numbers, dialing can be done in a game-like manner, making each dial enjoyable.

■One-handed operation 2 Since voice control means is used to determine the number, there is no need to use the left hand, leaving one hand free to dial without interrupting work, improving work efficiency.

■Reduction of switch failures: Conventionally, there were 12 keys, and there were problems such as the switch not returning due to dust accumulation, but with the present invention, there are zero switches, so at least the probability of dial switch failure is reduced to zero. We were able to.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a simple configuration of a conventional telephone, FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of one embodiment of the telephone of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of another embodiment of the telephone of the present invention. Figure 4 shows an example in which it is possible to cope with a slight delay in audio determination relative to the display, and Figure 4 shows the configuration of another embodiment of the present invention, in which the pulse generator is of a random number generation type; FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a case where the system is used in combination with the sequential generation system, and FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flowchart for implementing the present invention using software. 20a. 20b......Selector switch

Claims (1)

[Claims] a pulse generating means; a counting means for counting the pulses;
comprising at least one of a display means for displaying the counted value or a means for converting the counted value into audio, a gate means for controlling passage of the counted value, and an audio control means for giving a trigger to the gate means. A dial for a telephone device, characterized in that the voice control means sequentially determines the counted value and sends the determined counted value to a connection line.