US-12626701-B2 - Dialogue service device and dialogue system control method

US12626701B2US 12626701 B2US12626701 B2US 12626701B2US-12626701-B2

Abstract

A dialogue service device includes a dialogue system control unit configured to recognize an occupant's voice and control a dialogue system that interacts with the occupant in order to provide a service, and an activation unit that activates the dialogue system. The dialogue system includes a first dialogue system having a first voice recognition engine, and a second dialogue system having a second voice recognition engine. The activation unit has a first interface that outputs an activation command to the dialogue system via operation of a steering wheel switch of the vehicle, and a second interface that outputs the activation command to the dialogue system via a wake-up word uttered by the occupant. The first interface transmits the activation command to the first dialogue system, and the second interface transmits the activation command to either the first dialogue system or the second dialogue system.

Inventors

Masaru TASAKI
Eiji SONEZAKI
Tatsuya Matsumoto

Assignees

NISSAN MOTOR CO., LTD.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20210603

Claims (12)

1 . A dialogue service device that recognizes an occupant's voice of an occupant of a vehicle and provides a service, the dialogue service device comprising: an electronic controller including a dialogue system control unit, an activation unit, a first dialogue system, a first interface, a second interface, and a display control unit; and a remote server including a second dialogue system, the dialogue system control unit being configured to recognize the occupant's voice and control a dialogue system that interacts with the occupant and provide the service, the activation unit being configured to activate the dialogue system, the dialogue system including the first dialogue system that has a first voice recognition engine that outputs control commands to in-vehicle devices via an in-vehicle communication path, and the second dialogue system that has a second voice recognition engine that is different from the first voice recognition engine, the activation unit including the first interface that outputs an activation command to the dialogue system via an operation of a steering wheel switch of the vehicle, and the second interface that outputs an activation command to the dialogue system via a wake-up word uttered by the occupant, the first interface being configured to transmit the activation command to either the first dialogue system or the second dialogue system, the second interface being configured to transmit the activation command to the first dialogue system, the second dialogue system not being capable of being activated with the wake-up word if the wake-up word is assigned to activate the first dialogue system, activation of the dialogue system via the steering wheel switch being exclusively selected from the first dialogue system and the second dialogue system according to a user setting, and the dialogue system being activated via the wake-up word is fixed to the first dialogue system.
2 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , further comprising a communicator configured to communicate externally to the vehicle, the first dialogue system being configured to output the control commands to the in-vehicle devices via the in-vehicle communication path other than a communication path connecting the communicator and the dialogue system, and the second dialogue system being configured to not output the control commands to the in-vehicle devices via the in-vehicle communication path other than the communication path connecting the communicator and the dialogue system.
3 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , wherein the first voice recognition engine is provided in the vehicle, and the second voice recognition engine is provided external to the vehicle.
4 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , wherein the first interface is configured to transmit the activation command to the first dialogue system.
5 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , wherein the activation unit is configured to set a transmission destination of the activation command to one of either the first dialogue system or the second dialogue system based on an occupant's operation, and in an initial setting, the second dialogue system is set as the transmission destination of the activation command.
6 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , wherein the activation unit is configured to set a transmission destination of the activation command to one of either the first dialogue system or the second dialogue system based on an occupant's operation, and in an initial setting, the first dialogue system is set as the transmission destination of the activation command.
7 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , wherein the activation unit is configured to set a transmission destination of the activation command via the first interface to one of either the first dialogue system or the second dialogue system based on an occupant's operation.
8 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , wherein the activation unit is configured to set a transmission destination of the activation command via the first interface to one of either the first dialogue system or the second dialogue system based on a voice recognized by the dialogue system control unit.
9 . The dialogue service device according to claim 4 , wherein the dialogue system control unit is configured to output a changed content to the occupant by voice when a transmission destination of the activation command is changed.
10 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , wherein the electronic controller further includes a display control unit, the display control unit being configured to control a display screen of a touch panel display provided in the vehicle, the display screen including a first icon that enables touch operation for activating the first dialogue system and a second icon that enables touch operation for activating the second dialogue system.
11 . The dialogue service device according to claim 1 , wherein the dialogue system control unit is configured to output the control commands to a control unit that controls one of an air conditioning device, a window, a rear door, a sunroof, and a sliding door included among the in-vehicle devices.
12 . A dialogue system control method that recognizes an occupant's voice of an occupant of a vehicle to control a dialogue system that provides a service, the dialogue system control method comprising: transmitting an activation command from a first interface to a dialogue system based on operation of a steering wheel switch of the vehicle; carrying out a voice recognition process for recognizing the occupants voice; transmitting the activation command to the dialogue system from a second interface based on a wake-up word recognized via the voice recognition process, and interacting with the occupant to provide the service via an activated dialogue system, the dialogue system including a first dialogue system that has a first voice recognition engine that outputs control commands to an in-vehicle device through an in-vehicle communication path, and a second dialogue system that has a second voice recognition engine that is different from the first voice recognition engine, the activation command being transmitted to either the first dialogue system or the second dialogue system when the activation command is transmitted from the first interface, the activation command being transmitted to the first dialogue system when the activation command is transmitted from the second interface, the second dialogue system not being capable of being activated with the wake-up word if the wake-up word is assigned to activate the first dialogue system, activation of the dialogue system via the steering wheel switch being exclusively selected from the first dialogue system and the second dialogue system according to a user setting, and the dialogue system being activated via the wake-up word is fixed to the first dialogue system.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application is a U.S. national stage application of International Application No. PCT/JP2021/021236, filed on Jun. 3, 2021. BACKGROUND Technical Field The present invention relates to a dialogue service device and a dialogue system control method. Background Information An agent device that provides a service, including replies in response to an utterance by an occupant of a vehicle, is known (for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. 2020-144274-Patent Document 1). This agent device recognizes a request included in the utterance of the occupant, outputs the recognized request to a plurality of agent function units, and selects, based on the results from each of the plurality of agent function units, the agent function unit from among the plurality of agent function units that responds to the occupant's utterance. SUMMARY However, in the conventional agent device described above, if a plurality of voice recognition systems that recognize the voice of the occupant are used, in order to distinguish between and activate each system by means of a wake-up word that has been set, a user must use the appropriate wake-up words, which may cause confusion. The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a dialogue service device and a dialogue system control method that can avoid a situation in which wake-up words are confused. The present invention comprises a first interface that outputs an activation command to a dialogue system by the operation of a steering wheel switch of a vehicle, and a second interface that outputs an activation command to the dialogue system by a wake-up word uttered by an occupant, wherein the first interface transmits the activation command to either a first dialogue system or a second dialogue system included in the dialogue system, and the second interface transmits the activation command to either the first dialogue system or the second dialogue system, thereby solving the problem described above. By using the present invention, it is possible to avoid a situation in which wake-up words are confused. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a dialogue service system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view of a dashboard equipped with the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 3A is a table for explaining the relationship between wake-up words and steering switch operations, and switching activation between dialogue systems. FIG. 3B is a table for explaining the relationship between wake-up words and steering switch operations, and switching activation between dialogue systems according to a modified example. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 9 shows animated images and graphs for explaining a temporal transition of the “voice detecting state” animation. FIG. 10 shows animated images and a graph for explaining the temporal transition of the animation. FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the configuration of an animated image and an index that is selected at the time of a screen transition. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 17 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 19 is a table showing a model flow of a dialogue in the dialogue system of FIG. 1. FIG. 20 is a table showing a model flow of a dialogue in the dialogue system of FIG. 1. FIG. 21 is a diagram showing a display screen of the display of FIG. 1. FIG. 22 is a table showing a model flow of a dialogue in the dialogue system of FIG. 1. FIG. 23 is a table showing a model flow of a dialogue in the dialogue system of FIG. 1. FIG. 24 is a table showing a model flow of a dialogue in the dialogue system of FIG. 1. FIG. 25 is a table showing a model flow of a dialogue in the dialogue system of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of a dialogue service system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a dialogue service system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The dialogue service system is a system installed in a vehicle and comprises a display 10, a communicati