JPH10302190A - Voice guide device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enable a user to surely hear voice information regardless of a relatively small sound volume and to suppress the spread of sounds to the periphery. SOLUTION: This device is provided with a panel-shaped detection sensor 5, which is buried in a road surface 6 and outputs a detection signal when being stepped on by a person, a speaker 7 which is buried in the road surface 6 ahead of the detection sensor 5, and a control part 23 which outputs a voice guide signal to the speaker based on the detection signal from the detection sensor 5. The panel-shaped detection sensor 5 and the speaker 7 are arranged approximately in series, and voice information is given from the speaker which is arranged in the lower part and ahead of the person who stepped on the detection sensor 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a voice guidance device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a voice guidance device suitable for a visually impaired person, for example, the one shown in FIG. 5 is known.

That is, a speaker 103 is installed via a pole 101 near a pedestrian crossing, an intersection, a bus stop, etc., and when a visually impaired person approaches, for example, a pedestrian crossing, a signal transmitted from a white stick is transmitted. Is detected by the first and second detection sensors 103 and 105 embedded in the sidewalk, so that necessary audio information flows from the speaker 103.
There are various types of oscillation, such as magnetism and radio waves, and it was necessary to attach it to the tip of a stick or bring a pendant.

[0004]

The sound information from the speaker 103 installed on the pole 101 is easy to hear, but in addition to the point where the sound spreads around, a large number of people pass near the speaker 103. For those who do not need audio information, it is noisy. At the same time, other people receive the information,
Mistaken in the direction different from the walking direction. Also, it happened that I did not recognize myself as information.

In general, if there is no abnormality in hearing, the sound is about 6
It is said that it can be heard if it is 5 dB, but it is said that when the distance from the speaker is doubled (at double the distance), it will decrease by 6 dB, and when it is 4 m away from the point 1 m from the speaker, it will decrease by 12 dB. Therefore, since the distance to the target person is increased depending on the installation position of the speaker, the volume must be increased accordingly, and it can be seen that noise and erroneous recognition are likely to occur in the conventional system mounted on a pole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a voice guidance device which does not need to carry a transmitting device or the like, and which is less likely to generate noise and which can reliably obtain voice information for the user. And

[0007]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a surface detecting sensor buried in a road surface and outputting a detection signal when a person gets on the vehicle, and a target direction for voice guidance in a traveling direction. Embedded in a road surface close to the surface detection sensor to be provided, a speaker for voice guidance, and a control unit that outputs a voice guidance signal to the speaker based on a detection signal from the surface detection sensor, the surface detection sensor The speaker and the speaker are arranged almost in series.

According to such a voice guidance device, when a person gets on a planar detection sensor, the detection is made and voice information is given from a speaker. At this time, the loudspeaker is disposed close to the surface detection sensor and can be heard from the road surface ahead in the traveling direction, so that it can be recognized as information to the user and can be reliably heard even at a relatively low volume. . Also,
Since the volume is low, the sound can be prevented from spreading to the surroundings.

In this case, the planar detection sensor and the speaker are
By providing along a braille block that serves as a visually impaired guideway, voice guidance information for visually impaired persons can be obtained. Also,
By forming the planar detection sensor integrally with the Braille block, the laying of the planar detection sensor is completed simultaneously with the completion of the work of laying the Braille block, which is very preferable in terms of workability.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described below with reference to FIGS.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a visually impaired guideway in which Braille blocks 3 are arranged in series. The visually impaired taxiway 1 is laid along, for example, a sidewalk surface 6 such as a pedestrian crossing, an intersection, a bus stop, and the like. (Arrow A) is arranged almost in series.

Specifically, for example, in the case of a crosswalk,
A planar detection sensor 5 is arranged in front of the pedestrian crossing along the traveling direction, and a speaker 7 is arranged in front of the pedestrian crossing.
It is set in the place.

When the Braille blocks 3 are used side by side as shown by the phantom line in FIG. 2, one of the planar detection sensor 5 and the speaker 7 is placed in the Braille block 3 shown by the phantom line. The layout to be arranged may be used.

The surface state detection sensor 5 is connected to the braille block 3-3.
It is as wide as one, and is integral with the Braille block 3.

That is, as shown in FIG.
A plate-shaped elastic member 13 provided with a guiding ridge 11 is provided on the upper surface of the base member. The elastic member 13 is formed between the base plate 9 and the elastic member 13 when a weight of a person is applied to the elastic member 13. It is elastically deformable in the space 15. The space 15 may have a shape in which an elastic body is sealed. Space 1 between base plate 9 and elastic member 13
5, a plurality of switch elements 19 held by the band 17 at predetermined intervals are arranged at predetermined intervals, and when a contact of the switch element 19 is turned on, it is detected that a person has got on, and the detection signal is output. Is a cable 21 as shown in FIG.
Is input to the control unit 23 via the.

The control unit 23 receives voice information corresponding to the installation location such as a pedestrian crossing, an intersection, a bus stop, and the like.
The voice guidance information is output to the speaker 7 via the speaker 5. The power source of the control unit 23 may be a unit using a solar cell.

As shown in FIG. 4, the speaker 7 is arranged and set in a speaker box 29 formed below the Braille block 3, and is waterproofed by a shield case 31.

Above the speaker box 29, the Braille block 3 also serves as an upper lid, and is provided with a large number of through holes 33 penetrating up and down, through which sound flows. . In this case, the position where the through-hole 33 is provided may be any position, but it is desirable to provide the through-hole 33 on the protruding ridge 11 of the braille block 3 as shown in FIG. This makes it possible to reduce the intrusion of rainwater or the like.

A drain hole 35 is provided at the bottom of the speaker box 29, and rainwater or the like that has entered through the upper through hole 33 is directly drained from the drain hole 35 to the underground. , Where the drain pipe 39 passes,
As shown by the phantom line in FIG.
It is also possible to provide a means for draining the water to the drain pipe 39 via.

In the speaker box 29, a reflection plate 41 is provided.
Is provided, and the sound from the speaker 27 is reflected upward by the reflection plate 41 as shown by the arrow in the plane detection sensor 5 side.

According to the voice guidance apparatus configured as described above, when a person gets on the surface detection sensor 5, the switch element 19 is activated by its weight, and the detection signal is transmitted to the control unit 23.
Is input to The control unit 23 outputs a voice guidance signal based on a signal from the surface state detection sensor 5. As a result, necessary audio information flows from the speaker 7.

At this time, since the sound from the speaker 7 can be heard from the front sidewalk surface 6 which is the forward direction, the direction of the speaker 7 can be specified, and it is clear that the information is for yourself, and it is relatively small. Even if the volume is loud, you can hear it. In addition, it is possible to suppress the voice guidance from spreading to the surroundings.

In this embodiment, the case where the present invention is applied to the visually impaired taxiway 1 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and is used in combination with a tactile map guide board at a park or a sightseeing spot, a handrail, or the like. It is also possible to use the information for guidance.

[0024]

As described above, according to the voice guidance apparatus of the present invention, a person who rides on the surface detection sensor can use a speaker arranged almost in series with the surface detection sensor.
Since the voice information flows from the speaker on the road surface in the lower front part in the traveling direction, it is possible to recognize the direction and the information to the user, and to easily hear even at a relatively low volume. Moreover, since the sound flows from the road surface with a small volume, the spread of the sound to the surroundings can be suppressed to a small level, and no noise occurs.

In addition, for visually impaired persons, necessary information guidance can be obtained without a special white stick incorporating a transmitting device or the like.

In addition, by making the Braille block and the planar detection sensor integral, the construction of the guideway for the visually impaired can be facilitated, and the workability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cutaway explanatory view of the entire voice guidance device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a part of a guide path for a visually impaired person provided with a planar detection sensor and a speaker.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view illustrating a part of a planar detection sensor that also serves as a Braille block.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged explanatory view showing an installation state of a speaker.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional voice guidance device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 5 Surface detection sensor 6 Sidewalk surface (road surface) 7 Speaker 23 Control unit

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Toshiyuki Nishimoto 1-6-5 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Nippon Road Co., Ltd.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A surface detection sensor buried on a road surface and outputting a detection signal when a person gets on the vehicle, and a surface detection sensor buried on a road surface adjacent to a surface detection sensor serving as a target direction for voice guidance with respect to a traveling direction. And a controller for outputting a voice guidance signal to the speaker based on a detection signal from the planar detection sensor, wherein the planar detection sensor and the speaker are arranged substantially in series. apparatus. 2. The voice guidance device according to claim 1, wherein the planar state detection sensor and the speaker are provided along a Braille block serving as a guideway for a visually impaired person. 3. The voice guidance device according to claim 2, wherein the planar detection sensor is formed integrally with the Braille block.