JP7118456B2 - Neck device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a neck-mounted device worn around the neck of a user.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, wearable devices that can be attached to any part of a user's body and can sense the state of the user and the state of the surrounding environment have attracted attention. Various types of wearable devices are known, for example, devices that can be worn on the user's arm, around the eyes, ears, neck, or on clothes worn by the user. By analyzing user information collected by such a wearable device, it is possible to obtain useful information for the wearer and others.

Also, as a type of wearable device, there is known a device that can be worn around the user's neck and that can record the voice uttered by the wearer or the speaker (Patent Document 1). This patent document 1 discloses an audio processing system that includes a wearing unit that is worn by a user, and that the wearing unit has at least three audio acquisition units (microphones) for acquiring audio data for beamforming. there is Further, the system described in Patent Literature 1 includes an imaging unit and is configured to be capable of imaging the front while worn by the user. In addition, in Patent Document 1, based on the image recognition result of the captured image captured by the imaging unit, the presence and position of other speakers are specified, the orientation of the user's face is estimated, and according to the position and orientation It has also been proposed to control the directional orientation of the sound acquisition unit.

JP 2019-134441 A

By the way, in the design of wearable devices, it is said that it is preferable to increase the battery capacity as much as possible in order to secure a long period of continuous wearing. are limited in size and shape. In this regard, in the system described in Patent Literature 1, the mounting unit itself may have a curved shape, so it is desirable that the battery also be a curved battery.

In addition, since a storage battery with a large capacity such as a lithium-ion battery generates heat to some extent, it is necessary to pay attention to the location of the battery in a wearable device that comes into contact with the human body. In particular, neck-type wearables are worn around the neck, which is sensitive to temperature changes. , the wearer feels uncomfortable, and there is concern that it will be difficult to continue wearing the device for a long period of time.

In addition, as in the system described in Patent Document 1, when a curved battery is mounted on a unit with a curved shape, it is required to manufacture a battery with a special shape that fits the shape of the unit, and it is generally distributed. It is not possible to use a battery with a general-purpose shape. In this case, there is also the problem that the selling price of the system increases because the cost of the battery is relatively high.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a neck-mounted device in which electronic components such as a battery are arranged at appropriate locations.

The inventors of the present invention, as a result of intensive studies on means for achieving the above object, basically interposed a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted between the battery of the neck-mounted device and the wearer's neck. As a result, the heat generated from the battery is less likely to be transmitted to the wearer. Based on the above findings, the inventors of the present invention conceived that the above object can be achieved, and completed the present invention. Specifically, the present invention has the following configurations.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a neck-mounted device worn around the neck of a user. A neck-mounted device according to the present invention includes a battery, a circuit board (printed board) on which electronic components that are driven by power supplied from the battery are mounted, and a housing that houses the battery and the circuit board. Prepare. The circuit board is arranged in the housing so as to be positioned between the battery and the wearer's neck when worn.

By arranging the circuit board between the wearer's neck and the battery as in the above configuration, the heat generated from the battery is less likely to be transmitted to the wearer, making it easier to use the neck-mounted device for a long time. . In addition, even if an abnormal situation such as thermal runaway of the battery should occur, the circuit board can serve as a barrier to protect the wearer's neck, so the safety of the neck-mounted device can be improved.

In the neck-mounted device according to the present invention, the housing includes a first arm and a second arm that can be arranged at positions sandwiching the wearer's neck, and the first arm and the second arm. It is preferable to have a flat main body portion that connects at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck. Moreover, it is preferable that the battery and the circuit board are housed in the main body. In addition, the flat body part only needs to be flat enough to accommodate a flat (non-curved) battery and circuit board, and has a gently curved surface that matches the shape of the back of the wearer's neck. It is also included in the "flat" here. Thus, by providing a relatively flat body portion between the first arm portion and the second arm portion, a general-purpose planar battery that is generally distributed can be mounted as a power supply for the neck-mounted device. It is possible. This eliminates the need to use a battery with a special shape such as a curved battery, thereby reducing the manufacturing cost of the device.

Preferably, the neck-mounted device according to the present invention further includes a proximity sensor at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck. Thus, by providing the proximity sensor at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck, it is possible to efficiently determine whether or not the neck-worn device is worn. For example, when the proximity sensor detects the proximity of an object, the power of the neck-mounted device or electronic components mounted thereon may be turned on.

It is preferable that the neck-mounted device according to the present invention further includes sound collectors provided at one or more (preferably two or more) positions on each of the first arm and the second arm. In this way, by providing the sound collectors in the first arm and the second arm, respectively, the voice uttered by the wearer can be effectively collected.

It is preferable that the neck-mounted device according to the present invention further includes a sound emitting part at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck. The sound emitting unit may be a general speaker that transmits sound waves (air vibrations) to the wearer through air, or a bone conduction speaker that transmits sound to the wearer through bone vibrations. good too. Moreover, the sound output from the sound emitting unit may be emitted substantially horizontally toward the rear of the wearer, or may be emitted substantially vertically upward (or downward). Assuming that the sound emitting part is a general speaker, by providing the sound emitting part at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck, the sound output from this sound emitting part will be heard in front of the wearer. It becomes difficult to reach the interlocutor present in As a result, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the interlocutor confuses the sound emitted by the wearer himself with the sound emitted from the sound emitting unit of the neck-mounted device. In addition, in the form in which the sound collecting part is provided on the first arm and/or the second arm of the neck-mounted device, by providing the sound emitting part at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck, It is possible to maximize the physical distance between the sound emitting part and the sound collecting part. In other words, in a state where the voice of the wearer or the interlocutor is being collected by the sound collecting unit, when the sound is output from the sound emitting unit, the sound from the sound emitting unit is added to the voice of the wearer, etc. to be recorded. It may be mixed. When the sound from the sound emitting unit is mixed with the voice of the wearer or the like in this way, it is difficult to completely remove it by echo cancellation processing or the like. For this reason, in order to prevent the sound from the sound emitting part from being mixed with the wearer's voice as much as possible, the sound emitting part is provided at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck as described above, and the sound is collected. It is preferable to keep a physical distance from the department.

Preferably, the neck-mounted device according to the present invention further includes both or one of an imaging section provided on the first arm and a non-contact sensor section provided on the second arm. By equipping the first arm with the imaging unit, it is possible to effectively photograph the front of the wearer. In addition, by providing the non-contact sensor section on the second arm section, it becomes easier to turn on/off the imaging section or other electronic components, for example.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a neck-mounted device in which electronic components such as a battery are arranged at proper positions.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a neck-mounted device. FIG. 2 is a side view schematically showing a state in which the neck-mounted device is worn. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the position where the sound collector is provided. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the positional relationship of the battery, circuit board, and various electronic components housed in the main body. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the neck-mounted device. FIG. 6 schematically shows beamforming processing for acquiring the voices of the wearer and the interlocutor.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, the form for implementing this invention is demonstrated using drawing. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and includes appropriate modifications within the scope obvious to those skilled in the art from the following embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a neck device 100 according to the invention. Moreover, FIG. 2 shows a state in which the neck-mounted device 100 is worn. As shown in FIG. 1 , the housing that constitutes neck-mounted device 100 includes left arm 10 , right arm 20 , and main body 30 . The left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 extend forward from the left end and the right end of the main body portion 30, respectively, and the neck-hanging type device 100 has a substantially U-shaped structure as a whole when viewed from above. ing. When wearing the neck-mounted device 100, as shown in FIG. 2, the body portion 30 is brought into contact with the back of the wearer's neck, and the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 are moved from the side of the wearer's neck to the chest side. Hang the entire device around your neck so that it hangs down toward you. Various electronic components are stored in the housing of the neck-mounted device 100 .

A plurality of sound collectors (microphones) 41 to 45 are provided on the left arm 10 and the right arm 20, respectively. The sound collectors 41 to 45 are arranged mainly for the purpose of acquiring the voices of the wearer and his interlocutor. As shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable that the left arm 10 is provided with the first sound collector 41 and the second sound collector 42, and the right arm 20 is provided with the third sound collector 43 and the fourth sound collector 44. . As an optional element, the left arm 10 and the right arm 20 may additionally be provided with one or more sound collectors. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the left arm 10 is provided with a fifth sound collector 45 in addition to the first sound collector 41 and the second sound collector 42 . The sound signals acquired by these sound collectors 41 to 45 are transmitted to the controller 80 (see FIG. 5) provided in the main body 30 and subjected to predetermined analysis processing. As will be described later, the main unit 30 is internally provided with a control system such as an electronic circuit including the control unit 80 and a battery.

The sound collectors 41 to 45 are provided in front of the left arm 10 and right arm 20 (on the wearer's chest side), respectively. Specifically, assuming that the neck-mounted device 100 is worn around the neck of a typical adult male (neck circumference of 35 to 37 cm), at least the first sound collector 41 to the fourth sound collector 44 is preferably designed to be located in front of the wearer's neck (on the chest side). The neck-mounted device 100 is intended to collect the voices of the wearer and the interlocutor at the same time. Not only the voice of the interlocutor but also the voice of the interlocutor can be properly acquired. In addition, when the sound collectors 41 to 44 are arranged on the front side of the wearer's neck, the sound of the person standing on the back side of the wearer is blocked by the wearer's body, and the sound collectors 41 to 44 are directly heard. hard to reach. Since it is presumed that a person standing on the back side of the wearer is not a person who is conversing with the wearer, by blocking the voice of such a person, the noise can be reduced by the physical arrangement of the sound collectors 41 to 44. can be suppressed.

Further, the first sound collecting section 41 to the fourth sound collecting section 44 are arranged on the left arm section 10 and the right arm section 20, respectively, so as to be bilaterally symmetrical. That is, a line segment connecting the first sound collecting portion 41 and the second sound collecting portion 42, a line segment connecting the third sound collecting portion 43 and the fourth sound collecting portion 44, and a line segment connecting the first sound collecting portion 41 and the third sound collecting portion 43 and a line segment connecting the second sound collecting unit 42 and the fourth sound collecting unit 44 form a line symmetry. Specifically, in the present embodiment, a line segment connecting the first sound collector 41 and the third sound collector 43 forms a trapezoid having a short side. However, the quadrangle is not limited to a trapezoid, and the sound collectors 41 to 44 may be arranged in a rectangular or square shape.

An imaging section 60 is further provided on the left arm section 10 . Specifically, an imaging unit 60 is provided on the distal end surface 12 of the left arm 10, and the imaging unit 60 can capture a still image or a moving image of the front side of the wearer. The image acquired by the imaging section 60 is transmitted to the control section 80 in the main body section 30 and stored as image data. Also, the image acquired by the imaging unit 60 may be transmitted to the server device via the Internet. Further, as will be described in detail later, it is also possible to specify the position of the mouth of the interlocutor from the image acquired by the imaging unit 60 and perform processing (beamforming processing) to emphasize the voice emitted from the mouth. .

The right arm portion 20 is further provided with a non-contact sensor portion 70 . The sensor section 70 is arranged on the distal end surface 22 of the right arm section 20 mainly for the purpose of detecting the movement of the wearer's hand on the front side of the neck-worn device 100 . The detection information of the sensor unit 70 is mainly used for controlling the imaging unit 60 such as activation of the imaging unit 60 and start/stop of shooting. For example, the sensor unit 70 may control the imaging unit 60 by detecting that an object such as a wearer's hand is approaching the sensor unit 70 , or may detect the wearer's hand within the detection range of the sensor unit 70 . The imaging unit 60 may be controlled by detecting that the has made a predetermined gesture. In this embodiment, the imaging unit 60 is arranged on the distal surface 12 of the left arm 10 and the sensor unit 70 is arranged on the distal surface 22 of the right arm 20. However, the positions of the imaging unit 60 and the sensor unit 70 can be replaced.

It is also possible to use information detected by the sensor unit 70 to activate the imaging unit 60, the sound collectors 41 to 45, and/or the control unit 80 (main CPU). For example, in a state where the sensor unit 70, the sound collectors 41 to 45, and the control unit 80 are always activated and the imaging unit 60 is stopped, the imaging unit 60 is activated when the sensor unit 70 detects a specific gesture. It can be activated (Condition 1). Note that under Condition 1, it is also possible to activate the imaging unit 60 when the sound collectors 41 to 45 detect a specific sound. Alternatively, in a state in which the sensor unit 70 and the sound collecting units 41 to 45 are always activated and the control unit 80 and the imaging unit 60 are stopped, when the sensor unit 70 detects a specific gesture, the control unit 80 and the image capturing are performed. Any of the units 60 can be activated (Condition 2). Even under condition 2, it is possible to activate the control unit 80 and the imaging unit 60 when the sound collectors 41 to 45 detect a specific sound. Alternatively, in a state where only the sensor unit 70 is always activated and the sound collectors 41 to 45, the control unit 80, and the imaging unit 60 are stopped, when the sensor unit 70 detects a specific gesture, the sound collector 41 to 45, the control unit 80, and the imaging unit 60 can be activated (condition 3). Among the conditions 1 to 3, it can be said that the effect of reducing power consumption is greater in the order of condition 3>condition 2>condition 1.

As shown in the side view of FIG. 2, in the present embodiment, it is ideal that the distal end surface 12 of the left arm portion 10 (and the distal end surface 22 of the right arm portion 20) is vertical when worn. The chassis is designed. That is, the neck-mounted device 100 is worn so that the left arm 10 and the right arm 20 hang slightly from the back of the neck toward the front of the clavicle of the chest, and the distal end surfaces of the left arm 10 and the right arm 20 are placed in front of the clavicle. 12, 22 are located. At this time, it is preferable that the tip surfaces 12 and 22 are substantially parallel (within ±10 degrees) to the vertical direction.

Further, in order to stand the tip surfaces 12 and 22 vertically as described above, the tip surfaces 12 and 22 of the arms 10 and 20 are inclined with respect to the lower edges 13 and 23, respectively. In FIG. 2, the angle formed by the tip surfaces 12, 22 and the lower edges ₁₃ , 23 (tilt angle of the tip surfaces) is indicated by θ1. In FIG. 2, a straight line S indicates a straight line parallel to the tip surfaces 12 and 22, and a reference character L indicates extension lines of the lower edges 13 and 23 of the arms 10 and 20, respectively. Here, the inclination angle θ ₁ of the tip surfaces 12 and 22 is an acute angle, preferably 40 to 85 degrees, particularly preferably 50 to 80 degrees or 60 to 80 degrees. By inclining the tip surfaces 12 and 22 with respect to the lower edges 13 and 23 of the arms 10 and 20 in this way, the tip surfaces 12 and 22 tend to be vertical when worn. Therefore, the imaging section 60 and the sensor section 70 provided on each of the distal end surfaces 12 and 22 can efficiently photograph or detect the area on the front side of the wearer.

Further, in FIG. 2, a straight line A indicates the optical axis of the imaging section 60. As shown in FIG. The optical axis (principal axis) is a symmetrical axis passing through the center of the lens of the imaging section 60 . As shown in FIG. 2, assuming that the tip surface 12 of the left arm 10 is vertical when worn, the optical axis A of the imaging unit 60 can be substantially horizontal (±10 degrees). preferable. In this manner, the optical axis A of the imaging unit 60 is substantially horizontal when the neck-mounted device 100 is worn, so that the line of sight of the wearer facing forward and the optical axis A of the imaging unit 60 are substantially parallel. Therefore, the image captured by the imaging unit 60 is close to the scenery actually viewed by the wearer. More specifically, in FIG. ₂ , the angle formed by the tip surface 12 of the left arm and the optical axis A of the imaging unit 60 is denoted by θ2. The tilt angle θ ₂ of the optical axis A is preferably 75 to 115 degrees or 80 to 100 degrees, particularly preferably 85 to 95 degrees or 90 degrees.

Further, in FIG. 2, a straight line A' indicates another example of the optical axis of the imaging section 60. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, assuming that the tip surface 12 of the left arm 10 is vertical when worn, the optical axis A' of the imaging unit 60 is horizontal (corresponding to the straight line A in FIG. 2). ) is preferably slanted upwards. As described above, when worn, the tip surfaces 12 and 22 of the arms 10 and 20 are positioned near the front of the collarbone of the wearer. It becomes easier to photograph a person's face and mouth. In addition, by tilting the optical axis A' of the imaging unit upward with respect to the horizontal in advance, it is possible to photograph the space above the vertical direction without forcing the wearer to take an unreasonable posture. . More specifically, in FIG. 2, the angle between the tip surface 12 of the left arm and the optical axis A' of the imaging unit ₆₀ (the inclination angle of the optical axis) is indicated by .theta.3. The inclination angle θ3 of the optical axis A' is preferably ₃₀ to 85 degrees, particularly preferably 40 to 80 degrees or 50 to 80 degrees so that the optical axis A' faces upward when worn.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the extension lines of the lower edges 13, 23 and the upper edges 14, 24 of the respective arms 10, 20 are both downward and point toward the ground. Therefore, the interlocutor facing the wearer is less likely to have the impression that his or her face is being photographed by the imaging section 60 provided on the distal end surface 12 of the left arm 10 . In this way, even when the face and mouth of the interlocutor are photographed by the imaging unit 60, the interlocutor is less likely to feel uncomfortable. On the other hand, as described above, in this embodiment, the tip surface 12 of the left arm 10 is designed to stand substantially vertically when worn, and the optical axis of the imaging unit 60 arranged on the tip surface 12 is directed upward. there is Therefore, although the interlocutor is less likely to get the impression that his/her own face is being photographed, the imaging unit 60 can effectively photograph the interlocutor's face and mouth.

FIG. 3 schematically shows cross-sectional shapes of the left arm 10 and the right arm 20 at the sites where the sound collectors 41 to 45 are provided. As shown in FIG. 3, in a preferred embodiment, the left arm 10 and the right arm 20 have a substantially rhomboid cross-sectional shape at the portions where the sound collectors 41 to 45 are provided. The left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 respectively have inclined surfaces 10a and 20a facing toward the wearer's head (more specifically, the wearer's mouth). That is, the vertical lines perpendicular to the inclined surfaces 10a and 20a face the wearer's head. The sound collectors 41 to 45 are provided on the inclined surfaces 10a and 20a of the left arm 10 and the right arm 20, respectively. By arranging the sound collectors 41 to 45 on the inclined surfaces 10a and 20a in this way, the sound emitted from the wearer's mouth can easily reach the sound collectors 41 to 45 in a straight line. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, for example, wind noise generated around the wearer is less likely to enter the sound collectors 41 to 45 directly, so such noise can be physically suppressed. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the cross-sectional shape of the left arm 10 and the right arm 20 is rhomboid, but the cross-sectional shape is not limited to this, and may be a triangular shape, a pentagonal shape, or other polygonal shape, depending on the wearer's head. It is also possible to have a shape with opposing inclined surfaces 10a and 20a.

The left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion described above are connected by a main body portion 30 provided at a position that abuts on the back of the wearer's neck. Electronic parts such as a processor and a battery are housed in the main body 30 . As shown in FIG. 1, the housing that constitutes the main body 30 has a substantially flat shape, and can accommodate a planar (plate-shaped) circuit board and a battery. The body portion 30 also has a hanging portion 31 that extends downward from the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 . By providing the main body portion 30 with the hanging portion 31, a space for installing the control system circuit is secured. In addition, control system circuits are centrally mounted on the body portion 30 . Therefore, when the total weight of the neck-mounted device 100 is 100%, the weight of the main body 30 accounts for 40 to 80% or 50% to 70%. By arranging such a heavy main body part 30 on the back of the wearer's neck, the stability during wearing is improved. In addition, by arranging the heavy body portion 30 at a position close to the trunk of the wearer, the burden imposed on the wearer by the weight of the entire device can be reduced.

FIG. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the main body 30 and schematically shows the positional relationship of the electronic components stored in the main body 30. As shown in FIG. The left side in FIG. 4 is the inside of the neck-hanging type device 100 that contacts the wearer's neck, and the right side in FIG. 4 is the outside of the neck-hanging type device 100 that does not directly contact the wearer's neck. . As shown in FIG. 4 , at least a planar circuit board 85 and a planar battery 90 are housed in a housing (main body housing 32 ) that constitutes the main body 30 . Various electronic components that are powered by the battery 90 are mounted on the circuit board 85 . An example of electronic components mounted on the circuit board 85 is the proximity sensor 83 and the sound emitting section 34 (speaker) shown in FIG. In addition, the circuit board 85 can be electrically connected to a control device such as a CPU, a storage device such as a memory or a storage device, a communication device, and various sensor devices.

As shown in FIG. 4, the battery 90 is arranged outside the circuit board 85 in this embodiment. In other words, the circuit board 85 is interposed between the back of the wearer's neck and the battery 90 when the neck-mounted device 100 is worn. The circuit board 85 (printed board) is a board formed of an insulating material such as resin, glass, or Teflon (registered trademark), and conductive wiring is formed on the surface and inside thereof. It electrically connects various electronic components mounted on it. The circuit board 85 may be a rigid board with no flexibility, a flexible board with flexibility, or a combination thereof. The circuit board 85 may be a single-sided board with wiring patterns formed only on one side, a double-sided board with wiring patterns formed on both sides, or a multi-layer board in which a plurality of insulating substrates are laminated and each layer is electrically connected. may be either. Other known configurations can be adopted as the circuit board 85 . The battery 90 made up of a lithium-ion battery or the like generates heat to some extent. This makes it difficult for other people to perceive it, and it is expected that the feeling of wearing the neck-mounted device 100 will be improved.

Further, a proximity sensor 83 is provided inside the body portion 30 (on the side of the wearer). The proximity sensor 83 may be mounted on the inner surface of the circuit board 85, for example. The proximity sensor 83 is for detecting the approach of an object, and when the neck-hanging type device 100 is worn around the wearer's neck, the proximity sensor 83 detects the approach of the neck. Therefore, when the proximity sensor 83 is detecting the proximity of an object, the devices such as the sound collectors 41 to 45, the imaging unit 60, and the sensor unit 70 are turned on (driving state), and the proximity sensor is detected. When the device 83 is not detecting the proximity of an object, these devices can be turned off (sleep state) or cannot be activated. Thereby, the power consumption of the battery 90 can be efficiently suppressed. In addition, when the proximity sensor 83 is in a state where the proximity sensor 83 does not detect the proximity of an object, data can be intentionally or unintentionally recorded when the sensor is not worn by disabling the activation of the imaging unit 60 and the sound collectors 41 to 45 . You can also expect the effect of preventing it from being done. As the proximity sensor 90, a known sensor can be used. It is preferable to provide a transparent portion 32a for the transmission.

A sound emitting portion 84 (speaker) is provided on the outside of the main body portion 30 (on the side opposite to the wearer's side). The sound emitting unit 84 may be mounted on the outer surface of the circuit board 85, for example. As shown in FIG. 4 , in this embodiment, the sound emitting portion 84 is arranged to output sound toward the outside of the main body portion 30 . That is, a grill 32b (hole) is formed on the outer surface of the main body housing 32, and the sound (sound wave) output from the sound emitting section 84 is emitted to the outside of the main body housing 32 through the grill 32b. It is designed to be In this way, by emitting sound directly behind the wearer's neck, the sound output from the sound emitting unit 84 is less likely to reach directly the interlocutor present in front of the wearer. . This prevents the interlocutor from confusing the sound emitted by the wearer with the sound emitted from the neck-mounted device. Further, in the present embodiment, the sound collectors 41 to 45 are provided in the left arm 10 and the right arm 20. By providing the sound emitter 84 at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck, the sound can be emitted. The physical distance between the sound unit 84 and the sound collectors 41 to 45 can be maximized. That is, in a state where the voices of the wearer and the interlocutor are being collected by the sound collectors 41 to 45, when some sound is output from the sound emitting unit 84, it is emitted to the voice of the wearer or the like to be recorded. A sound (self-output sound) from the sound unit 84 may be mixed. If the self-output sound is included in the recorded sound, it interferes with speech recognition, so it is necessary to remove the self-output sound by echo cancellation processing or the like. However, in reality, it is difficult to completely eliminate the self-output sound due to the influence of housing vibration and the like even if echo cancellation processing is performed. For this reason, in order to minimize the volume of the self-output sound that is mixed with the voice of the wearer, etc., the sound emitting unit 84 is provided at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck as described above, and the sound collecting unit and the sound collecting unit are provided. Physical distancing is preferred. A grill 32b may be provided on the inner surface of the main body housing 32, and a sound emitting section 84 may be provided inside the circuit board 85 to emit sound toward the inside of the main body 30. can also However, in this case, the sound emitted from the sound emitting part 84 is blocked by the wearer's neck, and it is assumed that the sound sounds muffled.

Moreover, it is preferable that the sound emitting part 84 is installed not at the position corresponding to the center of the back of the wearer's neck, but at a position biased to either the left or right. The reason is that the sound emitting part 84 is closer to either the left or right ear compared to the case where the sound emitting part 84 is located at the center of the back of the neck. In this way, by arranging the sound emitting part 84 not in the center of the main body part 30 but in a position biased to either the left or right side of the main body part 30, even when the volume of the output sound is reduced, the wearer can easily hear the output sound. can be heard clearly in either the left or right ear. In addition, if the volume of the output sound is reduced, it becomes difficult for the output sound to reach the interlocutor, so that the interlocutor can avoid confusion between the wearer's voice and the output sound of the sound emitting unit 84 .

Note that the grille 32b not only allows the sound output from the sound emitting unit 84 to pass therethrough, but also has the function of discharging heat generated from the battery 90 into the atmosphere. By forming the grille 32b on the outer surface of the main body housing 32, the heat discharged through the grille 32b is less likely to reach the wearer directly. can exhaust heat to

As a structural feature of the neck-mounted device 100 , the left arm section 10 and the right arm section 20 have flexible sections 11 and 21 in the vicinity of the connecting portion with the main body section 30 . Flexible portions 11 and 21 are made of a flexible material such as rubber or silicone. Therefore, when the neck-mounted device 100 is worn, the left arm portion 10 and the right arm portion 20 can be easily fitted around the wearer's neck and shoulders. Wires for connecting the sound collectors 41 to 45 and the operation unit 50 to the control unit 80 are also inserted through the flexible units 11 and 21 .

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the neck-worn device 100. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 5 , neck-mounted device 100 includes first sound collector 41 to fifth sound collector 45 , operation unit 50 , imaging unit 60 , sensor unit 70 , control unit 80 , storage unit 81 , communication It has a unit 82 , a proximity sensor 83 , a sound emitting unit 84 and a battery 90 . A first sound collector 41, a second sound collector 42, a fifth sound collector 45, an operation unit 50, and an imaging unit 60 are arranged on the left arm 10, and a third sound collector is arranged on the right arm 20. 43, a fourth sound collecting unit 44, and a sensor unit 70 are arranged, and a control unit 80, a storage unit 81, a communication unit 82, a proximity sensor 83, a sound emitting unit 84, and a battery 90 are arranged in the main unit 30. ing. In addition to the functional configuration shown in FIG. 5, the neck-mounted device 100 is equipped with sensors such as a gyro sensor, an acceleration sensor, a geomagnetic sensor, a GPS sensor, and the like in general portable information terminals. Module equipment can be mounted as appropriate.

Known microphones such as dynamic microphones, condenser microphones, and MEMS (Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems) microphones may be used as the sound collectors 41 to 45 . The sound collectors 41 to 45 convert sounds into electric signals, amplify the electric signals by amplifier circuits, convert them into digital information by A/D converter circuits, and output the digital information to the control unit 80 . One of the objects of the neck-mounted device 100 of the present invention is to acquire not only the voice of the wearer but also the voices of one or more interlocutors present around the wearer. Therefore, it is preferable to employ omnidirectional (omnidirectional) microphones as the sound collectors 41 to 45 so that sounds generated around the wearer can be widely collected.

The operation unit 50 receives an operation input by the wearer. As the operation unit 50, a known switch circuit, touch panel, or the like can be adopted. The operation unit 50 performs, for example, an operation for instructing start or stop of voice input, an operation for instructing to turn on or off the power of the device, an operation for instructing to increase or decrease the volume of the speaker, and other functions of the neck-worn device 100. accepts the operations required for Information input via the operation unit 50 is transmitted to the control unit 80 .

The imaging unit 60 acquires image data of still images or moving images. A general digital camera may be adopted as the imaging unit 60 . The imaging unit 60 includes, for example, a photographing lens, a mechanical shutter, a shutter driver, a photoelectric conversion element such as a CCD image sensor unit, a digital signal processor (DSP) that reads the charge amount from the photoelectric conversion element and generates image data, and an IC memory. Configured. The imaging unit 60 also includes an autofocus sensor (AF sensor) that measures the distance from the photographic lens to the subject, and a mechanism for adjusting the focal length of the photographic lens according to the distance detected by the AF sensor. is preferred. The type of AF sensor is not particularly limited, but a known passive sensor such as a phase difference sensor or a contrast sensor may be used. Also, as the AF sensor, an active sensor that directs infrared rays or ultrasonic waves toward a subject and receives the reflected light or reflected waves thereof may be used. The image data acquired by the imaging unit 60 is supplied to the control unit 80, stored in the storage unit 81, and subjected to predetermined image analysis processing, or sent to the server device via the Internet via the communication unit 82. sent.

In addition, it is preferable that the imaging unit 60 has a so-called wide-angle lens. Specifically, the vertical angle of view of the imaging unit 60 is preferably 100 to 180 degrees, particularly preferably 110 to 160 degrees or 120 to 150 degrees. By widening the vertical angle of view of the imaging unit 60 in this way, at least the interlocutor's head and chest can be photographed widely, and in some cases, the interlocutor's whole body can be photographed. . The horizontal angle of view of the imaging unit 60 is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to adopt a wide angle of about 100 to 160 degrees.

In addition, since the imaging unit 60 generally consumes a large amount of power, it is preferable that the imaging unit 60 is activated only when necessary and is in a sleep state in other cases. Specifically, based on the detection information of the sensor unit 70 or the proximity sensor 83, the activation of the imaging unit 60 and the start or stop of shooting are controlled. The unit 60 may be placed in the sleep state again.

The sensor unit 70 is a non-contact detection device for detecting movement of an object such as a finger of the wearer. Examples of the sensor unit 70 are proximity sensors or gesture sensors. The proximity sensor detects, for example, that the wearer's fingers have come within a predetermined range. As the proximity sensor, a known sensor such as an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a magnetic sensor, a capacitance sensor, or a temperature sensing sensor can be used. The gesture sensor detects, for example, the motion and shape of the wearer's fingers. An example of a gesture sensor is an optical sensor that emits light from an infrared light emitting LED toward an object and detects the movement and shape of the object by capturing changes in the reflected light with a light receiving element. Information detected by the sensor unit 70 is transmitted to the control unit 80 and is mainly used for controlling the imaging unit 60 . It is also possible to control the sound collectors 41 to 45 based on information detected by the sensor unit 70 . Since the sensor unit 70 generally consumes a small amount of power, it is preferable that the sensor unit 70 is always activated while the power of the neck-mounted device 100 is ON. Alternatively, the sensor unit 70 may be activated when the proximity sensor 83 detects that the neck-mounted device 100 is worn.

The control unit 80 performs arithmetic processing for controlling other elements included in the neck-mounted device 100 . A processor such as a CPU can be used as the control unit 80 . The control unit 80 basically reads a program stored in the storage unit 81 and executes predetermined arithmetic processing according to this program. In addition, the control unit 80 can appropriately write and read the calculation result according to the program to and from the storage unit 81 . Although details will be described later, the control unit 80 includes an audio analysis unit 80a, an audio processing unit 80b, an input analysis unit 80c, an imaging control unit 80d, and an image analysis unit 80a for mainly performing control processing and beam forming processing of the imaging unit 60. It has a portion 80e. These elements 80a to 80e are basically implemented as software functions. However, these elements may be implemented as hardware circuits.

The storage unit 81 is an element for storing information used for arithmetic processing and the like in the control unit 80 and the result of the arithmetic operation. Specifically, the storage unit 81 stores a program that causes a general-purpose portable information communication terminal to function as the voice input device according to the present invention. When this program is activated by an instruction from the user, the control unit 80 executes processing according to the program. The storage function of the storage unit 81 can be realized by non-volatile memories such as HDD and SDD. Further, the storage unit 81 may have a function as a memory for writing or reading the progress of the arithmetic processing by the control unit 80 or the like. A memory function of the storage unit 81 can be realized by a volatile memory such as a RAM or a DRAM. Further, the storage unit 81 may store ID information unique to the user who owns it. In addition, the storage unit 81 may store an IP address, which is identification information of the neck-worn device 100 on the network.

Further, the storage unit 81 may store a learned model to be used in beamforming processing by the control unit 80 . A trained model is, for example, an inference model obtained by performing machine learning such as deep learning or reinforcement learning on a server device on a cloud. Specifically, in the beamforming process, sound data acquired by a plurality of sound collectors are analyzed to identify the position or direction of the sound source that generated the sound. At this time, for example, a large number of data sets (teaching data) of the positional information of the sound source in the server device and the data of the sound generated from the sound source acquired by a plurality of sound collecting units are accumulated, and the machine using these teaching data Create a learned model in advance by performing learning. Then, when sound data is acquired by a plurality of sound collectors in the individual neck-mounted device 100, the position or direction of the sound source can be efficiently specified by referring to this trained model. In addition, the neck-hanging device 100 can update this learned model at any time by communicating with the server device.

The communication unit 82 is an element for wirelessly communicating with a server device on the cloud or another neck-mounted device. The communication unit 82 uses known mobile communication standards such as 3G (W-CDMA), 4G (LTE/LTE-Advanced), and 5G in order to communicate with a server device or another neck-mounted device via the Internet. Alternatively, a communication module for wireless communication by a wireless LAN system such as Wi-Fi (registered trademark) may be adopted. Further, the communication unit 82 can employ a communication module for close proximity wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC in order to directly communicate with another neck-mounted device.

The proximity sensor 83 is mainly used to detect proximity between the neck-mounted device 100 (especially the main body 30) and the wearer. As the proximity sensor 83, a known sensor such as an optical sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, a magnetic sensor, a capacitance sensor, or a temperature sensing sensor can be used as described above. The proximity sensor 83 is arranged inside the main body 30 and detects that the wearer's neck has come within a predetermined range. When the proximity sensor 83 detects that the neck of the wearer is approaching, the sound collectors 41 to 45, the imaging unit 60, the sensor unit 70, and/or the sound emitting unit 84 can be activated.

The sound emitting unit 84 is an acoustic device that converts electrical signals into physical vibrations (that is, sound). An example of the sound emitting part 84 is a general speaker that transmits sound to the wearer by air vibration. In this case, as described above, the sound emitting portion 84 is provided on the outer side of the body portion 30 (on the side opposite to the wearer), and the direction away from the back of the wearer's neck (rear in the horizontal direction) or the direction along the back of the neck (vertical direction) It is preferably configured to emit sound in an upward direction. Further, the sound emitting unit 84 may be a bone conduction speaker that transmits sound to the wearer by vibrating the bones of the wearer. In this case, the sound emitting part 84 may be provided inside the main body part 30 (on the side of the wearer) so that the bone conduction speaker contacts the back bone (cervical vertebrae) of the wearer's neck.

The battery 90 is a battery that supplies power to various electronic components included in the neck-mounted device 100 . A rechargeable storage battery is used as the battery 90 . As the battery 90, a known battery such as a lithium ion battery, a lithium polymer battery, an alkaline storage battery, a nickel cadmium battery, a nickel hydrogen battery, or a lead storage battery may be adopted. As described above, the battery 90 is arranged in the body housing 32 so that the circuit board 85 is interposed between the battery 90 and the back of the wearer's neck.

Next, the beamforming process will be specifically described with reference to FIG. When the user wears the neck-mounted device 100 of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, as shown in FIGS. Parts 41 to 44 are positioned. Note that the fifth sound collecting unit 45 collects sound auxiliary and is not an essential element, so the description is omitted here. In the present embodiment, the first sound collecting unit 41 to the fourth sound collecting unit 44 are all omnidirectional microphones, and always collect sounds emitted mainly from the wearer's mouth, and also collect other sounds. It collects environmental sounds around the wearer. In order to reduce power consumption, the sound collecting units 41 to 44 and the control unit 80 are stopped, and when the sensor unit 70 detects a specific gesture or the like, these sound collecting units 41 to 44 and the control unit 80 may be activated. Environmental sounds include voices of interlocutors located around the wearer. When the wearer and/or the interlocutor utters voice, voice data is acquired by each of the sound collectors 41-44. Each of the sound collectors 41 to 44 outputs respective audio data to the controller 80 .

The sound analysis unit 80a of the control unit 80 performs processing for analyzing the sound data acquired by the sound collection units 41-44. Specifically, based on the sound data of the sound collectors 41 to 44, the sound analysis unit 80a identifies the spatial position or direction of the sound source from which the sound was emitted. For example, when a machine-learned trained model is installed in the neck-mounted device 100, the sound analysis unit 80a refers to the trained model and extracts the position of the sound source from the sound data of the sound collectors 41 to 44. Or you can specify the direction. Alternatively, since the distance between the sound collectors 41 is known, the sound analysis unit 80a calculates the distance from the sound collectors 41 to 44 to the sound source based on the time difference between the sound arrivals at the sound collectors 41 to 44. A distance may be obtained, and the spatial position or direction of the sound source may be identified from the distance by triangulation.

Further, the voice analysis unit 80a determines whether or not the position or direction of the sound source specified by the above processing matches the position or direction of the mouth of the wearer or the mouth of the interlocutor. For example, since the positional relationship between the neck-worn device 100 and the wearer's mouth and the positional relationship between the neck-worn device 100 and the mouth of the interlocutor can be assumed in advance, the sound source is positioned within the assumed range. case, the sound source may be determined to be the wearer's or interlocutor's mouth. In addition, when the sound source is positioned significantly below, above, or behind the neck-worn device 100, it can be determined that the sound source is not the wearer's or interlocutor's mouth.

Next, the audio processing unit 80b of the control unit 80 performs processing for emphasizing or suppressing sound components included in the audio data based on the position or direction of the sound source specified by the audio analysis unit 80a. Specifically, when the position or direction of a sound source matches the position or direction estimated to be the wearer's or interlocutor's mouth, the sound component emitted from the sound source is emphasized. On the other hand, if the position or direction of the sound source does not match the wearer's or interlocutor's mouth, the sound component emitted from the sound source may be regarded as noise and suppressed. Thus, in the present invention, omnidirectional sound data is acquired using a plurality of omnidirectional microphones, and beamforming processing is performed to emphasize or suppress specific sound components by sound processing on the software of the control unit 80. conduct. This makes it possible to acquire the wearer's voice and the interlocutor's voice at the same time, and to emphasize the sound component of the voice as necessary.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6B, when acquiring the voice of the interlocutor, it is preferable to activate the imaging unit 60 to photograph the interlocutor. Specifically, the wearer makes a predetermined gesture with his or her fingers within the detection range of the non-contact sensor unit 70 . Gestures include performing a predetermined action with fingers and making a predetermined shape with fingers. When the sensor unit 70 detects the motion of the fingers, the input analysis unit 80c of the control unit 80 analyzes the detection information of the sensor unit 70 to determine whether the gesture of the wearer's fingers matches a preset one. to judge. For example, predetermined gestures related to control of the imaging unit 60 are set in advance, such as a gesture for activating the imaging unit 60, a gesture for starting imaging by the imaging unit 60, and a gesture for stopping imaging. , the input analysis unit 80c determines whether or not the wearer's gesture matches the above-described predetermined one based on the detection information of the sensor unit 70. FIG.

Next, the imaging control section 80d of the control section 80 controls the imaging section 60 based on the analysis result of the input analysis section 80c. For example, when the input analysis unit 80 c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for activating the imaging unit 60 , the imaging control unit 80 d activates the imaging unit 60 . Further, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the gesture of the wearer matches the gesture for starting shooting after the imaging unit 60 is activated, the imaging control unit 80d controls the imaging unit 60 to start shooting an image. . Furthermore, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for stopping photography after the start of photography, the imaging control unit 80d controls the imaging unit 60 to stop photography of the image. Note that the imaging control unit 80d may put the imaging unit 60 into the sleep state again after a certain period of time has elapsed after stopping the imaging.

The image analysis unit 80 e of the control unit 80 analyzes image data of still images or moving images acquired by the imaging unit 60 . For example, the image analysis unit 80e can specify the distance from the neck-hanging device 100 to the interlocutor's mouth and the positional relationship between the two by analyzing the image data. In addition, the image analysis unit 80e analyzes whether or not the interlocutor's mouth is open, or whether the interlocutor's mouth is open and closed, based on the image data, to determine whether the interlocutor is speaking. It is also possible to specify whether or not The analysis result by the image analysis unit 80e is used for the beam forming process described above. Specifically, in addition to the analysis results of the sound data collected by the sound collection units 41 to 44, if the analysis results of the image data by the imaging unit 60 are used, the spatial position and direction of the mouth of the interlocutor can be obtained. It is possible to improve the accuracy of the process of identifying the . In addition, by analyzing the movement of the interlocutor's mouth included in the image data and identifying that the interlocutor is speaking, the accuracy of the processing that emphasizes the voice emitted from the interlocutor's mouth can be improved. can be enhanced.

The audio data processed by the audio processing unit 80 b and the image data acquired by the imaging unit 60 are stored in the storage unit 81 . The control unit 80 can also transmit the processed audio data and image data to a server device on the cloud or another neck-mounted device 100 via the communication unit 82 . Based on the voice data received from the neck-worn device 100, the server device can also perform voice text conversion processing, translation processing, statistical processing, and other arbitrary language processing. Also, the image data acquired by the imaging unit 60 can be used to improve the accuracy of the language processing. The server device can also use the audio data and image data received from the neck-worn device 100 as teacher data for machine learning to improve the accuracy of the trained model. Also, by transmitting and receiving audio data between the neck-mounted devices 100, a remote call may be made between the wearers. At this time, voice data may be directly transmitted/received between the neck-mounted devices 100 via close proximity wireless communication, or voice data may be transmitted/received between the neck-mounted devices 100 via the Internet via a server device. may be

In the present specification, an embodiment will be mainly described in which the neck-hanging device 100 includes an audio analysis unit 80a, an audio processing unit 80b, and an image analysis unit 80e as functional configurations, and performs beam forming processing locally. did. However, any one or all of the functions of the audio analysis unit 80a, the audio processing unit 80b, and the image analysis unit 80e can be shared with a cloud-based server device connected to the neck-worn device 100 via the Internet. In this case, for example, the neck-mounted device 100 transmits the audio data acquired by each of the sound collectors 41 to 45 to the server device, and the server device identifies the position or direction of the sound source, and the voice of the wearer or the interlocutor. may be emphasized and audio processing may be performed to suppress other noise. Alternatively, the image data acquired by the imaging unit 60 may be transmitted from the neck-worn device 100 to the server device, and the server device may analyze the image data. In this case, a voice processing system is constructed by the neck-worn device 100 and the server device.

In the specification of the present application, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings in order to express the content of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes modifications and improvements that are obvious to those skilled in the art based on the matters described in this specification.

It is also possible to control the imaging method by the imaging unit 60 based on the information detected by the sensor unit 70 . Specifically, the imaging method of the imaging unit 60 includes, for example, still image shooting, moving image shooting, slow-motion shooting, panorama shooting, time-lapse shooting, and timer shooting. When the sensor unit 70 detects the motion of the fingers, the input analysis unit 80c of the control unit 80 analyzes the detection information of the sensor unit 70 to determine whether the gesture of the wearer's fingers matches a preset one. to judge. For example, a unique gesture is set for each imaging method of the imaging unit 60, and the input analysis unit 80c matches the wearer's gesture with the preset gesture based on the detection information of the sensor unit 70. It will be decided whether The imaging control unit 80d controls the imaging method by the imaging unit 60 based on the analysis result of the input analysis unit 80c. For example, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for capturing a still image, the imaging control unit 80d controls the imaging unit 60 to capture a still image. Alternatively, when the input analysis unit 80c determines that the wearer's gesture matches the gesture for moving image shooting, the imaging control unit 80d controls the imaging unit 60 to shoot a moving image. In this way, it is possible to designate the imaging method by the imaging unit 60 according to the wearer's gesture.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the imaging unit 60 is mainly controlled based on the information detected by the sensor unit 70, but the sound collectors 41 to 45 can be controlled based on the information detected by the sensor unit 70. is also possible. For example, a unique gesture related to the start or stop of sound collection by the sound collectors 41 to 45 is preset, and the input analysis unit 80c presets the wearer's gesture based on the detection information of the sensor unit 70. to determine if it matches the given gesture. Then, when a gesture relating to start or stop of sound collection is detected, sound collection may be started or stopped by the sound collection units 41 to 45 according to detection information of the gesture.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the imaging unit 60 is mainly controlled based on the information detected by the sensor unit 70. It is also possible to control Specifically, the voice analysis unit 80a analyzes the voices acquired by the sound collectors 41-45. That is, the wearer's or interlocutor's voice is recognized, and it is determined whether or not the voice relates to the control of the imaging unit 60 . After that, the imaging control section 80d controls the imaging section 60 based on the analysis result of the sound. For example, when a predetermined sound regarding the start of shooting is input to the sound collectors 41 to 45, the imaging control section 80d activates the imaging section 60 to start shooting. Further, when a predetermined sound designating the imaging method by the imaging unit 60 is input to the sound collectors 41 to 45, the imaging control unit 80d controls the imaging unit 60 to execute the designated imaging method. . It is also possible to control the imaging unit 60 based on the audio information input to the sound collectors 41 to 45 after activating the sound collectors 41 to 45 based on the information detected by the sensor unit 70 .

Also, it is possible to change the content of the control command based on the input information of the sensor unit 70 according to the image captured by the imaging unit 60 . Specifically, first, the image analysis unit 80 e analyzes the image acquired by the imaging unit 60 . For example, based on the feature points included in the image, the image analysis unit 80a determines whether the image includes a person or a specific subject (artificial object, natural object, etc.), or whether the image is captured. Identifies the situation (shooting location, shooting time, weather, etc.). It should be noted that the persons included in the image may be classified according to their gender and age, or may be identified as individuals.

Next, the storage unit 81 stores patterns of control commands based on gestures made by human fingers according to the type of image (type of person, subject, situation). At this time, even if the gesture is the same, the control command may be different depending on the type of image. Specifically, the same gesture can be used as a control command to focus on the person's face if the image contains a person, or if the image contains a characteristic natural object. is a control command for panoramic photography of the surroundings of the natural object. In addition, the gender and age of the person in the image, whether the subject is an artificial or natural object, or the location and time when the image was taken, the weather, etc. are detected from the image, and the meaning and content of the gesture are changed. can also Then, the input analysis unit 80c refers to the image analysis result of the image analysis unit 80e, identifies the meaning and content corresponding to the image analysis result of the gesture detected by the sensor unit 70, and Generates control instructions that are input to In this way, by changing the semantic content of the gesture according to the content of the image, it becomes possible to input various variations of control commands to the device by means of the gesture, depending on the imaging situation and purpose of the image.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Left arm part 11... Flexible part 12... Tip surface 13... Lower surface 14... Upper surface 20... Right arm part 21... Flexible part 22... Tip surface 23... Lower surface 24... Upper surface 30... Body part 31... Hanging part 32... Body part housing 32a...transmissive part 32b...grill 41...first sound collecting part 42...second sound collecting part 43...third sound collecting part 44...fourth sound collecting part 45...fifth sound collecting part 50...operation part 60...imaging part 70 Sensor unit 80 Control unit 80a Sound analysis unit 80b Sound processing unit 80c Input analysis unit 80d Imaging control unit 80e Image analysis unit 81 Storage unit 82 Communication unit 83 Proximity sensor 84 Sound emission unit 90... Battery 100... Neck hanging type device

Claims (3)

A neck-mounted device that is worn around the wearer's neck,
a first arm and a second arm that can be arranged at positions sandwiching the neck;
a body portion that connects the first arm portion and the second arm portion at a position corresponding to the back of the neck of the wearer;
a sound collector provided on both or one of the first arm and the second arm;
a sound emitting part provided in the main body part,
A neck-hanging device, wherein the main body has a hole formed in a surface on the side opposite to the wearer's side for emitting the sound output from the sound emitting part to the outside. The neck-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the sound emitting part is configured to emit sound in a direction away from the back of the wearer's neck. A proximity sensor is further provided at a position corresponding to the back of the wearer's neck,
3. The neck-mounted device according to claim 1, wherein the sound collector is configured not to activate when the proximity sensor does not detect an object.

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