Computer implemented method for notifying user by using a speaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9898902-B2
Application number	US-201615074925-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 18, 2016
Priority date	Apr 16, 2015
Publication date	Feb 20, 2018
Grant date	Feb 20, 2018

Abstract

A method including: receiving multiple pieces of notice information; receiving detection information indicating whether or not the user is present around a speaker, notifying the user of content of first notice information in the multiple pieces of notice information by using the speaker, in a case that it is determined based on the detection information that the user is present around the speaker, and notifying the user of content of second notice information different from the first notice information, by using the speaker in a case that it is determined that the user is present around the speaker when the notification of the first notice information by using the speaker is complete.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method comprising:
receiving a plurality of pieces of notice information by using a processor;
receiving detection information indicating whether or not a user is present around a speaker by using the processor, the speaker being installed inside a house;
notifying the user of content of first notice information, in the plurality of pieces of notice information, by using the speaker and the processor, when it is determined, based on the detection information, that the user is present around the speaker;
notifying the user of content of second notice information, that is different from the first notice information, by using the speaker and the processor, when it is determined that the user is present around the speaker when the notification of the first notice information by using the speaker is complete,
receiving speech information representing speech of the user from a microphone;
during receiving of speech information from the microphone, suspending the notification of the notice information while speech information is being received, the speech information being independent from the receiving of the plurality of pieces of the notice information;
determining whether or not there is unnotified information, which is notice information that is not notified to the user among the plurality of pieces of notice information, when it is determined that the user is not present around the speaker after the first notice information is notified to the user;
receiving absence detection information from an absence detector, the absence detection information indicating that the user has left the house where the speaker is installed; and
notifying the user of the unnotified information via an information terminal that the user carries into and out of the house, when it is determined that the unnotified information is present and the absence detection information, indicating that the user has left the house, is received.

2. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the receiving, detection information is received from a human detection sensor that detects whether or not the user is present.

3. The computer implemented method according to claim 2 ,
wherein in the notifying the user of content of the first notice information and in the notifying the user of content of the second notice information, it is determined that the user is present around the speaker while the human detection sensor is detecting presence of the user.

4. The computer implemented method according to claim 2 ,
wherein, in the notifying the user of content of the first notice information and in the notifying the user of content of the second notice information, when a state of the human detection sensor changes from a state in which presence of the user is detected to a state in which presence of the user is not detected, it is determined, within a predetermined period of time after the state of the human detection sensor changes, that the user is present around the speaker.

5. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 ,
wherein, in the receiving, detection information is received from an open/close sensor that detects an open/close state of a door of a refrigerator which is provided with the speaker, the detection information indicating the open/close state of the door detected by the open/close sensor.

6. The computer implemented method according to claim 5 ,
wherein, in the notifying the user of content of the first notice information and in the notifying the user of content of the second notice information, it is determined, while the open/close sensor is an open state, that the user is present around the speaker.

7. The computer implemented method according to claim 5 ,
wherein in the notifying the user of content of the first notice information and in the notifying the user of content of the second notice information, when the open/close sensor detects that the open/close state changes from the open state to a closed state, it is determined, within a predetermined period of time after a time when the open/close state changes, that the user is present around the speaker.

8. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first notice information and the second notice information include text information, and
using voice synthesization based on the text information, content indicated by the first notice information and the second notice information is notified to the user.

9. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the plurality of pieces of notice information is voice information, and
the first notice information and the second notice information are notified to the user by playing the voice information.

10. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 ,
wherein each of the plurality of pieces of notice information is assigned a priority, and
the first notice information is selected from the plurality of pieces of notice information based on the priority.

11. The computer implemented method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the priorities of types of the notice information are set by a user.

12. The computer implemented method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the priorities of types of the notice information are set in advance, and
the priorities of the types of the notice information are changed, based on weather information or meteorological information at a time on a day when the notice information is to be notified when content indicated by the weather information or content indicated by the meteorological information matches a predetermined condition.

13. The computer implemented method according to claim 10 ,
wherein the first notice information is notice information having the highest priority, of the plurality of pieces of notice information.

14. The computer implemented method according to claim 13 ,
wherein the second notice information is notice information having the second highest priority relative to the first notice information, of the plurality of pieces of notice information.

15. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 ,
wherein when there are a plurality of pieces of unnotified information, at least one of the plurality of pieces of unnotified information is notified to the user via the information terminal.

16. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving daily destination information indicating a destination to be visited by the user; and
receiving, as the plurality of pieces of notice information based on the destination information, weather information or meteorological information at the destination to be visited by the user on a date when the notice information is to be notified.

17. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving speech information representing speech of the user from a microphone; and
keeping the user from being notified of content indicated by the second notice information when it is determined, based on the received speech information, that the user is present and speaking around the speaker, when notification of the first notice information is complete.

18. An apparatus comprising:
a processor;
a speaker installed in a structure; and
a memory having stored thereon a program, the program causing the processor to execute operations including:
receiving one or more pieces of notice information to be notified to a user;
acquiring detection information indicating whether or not the use

Assignees

• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Rafii Zarina
• Kohashi Yasuo
• Sugimoto Hiroko

Classifications

• H04M3/42

  Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers (specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00) · CPC title

• G06Q30/06

  Buying, selling or leasing transactions · CPC title

• F25D23/00

  General constructional features (F25D21/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06F1/3231

  Monitoring the presence, absence or movement of users · CPC title

• G06F13/00

  Interconnection of, or transfer of information or other signals between, memories, input/output devices or central processing units (interface circuits for specific input/output devices G06F3/00 {; multiprogram control therefor  G06F9/46}; multiprocessor systems  G06F15/16 ) · CPC title