US 12,462,799 B2
Voice control method, server apparatus, and utterance object
Yoshiki Ohashi, Osaka (JP); Satoru Matsunaga, Osaka (JP); Masafumi Torikai, Osaka (JP); and Kazuhiro Kuroyama, Osaka (JP)
Assigned to PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD., Osaka (JP)
Appl. No. 17/782,139
Filed by Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd., Osaka (JP)
PCT Filed Jul. 15, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/026612
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 2, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/180882, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 1, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-029247 (JP), filed on Feb. 25, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0117212 A1, Apr. 20, 2023
Int. Cl. G10L 15/22 (2006.01); G10L 15/30 (2013.01)
CPC G10L 15/22 (2013.01) [G10L 15/30 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A voice control method performed by a processor of a server, comprising:
judging, by the processor, for each of a plurality of electric devices capable of outputting voice, whether any of the plurality of electric devices is outputting voice;
based on a result of the judging, selecting, by the processor, based on owner information indicating an owner of each of the plurality of electric devices, one of a first timing of immediately outputting new voice and a second timing of outputting the new voice after an end of outputting the voice by an electric device which is outputting the voice among the plurality of electric devices; and
transmitting, by the processor through a network, a result of the selecting to one or more of the plurality of electric devices to cause the one or more of the plurality of electric devices to output the new voice at one of the first timing or the second timing,
wherein the one or more of the plurality of electric devices are caused to output the new voice at the timing selected in the selecting,
in the selecting, when (i) the one or more of the plurality of electric devices are owned by a first user, (ii) a second user owns at least any one of one or more electric devices owned by the first user among the plurality of electric devices, and (iii) one or more electric devices owned by the second user are outputting the voice, the second timing of outputting the new voice after the end of outputting the voice by the one or more electric devices owned by the second user is selected for the one or more of the plurality of electric devices to output voice, and
an owner of an electronic device that is outputting voice is only the second user, and an owner of an electronic device caused to output new voice is only the first user.