JP4514971B2 - Storage furniture with stored item search function - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to storage furniture having a search function for stored items.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Computers are increasingly becoming a daily necessities, their existence becomes transparent, and they are expected to become tools that help organize, use, and distribute information around you with intuitive operations. In the future, sensors and computer chips will be incorporated into daily life appliances such as home appliances, stationery, and kitchenware, furniture, and building materials, making it possible to use computers without being aware of them in daily life.
[0003]
For example, by incorporating a sensor in the storage furniture, it is possible to realize an interface that uses the information processing ability of the computer together with the daily operation using the furniture.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a storage furniture in which a sensor and a computer are incorporated, and stored items can be searched electronically. The present invention is so-called Smart Drawers for real-world interaction with furniture.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The storage furniture with stored item search function according to the present invention is imaged by a storage unit for storing articles, a sensor for detecting opening and closing of the storage unit, a camera for photographing the inside of the storage unit, and the camera. An image memory for storing the image, a depth sensor for measuring the depth inside the storage unit, a depth information memory for storing depth information measured by the depth sensor, and an output of the sensor A control unit that associates the image and the depth information with each other and stores them in the image memory and the depth information memory, a search unit that searches for the image and / or the depth information, and a search by the search unit And a display unit for displaying the image and / or the depth information.
[0006]
Preferably, further comprising an opening and closing time memory for storing date time information,
The control unit stores date / time information related to opening / closing of the storage unit in the opening / closing time memory based on the output of the sensor in association with the image and the depth information.
The search unit searches the open / close time memory in response to a search condition related to date and time, and extracts the image and / or the depth information that matches the search condition.
[0007]
Preferably, it further comprises an input unit for inputting depth information,
The search unit receives a search condition related to the depth information from the input unit, searches the depth information memory, and extracts the image that matches the search condition.
[0008]
The input unit is, for example, a slide type input unit (slide resistance) that can directly indicate the depth of an article in the storage unit.
[0009]
Preferably, it further includes a microphone, a voice recognition unit that recognizes a voice signal from the microphone and converts it into text data, and a memory that stores the text data.
The control unit stores the text data in the memory in association with the image and the depth information,
The search unit searches the memory in response to a search condition related to text data, and extracts the image and / or the depth information that matches the search condition.
[0010]
Preferably, further comprising a microphone, a speaker, and an audio memory for storing an audio signal from the microphone,
The control unit stores the audio signal in the audio memory in association with the image and the depth information,
The search unit reads the audio signal corresponding to the extracted image and / or the depth information from the audio memory, and sends the audio signal to the speaker for output.
[0011]
Preferably, further comprising an input unit, a display unit, and a memory for storing text data,
The control unit stores the text data input by the input unit in the memory in association with the image and the depth information,
The search unit reads the text data corresponding to the extracted image and / or the depth information from the memory and causes the display unit to display the text data.
[0012]
Preferably, further comprising: an information collecting unit that communicates with an external device to collect work environment information of a user; and a work environment information memory that stores the work environment information,
The control unit stores the work environment information in the work environment information memory in association with the image and the depth information,
The search unit reads out and outputs the work environment information corresponding to the extracted image and / or the depth information from the work environment information memory.
[0013]
The work environment information includes, for example, software used on the user's personal computer, files, character strings displayed on the screen, schedule software schedule information, telephone usage records, and the like.
[0014]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiment 1 of the Invention
An apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of this apparatus. FIG. 2A shows a perspective view of this apparatus.
[0015]
In FIG. 1, the drawer 11 is provided with a sensor 12 for detecting the open / closed state. The sensor 12 is an optical proximity sensor including a light emitting diode and a phototransistor, a magnetic proximity sensor such as a reed switch, and a mechanical proximity sensor such as a microswitch. The sensor 12 detects whether the drawer 11 is pulled out or stored. The output of the sensor 12 is input to the control unit 15.
[0016]
The control unit 15 receives the signal from the sensor 12 and monitors the open / closed state of the drawer 11. When the drawer 11 is opened and closed, the control unit 15 controls the audio memory 16 and the open / close time memory 18 to store the time information and audio information at that time. The microphone 14 acquires a voice signal and sends it to the voice memory 16 and the voice recognition unit 20. The calendar clock device 17 sends the date / time information to the open / close time memory 18. Note that the voice memory 16 may not only receive and store voice text information from the voice recognition unit 20 but also store voice signals as they are.
[0017]
When the drawer is closed, the digital camera 30 photographs the drawer 11 from above and writes the image in the image memory 32. The depth sensor 31 measures the position (height) of an object stored in the drawer (see FIG. 2B). This measurement can be performed by a non-contact method using ultrasonic waves or a mechanical method. Information of the depth sensor 31 is stored in the depth information memory 33. The image information in the memory 32 and the depth information in the memory 33 are associated with each other. Therefore, if the depth is designated, the corresponding image is displayed on the LCD 23, and if the image is designated, the height position of the subject can be known. Also, these pieces of information can be associated with opening / closing times, voice / memos and other information. When the sensor 12 detects that the drawer 11 is closed, the control unit 15 stores the image data at that time in the image memory 32. Further, the control unit 15 causes the memory 33 to store depth information after the drawer 11 is closed.
[0018]
The search unit 19 receives a depth-related instruction from the slider-type input unit 34, searches for a corresponding image, and displays it on the LCD 23. The depth (height) to be searched can be adjusted by moving the slider of the input unit 34 up and down.
[0019]
The search unit 19 receives text information from the voice recognition unit 20 or receives an operation signal from the input unit 21 to search the memories 16 and 18 and displays the search result on a liquid crystal display (LCD) 23. Or from the speaker 22.
[0020]
Next, the operation of the apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0021]
The apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention has a storage processing mode for storing an object such as a document in the drawer 11 and a search processing mode for searching for the stored object. First, the storage processing mode will be described with reference to FIG.
[0022]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of the storing process of the apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention.
[0023]
S20: It is determined whether or not the drawer is closed. The control unit 15 monitors whether the drawer 11 is opened or closed based on the output of the sensor 12.
S21: Photograph the contents of the uppermost layer of the drawer when it is closed.
S22: The date and time at that time is acquired.
S23: The depth is measured.
S24: Record the captured image in association with the depth and / or the shooting date.
[0024]
Thereby, for example, the following image is recorded in the memory.
January 21, 13:00 Image 1 Depth 20cm
January 21, 13:15 Image 2 15cm deep
January 21 17:00 Image 3 14cm deep
[0025]
In addition, text data and audio data are also stored in the memory 16 in association with these images and depth information (described later).
[0026]
By analyzing these data, it is possible to know the contents of the object and its thickness (depth). In this way, by setting the camera inside the drawer and photographing the contents from above at the timing when the drawer is closed, it is possible to browse the “stratum” of the documents in the drawer, so that the search within the drawer can be performed. .
[0027]
The control unit 15 may store a necessary message through the microphone 14 when the drawer is open to the user. The memory 16 stores the digitized voice data as it is or converts the voice memo into text by voice recognition and stores the converted text. Alternatively, the text / number input from the input unit 21 is stored.
[0028]
Voice and / or text can be input at a predetermined timing. For example, the input can be performed with the drawer open, and can be performed for a certain period even after the drawer is closed. Alternatively, input may be made only within a predetermined time after the drawer is opened.
[0029]
Next, the search processing mode will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0030]
S30: When trying to search for stored items, the user uses the microphone 14 or the input unit 21 to set the apparatus to the search processing mode and inputs search conditions. The search is performed using (1) opening / closing time stamp as a search key, (2) depth information as a search key, or (3) input text as a search key. FIG. 4 shows the case (1). FIG. 5 shows the case (2). FIG. 6 shows the case (3).
[0031]
S31: The contents of the memory 18 are searched based on the input search condition.
S32: It is determined whether there is data at the corresponding time. If not, “N / A” is displayed (S37). Or you may make it employ | adopt the data of the nearest time.
S33: If there is, the image / depth information corresponding to the search result is searched.
S34: The searched image and / or depth information thereof is displayed on the LCD 23.
S35: Search for a voice / text memo corresponding to the search result.
S36: The searched voice is played from the speaker 22 or the text is displayed on the LCD 23.
[0032]
FIG. 5 shows a procedure for searching for stored items based on depth information.
S40: A search condition for depth information is input. For example, a desired search condition is input by adjusting the slider 34. In this case, if the position of the slider is associated with the actual depth of the drawer, the user can easily operate.
S41: The depth information memory is searched based on the input search condition.
S42: It is determined whether there is data of the corresponding depth. If not, “N / A” is displayed (S47). Or you may make it employ | adopt the data of the nearest depth.
S43: If there is, search for an image corresponding to the search result.
S44: The searched image is displayed on the LCD 23.
S45: Search for a voice / text memo corresponding to the search result.
S46: The searched voice is played from the speaker 22 or the text is displayed on the LCD 23.
[0033]
FIG. 6 shows a procedure for searching for a search object based on text information.
S50: A text search condition is input. For example, a desired search condition is input from the input unit 21.
S51: The input memory 16 is searched.
S52: It is determined whether there is corresponding text data. If not, “not applicable” is displayed (S57). Alternatively, the most similar text data may be adopted.
S53: If there is, search for an image corresponding to the search result.
S54: The searched image is displayed on the LCD 23.
S55: The depth information corresponding to the search result is searched.
S56: The searched depth information is displayed on the LCD 23.
[0034]
As described above, the device according to the embodiment of the present invention can perform search support in the drawer. By placing the camera inside the drawer and photographing the contents from above at the timing when the drawer is closed, so to speak, it is possible to browse the “stratum” of the documents in the drawer, so search within the drawer is more accurate than the drawer unit. Can do.
[0035]
For example, even when documents are randomly stored in a drawer without being arranged at all, a desired one of the documents can be easily searched. If the rough date and time when the target document is stored is known, the image of the document can be searched using the date and time as a search key. If you check the document on the image, you can know the position (depth) of the document. The user can know that a desired document is stored therein and its position. Even when a plurality of images are searched, a desired document can be searched while checking the images. If the image cannot be discriminated, it is possible to know whether or not the desired document is in the drawer by checking the text and voice information at the same time, and if so, where. You can search by text as well as date. For example, by searching for “minutes”, images and depth information associated with the “minutes” at the time of storage can be obtained. Also, if you use the slider, you can view the images of the documents stored in the drawer sequentially. Thus, according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to easily know the stored items without turning over the drawer.
[0036]
As in the embodiment of the present invention, if the opening / closing time of the drawer and its state can be recorded and searched, it is possible to assist the search for documents and objects stored in the drawer. That is, as described above, the optical proximity sensor is attached to the drawer furniture, the opening / closing of the drawer is detected, and the opening / closing of the drawer is recorded with a time stamp, for example, “documents used the morning before yesterday” By searching the open / close record and depth information under the condition, the position of the document stored in the drawer can be searched.
[0037]
It is easy to use, and the user can store documents and other items in the drawer while speaking the contents of the document if possible. For example, say “Receipt”, “Meeting of committee meeting”, “Invoice of XX company”. The utterance is recorded with a microphone and recognized.
[0038]
In the embodiment of the present invention, the user's utterance is acquired by the voice recognition program and sent to the information collecting program, but the user does not necessarily have to utter. In addition, even if voice recognition is not completely recognized, it is sufficient if a certain level of vocabulary can be acquired, so that the recognition confirmation operation can be omitted. These data are stored in the database as drawer opening / closing information, keyword (character) information such as speech recognition results, and time information.
[0039]
Note that the mode for storing an article and the mode for searching for an article can be switched by a user's special command utterance, a button operation attached to furniture, an operation via a network from a desktop PC, or the like.
[0040]
Embodiment 2 of the Invention
In addition to the drawer opening / closing information, a variety of related information can be recorded to provide more effective search support. In the first embodiment of the present invention, the function of attaching a voice memo is realized when storing a document using a voice recognition program. For example, by storing documents while uttering “minutes”, the search accuracy based only on time stamps can be improved.
[0041]
In addition to this, character strings displayed on the personal computer when the drawer is opened and closed, schedule software information, telephone usage records, and the like can also be used.
[0042]
FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of an apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In FIG. 7, the information collection unit 25 communicates with a user's personal computer or telephone device through the communication device 24 and acquires information about the working environment at that time. The information collecting unit 25 stores the acquired information in the work environment information memory 26 in association with the opening / closing information of the drawer 11 at that time. Since the other elements perform the same functions as in FIG. 1, the description thereof is omitted.
[0043]
The contents of the work environment information memory 26 are used in the same manner as the voice memory 16, and the search accuracy can be improved. That is, the information collecting unit 25 obtains a character string displayed on the desktop PC used by the user, information on the scheduler software used by the user, a telephone usage record used by the user, and the like. These are stored in association with the opening / closing information of the drawer, that is, the storage status of the object. When a user searches for a drawer, the stored drawer can be searched using the search environment as a search key together with the opening / closing time or the work environment related to the object to be searched independently. For example, when a related object is pulled out while editing a document, the storage location can be searched using the document as a search key. In other words, the user can search for the storage location using a search key that is associated with what is being searched for, such as a document name, a telephone number, or a schedule.
[0044]
Embodiment 3 of the Invention
In Embodiment 1 of the invention, the slider-type input unit 34 designates the depth exclusively. In addition to or in place of this, the time may be specified by the slider type input unit 34.
[0045]
FIG. 8 shows a side view of the apparatus according to the third embodiment of the invention. Along with the liquid crystal display device 23 and the slider type input unit 34a for designating the depth, the slider type input unit 34b for designating the time and the opening / closing time and the depth at that time (the height position of the stored item) The display part 35 shown is provided. The display unit 35 displays a graph indicating the relationship between depth (vertical axis) and time (horizontal axis). An image at that time is displayed on the display unit 23 by moving either the slider 34a or 34b and specifying the depth or time.
[0046]
As described above, the first to third embodiments of the invention have been described by taking the drawer as an example. The present invention is not limited to this, and by applying the same technique to a desk or shelf, it is possible to record and search for articles placed on the desk, articles on the desk drawer, and articles placed on the shelf. can do. Moreover, it is not limited to drawer-type storage furniture. For example, the present invention can be applied to a hanging storage cabinet in which a folder is taken in and out.
[0047]
The embodiment of the present invention can also be used for the following applications.
[0048]
(1) Toys and miscellaneous goods storage (see Figure 9)
A camera is attached to the back of a simple storage furniture that can be opened and closed in a box shape (for example, a box in which a toy is placed). Take a picture of the furniture with toys and sundries and close the lid, and save the image with a time stamp. Then, prepare software to browse these photos on the time axis. The time is specified by, for example, a slider 34b provided on the side surface.
[0049]
Since it is a large box, the amount of stored items is not uniform, so it is not necessary to use depth information like a drawer. From the image, you can see what is stored in the box and in what order.
[0050]
(2) Bookcase, file shelf, cupboard, chest, refrigerator, switchboard (monitors switch status) (see Fig. 10)
A camera may be attached to the door of the furniture with the door, and the same browsing as described above may be performed by taking a picture every time the door is opened and closed. It should be noted that the camera (Camera) mounting position and the direction of the camera lens (photographing direction) in FIG. This is to allow the stored item to be photographed from the front side with the door opened halfway as shown in FIG. That is, the camera is attached to the door at an angle. By installing the camera in this way, it is possible to use a standard lens that does not have a short focal length (no need to use a special lens such as a fisheye lens). You can also shoot using light. You may make it determine the imaging | photography timing of a camera with the position of a door. For example, when the door is opened or closed, when the position of the door comes to the position shown in FIG.
[0051]
You can see and search for objects that have been placed in the back of the shelf behind the objects in front of you. Even if the inside can be seen without opening the door, the utility value is considered high.
[0052]
Further, Embodiments 1 and 2 of the invention can be used in combination with a personal computer or the like. Some or all of the functions such as the control unit and the search unit may be performed by a personal computer or the like. For example, the opening / closing of drawers may be managed by a personal computer, a search may be executed on the personal computer, and the result may be displayed.
[0053]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the invention described in the claims, and these are also included in the scope of the present invention. Needless to say.
[0054]
In the present specification, means does not necessarily mean physical means, but includes cases where the functions of each means are realized by software. Furthermore, the function of one means may be realized by two or more physical means, or the functions of two or more means may be realized by one physical means.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to a first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an apparatus according to Embodiment 1 of the invention.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of storage processing of the apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 4 is a flowchart of search processing of the device according to the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart of search processing of the device according to the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart of search processing of the device according to the first embodiment of the invention.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to Embodiment 2 of the invention.
FIG. 8 is a side view of an apparatus according to Embodiment 3 of the invention.
FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of a use state.
FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram of a use state.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Apparatus main body 11 Drawer 12 Drawer opening / closing detection sensor 13 Display lamp 14 Microphone 15 Control part 16 Voice memory 17 Calendar clock device 18 Opening / closing time memory 19 Search part 20 Voice recognition part 21 Input part 22 Speaker 23 Liquid crystal display (LCD)
24 Communication Device 25 Information Collection Unit 26 Work Environment Information Memory 30 Digital Camera 31 Depth Detection Sensor 32 Image Memory 33 Depth Information Memory 34 Slider Type Input Unit (for Depth Indication)
35 Time-depth graph display

Claims (7)

A storage unit for storing articles; a sensor for detecting opening and closing of the storage unit; a camera for capturing an image of the interior of the storage unit; an image memory for storing an image captured by the camera; A depth sensor for measuring an internal depth; a depth information memory for storing depth information measured by the depth sensor; and the image and the depth information are associated with each other based on the output of the sensor. A control unit for storing the image memory and the depth information memory, a search unit for searching for the image and / or the depth information, and the image and / or the depth information searched by the search unit are displayed. Storage furniture with a stored item search function comprising a display unit to perform. And an opening / closing time memory for storing date / time information, wherein the control unit associates the image and the depth information with date / time information related to opening / closing of the storage unit based on an output of the sensor. Store it in the time memory,
2. The storage according to claim 1, wherein the search unit searches the open / close time memory in response to a search condition related to a date and time, and extracts the image and / or the depth information that matches the search condition. Storage furniture with object search function. Furthermore, an input unit for inputting depth information is provided,
2. The storage according to claim 1, wherein the search unit receives a search condition related to the depth information from the input unit, searches the depth information memory, and extracts the image that matches the search condition. Storage furniture with object search function. Furthermore, a microphone, a voice recognition unit that recognizes a voice signal from the microphone and converts it into text data, and a memory that stores the text data,
The control unit stores the text data in the memory in association with the image and the depth information,
The stored item search according to claim 1, wherein the search unit searches the memory in response to a search condition relating to text data, and extracts the image and / or the depth information that matches the search condition. Functional storage furniture. Furthermore, a microphone, a speaker, and an audio memory that stores an audio signal from the microphone,
The control unit stores the audio signal in the audio memory in association with the image and the depth information,
The stored item according to claim 1, wherein the retrieval unit reads the audio signal corresponding to the extracted image and / or the depth information from the audio memory and sends the audio to the speaker to output the audio. Storage furniture with search function. Furthermore, an input unit, a display unit, and a memory for storing text data are provided,
The control unit stores the text data input by the input unit in the memory in association with the image and the depth information,
2. The stored item search function according to claim 1, wherein the search unit reads out the text data corresponding to the extracted image and / or the depth information from the memory and displays the text data on the display unit. Storage furniture. Furthermore, an information collection unit for collecting work environment information of the user by communicating with an external device, and a work environment information memory for storing the work environment information,
The control unit stores the work environment information in the work environment information memory in association with the image and the depth information,
2. The stored item search function according to claim 1, wherein the search unit reads out and outputs the work environment information corresponding to the extracted image and / or the depth information from the work environment information memory. Storage furniture.

Images