# US 10,872,606 B2 · Device control apparatus and device control method

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- Number: US 10,872,606 B2
- Document ID: US10872606B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/041,248
- Filed: 2018-07-20
- Published: 2019-01-31
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-07-31
- Assignees: Olympus Corporation
- Applicants: Olympus Corporation
- Inventors: Kenta Yumoto; Osamu Nonaka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10872606B2

## CPC

- G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
- G06F 3/167: {Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback}
- G10L 15/26: Speech to text systems (G10L15/08 takes precedence)
- G06Q 10/103: {Workflow collaboration or project management}
- G10L 2015/223: {Execution procedure of a spoken command}
- G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A device control apparatus controls an operation device. A plurality of persons is engaged in operations of the operation device. The device control apparatus comprises a control circuit configured to obtain voice instructions or voice responses from the plurality of persons, the voice instructions or voice responses including modalities of operations of the operation device, classify the modalities included in the voice instructions or voice responses, and determine a preferential operation of the operation device according to consistency between a first modalities classified from the voice instructions or a second modalities classified from the voice responses and priorities predefined for each person of the plurality of persons.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A device control apparatus controlling an operation device, a plurality of persons being engaged in operations of the operation device, the device control apparatus comprising:
a control circuit configured to:
1) obtain voice instructions or voice responses from the plurality of persons, the voice instructions or voice responses including modalities of operations of the operation device,
2) classify the modalities included in the voice instructions or voice responses, and
3) determine a preferential operation of the operation device according to consistency between a first modalities classified from the voice instructions or a second modalities classified from the voice responses and priorities predefined for each person of the plurality of persons,
wherein the plurality of persons includes an operator indirectly operating the operation device and at least one instructor directly operating the operation device, and
the control circuit is further configured to:
disable operations of the operation device by the operator when operations of the operation device by the operator contradict contents of instructions by the instructor relating to operations of the operation device, and the instructor has a higher priority than the operator, and
grant operations of the operation device by the operator when operations of the operation device by the operator do not contradict contents of instructions by the instructor relating to operations of the operation device, or the operator has a higher priority than the instructor.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The device control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the control circuit is configured to:
determine relations between instructions from the plurality of persons and jobs for which the instructions are received, and
set the priorities according to a result of the determination of the relations.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The device control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the control circuit is configured to set the priorities according to expertise or standpoints of each person of the plurality of persons.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The device control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store the priorities,
wherein the priorities are predefined for each content of operations of the operation device for each person of the plurality of persons.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The device control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a memory configured to store the priorities,
wherein the priorities are predefined for each person of the plurality of persons for each situation in which the operation device is used.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The device control apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein the control circuit is configured to provide instructions to the operation device that guidance for instructions relating to operations of the operation device by the instructor be provided to the operator.

### Claim 7

A device control apparatus controlling an operation device, a plurality of persons being engaged in operations of the operation device, the device control apparatus comprising:
a control circuit configured to:
1) obtain voice instructions or voice responses from the plurality of persons, the voice instructions or voice responses relating to operations of the operation device including modalities of operations of the operation device,
2) classify the modalities included in the voice instructions or voice responses, and
3) determine a preferential operation of the operation device according to consistency between a first modalities classified from the voice instructions or a second modalities classified from the voice responses and priorities predefined for each person of the plurality of persons,
wherein the plurality of persons includes at least one instructor indirectly operating the operation device and an operator directly operating the operation device, and
the control circuit is configured to determine that instructions by the instructor relating to operations of the operation device shall be instructions relating to the preferential operation of the operation device when there has been a repetition by the operator subsequent to voice instructions by the instructor relating to operations of the operation device.

### Claim 8

A device control method for controlling an operation device, a plurality of persons being engaged in operations of the operation device, the device control method comprising:
1) obtaining, at a control circuit, instructions or voice responses from the plurality of persons, the voice instructions for the voice responses relating to operations of the operation device including modalities of operations of the operation device,
2) classify, at the control circuit, the modalities included in the voice instructions or voice responses, and
3) determining, at the control circuit, a preferential operation of the operation device according to consistency between a first modalities classified from the voice instructions or a second modalities classified from the voice responses and priorities predefined for each person of the plurality of persons,
wherein the plurality of persons includes at least one instructor indirectly operating the operation device and an operator directly operating the operation device, and
the control circuit is configured to determine that instructions by the instructor relating to operations of the operation device shall be instructions relating to the preferential operation of the operation device when there has been a repetition by the operator subsequent to voice instructions by the instructor relating to operations of the operation device.

### Claim 9

A device control method for controlling an operation device, a plurality of persons being engaged in operations of the operation device, the device control method comprising:
1) obtaining, at a control circuit, instructions or voice responses from the plurality of persons, the voice instructions for the voice responses including modalities of operations of the operation device,
2) classify, at the control circuit, the modalities included in the voice instructions or voice responses, and
3) determining, at the control circuit, a preferential operation of the operation device according to consistency between a first modalities classified from the voice instructions or a second modalities classified from the voice responses and priorities predefined for each person of the plurality of persons, wherein the plurality of persons includes an operator indirectly operating the operation device and at least one instructor directly operating the operation device, and
4) disabling operations of the operation device by the operator when operations of the operation device by the operator contradict contents of instructions by the instructor relating to operations of the operation device, and the instructor has a higher priority than the operator, and
5) granting operations of the operation device by the operator when operations of the operation device by the operator do not contradict contents of instructions by the instructor relating to operations of the operation device, or the operator has a higher priority than the instructor.