Voice processing device, voice processing method and voice processing system

A voice processing method employed in a voice processing device, the voice processing device including plural microphones arranged so as to correspond to a plurality of positions, the voice processing method comprising:

• storing, in at least one memory and by a processor, voice signals collected by the plural microphones, respectively, during a prescribed period before a present time, the voice signals being repeatedly stored as buffered voice signals;
• detecting, by the processor, whether a prescribed word is uttered by a speaker based on the voice signals collected by the plural microphones, respectively;
• determining, in response to the prescribed word being uttered by the speaker, a microphone corresponding to the speaker by referring to the buffered voice signals stored in the at least one memory;
• in response to the determining, stopping functioning of the processor required for the storing, of the voice signals repeatedly as the buffered voice signals, and required for the detecting, of whether the prescribed word is uttered;
• and
• also in response to the determining, suppressing the voice signals collected by the plural microphones other than the microphone corresponding to the speaker.

A voice processing system, comprising:

• a voice processing device including a processor and plural microphones arranged so as to correspond to a plurality of positions, wherein
• the voice processing device is configured to
• store, in at least one memory and by the processor, voice signals collected by the plural microphones, respectively, during a prescribed period before a present time, the voice signals being repeatedly stored as buffered voice signals;
• detect, by the processor, whether a prescribed word is uttered by a speaker based on the voice signals collected by the plural microphones, respectively;
• determine, in response to the prescribed word being uttered by the speaker, a microphone corresponding to the speaker by referring to the buffered voice signals stored in the at least one memory;
• in response to a determination of the microphone corresponding to the speaker, stopping functioning of the processor required to store the voice signals repeatedly as the buffered voice signals and required to detect whether the prescribed word is uttered;
• and
• in response to the determination of the microphone corresponding to the speaker, suppress the voice signals collected by the plural microphones other than the microphone corresponding to the speaker.