Information Processing Apparatus, Program, and Information Providing System

Abstract

The present invention enables an object having an odor or taste suitable for a specified description to be recognized. Once the card (70) is placed on the sensing surface of the sensor device (40), the description recognition unit (13) recognizes the details (i.e., description) of the card (70) and the position on the sensing surface where the card is placed based on the read result of the card ID stored in the tag (71) of the card (70). The first display control unit (15) controls the projector (20) such that a relevant description group corresponding to the description described in the card (70) is displayed in the display area corresponding to the position of the card (70) recognized by the description recognition unit (13). The priority recognition unit (14) recognizes the priority for each description in the displayed relevant description group. The second display control unit (16) displays a relationship image indicating the relationship between at least one relevant description in the displayed relevant description group and an object having the odor or taste represented by the relevant description. In this case, the second display control unit (16) causes the relationship image to be displayed in a display mode according to the recognized priority.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for describing the smell or taste of an object. Background Art

[0002] As is well known, smell provides various benefits to humans by stimulating the limbic system that plays a role in controlling emotions, behaviors, and memories. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses the following method: asking an object that smells an odor questions about memories associated with the odor, assigning numerical values to the answers, and recording them.

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP-A-2016-180830 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical Problem

[0007] Generally, it is difficult for people to accurately describe an odor to themselves or others. This is because most people do not need to describe odors and thus lack the working vocabulary to do so. In addition, people often cannot clearly identify the correspondence between an odor and the description used for the odor.

[0008] Unlike the description of odors outlined above, if an odor corresponding to a specific description can be created from the description, a new user experience can be created. For example, when a user specifies his / her favorite word, new services that have not been provided until now can be considered, such as creating an odor based on the word specified by the user. Such a service is applicable not only to the smell of an object but also to the taste of an object.

[0009] Accordingly, the present invention enables a user to know the smell or taste (of an object) that matches a specified description.

[0010] Technical Solution

[0011] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a description specifying unit that specifies a description; a first display control unit that displays a related description group, which is a group of olfactory or gustatory related descriptions corresponding to the specified description; a priority specifying unit that specifies a priority for each description included in the displayed related description group; and a second display control unit that displays the relationship between at least one related description included in the displayed related description group and an object that stimulates the smell or taste described by the related description, the relationship being displayed in a manner according to the specified priority.

[0012] The first display control unit can display, as related descriptions, descriptions corresponding to a specified description and limited to descriptions that enable a user to easily evoke a sense of smell or taste as compared with the specified description.

[0013] The priority specifying unit can specify a priority specified by the user.

[0014] The priority specifying unit can specify a priority based on at least one of the user's attributes, preferences, and actions.

[0015] In the case of specifying a plurality of descriptions, the first display control unit can display descriptions corresponding to each specified description and limited to descriptions that enable a user to easily evoke a sense of smell or taste as compared with the specified description.

[0016] The second display control unit can display the relationship between a related description with a high priority and an object of the sense of smell or taste described by the related description.

[0017] In the case of there being a plurality of related descriptions, the second display control unit can display the relationship between the plurality of related descriptions and an object having an odor or taste corresponding to all of the plurality of related descriptions.

[0018] The first display control unit can also display a set of similar descriptions, which are descriptions similar to the related descriptions. The priority specifying unit can specify the priority of the displayed set of similar descriptions, and the second display control unit can display the relationship between at least one similar description in the displayed set of similar descriptions and an object having an odor or taste corresponding to the similar description.

[0019] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes a computer to implement: a description specifying unit that specifies a description; a first display control unit that displays a set of related descriptions, which is a set of descriptions related to the sense of smell or taste corresponding to the specified description; a priority specifying unit that specifies a priority for each description included in the displayed set of related descriptions; and a second display control unit that displays the relationship between at least one related description included in the displayed set of related descriptions and an object that stimulates the sense of smell or taste described by the related description, the relationship being displayed in a manner according to the specified priority.

[0020] According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information providing system including: an input device; a display device; and an information processing device including: a description specifying unit that specifies a description specified by an input via the input device; a first display control unit that controls the display device to display a related description group, which is a group of olfactory or gustatory related descriptions corresponding to the specified description; a priority specifying unit that specifies a priority for each description included in the displayed related description group; and a second display control unit that displays a relationship between at least one related description included in the displayed related description group and an object that stimulates the smell or taste described by the related description, the relationship being displayed in a manner according to the specified priority.

[0021] Technical effects

[0022] The present invention enables a user to know an object having an odor or taste matching a specified description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the overall configuration of an information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 2 is a side view illustrating the structure of the information providing system.

[0025] Figure 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a card DB stored in the information processing device.

[0027] Figure 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a sample DB stored in the information processing device.

[0028] Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the functional configuration of the information processing device.

[0029] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing device.

[0030] Figure 8 is a plan view illustrating the information providing system as viewed from above the sensing surface of the sensor.

[0031] Figure 9 is a plan view illustrating the information providing system as viewed from above the sensing surface of the sensor.

[0032] Figure 10 is a plan view illustrating the information providing system as viewed from above the sensing surface of the sensor.

[0033] Figure 11 is a plan view of the information providing system as viewed from above the sensing surface of the sensor.

[0034] Figure 12 is a plan view of the information providing system as viewed from above the sensing surface of the sensor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Configuration

[0036] Now, the overall configuration of the information providing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information providing system 1 is a system for providing information on an object having an odor that matches a description specified by a user. As Figure 1 shown, the information providing system 1 includes an information processing device 10, a projector 20, a sensor 40, a plurality of samples 60, and a plurality of cards 70. The information processing device 10, the projector 20, and the sensor 40 communicate with each other via a wired connection or a wireless connection. The information processing device 10 is an example of an information processing device according to the present invention and is a device that controls other devices in the information providing system 1. The projector 20 is an example of a display device that displays information to the user. The sensor 40 is an example of an input device that receives an input from the user.

[0037] Each of the plurality of samples 60 is an object that emits an odor that stimulates the user's sense of smell. For example, the sample 60 may be a natural product (e.g., a lavender plant) or an artificial product containing a lavender odor (e.g., lavender extract in the form of a volatile liquid, a sheet impregnated with the liquid, etc.). In this embodiment, the sample 60 is a cylindrical vial that is sealed with a lid and contains a liquid in the form of an extraction oil that emits the odor of a natural product. Each sample 60 has a label or tag that includes a sample name (e.g., the name of the plant "lavender"). By referring to the label or tag name, the user can visually identify each sample.

[0038] The plurality of cards 70 are media on which different descriptions are shown. The descriptions shown on the cards 70 are prepared in advance and may be descriptions using any language components such as nouns and adjectives, or phrases containing multiple words in a sentence.

[0039] Figure 2 is a side view illustrating the structure of the information providing system 1. More specifically, Figure 2FIG. 0 is a diagram illustrating the positional relationship among a projector 20, a sensor 40, a sample 60, and a card 70 as viewed from the horizontal direction. The sensor 40 is formed of, for example, a thin rectangular plate, and its upper surface is a flat sensing surface. The sample 60 has a label 61 which is a storage medium for storing identification information (hereinafter referred to as "sample ID") for identifying each sample 60. The card 70 has a label 71 which is a storage medium for storing identification information (referred to as "card ID") for identifying each card 70.

[0040] When the sample 60 is placed on the sensing surface, the sensor 40 reads the sample ID stored in the label 61 of the sample 60 by using, for example, a short-range wireless communication standard (referred to as NFC (Near Field Communication)), and detects the position where the sample 60 is placed (i.e., the position where the label 61 is read on the sensing surface). When the card 70 is placed on the sensing surface, the sensor 40 reads the card ID stored in the label 71 of the card 70 by using a short-range wireless communication standard such as NFC, and detects the position where the card 70 is placed (i.e., the position where the label 71 is read on the sensing surface). In addition, the sensor 40 also serves as a so-called touch screen, and when a user touches the sensing surface with, for example, the user's finger or a predetermined pointing device, the sensor 40 detects the touch position on the sensing surface. The placement position of the sample 60 or the position touched by the user is described as X and Y coordinates in a two-dimensional coordinate plane, with a specified position on the sensing surface as the origin in the two-dimensional coordinate plane.

[0041] The projector 20 is installed above the sensor 40 (e.g., on the ceiling of a room). As Figure 2 indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 8, the projector 20 has a projection area that covers the entire area of the sensing surface of the sensor 40, and is capable of projecting an image to any position on the sensing surface defined by the X and Y coordinates. In other words, the sensing surface of the sensor 40 also serves as a display surface for displaying an image.

[0042] Figure 3 FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing apparatus 10 is a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an auxiliary storage device 104, and a communication IF (Interface) 105.

[0043] The CPU 101 is a processor that executes various operations. For example, the ROM 102 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs and data such as those for booting the information processing device 10. The RAM 103 is a volatile memory that serves as a work area when the CPU 101 executes a program. The auxiliary storage device 104 is a non-volatile storage device such as an HDD (hard disk drive) or an SSD (solid state drive), and stores programs and data used in the information processing device 10. By executing programs, the CPU 101 implements the functions described below and also performs the operations described below. The communication IF 105 is an interface that performs communication according to a predetermined communication standard. The communication standard can be a standard for wired communication or a standard for wireless communication. In addition to Figure 3 the configuration shown, the information processing device 10 may include other elements such as a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an input device such as a keyboard.

[0044] The auxiliary storage device 104 stores a card database (hereinafter, simply referred to as card DB) as shown in Figure 4 and a sample DB as shown in Figure 5 . As shown in Figure 4 , the card DB includes a card ID, a description (or designated description) written on the card corresponding to the card ID, one or more descriptions related to smell (or related descriptions) corresponding to the designated description, and a modality for displaying each of these related descriptions. The related description group is a group of descriptions that have a meaning related to the designated description, and is a group of descriptions that are generally used as descriptions that a user finds easier to evoke a smell compared to when using the designated description, that is, descriptions that imply an odor. The related description can be composed of any component of a language such as a noun or an adjective, or can be a phrase composed of multiple words for forming a sentence. When the card 70 is placed on the sensor 40, the related description group corresponding to the description (or designated description) written on the card 70 is displayed near the card 70.

[0045] Examples of modalities of the related description include the position for displaying the related description, the distance between the position for displaying the related description and the position of the card 70, the direction of the display position of the related description relative to the card 70, the color of the related description, the size of the related description, the font of the related description, the modification of the related description, the time for displaying the related description, the duration for displaying the related description, the movement of the related description (including spatial or temporal changes of the description), or the language used for the related description. The modality varies according to the relationship between the specified description and the related description, and / or the attributes of the related description. The relationship between the specified description and the related description is shown, for example, by the strength / magnitude of the display relationship. When the relationship between the specified description and the related description is strong (i.e., the specified description easily reminds the user of the related description), the related description can be displayed near the card 70 or in a larger or eye-catching color, or the related description can be displayed in an eye-catching manner by the movement of the related description (e.g., vibration). The attributes of the related description include, for example, the image to be received from the related description, the voice part of the related description, the type of characters to be used for the related description (hiragana, katakana, kanji, letters), the number of characters / words to be used for the related description, etc. For example, the related description "sweet" can be displayed in a warm color or in a rounded gothic font.

[0046] In Figure 4 , the card 70 with the card ID "CID001" has the specified description "first love", the first related description is "sweet", and the second related description is "refreshing". Among these related descriptions, the modality of the first related description "sweet" is that the distance between the position where the related description is displayed and the position where the card 70 is displayed is "2 units" (one unit is the length determined along the sensing surface), the color is "red", the font is "gothic", the size is "25 points", and the movement is "flickering". In the related description N, the smaller the value of N, the stronger or greater the relationship with the specified description. That is, in Figure 4 the example shown, the related description with the strongest or greatest relationship with the specified description "first love" is "sweet".

[0047] Next, in the sample DB, each sample ID is associated with one or more descriptions related to the smell stimulated by the sample 60 corresponding to the sample ID (i.e., one or more descriptions describing the smell of the sample 60), as Figure 5 shown. This description is the same as the group of related descriptions in the above card DB. In Figure 5In the example shown, the sample name of sample 60 with sample ID "SID001" is "A", and "sweet" is recorded as the first description of the smell of sample 60, "flower" is recorded as the second description, and "spring" is recorded as the third description. Regarding the M-th description, the smaller the value of M, the stronger or greater the relationship with sample 60. That is, in Figure 5 the example shown, the description with the strongest or greatest relationship with sample "A" is "sweet".

[0048] Next, Figure 6 A block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the example information processing apparatus 10 is shown. In the information processing apparatus 10, a sample specifying unit 11, a sample position specifying unit 12, a description specifying unit 13, a priority specifying unit 14, a first display control unit 15, and a second display control unit 16 are implemented. It should be noted that the display control unit 17 includes the first display control unit 15 and the second display control unit 16.

[0049] When sample 60 is placed on the sensing surface of sensor 40, the sample specifying unit 11 specifies which sample 60 is placed on the sensing surface based on the sample ID stored in the tag 61 of the read sample 60.

[0050] In addition, when sample 60 is placed on the sensing surface of sensor 40, the sample position specifying unit 12 specifies the position where sample 60 is placed on the sensing surface (i.e., the position where sample 60 is placed on sensor 40) based on the position of the sample ID stored in the tag 61 of the read sample 60.

[0051] When card 70 is placed on the sensing surface of sensor 40, the description specifying unit 13 specifies which card 70 (i.e., specifies the description) is placed at which position on the sensing surface based on the read result of the card ID stored in the tag 71 of card 70.

[0052] The first display control unit 15 controls the projector 20 to display a relevant description group corresponding to the specified description written on card 70 in the display area corresponding to the position of card 70 specified by the description specifying unit 13. At this time, the first display control unit 15 displays the relevant description group in the form corresponding to the relevant description specified by the description specifying unit 13 in the card DB. The display area corresponding to the position of card 70 is, for example, the area within a certain distance range from the position of card 70 on the sensing surface, and specifically, an example where this area is considered to be a circular area with a radius of 10 cm centered on the position of card 70 on the sensing surface is considered. However, the display area corresponding to the position of card 70 is not limited to this example, and can be an area where the user can identify which sample description is the displayed description.

[0053] The priority specifying unit 14 specifies the priority of each relevant description group displayed by the first display control unit 15. Specifically, if the user selects (or specifies) any one of the relevant display descriptions, the priority of the selected relevant description is increased. At this time, if the user selects a plurality of descriptions, the priorities of the plurality of descriptions are successively higher.

[0054] The second display control unit 16 displays the relationship between at least one relevant description among the description groups displayed by the first display control unit 15 and the olfactory object indicated by the relevant description. At this time, the second display control unit 16 displays the above relationship in a manner corresponding to the priority specified by the priority specifying unit 14. Specifically, if the user selects any one of the displayed relevant description groups, the second display control unit 16 displays a relationship image, which is an image depicting the relationship between the selected relevant description and the sample 60 having an odor suitable for the relevant description. The relationship image is displayed in a manner corresponding to the selected priority, as will be described in detail later with reference to Figure 11 Detailed description.

[0055] Operation

[0056] Now, the exemplary operations of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 7 the flowchart shown. First, the user selects the sample 60 of interest by referring to the sample name shown on the sample 60 and places the sample on the sensing surface of the sensor 40.

[0057] In Figure 8 a plan view is shown, which illustrates the sensor 40 and the sensing surface of the sensor 40 viewed from above. In this example, six samples 60a - 60f are placed on the sensing surface of the sensor 40. At this time, the sample specifying unit 11 and the sample position specifying unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10 specify which sample 60 of which sample ID is placed at which position on the sensing surface based on the sample ID read by the sensor 40 (in Figure 7 step S11). In this example, it is specified that the samples 60a - 60f are placed at Figure 8 the respective positions shown.

[0058] Next, the user selects the card 70 having the description of his / her preference, refers to the description on the card 70 and places the card on the sensing surface of the sensor 40. Figure 9 A plan view of the sensor 40 and the sensing surface of the sensor 40 viewed from above is shown. In this example, the card 70 having the description "first love" is placed on the sensing surface of the sensor 40. At this time, the description specifying unit 13 of the information processing apparatus 10 specifies which card 70 of which card ID is placed at which position on the sensing surface based on the reading result of the card ID by the sensor 40 (in Figure 7in step S12). As a result, the card 70 marked as "First Love" is placed at Figure 9 the position shown.

[0059] Next, the first display control unit 15 searches the card DB using the card ID of the card 70 as a search keyword (in Figure 7 steps S13 and S14) for related descriptions corresponding to the card ID. Then, the first display control unit 15 controls the projector 20 to display, in the display area corresponding to the position of the card 70 designated by the description designating unit 13, the related descriptions retrieved in step S14 in a manner corresponding to the related descriptions (in Figure 7 step S15).

[0060] As Figure 10 shown, for example, the descriptions related to the designated description "First Love" written on the card 70 are displayed within a circle of a set size centered on the position of the card 70. As described above, the related descriptions are displayed in the manner defined by the card DB. For example, in the Figure 10 example shown, a group of related descriptions including the descriptions "sweet", "refreshing", "bitter", "light", "warm", "flower", and "morning" are displayed near the card 70 with the description "First Love" in accordance with each determined manner.

[0061] Next, the user performs an input operation to specify a description with a higher priority than other descriptions. The user designates the priority among the displayed related descriptions based on his / her preference for the smell descriptions. This input operation includes, for example, touching the related description given a higher priority by means of a spreading action to magnify the related description (given the priority), moving the related description given the priority closer to the card 70 by using a drag operation, etc. On the other hand, the user can perform an input operation to specify the related descriptions he / she does not prefer, thereby specifying the related descriptions he / she prefers. The input operation for the user to specify the related descriptions he / she does not prefer is, for example, hiding the related descriptions he / she does not prefer by using a predetermined operation, thereby making the non-preferred related descriptions smaller by using a pinch touch operation, or moving the related non-preferred descriptions farther away from the card 70 by a touch drag operation.

[0062] When such an input operation is performed (in Figure 7 step S16; yes), the priority designating unit 14 designates (in Figure 7 step S17) the priority designated by the user. At this time, in order to indicate to the user the related descriptions that have been assigned a high priority, preferably, the first display control unit 15 displays the background of the related descriptions as an image of a specific color or highlights the related descriptions. Here, it is assumed that by touching successively as Figure 10Among the related descriptions "sweet", "refreshing", "bitter", "light", "warm", "flower", and "morning" shown, for the related descriptions "sweet" and "refreshing", the first priority is assigned to "sweet", and the second priority is assigned to "refreshing".

[0063] Next, the second display control unit 16 searches in the sample DB (in Figure 7 step S18) for the sample ID corresponding to the description that is the same as the high-priority related description specified in step S17 among the group of sample IDs specified in step S11. As a search result, if there is a sample ID corresponding to the description that is the same as the high-priority related description (in Figure 7 step S19; yes), the second display control unit 16 controls the projector 20 to display (in step S20) the relationship image. The relationship image is, for example, a linear image connecting the display position of the high-priority related description and the position where the sample 60 corresponding to the retrieved sample ID is placed.

[0064] As a result, as Figure 11 shown, the linear relationship images R1 and R2 are displayed. The linear relationship images R1 and R2 connect the related description "sweet" with the highest priority specified by the user and the samples (here, sample 60a and sample 60c) having the related description "sweet". From these relationship images R1 and R2, the user can understand that sample 60a and 60c are samples with the smell of the related description "sweet" specified by the user. In addition, the linear relationship image R3 is displayed. The linear relationship image R3 connects the related description "refreshing" with the description having the second-highest priority specified by the user and the sample corresponding to the related description "refreshing" (here, referred to as sample 60e). From this relationship image R3, the user can understand that sample 60e is a sample emitting the smell of the related description "refreshing". In addition, as Figure 11 shown, the system notifies the user of the related descriptions assigned higher priorities by displaying the backgrounds of the related descriptions in images S1 and S2 in a specific color. The system notifies the user of the high and low priorities of the related descriptions with higher priorities by making the images S1 and S2 visible by changing their colors and sizes.

[0065] The modalities such as color, density, size, and movement of the relationship image vary according to the priority specified for the related description. For example, the higher the priority specified for the related description, the more attention-grabbing the relationship image connecting the related description and sample 60. On the contrary, the lower the priority, the less attention-grabbing the modality. In Figure 11In the example shown, the relational image related to the description "sweet" with the highest priority is an image with a darker color than the relational image related to the description "refreshing" with the second highest priority. That is, the second display control unit 16 displays the relationship between the related description and the olfactory object described by the related description in a manner according to the selected priority.

[0066] The modalities such as color, concentration, size, movement, etc. of the relational image differ according to the relationship between the related description and the sample 60 of the odor description of the related description. For example, when the relationship between the related description and the sample 60 is strong, modalities such as color, concentration, size, movement, etc. are displayed in which the relational image is more attention-grabbing, while when the relationship is weak, the modalities are less attention-grabbing. The strength / size of the relationship between the related description and the sample 60 can be specified by the numerical value M assigned to the description in the sample DB as described above. That is, the smaller the M value, the stronger or larger the relationship between the related description and the sample 60. In Figure 11 In the example shown, since the sample 60c has a strong relationship with the related description "sweet", the relational image R1 connecting the related description "sweet" and the sample 60c is an image with a stronger concentration than the relational image R2 connecting the related description "sweet" and the sample 60a.

[0067] The user views these displays and thus can, by smelling the sample 60, understand the object having an odor that matches the description specified by the user, while the user also knows the specified description and the relationship between the related description and the sample 60. If the user wishes to try another specified description, the user performs an end operation (at step S21; yes). Then, the user places another card 70 on the sensing surface of the sensor 40 to perform the above steps S11 to S20 for other descriptions.

[0068] According to the above-described embodiment, the user can identify an object having an odor that matches the description specified by the user.

[0069] Modification

[0070] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. The above-described embodiment can be modified as follows. In addition, two or more items in the following modification examples can be combined.

[0071] First Modification

[0072] The present invention can be applied not only to olfaction but also to gustation (e.g., gustatory objects such as red wine, Japanese rice wine, spices, seasonings, etc.). That is, the present invention can be implemented by replacing "odor" in the embodiment with "taste".

[0073] Second Modification

[0074] In the above-described embodiment, the user designates a description from among the descriptions included in a prepared designated description group. However, the method of designating the description is not limited to this. For example, the user may input the description as words into the input device. Alternatively, the user may select a description from a book or the like and input the description into the input device. Further, the method for inputting the description is not limited to a manual operation performed by the user, and may be input via voice or remote gestures.

[0075] Third Modification

[0076] In the above-described embodiment, the relevant description designated by the user from the relevant description group is designated as the relevant description with high priority, but the method for designating the priority is not limited to this. For example, data related to at least one of the user's attributes, preferences, and behaviors may be accumulated, and relevant descriptions matching at least one of the user's attributes, preferences, and behaviors may be estimated from the accumulated content (e.g., descriptions preferred by women in their 20s, descriptions preferred by users who like watching movies, descriptions preferred by users with travel preferences, etc.) to designate the priority. The relationship between the user's attributes, preferences, or actions and the relevant descriptions for which the user has designated high priority for such attributes, preferences, or actions may be designated using an algorithm that is learned by machine learning (such as deep learning) based on, for example, the history of relevant descriptions designated by the user as preferences.

[0077] Fourth Modification

[0078] In the above-described embodiment, one description is designated as the designated description, but multiple descriptions may be designated as the designated description. In this case, the first display control unit 15 may preferentially display the relevant description group corresponding to any of the multiple designated descriptions, and these description groups are determined to be descriptions that the user finds easier to evoke the sense of smell compared to when using the designated description. For example, assume that a card 70 with the description "first love" and another card 70 with the description "blue sky" are placed on the sensing surface of the sensor 40. In this example, assume that the designated description "first love" corresponds to the relevant description group "sweet", "refreshing", "bitter", "light", "warm", "flower", "morning", and the designated description "blue sky" corresponds to the relevant description group "refreshing", "clear", "refreshing", and "morning". In this case, the first display control unit 15 preferentially displays, for example, in thick lines, attention-grabbing colors, attention-grabbing movements, large characters, etc., "refreshing" and "morning" which are the relevant descriptions common to the designated descriptions, so that the commonality can be understood.

[0079] Fifth Modification

[0080] In the above-described embodiment, when designating multiple relevant descriptions with high priority, as Figure 11Displays the relationship between each relevant description with high priority and the sample 60 as shown. However, it is also possible to display the relationship between the whole of multiple relevant descriptions with high priority and the sample 60. Specifically, as Figure 12 shown, the second display control unit 16 displays the linear relationship images R1, R2, and R3 of the relevant description "sweet" and the relevant description "refreshing" that are specified by the user as having a higher priority, and the samples 60a and 60c corresponding to the relevant description "sweet" and the sample 60e corresponding to the relevant description "refreshing". That is, when there are multiple relevant descriptions with high priority (or a priority exceeding the threshold), the second display control unit 16 can display the relationship between multiple relevant descriptions and the olfactory object described by all of the multiple relevant descriptions.

[0081] Sixth modification

[0082] In Figure 11 for example, if the user specifies the relevant description "sweet", a set of descriptions similar to the relevant description "sweet", such as "sour and sweet", "sweet", "slightly sweet", is further displayed, and when the user assigns a high priority to any similar description related to these descriptions, the relationship between the specified similar description and the sample 60 can be displayed. That is, the first display control unit 15 can display a set of similar descriptions having descriptions similar to the relevant description, the priority specifying unit 14 can specify the priority of the displayed set of similar descriptions, and the second display control unit 16 can display, according to the mode based on the selected priority, the relationship between at least one similar description among the displayed set of similar descriptions and the olfactory object described by the similar description.

[0083] Seventh modification

[0084] The relationship image is not limited to Figure 11 and Figure 12 the linear images shown, and can be an image showing the relationship between the relevant description and the sample 60 described by the relevant description. For example, in Figure 11 and Figure 12 , a circular image around the relevant description "sweet" and a circular image around the positions of the samples 60a and 60c described by the description "sweet" can be used as the relationship image. Similarly, in Figure 11 and Figure 12 , a circular image around the relevant description "refreshing" and a circular image around the position of the sample 60ec described by the description "refreshing" can be used as the relationship image.

[0085] Eighth modification

[0086] In the above-described embodiment, the second display control unit 16 displays the relationship between the high-priority related description and the olfactory object described by the related description in a mode corresponding to the priority. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a relationship image indicating the relationship between all related descriptions and the olfactory objects described by each related description may be displayed, and the relationship image may be displayed in a mode corresponding to the selected priority. For example, in Figure 11 the example shown, the second display control unit 16 displays a relationship image connecting each related description "sweet", "refreshing", "bitter", "light", "warm", "flower", and "morning" with the sample 60 corresponding to each related description. At this time, the second display control unit 16 displays the relationship image between the relationship image with high priority and the sample 60 in a mode different from the modes of other relationship images (such as color, density, size, movement). That is, the second display control unit 16 may display the relationship between at least one or more related descriptions included in the displayed related description group and the olfactory object described by the related description in a mode according to the selected priority.

[0087] Ninth Modification

[0088] The display device and the input device are not limited to Figure 1 the projector 20 or the sensor 40 shown. For example, the display device is not limited to projecting an image onto the sensing surface of the sensor 40 which is the input device as in the present embodiment, and the input device may be the display device. In addition, the display device may display an image on a wall surface (including the case of projecting an image on the wall surface). The display device may also be a display device that realizes so-called augmented reality. Specifically, when the sample 60 is imaged by an imaging device of a smart phone, a tablet computer, or a glasses-type wearable device, a corresponding description group may be displayed around the sample 60 in the imaging image. The input device may be a device that detects a user operation using image recognition technology.

[0089] Tenth Modification

[0090] The description may be displayed in a two-dimensional form or a three-dimensional form. In addition, the designated description or the related description is not limited to characters, and may be colors, abstract forms, images such as people / scenes, etc.

[0091] The present invention may be provided as an information processing method including processing steps executed in the information processing device 10. The present invention may also be provided as a program executed by the information processing device 10. Such a program may be provided on a recording medium such as an optical disc, or may be downloaded via a network such as the Internet to a computer for installation.

[0092] Although the present invention has been described in detail above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Without departing from the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims, the present invention can be implemented by modification and variation. Therefore, the description herein is for illustrative purposes only and is not a limitation of the present invention.

[0093] List of reference numerals

[0094] 1... Information providing system, 20... Projector, 40... Sensor, 60... Sample, 61... Tag, 70... Card, 71... Tag, 101... CPU, 102... ROM, 103... RAM, 104... Auxiliary storage device, 105... Communication IF, 11... Sample specifying unit, 12... Sample position specifying unit, 13... Description specifying unit, 14... Priority specifying unit, 15... First description control unit, 16... Second description control unit, 17... Display control unit.

Claims

1. An information processing apparatus for processing information related to a plurality of samples placed on a sensing surface, the information processing apparatus comprising: A description specifying unit that specifies a description; A first display control unit that displays a related description group, which is a group of olfactory or gustatory related descriptions corresponding to the specified description; A priority specifying unit that specifies a priority for each description included in the displayed related description group; And A second display control unit that displays a relationship image, which is an image of the relationship between a related description selected by the user from the displayed related description group and an object that stimulates the olfactory or gustatory sense described by the selected related description among the plurality of samples, wherein the mode of the relationship image varies according to the priority specified for the description or according to the strength of the relationship between the related description and the corresponding sample.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first display control unit displays, as the related description, a description that corresponds to the specified description and is defined as a description that enables the user to more easily evoke the olfactory or gustatory sense compared to the specified description.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the priority specifying unit specifies the priority specified by the user.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the priority specifying unit specifies the priority based on at least one of the user's attributes, preferences, and actions.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when a plurality of the descriptions are specified, the first display control unit displays a description that corresponds to each specified description and is defined as a description that enables the user to more easily evoke the olfactory or gustatory sense compared to the specified description.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the second display control unit displays the relationship between the related description with a high priority and the object that stimulates the olfactory or gustatory sense described by the related description.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when there are a plurality of related descriptions, the second display control unit displays the relationship between the plurality of related descriptions and an object that has an odor or taste corresponding to all of the plurality of related descriptions.

8. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the first display control unit further displays a group of similar descriptions, which are descriptions similar to the related description, the priority specifying unit specifies the priority of the displayed group of similar descriptions, and the second display control unit displays the relationship between at least one similar description in the displayed group of similar descriptions and an object that has an odor or taste corresponding to the similar description.

9. A storage medium having a program stored thereon, the program causing a computer to implement: A description specifying unit that specifies a description; A first display control unit that displays a relevant description group, which is an olfactory or gustatory relevant description group corresponding to the specified description; A priority specifying unit that specifies a priority for each description included in the displayed relevant description group; And A second display control unit that displays a relationship image, which is an image of the relationship between the relevant description selected by the user from the displayed relevant description group and the object that stimulates the olfactory or gustatory sense described by the selected relevant description among a plurality of samples, wherein the mode of the relationship image differs according to the priority specified for the description or according to the strength of the relationship between the relevant description and the corresponding sample.

10. An information providing system, the information providing system comprising: An input device; A display device; And An information processing device, the information processing device comprising: A description specifying unit that specifies a description specified by an input via the input device; A first display control unit that controls the display device to display a relevant description group, which is an olfactory or gustatory relevant description group corresponding to the specified description; A priority specifying unit that specifies a priority for each description included in the displayed relevant description group; and A second display control unit that displays a relationship image, which is an image of the relationship between the relevant description selected by the user from the displayed relevant description group and the object that stimulates the olfactory or gustatory sense described by the selected relevant description among a plurality of samples, wherein the mode of the relationship image differs according to the priority specified for the description or according to the strength of the relationship between the relevant description and the corresponding sample.

Images