Information management apparatus, information management system, computer-readable storage medium, and computer program product

Abstract

This invention provides a technology that helps improve regional security. The information management device of this invention manages information about a user and includes: a parsing unit for parsing conversations between the user and one or more third parties different from the user; a determining unit for determining the level of intimacy between the user and the one or more third parties based on the parsing results of the parsing unit; and an evaluation unit for evaluating the user based on the determination results of the determining unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to information management devices, information management systems, computer-readable storage media, and computer program products. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, initiatives to provide sustainable transportation systems for vulnerable groups among traffic participants have been underway, and research and development efforts aimed at further improving the safety and convenience of transportation are gaining attention, particularly in the area of ​​preventative safety technologies required to achieve this (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Existing technical documents Patent documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7523347 Summary of the Invention The problem that the invention aims to solve As a preventative security technology, there is no need for universally applicable technologies, but there is also a demand for technologies tailored to each region.

[0004] This application aims to address the aforementioned problems by providing, for example, technologies that enhance regional security, and further aims to contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

[0005] means for solving problems One aspect of the present invention relates to an information management device that manages information about a user, characterized in that the information management device comprises: The parsing unit parses the conversations between the user and one or more third parties different from the user. The determining unit determines the intimacy between the user and one or more third parties based on the parsing results of the parsing unit; and The evaluation unit evaluates the user based on the determination result of the determining unit.

[0006] Invention Effects According to the present invention, it is beneficial to improve regional security. Attached Figure Description

[0007] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of the system involved in the implementation method.

[0008] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing content of a portable terminal.

[0009] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing content of a portable terminal.

[0010] Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of what a server processes.

[0011] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing content of a portable terminal.

[0012] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures 1: Server (information management device); 2: Portable terminal (information management device); U: User. Detailed Implementation

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the following embodiments are not intended to limit the invention to which the technical solution pertains. Additionally, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more features from the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, the same or identical structures are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0014] First Implementation Method <System Structure> Figure 1 This diagram illustrates an example of the structure of the system SY according to the implementation method. The system SY includes a server 1 and one or more (three in this case) portable terminals 2. The server 1 and each portable terminal 2 can communicate with each other via a network N.

[0015] Server 1 includes processor 1a, memory 1b, and storage 1c. Processor 1a is a generalized computing unit that performs calculations to implement the various functions of server 1, and may include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), or GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). Memory 1b is a storage medium that temporarily stores intermediate data used in the calculations of processor 1a, and typically uses volatile storage media such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). Storage 1c is a storage medium that stores information required for the calculations of processor 1a, such as programs and parameters, as well as data representing the results of those calculations, and typically uses non-volatile storage media such as HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0016] Server 1 may also have input devices such as hardware keys, software keys, and joysticks, as well as display devices such as LCDs and OLEDs. The administrator of server 1 can also use these to input or update the required information. The administrator of server 1 corresponds to the service provider described later, and the service is provided to each portable terminal 2 via network N.

[0017] One or more portable terminals 2 are associated with one or more users U. This association is established simply because user U is registered as the owner of portable terminal 2 or currently owns portable terminal 2. Each portable terminal 2 has a processor 2a, memory 2b, and storage 2c. The processor 2a, memory 2b, and storage 2c are configured to perform the same functions as processor 1a, memory 1b, and storage 1c, respectively. Portable terminals 2 are typically compatible with known portable terminals such as smartphones, tablets, and wearable devices.

[0018] Each portable terminal 2 also includes a microphone 2d and a location information determination unit 2e. The microphone 2d, through its sound collection function, can acquire sound information from the surroundings of the user U, in addition to the user U's own speech. The location information determination unit 2e is configured to determine the location information of the device (the portable terminal 2), and its function can be implemented, for example, using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

[0019] The service outlined in this embodiment is to improve the lifestyle of user U using portable terminal 2, enhance user U's social interaction, and further improve regional security (hereinafter referred to as "this service"). Portable terminal 2 can install a program (hereinafter referred to as "this program") distributed from server 1 as part of this service. In most cases, user U can download and install this program on portable terminal 2 via network N before accepting this service.

[0020] This service is primarily available when user U is out and about with portable terminal 2. User U is in most cases a child (under 18 years old) going to school, but can also be an adult (18 years or older).

[0021] <Processing content in portable terminals within this service> Figure 2This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing content of portable terminal 2. The flowchart outlines an evaluation of user U based on a dialogue between user U and a third party. The following steps can be primarily executed by processor 2a. This flowchart can begin, for example, based on the program being started through input to portable terminal 2, or based on portable terminal 2 being powered on with the program installed.

[0022] In step S2010 (hereinafter referred to as "S2010"). The same applies to the other steps described later. In this step, the sound information around the user U is temporarily stored in memory 2b, which can be achieved through microphone 2d (see [reference]). Figure 1 The audio information stored in memory 2b only needs to contain information about the user U and the speech of those around them (voice information). Therefore, the audio information stored in memory 2b only needs to be within the audible frequency band (20Hz~20kHz), but it can also be within the typical frequency band of everyday conversation (250Hz~2000Hz). Therefore, the recording results of portable terminal 2 can also remove other frequency bands by using known filtering processes. In addition, since information about ambient sounds or noises such as rain or wind is not needed, known noise removal processing can be further performed.

[0023] In addition, the amount of audio information stored in memory 2b only needs to be a few seconds to tens of seconds or a few minutes, and audio information before that can also be deleted from memory 2b.

[0024] In S2020, the voice information held in S2010 is analyzed to determine whether user U's voice exists.

[0025] User U's voice only needs to be pre-registered, specifically during the initial setup after the program is installed on portable terminal 2 (e.g., during user registration). User U's voice registration can be achieved using the same known voiceprint authentication method. For example, user U can input more than one voice pattern to portable terminal 2, and the feature data extracted from their voiceprint analysis can be registered. The aforementioned voice analysis in S2020 can be achieved by matching the voice waveform using this feature data.

[0026] If user U's voice is present, proceed to S2030; otherwise, return to S2010.

[0027] In S2030, it is determined whether the speech of user U, which was confirmed in S2020, is a predetermined phrase. This determination can be achieved using the same methods as known speech analysis, for example, by determining whether the speech of user U is a predetermined phrase based on phonemes extracted from speech information through audio analysis.

[0028] The pre-defined phrases mentioned here only need to be phrases related to daily habits. As a typical example, pre-defined greeting phrases are provided. Multiple types of greeting phrases can be set for different time periods. For ease of explanation, the following are two examples of pre-defined greeting phrases for morning use: "Good morning" and "Early".

[0029] If user U's voice is a pre-defined phrase (in this case, a greeting of "Good morning" or "Early"; hereinafter referred to as the "greeting phrase"), proceed to S2040; otherwise, return to S2010.

[0030] In S2040, the audio information held in S2010 is further analyzed to determine whether there is a third party's greeting phrase before / after the greeting phrase of user U confirmed in S2030. If a third party's greeting phrase exists, the process proceeds to S2050 as a valid greeting; otherwise, it returns to S2010.

[0031] Here, the third party's voice only needs to be different from the user U's voice (as long as it is distinguishable from the user U's voice), so it does not need to be registered in the portable terminal 2 when S2040 makes its determination.

[0032] In S2050, it is determined whether there is any continuation of the greeting phrase of user U confirmed in S2030, which was retained in the voice information in S2010. The conversation is a dialogue between user U and a third party different from user U. In this example, it is sufficient that some dialogue continues after the greeting (for example, as long as user U's voice and the third party's voice are repeated at least once), and its content is not considered.

[0033] In the case of a conversation following a greeting, parameter b (described later) is set to b > 0 in S2060; in the case of a conversation following a greeting, parameter b (described later) is set to b = 0 in S2070.

[0034] Thus, in S2010~S2050, the dialogue between user U and the third party is parsed. In this example, it can be said that speech parsing begins when user U's voice is a greeting phrase; that is, the greeting phrase becomes the trigger for the start of speech parsing.

[0035] In S2110, the intimacy level between user U and a third party is determined (or calculated) based on the above analysis results (refer to S2010~S2050). The intimacy level referred to here is simply an indicator of the degree of mutual acquaintance between user U and the third party, and is not limited to the content or frequency of daily / actual communication. Furthermore, in cases where user U greets multiple third parties, the intimacy level is determined for each of those third parties.

[0036] In this example, the intimacy level with a third party can be calculated based on the type of greeting confirmed in S2030 and the presence or absence of a conversation following the greeting confirmed in S2050. For example, intimacy level F is calculated using parameter a corresponding to the type of greeting, parameter b indicating whether a conversation follows the greeting, and parameter T indicating the length of the conversation if a conversation occurs.

[0037] F = a + b * T In this formula, for example, in the case of a polite greeting (in this example, "Good morning"), a is set to a1, and in the case of an intimate greeting (in this example, "Good morning"), a is set to a2 (>a1). Additionally, as mentioned above, b>0 is set when there is conversation after the greeting, and b=0 is set when there is no conversation after the greeting.

[0038] The intimacy level F remains in its initial state (e.g., "unrecorded," "unrated") when there is no greeting. When there is a greeting, it can be numerically represented based on the content of the greeting, and is not limited to the formula in this example. For example, when there is a greeting: When greeting someone politely (in this case, "Good morning"), the intimacy level F is low. When greeting someone intimately (in this example, "good morning"), the intimacy level F is a high value; Additionally, if there is a conversation after the greeting, the intimacy level F is increased, and the intimacy level F is further increased as the conversation becomes longer.

[0039] Thus, in S2110, if the dialogue contains a predetermined phrase (a greeting phrase in this example), the intimacy level is determined based on its type, and if the conversation continues thereafter, the intimacy level is further determined based on that conversation.

[0040] In S2210, user U is evaluated based on the intimacy level determined in S2110. This evaluation simply involves quantifying user U's lifestyle habits, and the evaluation value can be calculated based on the intimacy level F for each of multiple third parties.

[0041] For example, when k is set to an integer greater than 2 and the intimacy of a certain third party H(k) is set to F(k), the evaluation value E can be calculated by the following formula.

[0042] E=ΣF(k) For example, if the evaluation value E is a large value, it can be said that there are many third parties with high intimacy with user U (e.g., third parties that are close to user U), and user U has high sociality.

[0043] As another example, the evaluation value E' can be calculated by the following formula.

[0044] E'=Σ(F(k)) -1 ) For example, if the evaluation value E' is relatively large, it can be said that user U has a habit of actively greeting third parties who are not very close to user U (e.g., older / higher-status third parties who are interested in user U), and user U has high sociality.

[0045] Therefore, by calculating both the evaluation values ​​E and E', a more accurate evaluation of user U can be achieved, although it is also possible to calculate only one of them. Furthermore, the formulas for the evaluation values ​​E and E' described above can be modified without departing from their core principles, and are not limited to this example.

[0046] The evaluation results obtained in this way can be sent to server 1 via network N, stored in memory 1c, and managed for each user U.

[0047] In the examples above, a morning greeting phrase is shown as a pre-defined phrase referenced in S2030. However, greeting phrases for daytime, evening, and nighttime use can also be set, and the same evaluation can be performed for other time periods. Furthermore, while two greeting phrases are shown in the examples above, multiple greeting phrases can also be set.

[0048] When using this service to go to and from school, you can set pre-defined greetings for both. For the greetings for going to school, you can use the same greetings used in the morning. On the other hand, for the greetings for leaving school, you can set pre-defined phrases such as "goodbye" (a polite greeting) or "bye-bye" (a friendly greeting).

[0049] Furthermore, when going to or from school, greetings are often repeated intermittently, considering the possibility of encountering multiple third parties. Therefore, in Figure 2 In the flowchart, the operation can also be interrupted if a new greeting is confirmed in the middle of any step (e.g., skipping the determination of whether there is a conversation after the greeting).

[0050] <Summary> According to this embodiment, user U's active greetings promote improved lifestyle habits and enhance user U's social interaction. Furthermore, in areas with more frequent greetings, residents generally have more robust local security systems, which often helps prevent accidents and crime. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it also contributes to improved local security, thereby supporting the development of a vibrant and sustainable transportation system in the region.

[0051] In this embodiment, the portable terminal 2 functions as an information management device for managing information about the user U. At least a portion of the processing performed by the processor 2a of the portable terminal 2 can also be performed by the processor 1a of the server 1; that is, the function of the information management device can be implemented by the server 1 and / or the portable terminal 2. The same applies to the other embodiments described later.

[0052] Second Implementation Method As described in the first embodiment above, evaluating user U based on the intimacy between user U and a third party improves the security of the area. Therefore, even when multiple users U exist in roughly the same area, by collecting multiple intimacy values ​​obtained during these evaluations in conjunction with location information, it is also possible to generate a security map representing the security of the area.

[0053] As a second implementation, where the service also includes the provision of a security map, the portable terminal 2, in addition to... Figure 2 In addition to the evaluation results (evaluation values ​​E and E') obtained in S2210, the intimacy level obtained during the evaluation is also sent to server 1 in conjunction with the location information. This can be achieved by the location information determination unit 2e (see [reference]). Figure 1 ).

[0054] <Processing content in portable terminals within this service> Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing content of portable terminal 2. In this flowchart, if a greeting is deemed valid in S2040 (if a third party's greeting phrase appears before / after the user U's greeting phrase), the process proceeds to S3010; otherwise, it returns to S2010. In S3010, the location information of user U is obtained using the location information determination function of portable terminal 2.

[0055] Furthermore, after S2110 and before S2210, in S3020, the intimacy level determined in S2110 is associated with the location information acquired in S3010 and registered. This can be achieved by maintaining the intimacy level and location information in memory 2b or storing them in memory 2c.

[0056] Then, in S3030 following S2210, along with the evaluation results obtained in S2210, the various intimacy levels obtained at the time of the evaluation and their associated location information are sent to server 1. The sent evaluation results, along with the various intimacy levels and location information obtained at the time of the evaluation, are stored in memory 1c.

[0057] Based on this processing, server 1 can associate the determined intimacy levels with the current location information.

[0058] <Processing content on the server in this service> Figure 4 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by server 1. The flowchart outlines the process of identifying high-security areas within a given region based on the determined affinity score for each user U and their current location information, and generating a security map based on this result. For example, this flowchart can begin with a new registration or update based on the rating value for any user U, and the following steps can be primarily executed by the processor 1a of server 1.

[0059] In S4010, for each of the multiple users U, the evaluation result of S3030 stored in memory 1c is read, and the determined intimacy level and its associated location information are obtained.

[0060] In S4020, the various intimacy levels obtained in S4010 are registered (or drawn, mapped, etc.) onto the regional map data based on the location information associated with them. The resulting map data is generated as a tool for managing information (mainly security) in the region, or as a security map representing the security of the region, and can be widely used.

[0061] In most cases, areas with a high number of registered intimacy levels (i.e., the number of times greetings and conversations are exchanged) on a security map can be considered highly secure. For example, in a security map, an area with multiple third parties who have high intimacy levels with each user U / frequent encounters is represented as the first secure area. Alternatively, in a security map, an area with multiple third parties who exchange greetings even if their intimacy levels with each user U are not high (e.g., older / higher-status third parties who follow user U) is represented as the second secure area.

[0062] Here, the intimacy level determined by greetings in certain areas can sometimes be biased due to individual differences between users U. For example, when two users U greet each other in a particular area, two intimacy levels are determined, but these two intimacy levels are not necessarily the same value. Therefore, in the case where there are multiple intimacy levels registered for a particular area, these intimacy levels can be corrected based on, for example, standard deviation.

[0063] According to this implementation method, it is conducive to further improving regional security, and in turn, it also contributes to the development of a dynamic and sustainable transportation system in the region.

[0064] The processing content of server 1 and portable terminal 2 can be changed without departing from their main purpose. For example, the processing content of portable terminal 2 ( Figure 3 The steps in the flowchart can also be executed by the processor 1a of server 1. Similarly, the processing content of server 1 ( Figure 4 Part of the steps in the flowchart can also be executed by the processor 2a of the portable terminal 2.

[0065] Third Implementation Method The security map generated in the second embodiment described above can be applied to navigation services such as route guidance. Here, the affinity of the raw data used to generate the security map is determined by the exchange of greetings (see [reference]). Figure 2 Furthermore, the phrases and frequency of the greetings generally vary depending on the time period, so it can be said that the safety map changes according to the time period. Therefore, by referring to the safety map of the second embodiment, navigation services can also be provided in a form corresponding to the time period.

[0066] As a third implementation, when this service also includes a navigation service, the processing content of the portable terminal 2 (see...) Figure 3 You can make the changes as follows.

[0067] That is, in S3010, in addition to location information, time information is also acquired.

[0068] Then, in S3020, the intimacy level determined in S2110 is registered in association with both location information and time information.

[0069] Furthermore, in S3030, in addition to the evaluation results obtained in S2210, the various intimacy levels obtained at the time of the evaluation, and the associated location information, time information is also sent to server 1.

[0070] Based on this processing, server 1 can generate a security map corresponding to a specific time period. The processing content of server 1 (see...) Figure 4The security map can be changed to be generated or updated based on the intimacy level corresponding to that time period.

[0071] <Processing content in portable terminals within this service> Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing content of portable terminal 2. For instance, this flowchart begins with user U inputting a destination into portable terminal 2, and its outline is based on a security map to inform user U of the path to take.

[0072] In S5010, the location information of the destination input by user U and the location information of user U at this time (the location information of portable terminal 2, i.e. the current location) are respectively registered on the map data.

[0073] In S5020, it is determined whether there are multiple candidate paths on the map data from user U's current location to the destination. If multiple candidate paths exist, the process proceeds to S5030; otherwise, the process proceeds to S5110.

[0074] In S5030, a security map is obtained from server 1 via network N.

[0075] In S5040, based on the security map, recommended areas are identified on the map data. These recommended areas correspond to areas with a high number of registered intimacy levels (mutual greetings, conversations), meaning they are considered areas with high security.

[0076] In S5050, one path that passes through the recommended area is selected from the multiple candidate paths. Furthermore, if more than two paths pass through the recommended area, the path with the shortest length from user U's current location to the destination is selected.

[0077] In S5110, the recommended path is determined from user U's current location to its destination, and user U is notified. Here, if only one path is identified as a candidate in S5020, that path is designated as the recommended path; otherwise, if multiple paths are selected in S5050, the path chosen is designated as the recommended path.

[0078] Based on this processing, user U can safely reach their destination based on notifications from portable terminal 2 (while also referring to recommended routes).

[0079] <Regarding the decision-making process for recommended regions> As mentioned above, in the security map, the area where there are multiple third parties with high intimacy with each user U / frequent encounters is represented as the first security area. In addition, the area where there are multiple third parties who greet each other even if they are not very close to each user U (e.g., third parties who are older / higher in status who are interested in user U) is represented as the second security area.

[0080] Both the first and second safe zones can be considered relatively safe areas. However, even with low intimacy levels, the second safe zone, where many third parties exchange greetings, generally indicates a robust resident protection system. Therefore, in S5050, it can be decided to prioritize the second safe zone among the first and second safe zones when recommending areas.

[0081] As described above, the safety map is generated in a format corresponding to time periods. On the other hand, since this service is mainly used during school hours (refer to the first embodiment), it can be said that the safety map is mainly effective on weekdays (Monday to Friday). Therefore, safety maps for Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays can also be generated separately. In this case, it is believed that there are more adults than children among the users U who can contribute to the generation of the safety map. Therefore, the users U of this service are not limited to children.

[0082] Furthermore, a security map that takes into account time periods and days of the week is shown here, but a generalized security map can also be generated regardless of time periods and days of the week.

[0083] According to this implementation method, it is conducive to further improving regional security, and in turn, it also contributes to the development of a dynamic and sustainable transportation system in the region.

[0084] Application Examples This service, for example, can enhance the motivation of users U in a region by awarding them a reward for contributing to improving regional security, thereby further improving regional security. The awarding of this reward refers to sending data representing the reward to the portable terminal 2 of user U. Typical examples of rewards include points that can be used in any store; anything that is a reward is acceptable, regardless of its monetary value. The reward can be awarded during the evaluation of user U (S2210) or during the generation of the security map (S4020).

[0085] "other" The above embodiments primarily describe the method of implementing this service by executing a program through a processor, but are not limited to this. For example, a dedicated portable terminal can be used instead of the portable terminal 2 with the program installed. The dedicated portable terminal may have a structure with a processor capable of executing this program, or it may have an ASIC (Application-Specific Integrated Circuit) capable of performing equivalent functions. That is, the processing described in the above embodiments can be implemented by either hardware or software.

[0086] Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be modified without departing from their main idea. For example, the order of several steps shown in the flowcharts can be partially changed.

[0087] In the above description, for ease of understanding, each element is referred to by a name associated with the functional aspect. However, each element is not limited to having the content described in the implementation as the main function; it may also have the element as an auxiliary function. Therefore, each element is not strictly limited to this description, which can be replaced by other similar descriptions.

[0088] Furthermore, the two or more elements optionally exemplified in the implementation are not strictly limited to this example, and can be combined arbitrarily. For example, the two or more elements listed by "and / or" can be selected additionally or alternatively. As an example, regarding the two elements A and B, the expression "A and / or B" means only A, only B, or only either A or B, and can also be changed to "at least one of A and B".

[0089] Summary of Implementation Methods The features illustrated in the above implementation methods are as follows: [Project 1] An information management device (e.g., 1 and / or 2) for managing information about a user (e.g., U), characterized in that the information management device comprises: The parsing unit (e.g., S2010~S2050) parses the dialogue between the user and one or more third parties different from the user; The determining unit (e.g., S2110) determines the intimacy (e.g., F) between the user and the one or more third parties based on the parsing result of the parsing unit; and The evaluation unit (e.g., S2210) evaluates the user based on the determination result of the determination unit.

[0090] This can enhance users' social interaction, and consequently improve regional security.

[0091] [Project 2] The information management device according to Project 1 is characterized in that, The parsing unit determines whether the dialogue contains a predetermined phrase (e.g., S2030). When the dialogue contains the predetermined phrase, the determining unit determines the intimacy level.

[0092] Therefore, it is possible to begin the analysis appropriately.

[0093] [Project 3] The information management device according to Project 2 is characterized in that, Several types of phrases are registered as the predetermined phrases. When the dialogue contains the predetermined phrase, the determining unit determines the intimacy level based on the type of the predetermined phrase.

[0094] Therefore, it is possible to appropriately determine the level of intimacy.

[0095] [Project 4] The information management device according to Project 2 or Project 3 is characterized in that... The predetermined phrases are greeting phrases. The parsing unit determines whether there is conversation following the predetermined phrase in the dialogue (e.g., S2050). The determining unit also determines the intimacy level based on the conversation.

[0096] This allows for a more appropriate determination of intimacy levels.

[0097] [Project 5] The information management device according to any one of items 1 to 4, characterized in that the information management device further comprises: The acquisition unit (e.g., S3010) acquires the user's location information; and The registration unit (e.g., S3020) registers the user's location information if the predetermined phrase is included in the dialogue.

[0098] This allows for detailed management of regional information.

[0099] [Project 6] The information management device according to Project 5 is characterized in that, The information management device also includes a notification unit (e.g., S5110), which notifies the user of the path to be taken based on the location information registered by the registration unit.

[0100] Thus, for example, it can suggest the appropriate route to the user's destination.

[0101] [Project 7] The information management device according to Project 6 is characterized in that, If the pre-defined phrase is included in the dialogue, the registration unit also registers time information. The notification unit also notifies the user of the path to be taken based on the time information registered by the registration unit.

[0102] Therefore, it is possible to appropriately suggest the path corresponding to the time.

[0103] [Project 8] The information management device according to any one of items 1 to 7 is characterized in that, The evaluation unit evaluates the user's lifestyle habits.

[0104] This can appropriately promote the improvement of users' lifestyle habits.

[0105] [Project 9] The information management device according to any one of items 1 to 8 is characterized in that, The information management device is a portable terminal (e.g., 2).

[0106] That is, the aforementioned information management device can be applied to known portable terminals such as smartphones.

[0107] [Project 10] A system (e.g., SY) is characterized in that the system comprises: A server (e.g., 1), serving as an information management device as described in any one of items 1 to 8; and One or more portable terminals (e.g., 2) are associated with one or more users respectively and are configured to communicate with the server.

[0108] That is, the aforementioned information management device can be used as a server in a system connected to a network.

[0109] [Project 11] A program for enabling a computer to function as a unit of an information management device as described in any one of items 1 to 8.

[0110] That is, the functions of the aforementioned information management device can be implemented through a program. This program is stored as a computer program on a computer-readable storage medium or is installed in a computer program product.

[0111] The invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and alterations can be made within the scope of the invention's intent.

Claims

1. An information management device for managing information about users, characterized in that, The information management device includes: The parsing unit parses the conversations between the user and one or more third parties different from the user. The determining unit determines the intimacy between the user and one or more third parties based on the parsing results of the parsing unit; as well as The evaluation unit evaluates the user based on the determination result of the determining unit.

2. The information management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The parsing unit determines whether the dialogue contains a predetermined phrase. When the dialogue contains the predetermined phrase, the determining unit determines the intimacy level.

3. The information management device according to claim 2, characterized in that, Several types of phrases are registered as the predetermined phrases. When the dialogue contains the predetermined phrase, the determining unit determines the intimacy level based on the type of the predetermined phrase.

4. The information management device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The predetermined phrases are greeting phrases. The parsing unit determines whether there is conversation following the predetermined phrase in the dialogue. The determining unit also determines the intimacy level based on the conversation.

5. The information management device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The information management device also includes: The acquisition unit acquires the user's location information; and The registration unit registers the user's location information if the predetermined phrase is included in the conversation.

6. The information management device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The information management device also includes a notification unit that notifies the user of the path to be taken based on the location information registered by the registration unit.

7. The information management device according to claim 6, characterized in that, If the pre-defined phrase is included in the dialogue, the registration unit also registers time information. The notification unit also notifies the user of the path to be taken based on the time information registered by the registration unit.

8. The information management device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The evaluation unit evaluates the user's lifestyle habits.

9. The information management device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, The information management device is a portable terminal.

10. An information management system, characterized in that, The information management system has the following features: A server, serving as an information management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8; and One or more portable terminals are associated with one or more users respectively, and are configured to communicate with the server.

11. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it enables the computer to function as a unit of the information management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

12. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that, When the computer program is executed by the processor, it enables the computer to function as a unit of the information management device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.

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