Information processing system and information processing method

Abstract

To identify tea leaves capable of extracting a tea beverage of a flavor desired by a target person, from the flavor of the tea beverage.SOLUTION: An information processing system (100) includes: an aroma measuring device (30); a first acquisition part (11) for acquiring classification information in accordance with a measurement signal output from the aroma measuring device (30); a second acquisition part (12) for acquiring target person information; and an identification part (13) for determining tea leaves desired by the target person in accordance with the classification information and the target person information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system and an information processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, devices have been developed that evaluate specific objects based on their odors. For example, Patent Document 1 describes an odor identification device that uses coke odors and tar odors, which are odors collected from assumed odor sources in steel plants, as reference odors and identifies the source and cause of unknown odors in steel plants, etc.

[0003] However, in the conventional technology, it is difficult to specify tea leaves that match a consumer's preferences based on the consumer's preferences for tea beverage flavor. Therefore, in a store selling tea leaves, for example, tea leaves are handed directly to the customer, the customer is allowed to taste a tea beverage actually extracted from the tea leaves, and the characteristics of the tea beverage, such as the smell and taste, are explained to the customer. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2006-017467 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Using specialized equipment such as gas chromatography, it is possible to identify the components contained in tea drinks, but the results of such analysis do not necessarily coincide with consumer preferences.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is to provide an information processing system, an information processing method, etc., that can identify tea leaves from which a tea beverage with the flavor desired by a subject can be extracted. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a first acquisition unit that acquires classification information classifying a plurality of tea leaves into a plurality of groups based on a measurement signal acquired from an odor measuring device that measures the odor of a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information and outputs a measurement signal; a second acquisition unit that acquires subject information in which a subject's evaluation of the flavor of a tea beverage extracted from each of a plurality of sample tea leaves classified into at least one of the plurality of groups is matched with the identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea beverage; and an identification unit that analyzes the correspondence between the subject information and the classification information and identifies tea leaves from the plurality of tea leaves that can be used to extract a tea beverage with the flavor desired by the subject.

[0008] An information processing method according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a first acquisition step in which a computer acquires classification information classifying a plurality of tea leaves into a plurality of groups based on a measurement signal acquired from an odor measuring device that measures the odor of a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information and outputs a measurement signal; a second acquisition step in which the computer acquires subject information in which a subject's evaluation of the flavor of a tea beverage extracted from each of a plurality of sample tea leaves classified into at least one of the plurality of groups is associated with the identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea beverage; and an identification step in which the computer analyzes the correspondence between the subject information and the classification information and identifies tea leaves from the plurality of tea leaves that can be used to extract a tea beverage with the flavor desired by the subject. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide an information processing system and an information processing method that can identify tea leaves from which a tea beverage with the flavor desired by a subject can be extracted. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of an odor measuring device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of an odor sensor element. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a specific device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a process flow in which an information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention identifies the aroma characteristics of a tea beverage extracted from target tea leaves. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 1 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited thereto. In addition, unless otherwise specified in this specification, "A to B" representing a numerical range means "A or more and B or less."

[0012] [Embodiment 1] (Information processing system 100) First, an overview of an information processing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 100 includes an odor measuring device 30 capable of outputting a detection signal based on an odor substance corresponding to the odor of a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information, a identifying device 10 for identifying tea leaves capable of extracting a tea beverage desired by a subject based on classification information based on the detection signal and subject information, and a user terminal 50 for transmitting the detection signal to the identifying device and receiving the identification result output from the identifying device. As shown in Fig. 1, the information processing system 100 may include a user terminal 50 and an identifying device 10 connected via a wide area communication network 40. The user terminal 50 and the odor measuring device 30 may also be connected via a local area network connection, LTE communication, or the like, without going through a provider or the like.

[0014] The wide area communication network 40 is not particularly limited, and may be the Internet, a telephone line network, a mobile communication network, a CATV communication network, a satellite communication network, etc. The wide area communication network 40 may further be connected to a cloud server that stores the detection signal output by the odor measuring device 30 and the identification result output by the identifying device 10. When the wide area communication network 40 is connected to a cloud server, the identifying device 10 may be realized as the cloud server.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the information processing system 100 identifies tea leaves from which a tea beverage with a flavor desired by the subject can be extracted based on the classification information and the subject information. In other words, it can be said that the information processing system 100 identifies tea leaves desired by the subject. Here, the classification information is information in which a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information are classified into a plurality of groups based on measurement signals. In addition, the subject information is information in which the subject's evaluation of the flavor of a tea beverage extracted from a sample tea leaf (e.g., a tea leaf with a well-known taste) classified into one of the plurality of groups is associated with the identification information of the sample tea leaf.

[0016] In this way, the information processing system 100 can identify tea leaves that can be used to extract a tea beverage with the flavor desired by the subject based on the measurement results of the odors derived from multiple tea leaves with different identification information. For example, the information processing system can be used as a substitute for a questionnaire to identify the subject's tea leaf preferences. The information processing system can also be used to determine the subject's criteria for purchasing tea leaves.

[0017] In the present specification, each of the plurality of tea leaves may be classified into a different group. Alternatively, only a part of the plurality of tea leaves may be classified into a different group. The more types of tea leaves classified into different groups, the more accurately the subject can identify the tea leaves that he or she desires.

[0018] In this specification, the subject information may be information based on answers to a predetermined question regarding the evaluation of the flavor of the tea beverage from the subject who has come into contact with the tea beverage extracted from the sample tea leaves. In this specification, "comes into contact with the tea beverage" means smelling the tea beverage or drinking the tea beverage. The predetermined question may be, for example, a question in the form of selecting an answer, or a question in the form of evaluating each sample tea leaf numerically. By including the above information in the subject information, the tea leaves desired by the subject can be more accurately identified.

[0019] The predetermined questions may include, for example, questions about the taste, smell, or appearance of the tea beverage. More specifically, the predetermined questions may include questions that require the subject to answer numerically the evaluation of parameters such as the taste, smell, and appearance of the tea beverage.

[0020] In this specification, the identification information may include information indicating at least one of the origin, brand, and part of the tea plant from which the sample tea leaves and the plurality of tea leaves were harvested. By including the information in the identification information, the subject can specify the tea leaves he or she desires based on the information. In this specification, "part of the tea plant from which the tea leaves were harvested" refers to identification information indicating which part of the tea plant the tea leaves were obtained from, and specifically includes, for example, the terminal bud, lateral bud, hard leaf, stem, etc. The tea leaves are classified into a plurality of groups based on the measurement signal. The tea leaves classified into a plurality of groups may be further classified into a plurality of subgroups within the group based on the identification information.

[0021] In this specification, "tea leaves" may refer to fresh tea leaves or dried tea leaves. Furthermore, the tea leaves may be fermented tea leaves, unfermented tea leaves, or semi-fermented tea leaves.

[0022] The information processing system may be used by tea sellers to identify consumer preferences, and the information processing system 100 may be used by tea consumers to identify their own preferences.

[0023] In the information processing system 100, the odor measuring device 30 includes a plurality of sensor elements. The odor substances that the plurality of sensor elements can measure may be different from each other or may be the same. The measurement signal is output from each of the plurality of odor sensor elements. The sensor elements are described below. After that, the odor measuring device 30 to which the odor sensor element 31 is applied, and the information processing system 100 including the odor measuring device 30 and the identification device 10 are described in detail.

[0024] (Odor measuring device 30) The outline and effects of an odor measurement device 30 to which an odor sensor element 31 is applied will be described below with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 100 including an odor measurement device 30 to which an odor sensor element 31 is applied. The odor measurement device 30 includes an odor sensor element 31 that detects odor substances, a power source 32 (power supply), a clock 33 (timer), a control unit 34, and a communication unit 35. As described above, the odor measurement device 30 may be connected to a user terminal 50.

[0025] The power supply 32 is a power supply for supplying power to the odor sensor element 31. The constant voltage power supply 32 supplies a constant current (for example, a direct current of 1 mA) via a lead wire to the odor sensor element 31. The voltage value supplied by the constant voltage power supply 32 is 0.5V to 10V, for example, 2.5V or 5.0V.

[0026] The clock 33 measures the time. The clock 33 transmits the measured time to the control unit 34. The clock 33 may be a clock in which the time is set by the user, or may be a radio-controlled clock.

[0027] The control unit 34 controls each part of the odor measuring device. The control unit 34 also outputs the odor detected by the odor sensor element 31 as a measurement signal. The control unit 34 may output the odor measurement signal according to the time measured by the clock 33.

[0028] The communication unit 35 transmits the measurement signal output by the control unit 34. The communication unit 35 transmits the measurement signal to the wide area communication network 40, and the transmitted measurement signal is acquired by the specific device 10.

[0029] The odor measuring device 30 may further include a housing, although this is not a required component. The housing is a container capable of containing air containing an odor substance. When the odor measuring device 30 includes a housing, the odor sensor element 31 is disposed within the housing.

[0030] The odor measuring device 30 outputs a measurement signal that indicates the change over time in the electrical conductivity of the odor sensor element 31 before and after an odor substance is adsorbed to the odor sensor element 31. This makes it possible to detect and identify various odor substances.

[0031] <Odor sensor element 31> 3 is a top view showing an example of the configuration of an odor sensor element 31. The odor sensor element 31 includes an odorant receiving layer 315 containing the above-mentioned resin composition, a first metal wiring 313A, and a second metal wiring 313B. In the following, when there is no need to distinguish between the first metal wiring 313A and the second metal wiring 313B, they may be referred to as metal wiring 313.

[0032] The first metal wiring 313A and the second metal wiring 313B are metal wirings that function as electrodes for measuring changes in the electrical conductivity of the odorant receiving layer 315 (i.e., the resin composition). That is, the first metal wiring 313A and the second metal wiring 313B are spaced apart from each other, and the odorant receiving layer 315 is in contact with at least a portion of the first metal wiring and at least a portion of the second metal wiring. In one example, the first metal wiring 313A and the second metal wiring 313B are metal wirings that are not in direct contact with each other, and may be metal wirings that are approximately parallel to each other, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0033] 3, metal wiring 313 including first metal wiring 313A and second metal wiring 313B may be disposed on substrate 311. Substrate 311 is not particularly limited as long as it is a substrate generally used in electronic circuits, and may be, for example, a substrate of glass epoxy, paper phenol, glass composite, polyimide, PET, glass ceramic, alumina, or aluminum. Metal wiring 313 may be a metal wiring of copper, gold, or the like. The thickness of each of first metal wiring 313A and second metal wiring 313B as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface of the substrate may be, for example, 10 μm to 2 mm.

[0034] The odorant receiving layer 315 may be in contact with at least a portion of the first metal wiring 313A and at least a portion of the second metal wiring 313B. The odorant receiving layer 315 may be arranged to fill the area between the first metal wiring 313A and the second metal wiring 313B, as shown in FIG.

[0035] When the electrical conductivity of the odorant receiving layer 315 (ie, the electrical conductivity of the odor sensor element 31) is low, it is desirable that the distance between the first metal wiring 313A and the second metal wiring 313B be a predetermined distance (eg, 500 μm) or less.

[0036] The odorant receiving layer may contain a resin composition. The resin composition may contain a resin and may further contain one or more types selected from a surfactant and a filler (e.g., a conductive carbon material). In this specification, the term "odorant receiving layer" refers to a layer that adsorbs an odorant to be identified. The odorant receiving layer 315 is formed from the above-mentioned resin composition. The odorant receiving layer 315 may be provided as a part of the odor sensor element 31. The odorant receiving layer 315 changes its electrical resistance value depending on the adsorption of an odorant, etc. In other words, the odor sensor element 31 is an odor detection device that includes such an odorant receiving layer 315, and the odor measurement method of the odor sensor element 31 may be a chemiresistor type. In addition, the odor sensor element 31 is not limited to the above-mentioned chemiresistor type odor sensor element, and may include one or more types of odor sensor elements used in known odor sensors, etc.

[0037] When the odor sensor element 31 is a chemiresistor type containing a resin composition, the change in electrical conductivity over time differs between when odor substance A is adsorbed and when odor substance B, which is different from odor substance A, is adsorbed, so that it is possible to detect and distinguish various odor substances. In the odor measurement device 30 described later, a plurality of odor sensor elements 31 are arranged, each of which includes a substrate 311 on which a configuration for detecting an odor substance (metal wiring 313 and an odor substance receiving layer 315) is provided. A plurality of sets including a plurality of odor substance receiving layers 315 are arranged on each substrate 311. Each of the plurality of odor sensor elements 31 may be equipped with a constant voltage power supply and a voltmeter. In the odor measurement device 30, one configuration for detecting an odor substance (metal wiring 313 and an odor substance receiving layer 315) may be arranged on each substrate 311. Alternatively, in the odor measurement device 30, a plurality of sets of configurations for detecting an odor substance (metal wiring 313 and an odor substance receiving layer 315) may be arranged on one substrate 311. In the latter case, a constant voltage power supply and a voltmeter are connected to each of the sets provided on the substrate 311.

[0038] The resin compositions contained in the odorant receiving layers 315 of the multiple odor sensor elements 31 included in the odor measurement device 30 may be the same or different. When the odorant receiving layers 315 included in the multiple odor sensor elements 31 have the same composition, the multiple odorant receiving layers 315 can detect the same odorant. When the multiple odor sensor elements 31 each include an odorant receiving layer 315 with a different composition, each of the multiple odorant receiving layers 315 responds differently to the odorant. In this way, by providing multiple sets of configurations for detecting odorants, the accuracy of odorant identification in the odor measurement device 30 can be improved.

[0039] The odor measuring device 30 described above can output the change over time in the electrical conductivity of the odor sensor element 31 for each odor substance when various odor substances are adsorbed to the odor sensor element 31. By applying this odor measuring device 30, it is possible to compare the change over time in the electrical conductivity of the odor sensor element 31 when odor substance A is adsorbed to the odor sensor element 31 with the change over time in the electrical conductivity of the odor sensor element 31 when odor substance B is adsorbed to the odor sensor element 31. Based on such a comparison result, it is possible to realize an identification device 10 that can identify the tea leaves desired by a subject from the odor substances adsorbed to the odor sensor element 31, as described below.

[0040] (Specific device 10) The following describes the outline and effects of the identification device 10. The identification device 10 is a device that identifies the tea leaves desired by a subject from the measurement signal output from the above-mentioned odor measurement device 30. The identification device 10 performs identification based on two types of information, namely classification information and subject information, and is therefore able to identify the tea leaves desired by the subject.

[0041] 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the identifying device 10. The identifying device 10 includes a control unit 1 that controls each unit of the identifying device 10, and a storage unit 2 that stores various data used by the identifying device 10, but is not limited to this configuration. For example, the storage unit 2 may be an external device attached to the identifying device 10. Furthermore, the identifying device 10 may be connected to the wide area communication network 40 as described above.

[0042] <Control unit 1> First, a description will be given of the control unit 1. The control unit 1 includes a first acquisition unit 11, a second acquisition unit 12, and an identification unit 13. In addition, some of the blocks included in the control unit 1 may be omitted from the control unit 1 by giving the functions of the blocks to other devices capable of communicating with the identification device 10.

[0043] The first acquisition unit 11 acquires classification information based on the measurement signal output from the odor measurement device 30. Specifically, the first acquisition unit 11 acquires classification information that classifies the tea leaves to be measured into a plurality of groups based on the detection signals from each of the plurality of odor sensor elements 31. The first acquisition unit 11 may acquire the classification information in real time, or may acquire the classification information at a predetermined time interval (e.g., 0.1 second interval). The first acquisition unit 11 preferably acquires the measurement signal every first hour. The first acquisition unit 11 may store the acquired classification information in the storage unit 2.

[0044] The first time period may be, for example, but is not limited to, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, 30 minutes, 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 6 hours, 8 hours, 10 hours, or more.

[0045] The second acquisition unit 12 acquires subject information in which a subject's evaluation of the flavor of a tea beverage extracted from each of a plurality of sample tea leaves classified into at least one of the plurality of groups is associated with identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea beverage. The second acquisition unit 12 may acquire subject information 22 from the storage unit 2, or may acquire the subject's evaluation and the identification information stored in the storage unit 2 and then acquire the subject information by associating these pieces of information.

[0046] The identification unit 13 identifies the tea leaves desired by the subject based on the classification information and the subject information. The identification unit 13 may perform the identification by, for example, class classification. The identification unit 13 may also perform the identification by regression analysis. The identification unit 13 may further identify multiple types of tea leaves desired by the subject and rank them. The identification unit 13 may store the identification result data in the storage unit 2.

[0047] The identification unit 13 transmits the identification result to the user terminal 50 via the wide area communication network 40 based on the user terminal data 23. The identification unit 13 may transmit the identification result directly to the user terminal 50, or may transmit the identification result to a web page or the like on the wide area communication network 40 that is accessible by the user terminal 50.

[0048] The identifying device 10 may include another device having a function of acquiring the identification result of the identifying device 10. In this case, the identifying device 10 may transmit the identification result identified by the identifying unit 13 through the other device.

[0049] <Storage section 2> Next, a description will be given of the storage unit 2. In the storage unit 2, classification information 21, subject information 22, and user terminal data 23 may be stored.

[0050] The classification information 21 is information obtained by measuring the aroma of a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information and classifying the plurality of tea leaves into a plurality of groups based on the obtained measurement signal. In one embodiment, the classification information 21 may further include identification information of the plurality of tea leaves.

[0051] The subject information 22 is information in which the subject's evaluation of the flavor of the tea beverage extracted from each of the plurality of sample tea leaves classified into at least one of the plurality of groups is associated with the identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea beverage. In one embodiment, the subject information 22 may be information in which the subject's evaluation is associated with the identification information in advance, or may be information in which the subject's evaluation is associated with the identification information when the information is acquired by the second acquisition unit 12.

[0052] In one embodiment, the subject information 22 may be input by an input unit included in the control device 10. The subject information 22 may be information in which some information is input by the input unit, or all information may be input by the input unit. Furthermore, the subject information 22 may be updated by information input from the input unit.

[0053] The target person may be a tea leaf consumer, a tea leaf purchaser, a tea leaf seller, a tea leaf producer, etc. Furthermore, the user of the information processing system and the target person may be the same or different.

[0054] The user terminal data 23 is data related to a terminal owned by a user of the information processing system 100. The user terminal data 23 is data for linking the user terminal 50 with a measurement signal transmitted from the user terminal 50. Examples of users of the information processing system 100 include tea leaf sellers and tea leaf consumers.

[0055] The user terminal 50 is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include a communication terminal (mobile phone, smartphone, etc.) owned by the subject, a computer owned by the subject, and the like.

[0056] (Processing performed by information processing system 100) An overview of an information processing method according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an overview of an information processing method by the information processing system 100.

[0057] In step S1, the odor measuring device 30 measures the odors of multiple tea leaves having different identification information and outputs the odors as a measurement signal. At this time, the odor measuring device 30 may output the odor measurement results to the identifying device 10 in real time, or may output the results every first hour as described above.

[0058] In step S2, the first acquisition unit 11 acquires classification information that classifies the plurality of tea leaves into a plurality of groups based on the measurement signal output from the odor measuring device 30 (first acquisition step). The first acquisition unit 11 may acquire the classification information in real time, or may acquire the classification information at a predetermined time interval (e.g., 0.1 second interval). The first acquisition unit 11 may store the acquired classification information in the storage unit 2.

[0059] In step S3, the second acquisition unit 12 acquires subject information in which the subject's evaluation of the flavor of the tea beverage extracted from the sample tea leaves is associated with identification information of the sample tea leaves (second acquisition step). The second acquisition unit 12 may acquire the subject information from the storage unit 2.

[0060] In step S4, the identification unit 13 analyzes the correspondence between the subject information and the classification information, and outputs the result of identifying tea leaves that can be used to extract a tea beverage with the flavor desired by the subject (identification step). The identification unit 13 may store the output identification result in the storage unit 2.

[0061] In step S5, the identification result output by the identification unit 13 is transmitted (output) by the identification unit 13 to the user terminal 50 via the wide area communication network 40 based on the user terminal data 23.

[0062] Since the aroma of tea leaves and the tea drink extracted from the tea leaves do not necessarily match the analysis results of the odor substances contained in the smell derived from the tea leaves, it was difficult to identify the tea leaves desired by the subject and to classify the tea leaves. By using the information processing system 100, the identification unit 13 uses the subject's evaluation of the flavor of the tea drink extracted from each of the sample tea leaves and the identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea drink to perform the identification, so that the tea leaves desired by the subject can be identified.

[0063] [Embodiment 2] Hereinafter, an overview of an information processing system 100a according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 100a different from those of embodiments 1 and 2. Note that descriptions of matters that have already been described will be omitted.

[0064] 6, in the information processing system 100a, the measurement signal output by the odor measuring device 30 is transmitted to the identifying device 10 via the wide area communication network 40. In addition, the user terminal 50 receives, via the wide area communication network 40, the identification result output from the identifying device 10 based on the measurement signal.

[0065] The information processing system 100a includes an identifying device 10, an odor measuring device 30, and a user terminal 50. The information processing system 100a may include a wide area communication network 40 as necessary. As described above, in the information processing system 100a, the odor measuring device 30, the identifying device 10, and the user terminal 50 may be connected via the wide area communication network 40.

[0066] In the information processing system 100a, the user terminal data 23 may further include data in which the device number of the odor measuring device 30 and the terminal number of the user terminal 50 are linked together, in addition to the data described above.

[0067] With the above configuration, it is possible to transmit the identification result to a user in an area far from the odor measuring device 30, for example, a person who plans to purchase tea leaves using the Internet, etc. Furthermore, when the identification of tea leaves desired by a subject is carried out at multiple locations and the information processing system 100a includes multiple odor measuring devices 30 provided at each of the multiple locations, it is possible to transmit the identification result based on the measurement signal measured at the multiple locations. Furthermore, when the information processing system 100a is used by users at multiple locations, the information processing system 100a includes multiple user terminals 50, and can transmit the identification result based on the measurement signal to each of the user terminals 50 at the multiple locations.

[0068] [Embodiment 3] Hereinafter, an overview of an information processing system 100b according to another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 100b. Note that descriptions of matters that have already been described will be omitted.

[0069] As shown in Fig. 7, in the information processing system 100b, the measurement signal output by the odor measuring device is directly transmitted to the identifying device 10a. The identifying device 10a outputs the result of identifying the evaluation of the characteristics of the odor derived from the target tea leaves based on the acquired measurement signal. In other words, it can be said that the identifying device 10a is integrated with the user terminal 50 in the information processing system 100b. In addition, in the information processing system 100b, the identifying device 10a and the odor measuring device 30 may be connected by a local area network connection, LTE communication, or the like, without going through a provider or the like.

[0070] (Configuration of information processing system 100b) 8 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an information processing system 100b different from those in the first and second embodiments. The information processing system 100b includes a identifying device 10a and an odor measuring device 30. The information processing system 100b may include a wide area communication network 40 as necessary.

[0071] The identifying device 10a includes a control unit 1a that controls each unit of the identifying device 10a, a storage unit 2a that stores various data used by the identifying device 10a, and an output unit 15 that outputs the identifying result.

[0072] <Control unit 1a> The control unit 1a includes a first acquisition unit 11, a second acquisition unit 12, a specification unit 13, and an output control unit .

[0073] The output control unit 14 causes the output unit 15 to output the identification result output by the identification unit 13. The output mode of the output unit 15 is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, a display output, a print output, or an audio output.

[0074] With the above-described configuration, since identifying device 10a is integrated with user terminal 50, the time lag until an identifying result is obtained is reduced.

[0075] [Software implementation example] In the specific device 10, 10a, the control block (particularly the control unit 1, 1a) may be realized by a logic circuit (hardware) formed in an integrated circuit (IC chip) or the like, or may be realized by software.

[0076] In the latter case, the specific device 10, 10a includes a computer that executes instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. The computer includes, for example, one or more processors, and a computer-readable recording medium that stores the program. The object of the present invention is achieved by the processor reading the program from the recording medium and executing it in the computer. The processor may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The recording medium may be a "non-transient tangible medium," such as a ROM (Read Only Memory), as well as a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, a programmable logic circuit, or the like. The device may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) that expands the program. The program may be supplied to the computer via any transmission medium (such as a communication network or a broadcast wave) that can transmit the program. Note that one aspect of the present invention may also be realized in the form of a data signal embedded in a carrier wave, in which the program is embodied by electronic transmission.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0078] 〔summary〕 The information processing system of aspect 1 of the present invention comprises a first acquisition unit that acquires classification information classifying a plurality of tea leaves into a plurality of groups based on a measurement signal output from an odor measuring device that measures the odor of a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information and outputs a measurement signal; a second acquisition unit that acquires subject information in which a subject's evaluation of the flavor of a tea beverage extracted from each of a plurality of sample tea leaves classified into at least one of the plurality of groups is matched with the identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea beverage; and an identification unit that analyzes the correspondence between the subject information and the classification information and identifies tea leaves from the plurality of tea leaves that can be used to extract a tea beverage with the flavor desired by the subject.

[0079] An information processing system according to a second aspect of the present invention may be the information processing system of the first aspect, wherein each of the plurality of sample tea leaves is tea leaves classified into different groups.

[0080] An information processing system according to aspect 3 of the present invention is the information processing system of aspect 1 or 2, wherein the subject information may be information based on responses to specific questions from the subject who has come into contact with the tea beverage extracted from the sample tea leaves regarding their evaluation of the flavor of the tea beverage.

[0081] An information processing system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is an information processing system according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the identification information includes information indicating at least one of the place of origin, brand, and part of the tea plant from which each of the sample tea leaves and the plurality of tea leaves was harvested.

[0082] An information processing system according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the information processing system according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, wherein the sample tea leaves and the plurality of tea leaves may be either fresh tea leaves or dried tea leaves.

[0083] The information processing method of aspect 6 of the present invention includes a first acquisition step in which a computer acquires classification information classifying a plurality of tea leaves into a plurality of groups based on a measurement signal output from an odor measuring device that measures the odor of a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information and outputs a measurement signal; a second acquisition step in which the computer acquires subject information in which a subject's evaluation of the flavor of a tea beverage extracted from each of a plurality of sample tea leaves classified into at least one of the plurality of groups is associated with the identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea beverage; and an identification step in which the computer analyzes the correspondence between the subject information and the classification information and identifies tea leaves from the plurality of tea leaves that can be used to extract a tea beverage with the flavor desired by the subject.

[0084] A control program according to aspect 7 of the present invention is a control program for causing a computer to function as the information processing system of any one of aspects 1 to 5, and is a control program for causing a computer to function as the first acquisition unit, the second acquisition unit, and the identification unit.

[0085] A recording medium according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium having the control program according to the seventh aspect recorded thereon. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 10, 10a specific equipment 30 Odor measuring device 31 Odor sensor element 40 Wide Area Communication Network 50 User terminal 100, 100a, 100b Information Processing Systems 311 Substrate 313A 1st metal wiring 313B 2nd metal wiring 315 Odor receptor layer W Lead Wire

Claims

1. a first acquisition unit that acquires classification information that classifies a plurality of tea leaves into a plurality of groups based on a measurement signal output from an odor measurement device that measures the odor of a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information from each other and outputs a measurement signal; a second acquisition unit that acquires subject information in which a subject's evaluation of a flavor of a tea beverage extracted from each of a plurality of sample tea leaves classified into at least one of the plurality of groups is associated with the identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea beverage; and an identification unit that analyzes the correspondence between the subject information and the classification information to identify, from among the plurality of tea leaves, tea leaves that can be used to extract a tea beverage with a flavor desired by the subject. Information processing system.

2. Each of the plurality of sample tea leaves is a tea leaf classified into a different group, The information processing system according to claim 1 .

3. The subject information includes The information is based on answers to predetermined questions regarding the evaluation of the flavor of the tea beverage from the subject who has come into contact with the tea beverage extracted from the sample tea leaves. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

4. The identification information includes information indicating at least one of the origin, brand, and part of the tea plant from which each of the sample tea leaves and the plurality of tea leaves was harvested. The information processing system according to claim 1 .

5. The sample tea leaves and the plurality of tea leaves are either fresh tea leaves or dried tea leaves; The information processing system according to claim 1 .

6. A first acquisition step in which a computer acquires classification information for classifying a plurality of tea leaves into a plurality of groups based on a measurement signal output from an odor measuring device that measures the odor of a plurality of tea leaves having different identification information from each other and outputs a measurement signal; A second acquisition step in which the computer acquires subject information in which the subject's evaluation of the flavor of a tea beverage extracted from each of a plurality of sample tea leaves classified into at least one of the plurality of groups is associated with the identification information of the sample tea leaves used to extract the tea beverage; and a step of identifying tea leaves from among the plurality of tea leaves that can be used to extract a tea beverage with a flavor desired by the subject by analyzing a correspondence relationship between the subject information and the classification information by a computer. Information processing methods.

7. 2. A control program for causing a computer to function as the information processing system according to claim 1, the control program causing a computer to function as the first acquisition unit, the second acquisition unit, and the identification unit.

8. A computer-readable recording medium having the control program according to claim 7 recorded thereon.

Images