Application usage control system

Abstract

To make it possible to more effectively prevent smartphone zombie behavior.SOLUTION: An application usage control system can effectively prevent a user of a mobile terminal from using a specific application while walking or riding a bicycle, by restricting the specific application on the mobile terminal from being in a usable state while the user of the mobile terminal is walking or riding the bicycle. For example, when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is using the mobile terminal while walking or riding a bicycle, the specific application is restricted so as not to get into a usable state, by displaying, on a screen, a note that the user cannot use the specific application at the start-up timing or during the time of using the specific application.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an application usage control system, and is particularly suitable for use in a system that prevents the use of applications on a mobile terminal while walking or riding a bicycle. [Background technology]

[0002] The act of looking at or operating a mobile device such as a smartphone while walking or riding a bicycle is called "walking while using a smartphone" or "using a smartphone while doing other things." It has been pointed out that using a smartphone while doing other things is dangerous because it narrows your field of vision and makes it difficult to see your surroundings. In other words, when using a smartphone while doing other things, your attention to your surroundings decreases, and there is a risk of collision with vehicles or people, or falling down train tracks or stairs.

[0003] In response to this problem, there are known systems that detect the state of walking while using a smartphone and issue a warning (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3). However, there is a problem in that the effectiveness of simply issuing a warning notification for walking while using a smartphone is limited in preventing walking while using a smartphone. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-109444 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-73711 A [Patent Document 3] Patent No. 6655727 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to more effectively prevent distracted smartphone use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention restricts the use of specific applications on a mobile terminal while the user of the mobile terminal is walking or cycling. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention configured as described above, it is possible to effectively prevent a user of a mobile terminal from using a specific application while walking or riding a bicycle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The application usage control system of this embodiment is a system that prevents a user of a mobile terminal such as a smartphone from using an application on the mobile terminal while walking or riding a bicycle, and restricts the user to a state in which a specific application (hereinafter, referred to as a specific application) cannot be used on the mobile terminal while the user is walking or riding a bicycle. There may be one or more specific applications.

[0009] For example, when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is using the mobile terminal while walking or riding a bicycle, based on the detection result of the motion of the mobile terminal by an acceleration sensor mounted on the mobile terminal and the detection result of the usage state of the application installed on the mobile terminal, the specific application is restricted to a state in which it cannot be used. For example, when an operation to start up the specific application is performed or while the specific application is being used, a message to the effect that the specific application cannot be used is displayed on the screen, and the specific application is restricted to a state in which it cannot be used.

[0010] Here, the state in which the user is walking or cycling refers to a state in which a sensor output specific to the user is obtained from the acceleration sensor while walking or cycling, and the state in which the user is using the mobile terminal refers to a state in which the user is touching the mobile terminal, a state in which the user is looking at the display screen of an application installed on the mobile terminal, a state in which the user is intermittently operating the application, etc.

[0011] For example, when a situation is detected in which a user is walking or cycling based on the results of detection of the movement of a mobile terminal by an acceleration sensor, and when it is detected that some application (which may be a specific application or an application other than a specific application) installed on the mobile terminal is operating in response to an instruction from the user, and an operation to launch the specific application is detected, the specific application is restricted to a state in which it cannot be used.

[0012] In this case, any method can be applied as a specific method for restricting the specific application to a state in which it cannot be used. For example, it is possible to prevent the specific application from being launched. Alternatively, although the specific application is launched, a blocking image unrelated to the image displayed when the specific application is used normally may be displayed on the screen. Alternatively, all operations on the specific application may be disabled.

[0013] If it is detected that the specific app is being used and the user is walking or cycling, a message is displayed on the screen indicating that the specific app cannot be used while the specific app is being used, and the specific app is restricted to a state in which it cannot be used. In this case, it is possible to restrict the use of the specific app by, for example, shutting down the specific app, displaying a blocking image on the screen, or disabling all operations for the specific app.

[0014] The specific app may be, for example, an application that requires the user to frequently operate the mobile terminal, an application that requires the user to continuously gaze at the screen of the mobile terminal for a certain period of time or more, an application that requires interactive operation with the user, etc. As an example, it may be an application such as social media or a game in which the user's attention is easily distracted by viewing or operating the display screen.

[0015] In addition, when the user of the mobile device is a child, an application selected by the child's guardian may be set as the specific application. In this case, when it is detected that the child is using the mobile device while walking or riding a bicycle, the use of the specific application selected by the guardian may be restricted and a notification may be sent to the mobile device of the guardian.

[0016] Also, only when it is detected that the user is in an area with a high volume of vehicle traffic or foot traffic, the specific application may be restricted to an unusable state. For example, by accessing a server that provides G-spatial information (geospatial information) and referring to cross-sectional traffic volume data, it is determined whether the user's location detected by the GPS or the like of the mobile terminal is in an area with a high volume of traffic, and if it is in an area with a high volume of traffic, the specific application is restricted to an unusable state while walking or riding a bicycle.

[0017] Also, only when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is present in a pre-specified restricted area, or only when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is not present in a pre-specified permitted area, a specific application may be restricted to an unusable state. The restricted area or permitted area may be designated by a guardian of a child. An example of a restricted area is a busy intersection or a busy train station. An example of a permitted area is a home or a park.

[0018] Also, instead of specifying restricted areas and permitted areas in advance, specific apps may be restricted to be unusable only when it is detected that the user is not at home.

[0019] Also, when it is detected that the user continues to use the mobile terminal while walking or cycling for a threshold value or more, the specific application may be restricted to an unusable state. After that, when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is no longer using the mobile terminal while walking or cycling (when it is detected that the user is no longer using the mobile terminal or that walking or cycling has stopped), the restriction is lifted and the specific application is restored to a usable state. As the threshold in this case, for example, the number of steps, the moving distance (walking distance or cycling distance) or the moving time (walking time or cycling time) can be used. The threshold may be changed depending on whether the user is walking or cycling.

[0020] The threshold may be changed as follows: That is, when it is detected that the user is using the mobile terminal while walking or cycling for a period of time equal to or longer than a first threshold (e.g., 30 steps when walking), the specific application is restricted to a state in which it cannot be used, and the first threshold is changed to a smaller second threshold (e.g., 3 steps when walking). After that, when it is detected that the user is using the mobile terminal while walking or cycling for a period of time equal to or longer than the second threshold, the specific application is restricted to a state in which it cannot be used.

[0021] In this example, since it is presumed that a state of continuously walking 30 steps or more while using a mobile device is highly likely to be a situation in which the mobile device is being used while walking outdoors, the first threshold (30 steps) is changed to the second threshold (3 steps). As a result, if an attempt is made to launch a specific app other than the specific app whose use was restricted after walking 30 steps, or if an attempt is made to use a specific app again whose restriction was lifted after stopping use of the mobile device or stopping walking, the use of the specific app will be immediately restricted after just three consecutive steps, making it more difficult to use a smartphone while doing other things.

[0022] After changing the first threshold to the second threshold, if it is detected that the user has not moved for a predetermined time or more, the second threshold may be changed to the first threshold. In this case, since it is estimated that the user is likely to be in a safe place indoors, the second threshold is returned to the first threshold.

[0023] In addition, a determination model machine-learned using a data set consisting of data indicating the results of detection of the motion of the mobile terminal by the acceleration sensor and data indicating the detection results of the use state of an application as training data may be used to determine whether the user is using the mobile terminal while walking or cycling.In addition, a determination model machine-learned using data indicating the results of detection of the motion of the mobile terminal by the acceleration sensor as training data may be used to determine whether the user is walking or cycling.

[0024] In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments are merely examples of the implementation of the present invention, and the technical scope of the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited thereby. In other words, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist or main characteristics thereof.

Claims

1. An application usage control system that restricts the use of specific applications on a mobile terminal to a state in which the user of the mobile terminal cannot use the applications while the user is walking or cycling.

2. 2. The application usage control system according to claim 1, wherein, when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is using the mobile terminal while walking or riding a bicycle, when an operation to launch the specific application is performed or while the specific application is being used, a message is displayed on a screen to the effect that the specific application cannot be used, and the specific application is restricted to a state in which it cannot be used.

3. 2. The application usage control system according to claim 1, wherein the specific application is an application selected by a parent or guardian of a child who is a user of the mobile terminal.

4. The application usage control system according to claim 1, further comprising: restricting the use of the specific application to an unusable state only when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is in an area with high vehicle traffic or pedestrian traffic.

5. The application usage control system according to claim 1, characterized in that the specific application is restricted to an unusable state only when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is not at home.

6. 2. The application usage control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a step of restricting the use of the specific application to an unusable state only when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is present in a pre-specified restricted area, or when it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is not present in a pre-specified permitted area.

7. The application usage control system according to claim 2, further comprising: restricting the specific application to a state in which it cannot be used when it is detected that the user of the mobile device is using the mobile device while walking or cycling for a period of time exceeding a threshold value.

8. The application usage control system according to claim 7, characterized in that after the specific application has been restricted to a state in which it cannot be used, if it is detected that the user of the mobile terminal is no longer using the mobile terminal while walking or riding a bicycle, the state in which the specific application cannot be used is lifted.

9. 3. The application usage control system according to claim 2, wherein, when it is detected that the user of the portable terminal is using the portable terminal while walking or cycling for a period continuing for a period equal to or longer than a first threshold, the specific application is restricted to an unusable state, the first threshold is changed to a smaller second threshold, and thereafter, when it is detected that the user of the portable terminal is using the portable terminal while walking or cycling for a period equal to or longer than the second threshold, the specific application is restricted to an unusable state.

10. 10. The application usage control system according to claim 9, further comprising: a step of: changing the second threshold to the first threshold when it is detected that a user of the mobile terminal has not moved for a predetermined period of time or more after the first threshold is changed to the second threshold.

11. 11. The application usage control system according to claim 7, wherein the threshold value is any one of the number of steps, the moving distance, and the moving time.

12. The application usage control system according to claim 1, further comprising: a detection unit configured to detect a state in which a user of the mobile terminal is using the mobile terminal while walking or riding a bicycle, based on a detection result of the movement of the mobile terminal by an acceleration sensor mounted on the mobile terminal and a detection result of a usage state of an application installed on the mobile terminal.

13. The application usage control system according to claim 12, characterized in that it determines whether the user of the mobile terminal is using the mobile terminal while walking or cycling by using a determination model machine-learned using a data set consisting of data indicating the results of detection of the movement of the mobile terminal by the acceleration sensor and data indicating the results of detection of the usage state of the application as learning data.

14. The application usage control system according to claim 12, characterized in that it determines whether the user of the mobile terminal is walking or cycling by using a determination model that has been machine-learned using data indicating the detection result of the movement of the mobile terminal by the acceleration sensor as learning data.