Emotion induction device, emotion induction method, emotion induction program, and emotion induction system

Abstract

This invention provides an emotion induction device that can induce the user's emotions by applying vibrations to the user's body surface. [Solution] The emotion induction device 1 includes a vibration information acquisition unit 22 that acquires vibration information based on the heartbeat of the user 150, an extraction unit 23 that extracts the frequency and amplitude from the vibration information, a generation unit 26 that generates a vibration pattern formed by a waveform having a frequency and amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotion, according to the emotion to be induced, and an output unit 27 that outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the vibration pattern.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an emotion induction device, an emotion induction method, an emotion induction program, and an emotion induction system. [Background technology]

[0002] Various technologies are known that use heartbeats to induce human emotions. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a tactile sound device that extracts the heartbeat of a viewer watching video content, mixes the extracted heartbeat with the audio signal of the video content, and enables effective emotional immersion by allowing the viewer to hear their heartbeat along with the audio of the video. The tactile sound device described in Patent Document 1 transmits vibrations identical to the heartbeat to the human body through skin sensation, thereby enhancing the sense of emotional immersion through the effect of simultaneously hearing the internally generated heartbeat and external vibrations. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-19977 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] The tactile sound device described in Patent Document 1 enhances the sense of empathy by extracting the listener's heartbeat and applying vibrations identical to the extracted heartbeat from an external source. On the other hand, an emotion induction device has been proposed that induces the emotions of the user of the tactile sound device by extracting the listener's heartbeat and applying vibrations different from the extracted heartbeat from an external source. However, when inducing the user's emotions by applying vibrations different from the heartbeat from an external source, there is a risk that the user's emotions may not be guided to the desired emotion due to the influence of the heartbeat.

[0005] This invention solves these problems and provides an emotion induction device that can induce the user's emotions by applying vibrations in a way that is not affected by heartbeat. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The emotion induction device according to the present invention includes a vibration information acquisition unit that acquires vibration information based on the heartbeat of the user; an extraction unit that extracts the frequency and amplitude from the vibration information; a generation unit that generates a vibration pattern formed by a waveform having a frequency and an amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotion, according to the emotion to be induced; and an output unit that outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the vibration pattern.

[0007] Furthermore, the emotion induction method according to the present invention includes the following processes: acquiring vibration information based on the heartbeat from the user's heart, extracting frequency and amplitude from the vibration information, generating a vibration pattern formed by a waveform having frequency according to the emotion to be induced, and outputting a vibration pattern signal indicating the vibration pattern, wherein the amplitude of the vibration pattern is determined in such a way that it can induce the user's emotion.

[0008] Furthermore, the emotion induction program according to the present invention causes a computer to perform the following processes: acquire vibration information based on the user's heartbeat, extract the frequency and amplitude from the vibration information, generate a vibration pattern formed by a waveform having a frequency and amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotion, according to the emotion to be induced, and output a vibration pattern signal indicating the vibration pattern.

[0009] Furthermore, the emotion induction system according to the present invention comprises a vibration element placed on the user's body surface to detect vibrations based on heartbeats and to apply vibrations, and an emotion induction device that receives a vibration signal indicating the vibrations detected by the vibration element and outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the vibration pattern applied by the vibration element. The emotion induction device comprises a vibration information acquisition unit that acquires vibration information indicating vibrations, an extraction unit that extracts the frequency and amplitude from the vibration information, a generation unit that generates a vibration pattern formed by a waveform having a frequency and amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotions, according to the emotion to be induced, and an output unit that outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the vibration pattern. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The emotion induction device according to the present invention can induce the user's emotions by applying vibrations in a manner that is not affected by heartbeat. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an emotion induction system having an emotion induction device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] (a) is a perspective view of the tactile sound element shown in Figure 1, and (b) is a cross-sectional view along the line AA shown in (a). [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a block diagram of the emotion induction device. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the emotion induction process performed by the emotion induction device. [Figure 5] This figure shows the vibrations corresponding to the vibration information obtained in the S106 process shown in Figure 4. [Figure 6] This figure shows the vibration pattern generated by the S106 process shown in Figure 4. [Figure 7] This figure shows the relationship between the amplitude of the vibration pattern applied to the user's chest surface (as shown in Figure 1) and the amplitude of the vibration detected on the user's chest surface, and the emotion induction effect. [Figure 8] This is a block diagram of an emotion induction device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart of an emotion induction process executed by the emotion induction device shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing an image of the subject displayed on the display unit shown in FIG. 8. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart showing an amplitude determination process executable by the emotion induction device shown in FIG. 1.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0012] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, an emotion induction device according to the present invention will be described. However, note that the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to those embodiments, and extends to the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

[0013] (Configuration and Function of an Emotion Induction System Having an Emotion Induction Device According to the First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an emotion induction system having an emotion induction device according to the first embodiment.

[0014] The emotion induction system 100 includes a vibration element 101 and an emotion induction device 1 that outputs a vibration signal to the vibration element 101 according to the emotion to be induced, and induces the emotion of the user 150 by vibrating the vibration element 101 with a vibration pattern corresponding to the input vibration signal.

[0015] The vibration element 101 comprises a tactile acoustic element 110, a vibration communication unit 120, a vibration power supply unit 121, and a vibration control unit 122, and is positioned on the chest surface 151 of the user 150. The vibration element 101 detects vibrations from the heart on the chest surface 151 of the user 150 and outputs a vibration signal indicating the detected vibration to the emotion induction device 1. In addition, the vibration element 101 applies vibrations to the chest surface 151 in a vibration pattern in response to a vibration pattern signal indicating a vibration pattern corresponding to the emotion to be induced, which is input from the emotion induction device 1. The tactile acoustic element 110 generates vibrations and applies them to the chest surface 151 of the user 150, and also detects vibrations corresponding to the heartbeat occurring on the chest surface 151 of the user 150, and supplies a current corresponding to the detected vibration to the vibration control unit 122.

[0016] The vibration communication unit 120 has a circuit configuration that enables communication in accordance with predetermined communication standards that allow for low-power, short-range communication, such as BLE (Bluetooth® Low Energy) and LPWA (Low Power Wide Area). The vibration power supply unit 121 is an energy storage element that can supply power at a predetermined voltage, such as a button battery, and supplies power voltage to the vibration control unit 122 and supplies current to the tactile sound element 110 in accordance with the instructions of the vibration control unit 122. The vibration control unit 122 is configured to comprehensively control the operation of the vibration element 101 and includes one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The vibration control unit 122 includes, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit). The vibration control unit 122 executes processing based on a program stored in the memory circuit.

[0017] Figure 2(a) is a perspective view of the tactile sound element 110, and Figure 2(b) is a cross-sectional view along line AA shown in Figure 2(a).

[0018] The tactile sound element 110 comprises a lower case 111, an upper case 112, a damper 113, a first yoke 114, a second yoke 115, a permanent magnet 116, and a coil 117. By switching the current flowing through the coil 117 on and off, it generates vibrations. The tactile sound element 110 also detects vibrations corresponding to the heartbeat occurring on the chest surface 151 of the user 150, and supplies a current corresponding to the detected vibrations to the vibration control unit 122 via the coil 117.

[0019] The lower case 111 is made of a highly rigid material such as polycarbonate, and the upper case 112 is made of a less rigid and more flexible material such as polyamide. The upper case 112 is positioned to be in contact with the chest surface 151 of the user 150 and transmits vibrations generated by the tactile sound element 110 to the user 150, as well as vibrations corresponding to the user 150's heartbeat to the first yoke 114. The damper 113 is made of a less rigid and more flexible synthetic resin and has an annular planar shape. The outer edge of the damper 113 is connected to the lower case 111, and the inner edge of the damper 113 is connected to the first yoke 114. The first yoke 114 and the second yoke 115 are made of soft iron and form a magnetic circuit together with the permanent magnet 116. The permanent magnet 116 is made of a ferromagnetic material such as iron, has an annular planar shape, is sandwiched between the bottoms of the first yoke 114 and the second yoke 115, and is arranged to surround the projection of the second yoke 115. The coil 117 is arranged to wind around the projection of the second yoke 115, and current is supplied from the vibration power supply unit 121 in accordance with the instructions of the vibration control unit 122.

[0020] As current is supplied to the coil 117 from the vibration power supply unit 121, the first yoke 114, supported by the damper 113, generates vibrations by electromagnetic induction. The vibrations generated by the first yoke 114 are transmitted to the user's 150 chest surface 151 via the upper case 112. In addition, vibrations of the user's 150 chest surface 151, generated in response to the user's 150 heartbeat, cause the first yoke 114 to vibrate via the upper case 112. As the first yoke 114 vibrates, the coil 117 generates a current by electromagnetic induction, and this current generated in the coil 117 is supplied to the vibration control unit 122.

[0021] Figure 3 is a block diagram of the emotion induction device 1.

[0022] The emotion induction device 1 is a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or an electronic computer such as a desktop computer, having a communication unit 11, a storage unit 12, an operation unit 13, a display unit 14, an imaging unit 15, and a processing unit 20. The emotion induction device 1 generates a vibration pattern formed by multiple waveforms that include the same frequency as the user's heartbeat and have an amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotions, according to the emotion desired by the user 150, and outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the generated vibration pattern to the vibration element 101.

[0023] The communication unit 11 includes a terminal communication unit 11a and an element communication unit 11b. The terminal communication unit 11a has a communication interface circuit that connects the emotion induction device 1 to a communication network, and supplies data received from the base station to the processing unit 20 via the communication interface circuit, and transmits data supplied from the processing unit 20 to the base station. The element communication unit 11b has a circuit configuration that conforms to a predetermined communication standard that enables low-power, short-range communication such as BLE and LPWA, and performs short-range wireless communication with the vibration element 101.

[0024] The storage unit 12 has, for example, a semiconductor memory. The storage unit 12 stores operating system programs, driver programs, application programs, data, etc., used for processing in the processing unit 20. The storage unit 12 stores an emotion induction program as an application program that causes the processing unit 20 to execute emotion induction processing to induce the emotions of the user 150, and the storage unit 12 also stores various information used for emotion induction processing. For example, the storage unit 12 stores average heart rate information, which is the average value of the user 150's heart rate.

[0025] The operation unit 13 can be any device that can operate the emotion induction device 1, such as a keyboard or touchpad. When the operation unit 13 is operated by the user 150, it generates a signal corresponding to that operation, and the generated signal is supplied to the processing unit 20 as an instruction from the user 150.

[0026] The display unit 14 can be any device capable of displaying video, images, text, etc., such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. It displays video corresponding to video data supplied from the processing unit 20, images corresponding to image data, text corresponding to text data, etc. The display unit 14 may also display a graphical user interface (GUI) for operating the emotion induction device 1.

[0027] The imaging unit 15 is configured to image the area around the emotion induction device 1 and includes a camera. The camera includes an imaging optical system for forming an image on a light-receiving surface, a photoelectric conversion element, and an image generation circuit that generates an image based on the output of the photoelectric conversion element. The imaging unit 15 acquires a video image of the user 150's face, including the forehead 152, and supplies video information indicating the acquired video image to the processing unit 20.

[0028] The processing unit 20 comprises one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The processing unit 20 comprehensively controls the overall operation of the emotion induction device 1 and is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing unit 20 controls the operation of the communication unit 11, the operation unit 13, the display unit 14, the imaging unit 15, etc., so that various processes of the emotion induction device 1 are executed in appropriate procedures according to the programs stored in the memory unit 12, the operations of the operation unit 13, etc.

[0029] The processing unit 20 includes an emotion induction information acquisition unit 21, a vibration information acquisition unit 22, an extraction unit 23, a current emotion information acquisition unit 24, an estimation unit 25, a generation unit 26, an output unit 27, and a termination instruction acquisition unit 28. Each of these units is a functional module realized by a program executed on the processor of the processing unit 20. Alternatively, each of these units may be implemented in the emotion induction device 1 as firmware.

[0030] (Emotion induction processing by the emotion induction device according to the first embodiment) Figure 4 is a flowchart of the emotion induction process performed by the emotion induction device 1. The emotion induction process shown in Figure 4 is performed mainly by the processing unit 20 in cooperation with each element of the emotion induction system 100, based on an emotion induction program stored in the memory unit 12 beforehand. In this embodiment, as an example, the emotion induction system will be described as one in which either a "relaxation mode" for inducing calm emotions or an "active mode" for inducing active emotions can be selected.

[0031] First, the inducement emotion information acquisition unit 21 acquires inducement emotion information indicating the emotion that the user 150 wants to be induced to (S101). The inducement emotion information acquisition unit 21 displays a graphical user interface image on the display unit 14 that allows the user 150 to select whether the emotion they want to be induced to be "relaxation mode" or "active mode". When "relaxation mode" is selected, the inducement emotion information acquisition unit 21 stores inducement emotion information indicating a desire to calm down in the storage unit 12, and when "active mode" is selected, it stores inducement emotion information indicating a desire to be active in the storage unit 12.

[0032] Next, the vibration information acquisition unit 22 acquires vibration information that indicates the heartbeat vibration from the user 150, that is, vibration information based on the heartbeat (S102). The vibration information acquisition unit 22 outputs an acquisition instruction signal to the vibration element 101 to instruct it to acquire the heartbeat vibration from the user 150, and the vibration control unit 122 of the vibration element 101 outputs it as a vibration signal to the emotion induction device 1. The vibration information acquisition unit 22 acquires vibration information that indicates the vibration corresponding to the vibration signal input via the element communication unit 11b, and stores the acquired vibration information in the storage unit 12.

[0033] Next, the extraction unit 23 extracts the frequency and amplitude of the vibrations corresponding to the vibration information obtained in the processing of S102 (S103).

[0034] Figure 5 shows the vibrations corresponding to the vibration information.

[0035] Vibration W100 consists of a first vibration W101 and a second vibration W102. The first vibration W101 is a vibration associated with the closure of the atrioventricular valve and the opening of the semilunar valve (arterial valve), and is also called the first heart sound (I). The second vibration W102 is a vibration generated by the closure of the semilunar valve, and includes aortic and pulmonary artery components, and is called the second heart sound (II).

[0036] The extraction unit 23 extracts the wavelength P of the carrier wave that forms each of the vibrations W100 included in the imaging time. D Detecting the detected wavelength P DThe reciprocal of the average value is extracted as the vibration frequency F1. The extraction unit 23 also detects the maximum amplitude of each vibration W100 included in the imaging time, and the detected maximum amplitude A D The average value is extracted as the vibration amplitude A1. The extraction unit 23 stores the frequency information indicating the extracted frequency F1 and the amplitude information indicating the extracted amplitude A1 in the storage unit 12.

[0037] Next, in order to estimate the emotions of the user 150, the current emotion information acquisition unit 24 acquires video information showing a video image of the user 150's face as emotion information indicating the emotions of the user 150 (S104). Based on the user 150's instructions, the current emotion information acquisition unit 24 instructs the imaging unit 15 to capture a video image of the user 150's face, acquires video information showing the video image captured by the imaging unit 15, and stores the acquired video information in the storage unit 12. The video image of the user 150's face captured by the imaging unit 15 includes at least a video of the user 150's forehead 152.

[0038] Next, the estimation unit 25 estimates the emotions of the user 150 based on the video information obtained in the processing of S104 (S105). The estimation unit 25 estimates the emotions of the user 150 using, for example, the technique described in International Publication No. 2018 / 074371.

[0039] Next, the generation unit 26 generates vibration patterns formed from multiple waveforms having the frequencies extracted in the processing of S103, according to the emotion to be induced (S106). The generation unit 26 acquires frequency information and amplitude information stored in the storage unit 12, generates a vibration pattern P100 using the frequency F1 corresponding to the acquired frequency information and the amplitude A1 corresponding to the amplitude information, and stores vibration pattern information indicating the generated vibration pattern in the storage unit 12.

[0040] Figure 6 shows the vibration pattern generated by the S106 process.

[0041] The vibration pattern P100 has a first pattern P101 and a second pattern P102. The first pattern P101 corresponds to the first vibration W101, and the second pattern P102 corresponds to the second vibration W102. The wavelength P of the carrier wave forming the first pattern P101 and the second pattern P102 G is determined such that the frequency F2 of the first pattern P101 and the second pattern P102 matches the frequency F1 of the vibration W100 extracted as the reciprocal of the average value of the wavelength P D . Also, the amplitude A2, which is the maximum amplitude of the vibration pattern P100, is determined to be 2.0 times the amplitude A1 of the vibration W100 extracted as the average value of the maximum amplitude A D in the process of S103. The heartbeat period P of the vibration pattern P100 H is determined according to the emotion to be induced. The heartbeat period P of the user 150 H is about 60 bpm in normal times. When wanting to activate the emotion of the user, the heartbeat period P of the user 150 H is set to a faster period than normal times, for example, 85 bpm. On the other hand, when wanting to calm down the emotion of the user, the heartbeat period P of the user 150 H is set to a slower period than normal times, for example, 45 bpm.

[0042] For example, when the induced emotion information acquired in the process of S101 indicates that it wants to become active and the emotion of the user 150 estimated in the process of S103 is in a stable state, the generation unit 26 forms the vibration pattern P100 such that the heartbeat period P of the vibration pattern P100 H becomes 85 bpm so that the user 150 becomes active. Also, when the induced emotion information acquired in the process of S101 indicates that it wants to calm down and the emotion of the user 150 estimated in the process of S103 is in a surprised state, the generation unit 26 forms the vibration pattern P100 such that the heartbeat period P of the vibration pattern P100 H becomes 45 bpm so that the user 150 calms down.

[0043] Next, the output unit 27 outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the vibration pattern generated in the processing of S106 to the vibration element 101 (S107). The output unit 27 acquires a vibration pattern corresponding to the vibration pattern information stored in the memory unit 12 and outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the acquired vibration pattern to the vibration element 101 via the element communication unit 11b. The vibration control unit 122 of the vibration element 101 applies a vibration pattern corresponding to the vibration pattern signal to the chest surface 151 of the user 150 in response to the input of the vibration pattern signal via the vibration communication unit 120.

[0044] Next, the termination instruction acquisition unit 28 determines whether or not it has acquired a termination instruction indicating the termination of the emotion induction process (S108). The termination instruction acquisition unit 28 determines that it has acquired a termination instruction when the user 150 inputs a termination instruction via the operation unit 13 (S108-YES). The termination instruction acquisition unit 28 determines that it has not acquired a termination instruction when the user 150 does not input a termination instruction (S108-NO).

[0045] The processes from S104 to S108 are repeated until the termination instruction acquisition unit 28 determines that it has received a termination instruction (S108-YES). When the termination instruction acquisition unit 28 determines that it has received a termination instruction (S108-YES), the emotion induction process ends.

[0046] (Effects and effects of the emotion induction device according to the first embodiment) The emotion induction device 1 can induce the emotions of user 150 without being affected by heartbeat by setting the amplitude A2 of the vibration pattern applied to the chest surface 151 of user 150 to 2.0 times the amplitude A1 of the vibration detected on the chest surface 151 of user 150.

[0047] Figure 7 shows the relationship between the amplitude A2 of the vibration pattern applied to the chest surface 151 of user 150 relative to the amplitude A1 of the vibration detected on the chest surface 151 of user 150, and the emotion induction effect. In Figure 7, the horizontal axis shows the elapsed time in seconds since the start of applying the vibration pattern to the chest surface 151 of user 150, and the vertical axis shows the maximum Lyapunov index. The maximum Lyapunov index is an index that shows the extent to which the time change of the pulse wave interval has complex system fluctuations; the larger the value, the greater the complex system fluctuations, and the smaller the value, the smaller the complex system fluctuations. A person's pulse wave interval has a certain degree of complex system fluctuation due to the function of the autonomic nervous system, but it is known that complex system fluctuations are lost when the function of the autonomic nervous system declines. Therefore, the smaller the value of the maximum Lyapunov index, the more the function of the person's autonomic nervous system is declined, and it is estimated that the person is experiencing stress factors, i.e., is experiencing negative emotions. Furthermore, line segments L111-L113, L121-L123, L131-L133, and L141-L143 show the time course of the maximum Lyapunov exponent for three subjects. Line segment L111-L113 shows the time course of the maximum Lyapunov exponent for the first subject, line segment L121-L123 shows the time course of the maximum Lyapunov exponent for the second subject, and line segment L131-L133 shows the time course of the maximum Lyapunov exponent for the third subject. In addition, in line segments L111, 121, and 131, the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 1.0, and in line segments L112, 122, and 132, the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 1.6. In line segments L113, 123, and 133, the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 1.8 times, and in line segments L114, 124, and 134, the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.0 times. In line segments L115, 125, and 135, the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.5 times. In the experiment shown in Figure 7, subjects 1 to 3 are subjected to vibration patterns that activate emotions.

[0048] When the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 1.8 times or less, the maximum Lyapunov exponents of subjects 1 to 3 do not show a clear trend. On the other hand, when the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.0 times or more, the maximum Lyapunov exponents of subjects 1 to 3 change to positive emotions.

[0049] When the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 1.8 times or less, the maximum Lyapunov exponents of subjects 1 to 3 do not show a clear trend, indicating that emotions are not induced. On the other hand, when the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.0 times or more, the maximum Lyapunov exponents of subjects 1 to 3 change positively, indicating that emotions are actively induced. Therefore, subjects 1 to 3 are induced to feel emotions when the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.0 times or more, and it can be inferred that emotions are induced without being affected by heartbeat when the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.0 times or more.

[0050] From the experiment shown in Figure 7, it is considered that users are induced to feel emotions when the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.0 times; therefore, it is preferable that the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.0 times. The upper limit of the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is the value at which user 150 feels discomfort. That is, the upper limit is an amplitude large enough to cause pain or discomfort that exceeds the effect of emotion induction, but this is an intrinsic value determined according to user 150's body fat percentage, nerve hypersensitivity in the chest, etc., and is therefore not qualitatively defined. However, by setting the upper limit of the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 to a value close to 2.0 times, discomfort can be reduced and emotions can be induced more effectively. Furthermore, it is considered that users are induced to feel emotions even when the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.5 times, similar to when the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is 2.0 times; therefore, the upper limit of the ratio of amplitude A2 to amplitude A1 is at least 2.5 times.

[0051] Furthermore, it is known that the surface of a person's body vibrates at a unique frequency due to their heartbeat. The frequency of vibration on the body surface is determined according to the frequency of the heartbeat, which depends on the size of the heart, etc., and is therefore a unique value for each individual. When a person is subjected to a tactile vibration with a frequency different from the frequency of vibration on their body surface, they feel discomfort, such as tickling. The emotion induction device 1 applies a tactile vibration with the same frequency as the vibration on the user's chest surface 151 to the user's chest surface 151, so the user does not feel any discomfort (for example, tickling).

[0052] (Configuration and function of the emotion induction device according to the second embodiment) Figure 8 is a block diagram of an emotion induction device according to the second embodiment. The emotion induction device 2 can be placed in the emotion induction system 100 instead of the emotion induction device 1. The emotion induction device 2 generates a vibration pattern that has the same frequency as the heartbeat of the subject displayed on the display unit 14 and has an amplitude capable of inducing the emotions of the user 150, according to the subject's emotions, and outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the generated vibration pattern to the vibration element 101.

[0053] Emotion induction device 2 differs from emotion induction device 1 in that it has a processing unit 30 instead of a processing unit 20. The configuration and function of the components of emotion induction device 2 other than the processing unit 30 are the same as those of the components of emotion induction device 1 which are given the same reference numerals, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0054] The processing unit 30 has one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. Similar to the processing unit 20, the processing unit 30 comprehensively controls the overall operation of the emotion induction device 2 and includes a vibration information acquisition unit 31, an extraction unit 32, a target emotion information acquisition unit 33, a target extraction unit 34, a generation unit 35, an output unit 36, and a termination instruction acquisition unit 37.

[0055] (Emotion induction processing by the emotion induction device according to the second embodiment) Figure 9 is a flowchart of the emotion induction process performed by the emotion induction device 2. The emotion induction process shown in Figure 9 is performed mainly by the processing unit 30 in cooperation with each element of the emotion induction system 100, based on the emotion induction program stored in the memory unit 12 beforehand. The processes S201 and S202 are the same as the processes S102 and S103, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0056] Next, the target emotion information acquisition unit 33 acquires the video information showing the video image of the subject's face displayed on the display unit 14 as target emotion information indicating the subject's emotions (S203).

[0057] Figure 10 shows an image of the subject displayed on the display unit 14.

[0058] The subject 160 is a person who participates in an online meeting, a celebrity who participates in an online event, etc. Based on the instructions of the user 150, the subject emotion information acquisition unit 33 acquires video information showing a video image of the subject 160's face displayed on the display unit 14, and stores the acquired video information in the storage unit 12. The image of the subject 160's face captured by the subject emotion information acquisition unit 33 includes at least an image of the subject 160's forehead 162.

[0059] Next, the target extraction unit 34 extracts the pulse period of the subject 160 as an emotion parameter based on the video information acquired in the S203 process, similar to the process in S1103 (S204). Then, the generation unit 35 generates a vibration pattern formed by multiple waveforms that have the same frequency as the frequency extracted in the S202 process and have an amplitude twice that of the amplitude extracted in the S202 process (S205). Based on the pulse period extracted in the S204 process, the generation unit 35 generates a vibration pattern so that the emotion of the user 150 matches the emotion of the subject 160. Specifically, the generation unit 35 generates a vibration pattern so that the pulse period is the same as the pulse period extracted in the S204 process. The generation unit 35 stores the vibration pattern information indicating the generated vibration pattern in the storage unit 12.

[0060] Next, the output unit 36 ​​outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the vibration pattern generated in the process of S205 to the vibration element 101 (S206). The process of S206 is the same as the process of S107, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0061] Next, the termination instruction acquisition unit 37 determines whether or not it has acquired a termination instruction indicating the termination of the emotion induction process, similar to the process in S108 (S207). The processes in S203 to S2007 are repeated until the termination instruction acquisition unit 37 determines that it has acquired a termination instruction (S207-YES). Once the termination instruction acquisition unit 37 determines that it has acquired a termination instruction (S207-YES), the emotion induction process terminates.

[0062] (Effects of the emotion induction device according to the second embodiment) The emotion induction device 2 generates a vibration pattern that matches the emotions of the user 150 to those of the target person 160, making it easier for the user 150 to understand the emotions of the target person 160.

[0063] (Modified example of an emotion induction device according to an embodiment) In emotion induction devices 1 and 2, the vibration element 101 is placed on the chest surface 151 of the user 150, but in the emotion induction device according to the embodiment, the vibration element 101 may be placed on a surface of the user 150 other than the chest surface 151.

[0064] Furthermore, the emotion induction device 1 uses video information showing a video image of the user 150's face as emotion information indicating the user 150's emotions. However, the emotion induction device according to the embodiment may also use information about the user 150 other than the video information showing a video image of the user 150's face, such as audio information showing the user 150's voice, as emotion information indicating the user 150's emotions.

[0065] Furthermore, the emotion induction device 2 uses video information showing a video of the subject 160's face as emotion information indicating the subject 160's emotions. However, the emotion induction device according to this embodiment may also use information about the subject 160 other than the video information showing a video of the subject 160's face, such as audio information showing the subject 160's voice, as emotion information indicating the subject 160's emotions.

[0066] Furthermore, in emotion induction devices 1 and 2, the generation units 26 and 35 generate vibration patterns such that the amplitude is twice the vibration at the chest surface 151 of the user 150. However, the emotion induction device according to the embodiment may perform an amplitude determination process to determine an amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotions, and generate vibration patterns using the determined amplitude.

[0067] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing the amplitude determination process that can be executed by the emotion induction device 1. The amplitude determination process shown in Figure 11 is mainly executed by the processing unit 20 in cooperation with each element of the emotion induction system 100, based on the emotion induction program stored in the memory unit 12 beforehand. Note that the amplitude determination process shown in Figure 11 can be executed not only by the emotion induction device 1 but also by the emotion induction device 2.

[0068] First, the generation unit 26 generates an amplitude determination pattern that has the same frequency as the frequency extracted in the S103 process, an amplitude greater than or equal to the amplitude extracted in the S103 process, and induces a predetermined emotion (S301). The generation unit 26 generates the amplitude determination pattern such that the amplitude of the amplitude determination pattern is 1.0 times or more and less than 2.0 times the amplitude extracted in the S103 process. Initial amplitude value information indicating the initial value of the amplitude of the amplitude determination pattern is stored in the storage unit 12, and the generation unit 26 obtains the initial value corresponding to the initial amplitude value information and stores it in the storage unit 12 as used amplitude information indicating the amplitude to be used for the amplitude determination pattern. The processes in S302 to S304 are the same as the processes in S107, S104 and S105, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0069] Next, the generation unit 26 determines whether the emotion estimated by the estimation unit 25 in the S304 process matches the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern generated in the S301 process (S305). If the generation unit 26 determines that the emotion estimated in the S304 process does not match the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern generated in the S301 process (S305-NO), it increases the amplitude of the amplitude determination pattern (S306). The generation unit 26 increases the amplitude corresponding to the used amplitude information stored in the storage unit 12 by a predetermined increase amount.

[0070] From this point onward, processes S301 to S306 are repeated until it is determined that the emotion estimated in process S304 matches the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern generated in process S301 (S305-YES).

[0071] If the generation unit 26 determines that the emotion estimated in the S304 process matches the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern generated in the S301 process (S305-YES), it determines the amplitude corresponding to the used amplitude information stored in the storage unit 12 to the minimum amplitude (S307). The generation unit 26 stores the minimum amplitude information, which indicates the amplitude determined to be the minimum amplitude, in the storage unit 12.

[0072] Next, the generation unit 26 increases the amplitude of the amplitude determination pattern (S308). Similar to the process in S306, the generation unit 26 increases the amplitude corresponding to the used amplitude information stored in the storage unit 12 by a predetermined amount. The processes in S309 to S312 are the same as the processes in S301 to S304, so a detailed explanation is omitted here.

[0073] Next, the generation unit 26 determines whether the emotion estimated by the estimation unit 25 in the S312 process matches the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern generated in the S301 process (S313). If it is determined that the emotion estimated in the S304 process matches the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern generated in the S301 process (S313-NO), the process returns to S308. Thereafter, the processes from S308 to S313 are repeated until it is determined that the emotion estimated in the S304 process does not match the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern generated in the S301 process (S313-YES).

[0074] If the generation unit 26 determines that the emotion estimated in the S304 process does not match the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern generated in the S301 process (S313-YES), it determines the amplitude corresponding to the used amplitude information stored in the storage unit 12 to be the maximum amplitude (S314), and stores the maximum amplitude information indicating the amplitude determined to be the maximum amplitude in the storage unit 12.

[0075] Then, the generation unit 26 determines the amplitude of the vibration pattern to be a desired amplitude between the minimum and maximum amplitudes determined in the processes of S307 and S314 (S315). The generation unit 26 may also determine the minimum amplitude determined in S307 to be the amplitude used to generate the vibration pattern. By generating the vibration pattern using the minimum amplitude, the power consumption of the tactile sound element 110 can be reduced and the lifespan of the vibration power supply unit 121 can be extended. Alternatively, the generation unit 26 may also determine the maximum amplitude determined in S314 to be the amplitude used to generate the vibration pattern. By generating the vibration pattern using the maximum amplitude, the amplitude of the vibration applied to the user 150 can be maximized, and the user 150's emotions can be efficiently induced. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1, 2 Emotion induction device 21 Induced emotion information acquisition unit 22, 31 Vibration information acquisition unit 23, 32 Extraction part 24 Current emotion information acquisition unit 25 Estimation part 26, 35 Generation part 27, 36 Output section 28, 37 Termination instruction acquisition unit 33 Target Emotion Information Acquisition Unit 34 Target extraction unit 100 Emotional Induction Systems 101 Vibration element

Claims

1. A vibration information acquisition unit that acquires vibration information based on the user's heartbeat, An extraction unit that extracts the frequency and amplitude from the aforementioned vibration information, A generation unit generates a vibration pattern formed by a waveform having the aforementioned frequency and amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotions, according to the emotion to be induced. An emotion induction device characterized by having the following features.

2. The emotion induction device according to claim 1, wherein the generating unit determines the amplitude of the vibration pattern to be 2.0 times or more the amplitude of the vibration.

3. The current emotion information acquisition unit acquires emotion information that indicates the user's emotions, It further includes an estimation unit that estimates the user's emotions from the aforementioned emotional information, The emotion induction device according to claim 1, wherein the generation unit determines the amplitude of the vibration pattern based on the emotion estimated by the estimation unit.

4. The generation unit generates an amplitude determination pattern that has an amplitude greater than or equal to the extracted frequency and the extracted amplitude, and that induces a predetermined emotion. The output unit outputs an amplitude determination pattern signal indicating the amplitude determination pattern, The current emotion information acquisition unit acquires the emotion information after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed following the output of the amplitude determination pattern signal. The estimation unit estimates the user's emotions from the emotion information, The emotion induction device according to claim 3, wherein the generation unit determines the amplitude of the amplitude determination pattern to be the amplitude of the vibration pattern when the emotion estimated by the estimation unit matches the emotion induced by the amplitude determination pattern.

5. A unit for acquiring target emotion information that shows the emotions of the target person, The system further includes a target extraction unit that extracts emotional parameters related to the subject's emotions from the aforementioned target emotional information, The generation unit generates the vibration pattern based on the emotion parameters so that the user's emotions match the target person's emotions. An emotion induction device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. It acquires vibration information based on the user's heartbeat, The frequency and amplitude are extracted from the aforementioned vibration information. A vibration pattern formed by a waveform having the aforementioned frequency and amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotions is generated according to the emotion to be induced. Outputs a vibration pattern signal showing the aforementioned vibration pattern. A method for inducing emotions, characterized by including processing.

7. It acquires vibration information based on the user's heartbeat, The frequency and amplitude are extracted from the aforementioned vibration information. A vibration pattern formed by a plurality of waveforms having the aforementioned frequency and amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotions is generated according to the emotion to be induced. Outputs a vibration pattern signal showing the aforementioned vibration pattern. An emotion induction program characterized by having a computer perform the processing.

8. A vibration element is placed on the user's body surface to detect vibrations based on the heartbeat and to apply vibrations, The emotion induction device includes a vibration signal that indicates vibration detected by the vibration element and an output vibration pattern signal that indicates the vibration pattern applied by the vibration element, The aforementioned emotion induction device is A vibration information acquisition unit that acquires vibration information indicating the aforementioned vibration, An extraction unit that extracts the frequency and amplitude from the aforementioned vibration information, A generation unit generates a vibration pattern formed by a waveform having the aforementioned frequency and amplitude capable of inducing the user's emotions, according to the emotion to be induced. An output unit that outputs a vibration pattern signal indicating the aforementioned vibration pattern, An emotion induction system characterized by having the following features.

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