A terminal for the person being monitored, a terminal for the monitor, a server, a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a program.

Abstract

To provide technology that enables the provision of more appropriate and personalized monitoring support on a device carried by the person being monitored, and that also provides useful information to both the person being monitored and the person monitoring them. [Solution] The terminal (10) carried by the person being monitored includes an emotion input unit (210) that receives emotion input from the person being monitored (U), a situation information acquisition unit (220) that acquires situation information of the person being monitored (U), a response information determination unit (230) that determines response information to be presented to the person being monitored (U) based on the emotion input and the situation information, and a display unit (130) that displays the response information.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a ward's terminal, a watcher's terminal, a server, a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a program, and particularly to a technology for presenting response information to a ward according to information regarding the ward's emotions and information regarding the situation.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, various monitoring services and terminal devices therefor have been proposed for confirming the safety of wards such as children and the elderly and communicating as necessary. For example, a technology that uses the GPS (Global Positioning System) function to grasp the current position of a ward's terminal carried by a ward in real time and notify a watcher's terminal such as a smartphone used by the watcher of the position information is widely known. In addition, some ward's terminals have functions for sending and receiving stereotyped messages and for a ward to transmit an SOS signal with a simple operation in an emergency (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] The ward's terminals in these conventional technologies have provided functions for grasping the physical position information of the ward and for making limited contact. Some terminals also have a function for transmitting stereotyped messages from a child to a guardian (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Non-Patent Documents

[0005]

Non-Patent Document 1

[0006] One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved terminal for a person being monitored, a monitoring terminal, a server, a monitoring system, a monitoring method, and a program that can provide monitoring support in a way that is more attentive to the person being monitored, in accordance with the information input by the person being monitored and the information about the person being monitored, and can also provide useful information to a monitoring terminal used by the person being monitored or their guardian or other monitoring person. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, a monitoring terminal according to one aspect of the present invention is a monitoring terminal carried by a person being monitored, comprising: an emotion input unit for receiving emotion input from the person being monitored; a situation information acquisition unit for acquiring situation information of the person being monitored; a response information determination unit for determining response information to be presented to the person being monitored based on the emotion input and the situation information; and a display unit for displaying the response information. A monitoring method according to another aspect of the present invention is a monitoring method executed by a control unit of a monitoring terminal carried by a person being monitored, comprising: an emotion input step for receiving emotion input from the person being monitored; a situation information acquisition step for acquiring situation information of the person being monitored; a response information determination step for determining response information to be presented to the person being monitored based on the emotion input and the situation information; and a display step for displaying the response information. A program according to yet another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as an emotion input unit for receiving emotion input from a person being monitored, a situation information acquisition unit for acquiring situation information of the person being monitored, a response information determination unit for determining response information to be presented to the person being monitored based on the emotion input and the situation information, and a display unit for displaying the response information. A monitoring system according to yet another aspect of the present invention comprises a terminal for the person being monitored carried by the person being monitored, a server capable of communicating with the terminal for the person being monitored and a monitoring terminal described later, and a monitoring terminal used by the monitor, wherein the terminal for the person being monitored comprises an emotion input unit for receiving emotion input from the person being monitored, a situation information acquisition unit for acquiring situation information of the person being monitored, a response information determination unit for determining response information to be presented to the person being monitored based on the emotion input and the situation information, and a display unit for displaying the response information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present invention, response information is determined and displayed based on the emotional input of the person being monitored and information about the person being monitored. This makes it possible to provide more appropriate and useful information according to the emotional state of the person being monitored and the situation in which they are placed, thereby contributing to supporting the emotional stability of the person being monitored and improving the monitoring function and convenience. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a monitoring system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the monitored terminal 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows an example of the functional block configuration of the monitored terminal 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of the UI for the stamp selection screen 400, which is an example of emotion input in the monitored terminal 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 4A] This diagram shows variations (animal characters) of stamp icon 401. [Figure 4B] This diagram shows variations (color coding) of stamp icon 401. [Figure 4C] This is a schematic diagram showing an alternative UI example (linked to a physical button) for toggling stamp sets. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of a UI as an example of response information display in the monitored terminal 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating the stepwise changes in response information determination processing according to the urgency level in this embodiment. [Figure 6A] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the relationship between the parameters used in the urgency determination logic and the step-by-step response. [Figure 7] This figure shows the concept of the stamp set optimization process according to the situation according to this embodiment. [Figure 8] This figure shows the concept of display control processing that takes into account the position of the finger according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the UI of the activity log display screen 900 (map linked) displayed on the monitor terminal 20 according to this embodiment. [Figure 9A] This is an example 910 of a point badge display screen for behavior promotion and habit formation support on the monitored person's terminal 10. [Figure 9B] This is an example of the "Today's Support Message" setting screen 920 on the caregiver terminal 20. [Figure 10] This is a flowchart showing an example of the main process of the monitored person terminal 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 11] This is a flowchart showing a detailed example of the response information determination process (S104 in FIG. 10) according to this embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of various types of information (schedule information 310, area information 320, stamp information 330, response rule database 340, log information 350) used in this embodiment. [Figure 13] This is a diagram showing an example of the software module configuration of the monitored person terminal 10 according to this embodiment. [Figure 14] This is an example of a sequence diagram of the emergency notification process in the monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 15] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the caregiver terminal 20 according to this embodiment. [Figure 16] This is a diagram showing an example of the functional block configuration of the caregiver terminal 20 according to this embodiment. [Figure 17] This is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 30 according to this embodiment. [Figure 18] This is a diagram showing an example of the functional block configuration of the server 30 according to this embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, in this specification, each component described as a "part" indicates a functional unit and does not necessarily mean that it is configured as a physically independent piece of hardware. That is, each part may be realized as dedicated hardware, or it may be realized in software by a processor executing a predetermined program. Also, one functional part may be realized by multiple pieces of hardware, or multiple functional parts may be realized by one piece of hardware.

[0011] (Overview of the entire system) First, with reference to Figure 1, the overall configuration of the monitoring system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the monitoring system 1 according to this embodiment. The monitoring system 1 in this embodiment consists of a monitored person terminal 10, which is mainly carried and used by the monitored person U (an example of a user in this specification), such as a child; a monitor terminal 20, which is used by the guardian P (an example of a monitor in this specification, and can also be considered a type of user); and a server 30 that is connected to these monitored person terminals 10 and monitor terminals 20 in a manner that enables communication.

[0012] The monitored person terminal 10, the monitor terminal 20, and the server 30 can communicate data with each other via a wide-area network NW, including, for example, the internet or a public network such as a mobile phone network. The monitored person terminal 10 used by the monitored person U may be, for example, a dedicated small GPS terminal device specifically designed for children, or it may be a general-purpose portable information terminal device such as a smartphone, smartwatch, or other wearable device with application software installed to realize the functions according to the present invention. In this embodiment, it is mainly described as a dedicated small terminal intended for use by children, but the scope of application of the present invention is not limited to this.

[0013] The monitoring device 20 used by the guardian P is typically a smartphone, tablet, or personal computer (PC), and it connects with the server 30 and the monitored device 10 via dedicated application software (hereinafter referred to as the "guardian app") or a web browser to utilize the monitoring service. The server 30 may consist of, for example, one or more server computers and be housed in a single physical enclosure, or it may be logically constructed in a cloud computing environment that is physically distributed from multiple server devices. This server 30 can function as an example of the information processing device in the present invention.

[0014] In this monitoring system 1, the main information flow is as follows: the monitored person's terminal 10 receives emotional input from the monitored person U (hereinafter referred to as "emotional input"), combines it with various situational information including its own location information obtained by GPS, etc., and primarily has the function of displaying appropriate response information to the monitored person U that is attentive to their situation and emotions. This response information may include emotional feedback such as empathy and encouragement, specific action support, or warnings. This goes beyond simple location tracking and sending and receiving of pre-set messages, supporting the emotional stability of the monitored person U and realizing more proactive and detailed monitoring.

[0015] The caregiver's terminal 20 can view the location information, activity logs (including history of emotional input), and terminal status (such as battery level) of the monitored person's terminal 10 via the server 30. Furthermore, through the parent app, the caregiver can configure various settings for the monitored person's terminal 10 (e.g., geofence area settings, notification rule settings, registration of the monitored person's schedule, creation of original stamps, etc.) and register this configuration information with the server 30. The server 30 then distributes the registered configuration information to the caregiver's terminal 10. Additionally, if the monitored person's terminal 10 or the server 30 detects specific conditions (e.g., an emergency, entry into or exit from a designated area), they send an alert to the caregiver's terminal 20 via push notification or similar means. Thus, this monitoring system 1 aims to achieve a more advanced form of monitoring that goes beyond mere location tracking and one-way notifications by starting with the active emotional expressions of the person being monitored U and providing two-way communication and support tailored to the situation.

[0016] (Description of the hardware configuration of the monitored terminal 10) Next, with reference to Figure 2, an example of the hardware configuration of the monitored terminal 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the monitored terminal 10 according to this embodiment. The monitored person terminal 10 includes a control unit 100 that controls the operation of the entire device according to a program, a storage unit 110 for storing various programs and data, a communication unit 120 for wireless communication with an external network NW, a display unit 130 for displaying various information, an input unit 140 for receiving operation input from the monitored person U, an audio input / output unit 150 for audio input and output, a positioning unit 160 for determining its own geographical location, and various sensors 170 such as an accelerometer. These main components are electrically connected to each other via a bus 180 such as a system bus or dedicated line.

[0017] The control unit 100 includes, for example, one or more processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), SoC (System on a Chip), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), as well as related clock circuits and interface circuits. The control unit 100 comprehensively controls the operation of the entire monitored terminal 10 by reading and executing the operating system (OS) and various application programs (including the monitoring processing program described later) stored in the memory unit 110, and realizes the processing of each functional unit described later.

[0018] The memory unit 110 is composed of one or more semiconductor memories, such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), flash memory, SSD (Solid State Drive), and eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard). The ROM stores the basic parts of the OS, the boot program, and fixed parameters. Non-volatile memory areas such as flash memory and SSD store the monitoring processing program and various data necessary for processing (for example, the emotion stamp data 330 (see Figure 12), response rule database 340 (see Figure 12), and log information 350 (see Figure 12) described later). The RAM is used as a work area when the control unit 100 executes programs and as a storage area for temporary data.

[0019] The communication unit 120 includes, for example, a communication module and antenna (not shown) that support wireless communication standards such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 5G NR (New Radio), Wi-Fi (registered trademark), and Bluetooth (registered trademark). The communication unit 120 performs data communication with the server 30 and other devices (for example, when performing short-range wireless communication with the monitor terminal 20) via the network NW, in accordance with instructions from the control unit 100.

[0020] The display unit 130 is, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic electro-luminescence (OLED) display, color electronic paper, or a memory liquid crystal display. It displays response information (text messages, icons, animations, etc.), the current time, battery level, communication status, and various other information determined by the response information determination unit 230, according to instructions from the control unit 100 (specifically the display control unit 240, which will be described later). In this embodiment, since visibility outdoors and low power consumption are particularly important, color electronic paper or memory liquid crystal displays suitable for continuous display can be preferably used.

[0021] The display unit 130 is configured as a touchscreen display integrated with a touch panel sensor (e.g., capacitive or resistive type) and also functions as a main part of the input unit 140. When the monitored person's terminal 10 is activated, the display unit 130 may have a function to display which monitored person U's terminal it is, for example, by a ring-shaped color display. This is useful in preventing mix-ups of terminals, especially among siblings, and in ensuring appropriate settings and personalized services for each monitored person U, thereby improving usability.

[0022] The input unit 140 is an interface for receiving operation input from the person being monitored U. In this embodiment, a touchscreen display integrated with the display unit 130 is mainly used, and it detects tap selections of stamp icons on the screen, swipe operations, etc., and outputs the corresponding signal to the control unit 100. In addition to this, or instead, physical buttons (for example, a power button, volume control buttons, an emergency call (SOS) button, a dedicated button 141 for easily inputting specific emotions, etc.) may be provided on the side of the housing.

[0023] The audio input / output unit 150 includes a microphone 151 for inputting audio signals and a speaker 152 for outputting audio signals. The microphone 151 is used for inputting emotions through the voice utterances of the person being monitored U (for example, words expressing emotions such as "I'm tired" or "Help me"), and for recording ambient sounds in emergencies. The speaker 152 is used for outputting voice guidance as part of response information (e.g., synthesized or recorded voice saying "We'll be home soon"), warning sounds for alerting, and alarm sounds.

[0024] The positioning unit 160 includes a satellite positioning system (GNSS) module such as a GPS receiver, a GLONASS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, a Galileo receiver, and a QZSS (Quasi-Zenith Satellite System: Michibiki) receiver. The positioning unit 160 receives radio waves from multiple positioning satellites and, based on the difference in their arrival times, acquires location information (latitude, longitude, altitude, etc.) indicating the current location of the monitored terminal 10 with high precision and outputs it to the control unit 100. If necessary, an auxiliary positioning function (such as A-GPS) that utilizes the signal strength of a Wi-Fi access point or information from a mobile phone base station may be used in combination to improve positioning accuracy indoors or in places where satellite radio waves are difficult to reach, and to shorten the positioning start time.

[0025] The various sensors 170 may include, for example, a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis gyroscope (angular velocity sensor), a geomagnetic sensor, a barometric pressure sensor, an illuminance sensor, and a temperature sensor. The accelerometer and gyroscope are used to estimate the activity level of the person being monitored U, such as walking, running, and standing still, as well as to detect the movement and orientation of the device, and even abnormal situations such as falls. This sensor information is collected by the control unit 100 (specifically the situation information acquisition unit 220, which will be described later) and used as information to understand the situation in which the person being monitored U is located in more detail. This contributes to the generation of more accurate response information that takes into account not only location information, but also the specific actions and state of the person being monitored U.

[0026] (Description of the functional block configuration of the monitored terminal 10) Next, with reference to Figure 3, the main functional block configuration of the monitored person terminal 10 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the main functional block configuration realized by the cooperation of software (monitoring processing program stored in the storage unit 110) and the aforementioned hardware (particularly the control unit 100) in the monitored person terminal 10 according to this embodiment. The monitored person terminal 10 includes main functional units such as an emotion input unit 210, a situation information acquisition unit 220, a response information determination unit 230, a display control unit 240, a log recording unit 250, and a communication control unit 260. These functional units may correspond to each of the "units" described in the claims. Figure 13 shows an example of the software module configuration realized by the monitoring processing program stored in the memory unit 110 of the monitored person terminal 10 according to this embodiment. The monitoring processing program includes, for example, an emotion input reception module 1301, a situation information acquisition module 1302, a response information determination module 1303, a display control module 1304, a log recording module 1305, and a communication control module 1306. These modules work together to realize the processing of each functional unit shown in Figure 3.

[0027] The emotion input unit 210 is responsible for receiving emotion input from the person being monitored U (part of the configuration corresponding to Appendix 1). This emotion input serves as the main interface for the person being monitored U to communicate their inner emotions and state to the system via the monitored terminal 10. As one specific input mechanism, the emotion input unit 210 instructs the display control unit 240 to display a stamp selection screen 400, as shown in Figure 4, on the touchscreen display unit 130. This screen 400 displays multiple stamp icons 401 (for example, sets of 4 or 6 icons arranged in a circle are placed near the center of the screen).

[0028] The person being monitored, U, selects a stamp icon 401 that they feel is closest to their current emotions and state by tapping it with their finger or other object. The emotion input unit 210 receives a signal indicating this tap operation from the input unit 140 (touchscreen) and obtains emotion information associated with the selected stamp icon 401 (for example, the stamp ID stored in the stamp information 330 (see Figure 12) in the memory unit 110, and the emotion category it represents, such as "joy," "sadness," "anxiety," or "demand") (corresponds to Appendix 3).

[0029] Examples of stamp icons 401 include those representing facial expressions such as "happy face," "sad face," and "troubled face," as well as those with symbols or short text indicating specific states or intentions such as "tired," "hungry," "help," "want to play more," "want to go home," and "are we there yet?". The design of stamp icons 401 may express emotions using the facial expressions of child-friendly animal characters (e.g., smiling rabbit 401a, troubled bear 401b), as shown in Figure 4A, or it may be a symbol indicating emotions linked to physical sensations such as weather (sunny 401c, rainy 401d) or temperature (hot, cold) (e.g., hot and uncomfortable, cold and anxious), as shown in Figure 4B. The color of stamp icon 401 (e.g., red for anger or excitement, blue for sadness or calmness, yellow for joy, etc.) may also suggest the type or intensity of emotion. The set of stamp icons 401 displayed can be switched to other stamp sets by, for example, swiping left or right on the screen, or by toggling by tapping the arrow icon 402 displayed at the edge of the screen (see Appendix 4). Alternatively, as shown in Figure 4C, the UI may be configured to switch the set of displayed stamp icons or move the selection cursor in conjunction with the operation of a physical button 141 provided on the casing (for example, a directional pad or rotary encoder that allows input in the up, down, left, and right directions). This provides the person being monitored U with a variety of emotional expression options even with a limited display size, achieving both ease of input and a wide range of expression. Expressing emotions through stamp input in this way allows children, especially those with underdeveloped verbal skills, to intuitively and easily communicate their feelings. This enables proactive emotional expression from those being monitored, which was difficult with conventional monitoring devices, and leads to appropriate support afterward.

[0030] The emotion input unit 210 can also receive voice utterances from the person being monitored U via the microphone 151 of the voice input / output unit 150 as an alternative input mechanism, and acquire emotion information based on these utterances (corresponding to Appendix 5). In this case, the emotion input unit 210 includes or cooperates with a voice recognition processing unit (which may be implemented as part of the monitoring processing program executed by the control unit 100, or may be configured as hardware such as a dedicated voice recognition chip). The voice recognition processing unit recognizes specific emotion keywords (e.g., "tired," "help me," "lonely," "happy," etc.) or standard emotion phrases (e.g., "I want to go home," "I want to play more," etc.) that have been previously registered in the stamp information 330 of the memory unit 110 from the input voice data.

[0031] Considering the terminal's processing power and real-time capabilities, basic keyword spotting and phrase recognition of limited vocabulary can be performed internally by the terminal. If more advanced natural language understanding, nuance grasp, or handling of unspecified speakers is required, a hybrid approach can be adopted in which voice data (or its features) is sent to the server 30 via the communication control unit 260, and the results of voice recognition processing utilizing the server's powerful computing resources (e.g., using an emotion analysis API, analyzing speech nuances using machine learning, extracting specific acoustic features (voice tone, intonation, speech speed) and estimating emotional state) are received. Voice input can be triggered by, for example, uttering a wake word such as "Hey, Watch" (the terminal's nickname) or by long-pressing a specific physical button 141. Recognized keywords and phrases are converted into corresponding emotion information (stamp ID and emotion category) and output to the response information determination unit 230. This allows the person being monitored (U) to input their emotions through voice, a natural means, when selecting stamps is difficult (e.g., hands are full, the screen is difficult to see, etc.) or when they want to express their feelings more directly through words, thus improving the flexibility of the input interface.

[0032] In this embodiment, it is desirable that the reception of emotional input by the emotional input unit 210 (for example, tapping the stamp icon 401 shown in Figure 4) and the display of response information by the display control unit 240 (see Figure 5), which will be described later, be performed on the same display unit 130, which is the touchscreen display (corresponding to Appendix 6). By displaying a response immediately on the screen where the person being monitored U has entered their emotions (i.e., within a short time so that the person being monitored U does not perceive any delay), a natural interaction like a dialogue is created between the monitored terminal 10 and the monitored person, increasing the monitored person U's engagement and sense of security. This gives the user the feeling that the terminal is responding directly to their emotions, rather than simply receiving information, which leads to familiarity and trust, especially for children, and promotes the continued use of the terminal. Traditionally, it has been difficult to achieve this kind of dialogue due to a lack of means to convey emotions or indirect feedback, but this structure solves that problem.

[0033] Furthermore, the emotion input unit 210 may also include a function to output information about the emotional state estimated from the situation and behavior of the person being monitored as internal emotion input to the response information determination unit 230, in addition to direct input of emotional information by the person being monitored U through explicit operations such as stamp selection or specific vocalizations. For example, the response information determination unit 230 (or a function configured as a separate emotion estimation unit in cooperation with it) may analyze patterns of ambient sounds and nonverbal utterances of the person being monitored U acquired by the situation information acquisition unit 220, such as a sudden decrease in the activity level of the person being monitored U (e.g., remaining still for a long time during a normally active period), a long stay in a specific location (e.g., a place where they usually only stay for a short time, or a place they are visiting for the first time), or patterns of ambient sounds and nonverbal utterances of the person being monitored U acquired by the microphone 151 (e.g., repeated sighs, soft cries, growls, etc.).

[0034] Based on the analysis results, if it is determined that there is a high probability of a particular emotional state (e.g., boredom, anxiety, feeling unwell, being troubled about something), that estimated emotional state can be treated as an "estimated emotional input." Thus, in this specification, "emotional input" may be used in a broad sense to include not only explicit input based on intentional actions by the person being monitored, but also information about internal emotional states estimated or recognized by the system from the state and circumstances of the person being monitored. This allows the system to perceive the situation, estimate potential needs, provide preventative support, or generate more appropriate responses, even if the person being monitored cannot explicitly communicate their emotions or is unable to properly recognize and express their own feelings. For example, even without an explicit "help me" input, if the situation suggests a high level of danger, it can trigger the initiation of an emergency response process.

[0035] The situation information acquisition unit 220 has the function of acquiring at least one piece of situation information indicating the current situation of the person being monitored U (corresponding to Appendix 1). Specifically, it periodically acquires position information (latitude, longitude, altitude, positioning time, movement speed, movement direction, etc.) indicating the current position using GNSS satellites from the positioning unit 160, or in response to a request from the response information determination unit 230. It also acquires current time information from the clock function (not shown, or network time synchronization function) built into the control unit 100.

[0036] Furthermore, the status information acquisition unit 220 accesses the server 30 via the communication control unit 260 and acquires schedule information 310 (see Figure 12) concerning the person being monitored U, which has been set and registered in advance by the guardian P via the guardian app or the like. This schedule information 310 may include, for example, "school hours (e.g., 8:30-15:00)" for each day, "after-school activity schedule (e.g., Wednesday 17:00-18:00, XX cram school)", "expected time of returning home (e.g., 16:00 every day)", and even special event information such as "birthday" and "field trip". Similarly, area information 320 (see Figure 12) is obtained from server 30. This area information 320 includes, for example, the names of specific locations such as "home," "school," "park," and "cram school," as well as location coordinate data (e.g., center coordinates and radius, or a set of polygon vertex coordinates) that define the corresponding geofence (virtual geographical boundary), and the type of each area (e.g., safe zone, caution zone, prohibited zone, zone where concerns have been expressed in the past, etc.) (corresponds to Appendix 7).

[0037] In addition, the situation information acquisition unit 220 may acquire activity data from various sensors 170 (for example, information indicating the activity level of the person being monitored U, such as walking, running, or being stationary, as well as step count and calories burned) and terminal posture information (for example, detection of sudden angle changes or impacts that suggest the possibility of falling). Furthermore, it is conceivable that ambient environmental information such as ambient noise levels acquired by the microphone 151 (such as extremely loud noises or unnatural silence), brightness from the illuminance sensor (whether it is outdoors or indoors, day or night, etc.), the possibility of altitude changes or weather changes from the barometric pressure sensor, and temperature from the temperature sensor may also be acquired. These acquired situational information units are output to the response information determination unit 230 and used to comprehensively understand the physical, temporal, and social circumstances in which the person being monitored U is located. This makes it possible to generate more situation-appropriate and accurate response information that takes into account not only location information, but also the specific actions and state of the person being monitored U, consistency with their schedule, and the surrounding environment, thereby providing truly useful support to the person being monitored.

[0038] The response information determination unit 230 receives emotional input (explicit input, or

[0039] ,

[0040] ,

[0041] The device has a function to dynamically determine response information to present to the person being monitored U based on the estimated emotion input described above and the situation information acquired from the situation information acquisition unit 220 (corresponding to Appendix 1). Preferably, this response information is not merely informational but includes emotional feedback such as words of empathy, encouragement, reassurance, warnings, and specific action suggestions for the person being monitored U (see Figure 5, corresponding to Appendix 2). This supports the emotional stability of the person being monitored and provides a sense of security. With conventional monitoring terminals, it was difficult to provide such proactive feedback that was attentive to the emotions of the person being monitored, but with this configuration, the terminal is expected to play a more personal role as a companion.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 6, the response information determination unit 230 determines the "urgency" of the situation estimated from the combination of the emotion input and the situation information, and according to the determined urgency, the presentation level and content of the response information, and further the processing system involved (whether it is internal terminal processing or server cooperation) are changed step by step (corresponding to Supplementary Note 8). This step-by-step change means that the level and content of the response, and the processing system involved (inside the ward terminal 10 for the protected person / server 30 cooperation) change dynamically according to the combination of the emotion input and the situation information. Thereby, flexible and appropriate support can be provided from daily light communication to response to a situation where real danger is approaching.

[0043] For example, the parameters and logic as shown in FIG. 6A can be used for this determination of urgency (step S201 in FIG. 11). The response information determination unit 230 acquires the emotion input 601 (e.g., negative degree score of emotion) and a plurality of situation information 602 (e.g., danger degree score of location, deviation degree score from schedule, abnormal score of activity amount, etc.) respectively. Then, a comprehensive urgency score 603 is calculated by multiplying these parameters by predetermined weighting coefficients w1, w2, w3... wn. If this comprehensive score 603 exceeds a preset first threshold Th1, the urgency is determined as "high" (LV3); if it exceeds a second threshold Th2 (<Th1) and is below Th1, the urgency is determined as "medium" (LV2); if it is below Th2, the urgency is determined as "low" (LV1). These thresholds and weighting coefficients may be set by the protector P or optimized by machine learning.

[0044] For example, let's specifically explain the case of "communication and emotional support purposes" (LV1 in Figure 6), which is judged to be of low urgency. This is the case when the person being monitored U inputs a positive emotional stamp such as a "fun" stamp 401 or "Look at me," and the situation is judged to be safe based on situational information (current location is within a safe area, time is daytime, there are no problems with the schedule, etc.). In this case, the response information determination unit 230 determines response information that shows empathy or interest (e.g., response stamps such as "That's great!" or "What is it?", short text messages 503, related smiling icon 501, etc.) mainly through processing within the monitor terminal 10 (referencing rules stored in the response rule database 340 (see Figure 12) in the memory unit 110, or a simple response generation logic) (part of the configuration corresponding to Appendix 9). Such responses affirm the positive emotions of the person being monitored, provide the enjoyment of communication, foster attachment to the device, and encourage its use in emergencies. This creates an emotional connection that goes beyond mere monitoring.

[0045] Next, we will specifically explain the case of "Information Provision / Simple Guidance Purpose" (LV2 in Figure 6), which is judged to be of moderate urgency. This is the case when the person being monitored U inputs a stamp 401 indicating "I might be lost" or a stamp indicating a question such as "What is this?", and although the situation information indicates that there is no immediate danger to life or physical safety, it is judged that some kind of support or information provision is desirable. In this case, the response information determination unit 230 determines the response information through processing within the monitored person's terminal 10 or through lightweight communication with the server 30 via the communication control unit 260 (for example, referring to registered location information or simple route search). For example, if the emotional input suggests that the person is lost (e.g., a "lost" stamp), and the situation information (current location) indicates that the person is far from a pre-registered main location (such as home or school) or has deviated from the planned route, the unit determines and displays an arrow icon 502 indicating the direction to the registered location, an estimated distance to the destination, and a simple map as response information (corresponding to Appendix 10). Furthermore, in response to inputs such as "What is this?", it is conceivable that the system could provide landmark information such as "That's XX Park" in conjunction with location information, or display a pre-registered simple explanation (for example, a note set by a parent such as "This is △△'s house"). This allows us to provide immediate and helpful information and guidance to address minor problems and questions the person being cared for, supporting self-resolution while taking care not to cause excessive anxiety and encouraging autonomous behavior.

[0046] Furthermore, we will specifically explain the case of "Parental Coordination / Safety Assurance Purpose" (LV3 in Figure 6), which is determined to be highly urgent. This occurs when the person being monitored U inputs stamps indicating strong anxiety or danger, such as "Help me" or "I'm scared," or when the situation information acquisition unit 220 obtains information strongly suggesting danger (e.g., intrusion into a prohibited area, fall detection, significant deviation from the schedule and prolonged inability to contact). In this case, the response information determination unit 230 communicates with the server 30 via the communication control unit 260 as the highest priority and executes emergency notification processing to the guardian P's monitoring terminal 20 (including current location information, emotional input content, situation summary, and, if applicable, short-time recording data of surrounding sounds acquired by the microphone 151). The notification content may also include functions for automatically sending voice messages or automatically capturing and sending images of the surroundings with the camera (not shown) of the person being monitored terminal 10. Then, the system informs the person being monitored U that their guardian has been contacted to reassure them, and determines and displays response information that includes specific instructions (e.g., messages 503 such as "I've contacted your family, so it's okay. Please wait in a safe place" or "Please do not move from where you are," or an icon indicating the waiting location, or a display indicating that an SOS signal is being transmitted) (part of the configuration corresponding to Appendix 9). This high-urgency handling process encourages actions to quickly and reliably ensure the safety of the person being monitored, strengthens cooperation with guardians, enhances the ability to respond to emergencies, and improves the reliability of the monitoring service. Figure 14 is an example of a sequence diagram showing the coordination between the monitored person's terminal 10, the server 30, and the monitor's terminal 20 in this emergency notification processing.

[0047] In addition to determining responses according to the urgency as described above, the response information determination unit 230 can also instruct the emotion input unit 210 to optimize the set of multiple stamp icons 401 displayed on the emotion input unit 210 and their display priority based on the current situation information (see Figure 7, corresponding to Appendix 11). For example, as shown in Figure 7, if the situation information recognizes that the person being monitored U is "within the school area," the unit will prioritize displaying a group of stamp icons 401 that are highly relevant to school life, such as "I don't want to study," "I played with friends!", and "Today's school lunch was delicious!". Alternatively, it can analyze past log information 350 (see Figure 12) and control the display of stamp icons 401 that the person being monitored U frequently uses in specific locations or time periods, placing them higher in the list under those circumstances (personalizing the display). This eliminates the need for the person being monitored (U) to search through numerous stamp options to find one that matches the situation and their feelings at the time, allowing them to input their emotions more quickly and accurately, thus improving usability. This feature is particularly effective when there are many options or when a child wants to communicate their feelings quickly, supporting smoother emotional expression.

[0048] Even if there is no explicit emotional input from the emotional input unit 210, the response information determination unit 230 can, based on the current situation information obtained from the situation information acquisition unit 220 and the patterns of past behavior and emotional logs, determine if there is a high probability that the person being monitored U is experiencing a particular emotion, or if it is predicted that there is a high probability that the person will reach a particular emotion if a particular situation continues, predict the predicted emotional state and generate response information such as a warning, reassuring information, or a question that encourages emotional input (e.g., "Is something wrong?" or "Tell me how you're feeling right now," leading to a stamp selection screen 400). This essentially estimates the emotional state of the person being monitored from the situation information and determines the response based on that, and in a broad sense, it is included in the process of determining response information "based on emotional input and the aforementioned situation information." This proactive response function allows for the provision of appropriate support or prompting of emotional expression before the person being monitored expresses their emotions, enabling more proactive and detailed monitoring.

[0049] The display control unit 240 has the function of displaying the response information determined by the response information determination unit 230 on the display unit 130 (corresponding to Appendix 1). Figure 5 shows an example of response information being displayed on the display unit 130. The displayed response information may be information provided individually or in combination depending on the user's age, such as a text message 503, an icon 501 indicating the content of the response (e.g., a character's facial expression, a mark indicating empathy, a mark to draw attention, etc.), and / or a simple animation. If the display unit 130 is linked to an audio output function (speaker 152), the display control unit 240 may instruct the audio input / output unit 150 to read aloud the text message or play sound effects (e.g., a cheerful sound effect to indicate encouragement, a warning sound to draw attention, etc.). As mentioned above, when the display unit 130 is a touchscreen display, it is preferable that the reception of emotional input by the emotional input unit 210 and the display of response information by the display control unit 240 are performed on the same touchscreen display (corresponding to Appendix 6). When a child inputs an emotional response, the response is displayed immediately on the same screen, creating a sense of dialogue.

[0050] Furthermore, the display control unit 240 may change the display color, font size, icon flashing pattern, etc., depending on the type and urgency of the response information. For example, if the urgency is "high," the response information may be highlighted in red, or the entire display unit 130 may flash. It may also work in conjunction with the audio input / output unit 150 to generate a strong vibration pattern (tactile feedback) along with a warning sound. On the other hand, if the urgency is "low" and the response is empathetic, a gentle animation may be displayed along with a warm-colored background, accompanied by a mild vibration pattern. This allows for an intuitive understanding of the importance and nature of the response, effectively attracting the attention of the person being monitored and increasing their sense of security.

[0051] Furthermore, the display control unit 240 may have a function to detect the touch position on the touchscreen display, which is the display unit 130 (the contact position 803 of the finger of the person being monitored U, see Figure 8) (via the input unit 140), and to dynamically adjust the display manner of the response information (display position, size, layout, etc.) in real time so that the main parts of the response information to be displayed according to that touch position (for example, the character's face 801 or the keyword part 802 of the message shown in Figure 8, or other information that the person being monitored U should most clearly see) are not obscured by the finger (corresponding to Appendix 12). Specific adjustment methods include considering the coordinates of the finger contact point 803 and a predetermined size, shifting the information elements to another position so that they do not overlap, temporarily shrinking the information so that the whole is visible, or displaying the information as a pop-up in a speech bubble format at a location away from the finger contact point 803. This prevents important information from being obscured by the finger even during touch operation, especially in small terminals used by children, ensuring the visibility of the response information and significantly improving usability. This feature has the advantage of ensuring that information is reliably conveyed even when children touch the screen to check the information.

[0052] The display control unit 240 can also provide gamification elements as an additional function to support the active learning of the person being monitored U and the habituation of desirable behaviors. For example, when the response information determination unit 230 recognizes, based on information from the situation information acquisition unit 220, that the person being monitored U has achieved a specific desirable behavior (e.g., followed the schedule, reported completion of assigned chores via the parent app, did not approach dangerous places, etc.), or when the person being monitored U enters a stamp indicating a sense of accomplishment such as "I did it!", it generates and displays response information that includes a message of praise and encouragement (e.g., "That's great! Well done!"), along with points that can be collected on the device, virtual badges, or items that can be used as wallpaper or avatars on the device. Figure 9A is an example of a response display screen 910 that shows that such points or badges have been awarded. This fosters autonomy and a sense of accomplishment in the person being monitored (U), and provides enjoyable support for establishing desirable behavioral habits. This offers a new value proposition that goes beyond mere supervision: supporting the child's growth.

[0053] Furthermore, the display control unit 240 can also provide entertainment elements. For example, it may have a function to display congratulatory messages or fortune-telling information (e.g., "Today's lucky item is this!") under specific conditions (such as the birthday of the person being monitored U, a special event day registered by the guardian P on the calendar, or at random times). This promotes the person being monitored U becoming familiar with the device and using it enjoyably on a daily basis. Such entertainment elements enhance the aspect of the monitoring device not merely as a surveillance tool, but as a personal device that fosters affection in the person being monitored.

[0054] The log recording unit 250 has the function of recording in the storage unit 110 as log information 350 (see Figure 12) in chronological order, the history of the content of the emotion input received by the emotion input unit 210 (such as stamp IDs and recognized emotion keywords), the situation information acquired by the situation information acquisition unit 220 (such as timestamps, location information, location categories, relationships with schedules, and activity level data), and the response information determined by the response information determination unit 230 and displayed by the display control unit 240 (part of the configuration corresponding to Appendix 13). This log information 350 is a valuable record showing the changes in the behavior and emotions of the person being monitored U. The communication control unit 260 controls the communication unit 120 and sends and receives various information with the server 30. For example, it receives schedule information 310 and area information 320 from the server 30 in response to a request from the status information acquisition unit 220. It also sends notification requests to the parent P (such as emergency notifications or specific event notifications) to the server 30 in response to instructions from the response information determination unit 230. Furthermore, it uploads log information 350 recorded in the log recording unit 250 to the server 30 periodically (for example, at the end of the day or at predetermined intervals) or in response to a request from the parent app.

[0055] The server 30 has the function of generating activity log display data for display on the caregiver terminal 20 based on the received log information 350 and sending it to the caregiver terminal 20. Alternatively, the monitored terminal 10 itself may generate activity log display data, albeit to a limited extent, and send it to the caregiver terminal 20 (part of the configuration corresponding to Appendix 13). Figure 9 shows an example of the activity log display screen 900 displayed on the screen of the caregiver terminal 20. On this screen 900, the daily travel route 901 of the monitored person U is displayed on the map 902, and emotion stamps 903 (or icons corresponding to emotions recognized by voice input) entered at each point along the route are mapped. The time information when the stamps 903 were pressed may also be displayed. By looking at this screen 900, the caregiver P can easily and visually understand where and how the monitored person U spent their time, thinking, "So this is what happened." This can serve as a starting point for communication between parent and child and is very useful in deepening the understanding of the child's state. It essentially functions like a simple electronic diary, where actions and feelings are recorded together. This feature helps guardians understand the nuances of the person being monitored and how those emotions relate to the situation at the time, which could not be fully grasped with conventional location-only logs, enabling deeper monitoring and more empathetic interaction.

[0056] (Description of the hardware configuration of the monitoring terminal 20) Next, with reference to Figure 15, an example of the hardware configuration of the guardian terminal 20 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 15 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the guardian terminal 20 according to this embodiment. The guardian terminal 20 is, for example, a smartphone, tablet terminal, or PC, and includes a control unit 2000 that controls the operation of the entire device, a storage unit 2010 that stores programs and data, a communication unit 2020 that communicates with a network NW, a display unit 2030 that displays information, and an input unit 2040 that receives input from the user (guardian P). These are connected via a bus 2050. These components are those found in general information terminal devices, and a detailed explanation will be omitted, but the display unit 2030 may be a touchscreen, and the input unit 2040 may include a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, etc.

[0057] (Explanation of the functional block configuration of the monitoring terminal 20) Next, with reference to Figure 16, the main functional block configuration of the guardian terminal 20 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 16 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration realized by the guardian terminal 20 running a parent application, etc. The guardian terminal 20 includes a communication control unit 2100, a display control unit 2110, an input reception unit 2120, a setting management unit 2130, a log display unit 2140, a notification reception unit 2150, and the like. The communication control unit 2100 controls the communication unit 2020 and sends and receives various information (location information of the monitored person U, log information, configuration information, notifications, etc.) to and from the server 30. The display control unit 2110 displays the received information and the parent app interface on the display unit 2030. For example, it displays the activity log display screen 900 shown in Figure 9, or the support message setting screen 920 shown in Figure 9B. The input receiving unit 2120 receives operation input from parent / guardian P via the input unit 2040. The settings management unit 2130 receives various settings from parent P (geofence area, schedule, notification rules, original stamps, etc.) and transmits them to the server 30 via the communication control unit 2100. The log display unit 2140 displays the activity logs and emotion logs of the person being monitored U, received from the server 30, on the display control unit 2110 in a format that is easy for the guardian P to understand, such as a map-linked display (Figure 9). The notification receiving unit 2150 receives emergency notifications and various alerts from the server 30 (or the monitored person's terminal 10), and displays them on the display control unit 2110, or notifies the guardian P with sound or vibration.

[0058] (Description of Server 30's hardware configuration) Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the server 30 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 17. Figure 17 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the server 30 according to this embodiment. The server 30 consists of one or more computers, each computer comprising a control unit 3000 that controls the operation of the entire device, a storage unit 3010 that stores programs and large databases, a communication unit 3020 that communicates with the network NW, and the like. These are connected via a bus 3030. These components are typical of a server computer, and a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0059] (Description of the functional block configuration of Server 30) Next, with reference to Figure 18, the main functional block configuration of the server 30 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 18 is a diagram showing an example of a functional block configuration realized by the server 30 executing a dedicated program. The server 30 includes a communication control unit 3100, an account management unit 3110, a data management unit 3120, a notification processing unit 3130, a log processing unit 3140, and (optionally) an advanced analysis processing unit 3150, etc. The communication control unit 3100 controls the communication unit 3020 and sends and receives various information between the monitored person's terminal 10 and the monitor's terminal 20. The Account Management Unit 3110 manages the account information (authentication information, profile, etc.) of the person being monitored U and the guardian P. The data management unit 3120 manages the database in the storage unit 3010 and stores, updates, and provides schedule information 310, area information 320, parental setting rules, and log information 350 uploaded from each monitored person's terminal 10. The notification processing unit 3130 generates and sends notifications (push notifications, emails, etc.) to the monitor terminal 20 based on emergency notification requests from the monitored terminal 10 or rules set in the data management unit 3120 (e.g., area deviation). As shown in the sequence in Figure 14, upon receiving the emergency signal S1401 from the monitored terminal 10, the system executes notification S1402 to the monitor terminal 20. The log processing unit 3140 analyzes and aggregates the log information 350 received from the monitored person's terminal 10, and generates and transmits activity log display data (Figure 9) and other data in response to a request from the monitor's terminal 20. The advanced analysis processing unit 3150 (optional) analyzes the accumulated log information 350 and other information (e.g., weather information, local event information, etc.) using machine learning and other methods to predict the behavioral patterns of the person being monitored U, make more sophisticated estimations of their emotional state, optimize response patterns used by the response information determination unit 230, or generate insight reports for the guardian P. The results of this processing are provided to the monitored terminal 10 and the guardian terminal 20 as needed.

[0060] (Explanation of data structure) Figure 12 is a data structure diagram showing an example of the main information (data) used in the monitoring system 1 of this embodiment and its structure. This data is stored in the storage unit 110 of the monitored person's terminal 10 and the storage unit 3010 of the server 30, and is referenced and updated as needed. The schedule information 310 is primarily stored on the server 30 and managed in association with each person being monitored U. Each schedule entry is composed of a record that includes fields such as "Schedule ID," "Person Being Monitored ID," "Date," "Start Time," "End Time," "Scheduled Content" (e.g., text description), and "Related Area ID" (e.g., area ID of the location where the scheduled event takes place). Area information 320 is also mainly stored on server 30, and each area (geofence) is composed of a record that includes fields such as "Area ID", "Area Name" (e.g., home, XX Elementary School, △△ Park, etc.), "Area Type" (e.g., a category indicating home, school, park, prohibited area, caution area, etc.), and "Geofence Definition Data" (e.g., numerical data indicating the center coordinates and radius, or a set of polygon vertex coordinates).

[0061] Stamp information 330 is mainly stored in the memory unit 110 of the caregiver terminal 10. Each stamp is composed of a record that includes fields such as "stamp ID," "corresponding emotion category" (e.g., internal code or text indicating joy, sadness, anxiety, request, state, etc.), "display icon data" (or a reference path to an icon image file), and "voice recognition keyword list" (e.g., "tired," "exhausted," etc. correspond to the "fatigue" category). If caregiver P creates and registers an original stamp via the caregiver app, that information is also added and managed in a similar format. The response rule database 340 is a set of rules that the response information determination unit 230 refers to when determining response information. It is mainly stored in the memory unit 110 of the caregiver terminal 10, but some may be managed by the server 30 and updated information may be distributed to the terminal. Each rule is composed of a record that includes fields such as "rule ID", "condition section" (defined by a logical combination of emotion category, situation conditions (location category, time of day, schedule deviation degree, urgency flag, range of specific sensor values, etc.)), and "execution section" (defining response information to be displayed when the conditions are met (message template ID, display icon ID, animation ID, etc.) and actions to be performed (notification to guardian flag, specific function activation command, etc.)).

[0062] The log information 350 is sequentially recorded in the memory unit 110 of the monitored person's terminal 10 and is also accumulated in the server 30. Each log entry is composed of a record that includes, for example, "log ID," "timestamp," "entered emotion information" (stamp ID or recognized emotion category), "main situation information at that time" (location information (latitude and longitude), location category, time, relationship to schedule, activity level, etc.), and "content of displayed response information" (displayed message text, display icon ID, etc.).

[0063] (Explanation of the processing flow) Next, the main processing flow of the monitored person terminal 10 according to this embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 10 and 11. The processing shown in these flowcharts is achieved when the control unit 100 of the monitored person terminal 10 reads the monitoring processing program from the storage unit 110 and executes it.

[0064] Figure 10 is a main flowchart showing an example of the normal processing of the monitored terminal 10 according to this embodiment. This processing routine is executed repeatedly, for example, after the power of the monitored terminal 10 is turned on, at predetermined intervals (e.g., every few seconds to tens of seconds), or triggered by the occurrence of a specific event. First, the control unit 100 determines whether or not there has been emotional input from the person being monitored U via the emotional input unit 210 (step S101). If there has been emotional input (YES in S101), the system proceeds to step S106. If there has been no emotional input (NO in S101), the control unit 100 instructs the situation information acquisition unit 220 to continuously monitor, acquire, and evaluate the current situation information of the person being monitored U (latest location information, time, information from various sensors 170, etc.) (step S102).

[0065] Then, based on the acquired situation information, the system determines whether any situation change has occurred (for example, entry into or exit from a pre-set specific area, arrival of a scheduled time defined in the schedule information 310, detection of an anomaly such as a fall by the acceleration sensor, etc.) and whether any response is required (step S103). If it is determined that there is a situation change requiring a response (YES in S103), the control unit 100 instructs the response information determination unit 230 to determine the response information corresponding to that situation (step S104, see Figure 11 for details), and instructs the display control unit 240 to display the determined response information on the display unit 130 (step S105). After that, the process returns to step S101. If it is determined in step S103 that there is no situation change requiring a response, the system returns to step S101 and waits for the next processing cycle or event occurrence.

[0066] If it is determined in step S101 that emotional input has been received from the person being monitored U (YES in S101), the control unit 100 instructs the situation information acquisition unit 220 to accurately acquire and update the situation information of the person being monitored U at the time the emotional input was received (latest location information, time, latest schedule information 310 and area information 320 obtained from the server 30, information from various sensors 170, etc.) (step S106). Next, the control unit 100 instructs the response information determination unit 230 to determine the response information to be presented to the person being monitored U based on the emotional input received in step S101 and the situation information acquired in step S106 (step S1047, see Figure 11 for details). Then, it instructs the display control unit 240 to display the determined response information on the display unit 130 (step S105). After that, the process returns to step S101. Regardless of which processing path is followed, the log recording unit 250 appropriately records the content of the emotion input, the acquired situation information, and the displayed response information as log information 350 in the storage unit 110.

[0067] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing in more detail the main flow of the response information determination process according to this embodiment (corresponding to the process in step S104 of Figure 10). This process is mainly executed by the response information determination unit 230. First, the response information determination unit 230 determines the "urgency" of the current situation (step S201) based on the input emotion information (if emotion input is received; in the case of a situation change without emotion input, the type of event is treated as equivalent to emotion information) and the current situation information (a comprehensive evaluation of location, time, schedule, area information, sensor information, etc.). The urgency is determined by comprehensively evaluating, for example, the type of emotion input (e.g., a "help me" stamp indicates high urgency, a "fun" stamp indicates low urgency), the current location of the person being monitored U (e.g., being in a "forbidden area" indicates high urgency, being in the "home" area indicates low urgency), the current time (e.g., "nighttime" requires more caution than daytime), the degree of deviation from the schedule, etc., and is determined to fall into one of several predefined levels (for example, high, medium, and low). Rules stored in the response rule database 340 in the memory unit 110 are used for this determination.

[0068] Next, the response information determination unit 230 determines whether the urgency determined in step S201 is high or not (for example, whether it corresponds to "high" on a three-level scale) (step S202). If it is determined that the urgency is high (YES in S202), the response information determination unit 230 instructs the communication control unit 260 to perform notification processing to the guardian P with the highest priority (step S203). The communication control unit 260 notifies the guardian P's monitoring terminal 20 of the occurrence of an emergency via the server 30 (for example, location information, emotion input content, situation summary, and possibly short recording data of ambient sound acquired by the microphone 151). The response information determination unit 230 then generates emergency response information that includes a message informing the person being monitored U that a notification has been sent to their guardian (e.g., "We've contacted your family, and they'll be here soon!") and specific instructions for the person being monitored U (e.g., a message such as "Don't move, wait in a safe place," along with an icon encouraging them to stay put, or an icon indicating an evacuation location) (step S204).

[0069] If the urgency is not high in step S202 (i.e., moderate or low) (NO in S202), the response information determination unit 230 further determines whether the received emotion input suggests something like "I'm lost" or "I don't know which way to go," and whether the current location is far from a pre-registered major point (home, school, etc.) or deviates from the planned route (step S205). If these conditions are met and it is determined that there is a high possibility that the person is lost (YES in S205), the response information determination unit 230 generates response information such as an arrow icon 502 indicating the direction to a registered point, the distance to the destination, and simple map information (step S206). If it is determined in step S205 that the situation does not fall under the category of being lost (i.e., a general situation with low urgency and no need for clear directions), the response information determination unit 230, based on the input emotion and current situation (location, time, schedule, etc.), refers to the response rule database 340 in the memory unit 110, and in some cases a machine learning model (such as a personalized response pattern learned and generated on the server 30 and delivered to the terminal 10), to generate response information mainly aimed at facilitating communication and providing emotional support, such as empathy (e.g., "Oh, you're sad"), encouragement (e.g., "Hang in there!"), interest arousal (e.g., "What is it?"), or a mild warning appropriate to the situation (e.g., "It's almost time to go home") (step S207). The response information generated in step S204, S206, or S207 is output to the display control unit 240 as the final response information and displayed on the display unit 130. This enables a multi-stage, detailed response tailored to the situation.

[0070] (Variations, etc.) The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit. For example, if the response information determination unit 230 uses machine learning, the learning model may be generated and updated on the server 30 side, and the latest model or parameters may be periodically delivered to the monitored person terminal 10. This machine learning model can be used to learn more general and effective response patterns by analyzing anonymized log information 350 of a large number of monitored persons U, or to learn the child's specific response preferences and effective ways of encouragement from the usage history of each monitored person U, and to generate personalized responses. Furthermore, in addition to stamps and voice, it is conceivable that, as a means of emotional input, the emotional state could be estimated with greater accuracy by recognizing the facial expressions of the person being monitored with a small camera, or by acquiring biometric information such as pulse rate and skin electrical activity with a separate wearable sensor, and using this information as a supplement. As another variation, when the person being monitored U provides emotional input, the monitored terminal 10 may perform processes such as determining the urgency and deciding on response information (see, for example, Figures 10 and 11), and transmit information about the emotional input and the situation at that time to the server 30 in real time or at a predetermined time. In this case, the server 30 may use this received information to, for example, determine whether to provide more detailed situation notifications to the guardian P, analyze information from multiple monitored persons to gain new insights, or provide feedback to complement the response decisions of the monitored terminal 10.

[0071] The display of response information can also be expanded beyond text, icons, and simple animations to include richer graphic representations and physical feedback through connected smart toys (for example, a stuffed animal nodding or lighting up). This is expected to enable more intuitive and engaging information transmission, especially for young children. A variety of functions can be considered for linking with the monitoring terminal 20. For example, a function could be added that allows the guardian P to directly reply with messages or stamps from the guardian app in response to specific emotional inputs from the monitored person U (e.g., "lonely") (this can be provided with an interface similar to the support message setting interface, as shown in Figure 9B, which is an example of the setting screen 920), or a function could be added that allows the guardian P to remotely customize some of the response templates and rules generated by the monitored person terminal 10 (e.g., editing response messages for specific stamps, adding or changing response rules for specific areas or time periods). In addition, a function could be considered in which the guardian P pre-registers positive words such as "Today's Support Message" in the guardian app (see screen 920 in Figure 9B), and the monitored person terminal 10 displays a slightly modified version of that message at specific times based on the registered schedule and location information (e.g., before going to school in the morning, before starting extracurricular activities, etc.), or depending on specific emotional inputs or situations from the monitored person U. The components of each embodiment described herein can be combined as appropriate, as long as no inconsistencies arise. For example, it is conceivable that the person being monitored U can freely select and use both voice input and stamp input, and that the terminal 10 for the person being monitored recommends the optimal input method depending on the situation (e.g., stamp input is recommended in noisy places, voice input is recommended when hands are occupied, etc.).

[0072] The monitoring terminal and monitoring system according to the present invention contribute to improving computer functionality and user interfaces. Specifically, the process of processing emotional input and multifaceted situational information in real time and dynamically generating and displaying response information based on this information optimizes the processing load of the monitoring terminal (computer) according to the situation (e.g., internal processing in the terminal when the urgency is low, server processing when advanced judgment is required), while providing intuitive and easy-to-understand responses (emotional feedback, specific instructions, etc.) to the child being monitored at the appropriate time. This realizes a more interactive and situation-adaptive user interface than the conventional simple information notification type, and significantly improves usability for children. This interactive interface contributes to improving the computer's information processing capabilities by enabling the computer to comprehensively understand unstructured information such as the user's emotions and structural information such as location and time, and generate output accordingly. Furthermore, features such as voice recognition, emotional input via touch, optimized display of stamp sets according to the situation, and display control that takes finger position into consideration contribute significantly to improving the user interface, particularly in small devices used by children, by reducing input burden, improving visibility, and preventing errors. For example, display control that prevents display obscuration by fingers helps solve technical challenges in computer display processing by effectively utilizing limited screen space and increasing the efficiency of information transmission. Furthermore, the log information obtained through these processes helps parents understand their child's condition and contributes to the efficiency and real-time capabilities of data processing in the field of child monitoring. Dynamic decision-making logic for response information, particularly step-by-step processing and personalization based on urgency, improves the quality of information processing performed by computers and contributes to the improvement of computer technology itself by enabling more effective user support with fewer computing resources. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1…Monitoring system 10… Terminal for the person being monitored 20…Monitoring device 30... Server 100...Control unit (terminal for the person being monitored) 110...Memory Unit (Terminal for the person being monitored) 120... Communications Unit (Terminal for the person being monitored) 130...Display unit (terminal for the person being monitored) 140...Input unit (terminal for the person being monitored) 141... Physical buttons 150...Audio input / output unit (terminal for the person being monitored) 151... Mike 152...Speaker 160... Positioning unit (terminal for the person being monitored) 170... Various sensors (devices for monitoring the person being monitored) 180...Bus (device for those being monitored) 210... Emotion input section 220... Situation Information Acquisition Unit 230...Response Information Determination Unit 240...Display Control Unit 250...Log Recording Section 260...Communication Control Unit 310... Schedule Information 320... Area Information 330... Stamp information 340... Response Rule Database 350...Log information 400... Stamp selection screen 401, 401a, 401b, 401c, 401d... stamp icons 402...Arrow icon (for toggle operation) 501…Response icon 502...Arrow icon (for directional indication) 503... Text message 504...Highlighted (red) 505…Vibration Pattern 601... Emotion input (parameter for determining urgency) 602... Situation information (parameters for determining urgency) 603…Emergency Score 900... Activity log display screen 901... Travel route 902... Map 903... Emotion stamp (on the map) 910... Points Badge Display Screen 920...Support message settings screen 1301... Emotion Input Reception Module 1302... Situation Information Acquisition Module 1303...Response Information Determination Module 1304…Display control module 1305... Logging module 1306...Communication control module 2000... Control Unit (Monitoring Terminal) 2010...Memory Unit (Monitoring Terminal) 2020…Communication Department (Monitoring Terminal) 2030...Display unit (terminal for caregivers) 2040...Input unit (terminal for caregivers) 2050...Bus (Monitoring terminal) 2100...Communication Control Unit (Terminal for Monitors) 2110...Display Control Unit (Monitoring Terminal) 2120... Input reception unit (terminal for caregivers) 2130...Settings Management Unit (Monitoring Terminal) 2140...Log display unit (monitoring terminal) 2150... Notification receiving unit (device for caregivers) 3000... Control Unit (Server) 3010...Memory Unit (Server) 3020... Communications Department (Server) 3030...bus (server) 3100...Communication Control Unit (Server) 3110... Account Management Department (Server) 3120...Data Management Department (Server) 3130... Notification processing unit (server) 3140...Log processing unit (server) 3150...Advanced Analysis Processing Unit (Server) NW...Network P...Guardian (supervisor) U... Person being watched over LV1, LV2, LV3...Emergency Level Th1, Th2... thresholds w1~wn...Weighting coefficients S101~S106...Processing steps S201~S207... Processing steps

Claims

1. A terminal for the person being monitored, which is carried by the person being monitored. An emotion input unit that receives emotional input from the person being cared for, A situation information acquisition unit that acquires situation information of the person being monitored, A response information determination unit that determines response information to be presented to the person being monitored based on the emotion input and the situation information, A display unit that displays the response information and A monitoring terminal equipped with the following features.

2. The response information includes emotional feedback to the person being monitored. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 1.

3. The emotion input unit receives emotion input corresponding to one stamp icon selected by the person being monitored from among a plurality of stamp icons displayed on the touchscreen display. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 1.

4. The aforementioned set of stamp icons can be switched by toggling on the touchscreen display. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 3.

5. The emotion input unit includes a microphone that receives voice utterances from the person being cared for, and a voice recognition processing unit that recognizes specific emotion keywords or emotion phrases from the voice utterances, and receives emotion input corresponding to the recognized emotion keywords or emotion phrases. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 1.

6. The display unit is a touchscreen display, and the reception of emotional input by the emotional input unit and the display of the response information are performed on the same touchscreen display. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 1.

7. The situation information acquisition unit acquires at least one of the following: location information indicating the current location of the person being monitored, the current time, schedule information relating to the person being monitored, and area information set by the guardian. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 1.

8. The response information determination unit determines the urgency of the combination based on the emotion input and the situation information, and changes the presentation level and content of the response information in stages according to the determined urgency. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 1.

9. The response information determination unit determines the response information by processing within the monitored person's terminal if the determined urgency is low, and if the determined urgency is high, it communicates with an external server to perform notification processing to the guardian and determines the response information including that the notification processing has been performed. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 8.

10. The response information determination unit determines, as the response information, information indicating the direction to the registered location when the emotion input suggests that the person is lost and the situation information indicates that the person is far from a pre-registered location. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 1.

11. The response information determination unit optimizes the set of stamp icons or the display priority of the emotion input unit based on the current situation information. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 3.

12. The aforementioned terminal for the person being monitored further includes a display control unit that detects the touch position on the touchscreen display which is the display unit, and adjusts the display mode of the response information so that the main part of the response information to be displayed by the touch position is not obscured. The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 6.

13. A logging unit that records the emotional input and the situational information, A transmission unit generates activity log display data that combines the movement route of the person being monitored and the emotion inputs entered at each point along the movement route onto a map, based on the log recorded in the log recording unit, and transmits it to the guardian's terminal. Furthermore, The monitoring terminal for the person being monitored according to claim 1.

14. A monitoring method for a monitored person terminal according to claim 1, The control unit of the monitored person's terminal, An emotional input step that accepts emotional input from the person being cared for, A situation information acquisition step to acquire situation information of the person being monitored, A response information determination step in which response information to be presented to the person being monitored is determined based on the aforementioned emotional input and the aforementioned situational information, A display step of displaying the response information, Monitoring methods, including those mentioned above.

15. Computers, An emotion input unit that receives emotional input from the person being monitored. A situation information acquisition unit that acquires situation information of the person being monitored. A response information determination unit determines response information to be presented to the person being monitored based on the aforementioned emotional input and the aforementioned situational information. A display unit that displays the response information, A program designed to function as such.

16. A device carried by the person being monitored, A server capable of communicating with the aforementioned terminal for the person being monitored and the monitoring terminal used by the monitor, The aforementioned monitoring terminal used by the monitoring person, A monitoring system equipped with, The aforementioned terminal for the person being monitored is An emotion input unit that receives emotional input from the person being monitored. A situation information acquisition unit that acquires situation information of the person being monitored. A response information determination unit determines response information to be presented to the person being monitored based on the aforementioned emotional input and the aforementioned situational information. A display unit that displays the response information, A monitoring system equipped with these features.

Images