Digital therapeutic system and method based on cognitive behavioral therapy

Abstract

A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a user terminal and a digital therapeutic server that provides cognitive behavioral therapy-based content to the user terminal. The digital therapeutic server includes a collection unit that collects background information of a user through the user terminal, a presentation unit that presents at least one theme to the user terminal, a learning unit that, when the user terminal selects one of the themes, provides the user terminal with a plurality of tasks and basic content corresponding to the theme, an application unit that provides the user terminal with skill enhancement content that can apply technology corresponding to the basic content, a virtual field unit that provides the user terminal with virtual field content derived from the basic content or in which the content of the skill enhancement content is reconstructed, and an evaluation unit that evaluates the content learned by the user.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a digital therapeutic system and method based on cognitive behavioral therapy, and more particularly to a digital therapeutic system and method based on cognitive behavioral therapy that provides individually optimized smart healthcare services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder aged 10 to 18, who require intensive development of recognition of and interaction in social situations with peers, rather than infants. [Background technology]

[0002] Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a psychiatric disorder characterized by developmental deficits in social interactions, restricted interests, stereotyped behaviors, and sensory hypersensitivity. It is a developmental disorder that appears early in life and persists throughout life. Individuals with ASD exhibit developmental delays in various areas, including cognition, language, social-emotional, physical, and behavioral development, beginning in infancy. Developmental delays due to ASD affect various areas of life, including school life, careers, social relationships, daily living, and independence. Difficulties in social interactions and safety issues often require assistance from family, teachers, activity assistants, and others around them. Therefore, identifying and treating ASD can have a significant impact on a child's long-term growth and development, positively impacting families and society as a whole.

[0003] However, the development of effective treatments for social interaction deficits in individuals with ASD has been slow, and high costs and limited treatment facilities have resulted in low utilization rates. While risperidone and aripiprazole have been approved by the FDA to treat the irritability associated with ASD, there are no FDA-approved standard medications targeting core symptoms such as social situational awareness and interaction problems (Research and Development Special Zone Promotion Foundation, 2021). According to the American Association of People with Disabilities, the average annual treatment expenditure for children with ASD in the United States in 2017 was $17,081. Furthermore, when considering not only direct treatment costs incurred by parents of children with ASD but also indirect costs (e.g., lost work time, household labor costs, etc.), the average annual treatment expenditure for families is estimated to be over $36,000. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy was introduced in South Korea about 10 years ago to promote social interaction in individuals with autism spectrum disorders, and treatment programs are gradually becoming more widespread. However, in South Korea, the number of licensed therapists is limited, with many in the greater Seoul area. Treatment costs of nearly 60,000 to 100,000 won per session and monthly fees of over 3 million won have led to declining utilization rates (Dong-A Ilbo, August 9, 2022). Furthermore, additional costs can arise when using rehabilitation therapy, speech therapy, art therapy, and music therapy, with 49.7% of parents of children with developmental disabilities reporting that treatment costs are "very burdensome" or "somewhat burdensome" (Childcare Policy Institute, 2019).

[0004] Meanwhile, digital therapeutic devices help children learn in engaging ways. These devices utilize games, videos, animations, and other methods to provide content that children can easily understand and find engaging. This approach can help children enjoy learning, develop self-confidence, and actively participate. Digital therapeutic devices are highly portable, as they can be applied using smartphones, smart pads, and other devices. They are not limited to specific locations, allow for multiple repetitive learning sessions, and are relatively inexpensive compared to face-to-face therapy. They are particularly useful because they allow for real-time feedback and problem-solving when problems arise in daily life.

[0005] Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic technique that focuses on the relationship between human thoughts, behaviors, and emotions through six stages: assessment or psychological assessment, reconceptualization, skills acquisition, skills consolidation and application training, generalization and maintenance, and post-treatment assessment follow-up. CBT is known to achieve results such as cognitive improvement, behavior modification, and emotional regulation through repetitive learning, and is an evidence-based treatment that is used for various mental disorders such as ADHD, mood disorders, and addictions.

[0006] Therefore, there is a growing need for a digital therapeutic system and method for people with autism spectrum disorders that is based on cognitive behavioral therapy and uses digital therapeutic devices. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present invention is to provide a digital therapeutic system and method based on cognitive behavioral therapy that can improve the executive functions of individuals with autism spectrum disorder in their daily lives using a digital therapeutic device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, a digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a user terminal and a digital therapeutic server that provides cognitive behavioral therapy-based content to the user terminal, and the digital therapeutic server includes a collection unit that collects background information of a user through the user terminal, a presentation unit that presents at least one theme to the user terminal, a learning unit that provides the user terminal with a plurality of tasks and basic content corresponding to the theme when the user terminal selects one of the themes, an application unit that provides the user terminal with skill enhancement content that can apply technology corresponding to the basic content, a virtual scene unit that provides the user terminal with virtual scene content derived from the basic content or in which the content of the skill enhancement content is reconstructed, and an evaluation unit that evaluates the content learned by the user.

[0009] In some embodiments, the services provided to the user terminal by the collection unit, the presentation unit, the learning unit, the application unit, the virtual site unit, and the evaluation unit may correspond to cognitive behavioral treatment assessment or psychological assessment, reconceptualization, skills acquisition, skills consolidation and application training, generalization and maintenance, and post-treatment assessment follow-up, respectively.

[0010] According to some embodiments, the user's background information collected by the collection unit includes the user's age and degree of disability, and the learning unit, the application unit, and the virtual scene unit can adjust the difficulty level of the basic content, the skill-enhancing content, and the virtual scene content according to the collected information about the user's age and degree of disability.

[0011] According to some embodiments, the plurality of themes presented by the presentation unit on the user terminal may be themes corresponding to situations that may occur in daily life.

[0012] According to some embodiments, the base content may consist of a video containing scenes that respectively correspond to the plurality of tasks.

[0013] In some embodiments, the skill enhancement content includes first skill enhancement content, which is configured in a manner in which multiple speakers interact with each other based on dialogue content included in the basic content, and one of the multiple speakers plays the role of the user.

[0014] In some embodiments, the skill enhancement content includes second skill enhancement content in which the speech of a speaker playing the role of the user is muted, and the application unit provides the second skill enhancement content to the user terminal after providing the first skill enhancement content to the user terminal, and the user terminal records the user's speech when the speech of the muted speaker is provided, and the application unit can receive the recorded user's speech.

[0015] According to some embodiments, the virtual location content includes first virtual location content including a video including content derived from the basic content or a video in which content of the skill-enhancing content is reconstructed, the first virtual location content being configured in a manner in which multiple speakers interact with each other, one of the multiple speakers playing the role of the user, the virtual location content including second virtual location content in which speech of a speaker who played the role of the user in the first virtual location content is muted, the virtual location unit provides the first virtual location content to the user terminal and then provides the second virtual location content to the user terminal, the user terminal records the user's speech when the muted speaker's speech is provided, and the virtual location unit receives the recorded user's speech.

[0016] According to some embodiments, the evaluation unit can evaluate what the user has learned based on the user's utterances received by the application unit and the virtual scene unit, respectively.

[0017] A digital therapy method based on cognitive behavioral therapy according to some embodiments of the present invention may include collecting background information of a user through a user terminal; presenting at least one theme to the user terminal; when the user terminal selects one of the themes, providing the user terminal with a plurality of tasks and basic content corresponding to the selected theme; providing the user terminal with skill enhancement content that can apply technology corresponding to the basic content; providing the user terminal with virtual field content derived from the basic content or in which the content of the skill enhancement content is reconstructed; and evaluating the content learned by the user. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the digital therapeutic system and method based on cognitive behavioral therapy of the present invention, by providing educational content based on cognitive behavioral therapy to individuals with autism spectrum disorder, it is possible to achieve results such as cognitive improvement, behavior modification, and emotional regulation through repetitive learning.

[0019] According to the digital therapeutic system and method based on cognitive behavioral therapy of the present invention, educational content is provided to individuals with autism spectrum disorders through a digital therapeutic device, which has the advantages of being portable, not being restricted by location, allowing for multiple repeated learning sessions, and being relatively inexpensive compared to face-to-face therapy.

[0020] According to the digital therapeutic system and method based on cognitive behavioral therapy of the present invention, educational content is provided to persons with autism spectrum disorders using games, videos, animations, etc., which has the effect of making it easier for persons with autism spectrum disorders to understand and become interested in the educational content. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing each component of a digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the components of the digital therapeutic server according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating examples of themes that a presentation unit presents to a user terminal. [Figure 4] 1 is a flowchart of a digital therapy method based on cognitive behavioral therapy according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. When referring to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same components will have the same reference numerals whenever possible, even if they appear in different drawings.

[0023] Furthermore, when describing the embodiments of the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of related publicly known configurations or functions would hinder understanding of the embodiments of the present invention, such a detailed description will be omitted.

[0024] Furthermore, when describing components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. are used merely to distinguish the components from other components, and the terms do not limit the nature, order, or sequence of the corresponding components.

[0025] As used herein, the singular includes the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As used herein, "comprises" and / or "comprising" does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other elements other than the elements mentioned.

[0026] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the components of a digital therapeutic system 1000 (hereinafter referred to as "system 1000") based on cognitive behavioral therapy according to the present invention.

[0028] The system 1000 according to the present invention may include a user terminal 10 and a digital therapeutic server 100 .

[0029] The user terminal 10 (digital therapeutic device, hereinafter referred to as "user terminal 10") is carried by a user with autism spectrum disorder. The user can send and receive information to and from the digital therapeutic server 100 via the user terminal 10.

[0030] An application for treating a user's autism spectrum disorder may be installed on the user terminal 10. The application is a user program for specifically executing the system 1000 and method according to the present invention. Such an application may be downloaded and installed from the digital therapeutic server 100 or another app store server. The application installed on the user terminal 10 may communicate with the digital therapeutic server 100 to receive educational content, display educational screens within the educational content on the display device of the user terminal 10, speak audio information, and record the user's speech.

[0031] The digital therapeutic server 100 provides at least one communication protocol for communicating with the user terminal 10 via a communication network, and can provide the user terminal 10 with an interface such as an application programming interface (API) for app integration for services to applications.

[0032] Hereinafter, each component of the digital therapeutic server 100 according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

[0033] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the components of the digital therapeutic server 100 according to the present invention.

[0034] 2, the digital therapeutic server 100 according to the present invention includes a collection unit 110, a presentation unit 120, a learning unit 130, an application unit 140, a virtual scene unit 150, and an evaluation unit 160. Meanwhile, the services provided to the user terminal 10 by the collection unit 110, presentation unit 120, learning unit 130, application unit 140, virtual scene unit 150, and evaluation unit 160 may correspond to (1) assessment or psychological assessment, (2) reconceptualization, (3) skills acquisition, (4) skills consolidation and application training, (5) generalization and maintenance, and (6) post-treatment assessment follow-up of cognitive behavioral therapy, respectively.

[0035] For example, the collection unit 110 grasps the user's current knowledge so as to correspond to the "evaluation or psychological evaluation" of cognitive behavioral therapy. The collection unit 110 grasps the user's current knowledge and can collect the degree of disability, etc. The collection unit 110 can also collect the user's age, gender, etc.

[0036] The presentation unit 120 presents themes to be studied in a manner that corresponds to "reconceptualization" in cognitive behavioral therapy. Meanwhile, reconceptualization refers to the process of reevaluating and reconstructing the way in which the user understands and handles the current problem situation. Therefore, themes presented by the presentation unit 120 can be selected based on situations that may occur in the user's daily life.

[0037] The learning unit 130 can present detailed tasks corresponding to a theme selected by the user and provide basic content including the content of the detailed tasks to the user, in order to correspond to "skill acquisition" in cognitive behavioral therapy. In this case, the basic content allows the user to acquire skills through the detailed tasks through repeated practice.

[0038] The application unit 140 can provide the user with skill-enhancing content consisting only of utterance content included in the basic content, corresponding to the "skill reinforcement and application training" of cognitive behavioral therapy. In this case, the skill-enhancing content provides options for the user to select appropriate utterances and provides an environment in which the user can actually speak, thereby enabling the user to apply the acquired skills to actual situations.

[0039] The virtual scene unit 150 may provide the user with virtual scene content that allows the user to repeatedly practice tasks that may be derived from the basic content and the skill strengthening content, and situations that may occur for each theme, in a virtual scene, so as to correspond to "generalization and maintenance" of cognitive behavioral therapy. According to one embodiment, the virtual scene content may provide options for the user to select appropriate utterances in a virtual scene related to the theme presented by the presentation unit 120, or may provide an environment in which the user can actually speak, thereby allowing the user to apply the skills they have acquired in the virtual scene.

[0040] The evaluation unit 160 can evaluate and repeat the entire process so as to correspond to a "post-treatment follow-up evaluation" of cognitive behavioral therapy. For example, the evaluation by the evaluation unit 160 can evaluate the user's education and learning results based on the options selected and / or the content actually spoken by the user when using the skill enhancement content of the application unit 140 and / or the virtual on-site content of the virtual on-site unit 150.

[0041] As mentioned above, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychotherapeutic technique that focuses on the relationship between human thoughts, behaviors, and emotions through a comprehensive process that includes (1) assessment or psychological assessment, (2) reconceptualization, (3) skills acquisition, (4) skills consolidation and application training, (5) generalization and maintenance, and (6) post-treatment assessment follow-up. CBT is known to achieve results such as cognitive improvement, behavior modification, and emotional regulation through repetitive learning, and is an evidence-based treatment that is used for various mental disorders, including ADHD, mood disorders, and addictions.

[0042] On the other hand, adolescents and adults with autism spectrum disorder, even those without intellectual disabilities, experience serious problems with everyday life adaptation due to problems with executive function. In particular, problems with key executive functions such as cognitive flexibility, emotion and impulse regulation (self-control), working memory, and planning and initiation often cause difficulties in completing goal behaviors.

[0043] Several studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of identifying individual vulnerabilities in executive function in individuals with autism spectrum disorders and providing customized programs to strengthen executive function (Chung, 2016; Oswald, 2017; Yang, 2022; de Vries, 2015; Kenworthy, 2013; Baker-Ericzen, 2017). These studies have demonstrated that executive function, including working memory, behavioral regulation, and planning and organization abilities, can be improved, and anxiety reduction can also be effective.

[0044] However, most of the above studies were conducted under controlled experimental conditions and reported only limited indirect effects in increasing adaptive ability and social interactions in daily life, limiting claims that they have promoted real-world social behavior.

[0045] Therefore, the system 1000 according to the present invention includes: (1) a collection unit 110 that grasps the user's current knowledge (background information) through the user terminal 10; (2) a presentation unit 120 that presents at least one theme to the user terminal 10 and receives a selection of one of the at least one theme from the user terminal 10; (3) a learning unit 130 that, when the user terminal 10 selects one of the at least one theme, provides the user terminal 10 with basic content that can be repeatedly practiced along with a plurality of detailed tasks corresponding to the theme, thereby enabling the user to acquire skills; (4) an application unit 140 that provides skill enhancement content to the user terminal 10, allowing the user to apply the skills acquired through the basic content; (5) a virtual field unit 150 that provides virtual field content that reconstructs tasks or content of the skill enhancement content that can be derived from the basic content, thereby promoting repetitive practice in ever-changing fields; and (6) an evaluation unit 160 that evaluates and learns the learned content, thereby educating and treating persons with autism spectrum disorders in adaptive ability and social interactions in daily life.

[0046] The collection unit 110 can grasp the user's current knowledge by collecting background information of a user with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) via the user terminal 10. The collection unit 110 collects, for example, the user's age, degree of disability, gender, etc.

[0047] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing examples of themes that the presentation unit 120 presents to the user terminal 10. As shown in FIG.

[0048] The presentation unit 120 may present at least one theme to the user terminal 10. The theme presented by the presentation unit 120 may be configured to allow the user with an autism spectrum disorder to practice communication processes with people they may encounter in daily life or social situations, taking into account the deficiencies in social interaction and communication skills of the person with autism spectrum disorder. This corresponds to the objective of the present invention of providing a personalized smart healthcare service targeted at persons with autism spectrum disorder aged 10 to 18, who require intensive development of recognition and interaction in social situations with peers, rather than infants. Since the theme presented by the presentation unit 120 is applied to situations that may occur in daily life, the basic content provided by the learning unit 130 (described later) also includes content related to communication processes with people they may encounter in daily life or social situations, thereby comprehensively improving planning and organization, cognitive flexibility, and social interaction in the process of the person with autism spectrum disorder adapting to daily life.

[0049] As described above, the themes that the presentation unit 120 presents to the user terminal 10 are themes that may arise in everyday life, and include, for example, as shown in FIG. 3, (1) clothing appropriate for the weather, (2) using the restroom, (3) finding your way (using public transportation), (4) taking the bus (cash, card), (5) taking the subway (cash, card), (6) going to the bank (using an ATM), (7) offline shopping (cash, card), (8) online shopping (card), (9) going to the hospital, and (10) going to a pharmacy.

[0050] When the presentation unit 120 presents the above-mentioned themes to the user terminal 10, the user terminal 10 can select one of the themes presented by the presentation unit 120. Meanwhile, in one embodiment, a guardian, for example, a parent, of an individual with autism spectrum disorder can also select one of the above-mentioned themes. Although not shown in the drawings, when a guardian intervenes in the service provided by the present invention, the guardian can connect to the digital therapeutic server 100 via a guardian terminal (not shown).

[0051] When the user terminal 10 selects one of the above-mentioned themes, the presentation unit 120 receives information about the selection and transmits the information to the learning unit 130.

[0052] The learning unit 130 can provide the user terminal 10 with a plurality of detailed tasks according to the theme.

[0053] In one embodiment, when the theme "dressing according to the weather" is selected, the learning unit 130 presents detailed tasks such as (1) checking the weather, (2) checking the temperature, (3) determining the general range of clothing, (4) selecting appropriate clothing from the clothing one has, and (5) identifying inappropriate clothing.

[0054] Alternatively, in one embodiment, if a theme related to "Using the Bus (Card)" is selected, the learning unit 130 presents detailed tasks such as (1) searching for the departure point and destination via the Naver (registered trademark) Map or Kakao (registered trademark) Map application, (2) checking the required travel time, (3) preparing to depart 20 minutes before the required travel time, (4) checking the bus number to board, (5) checking the bus stop, (6) waiting for the bus at the bus stop, (7) having the transportation card in hand in advance, (8) when the bus arrives, touching the transportation card after boarding (e.g., a scene of dragging and touching the transportation card), (9) sitting in a seat, (10) checking the bus stop where you will get off, (11) listening carefully to the bus announcements and pressing the bell, and (12) touching the card to get off.

[0055] Alternatively, in one embodiment, if a theme related to "Using the Subway (Card)" is selected, the learning unit 130 presents detailed tasks such as (1) searching for the departure point and destination via the Naver (registered trademark) Map or Kakao (registered trademark) Map application, (2) checking the number of subway transfers, (3) checking subway stations, (4) checking the required travel time, (5) preparing to depart 20 minutes before the required travel time, (6) checking the name of the station where the user will get off, (7) listening carefully to the subway announcements and preparing to get off, (8) checking the map to see which exit to use after getting off, (9) getting off after the announcement is made, looking at the exit guide board to find the ticket gate and exit, (10) tapping the transportation card when exiting, and (11) looking at the exit guide board to find the exit and exit.

[0056] Alternatively, in one embodiment, if a theme related to "Going to the bank (using an ATM - withdrawing money)" is selected, the learning unit 130 presents detailed tasks such as (1) checking the bank mark on the check card (for example, the bank name is displayed by the bank mark), (2) searching for the bank name on Naver (registered trademark) Map or Kakao (registered trademark) Map, (3) going to the nearest bank, (4) opening the door to the ATM and entering, (5) clicking the deposit / withdraw button, (6) clicking "Card", (7) inserting the card into the blinking arrow, (8) selecting the amount, (9) if the amount is not listed, selecting "Other", entering the number, and pressing the confirm button, (10) checking the amount and pressing the confirm button, (11) entering the four-digit card PIN, (12) printing a receipt, and (13) receiving the card and receipt.

[0057] Alternatively, in one embodiment, if a theme related to "Online Shopping (Card - App Card Installation Method Guide)" is selected, the learning unit 130 presents detailed tasks such as (1) searching for "mask" on Naver (registered trademark), (2) tapping the shopping tab, (3) looking at and clicking the desired color and size, (4) selecting the color and size and then confirming the quantity to purchase, (5) tapping "Purchase", (6) searching for and entering the home address as the delivery address, (7) entering a mobile phone number, (8) entering a delivery message, (9) clicking "General Payment", (10) selecting "Credit Card", (11) clicking the name of the company that owns the card, (12) tapping "Make Payment", (13) tapping "App Card Payment", (14) tapping the QR Code (registered trademark) to make payment, and (15) entering a simple payment password.

[0058] Meanwhile, each task presented by the learning unit 130 may be composed of one scene in the basic content.

[0059] The learning unit 130 can provide the user terminal 10 with basic content corresponding to a theme selected by the user and a plurality of tasks corresponding to the theme. The basic content provided by the learning unit 130 to the user terminal 10 is configured with videos including scenes corresponding to tasks according to the theme selected by the user. The basic content may be configured with, for example, an animation in which a plurality of speakers converse with each other. The video of the basic content may include not only the conversations between the plurality of speakers but also other components that explain each theme and task and allow the user to understand the current situation.

[0060] Meanwhile, the learning unit 130 may adjust the difficulty level of the basic content according to the user's background information collected by the collection unit 110. For example, the learning unit 130 may adjust the difficulty level of the basic content according to the user's age and level of disability. In this case, the difficulty level of the basic content may be adjusted by adjusting the number of speakers or the number of tasks.

[0061] The more speakers there are, the more dialogue there is and the higher the level of dialogue ability required. For example, when there are two speakers, they only need to take turns in the dialogue and focus their gaze on the other person, but when there are four speakers, they must remember what the other three speakers have said and respond in line with the flow of the dialogue, making the timing of the dialogue and eye contact more complex.

[0062] Also, the difficulty level decreases as the number of tasks increases, and increases as the number of tasks decreases. For example, if the task "After getting on the subway, find the exit and get off" is divided into detailed tasks such as "Check the station where you should get off > Listen carefully to the announcement > Check the exit on the map," the difficulty level of each task decreases.

[0063] Meanwhile, such difficulty adjustment can be applied not only to the basic content of the learning unit 130, but also to the skill enhancement content of the application unit 140 and / or the virtual scene content of the virtual scene unit 150, which will be described later.

[0064] The application unit 140 can provide the user terminal 10 with skill enhancement content that can apply and utilize technologies corresponding to the basic content. The skill enhancement content can be configured based on the dialogue content included in the basic content, with multiple speakers interacting with each other to allow the user to focus solely on dialogue training. In this case, one of the speakers plays the role of the user. When the speaker playing the user role speaks, the animation in the skill enhancement content is partially modified to show the speaker playing the user role, allowing the user to focus on the speech. Regarding the display of the speaker, the application unit 140 can implement animation of a 2D or 3D model face and / or facial expression that changes in real time by adding feature points to the user's facial area captured through the camera of the user terminal 10 and calculating and digitizing the amount of change in the added feature points using interpolation, as will be described below.

[0065] When providing skill enhancement content to the user terminal 10, the application unit 140 may provide the skill enhancement content after muting the speech of a speaker who played the role of the user in the skill enhancement content. That is, the application unit 140 may provide the user terminal 10 with general skill enhancement content (e.g., "first skill enhancement content") as described above a predetermined number of times determined according to the age and degree of disability of the user, and then provide the user terminal 10 with skill enhancement content (e.g., "second skill enhancement content") in which only the speech of a speaker who played the role of the user has been muted. Through the second skill enhancement content, the application unit 140 presents a video in which the dialogue of a person acting on behalf of the user is omitted during video playback, allowing the user to learn linguistic dialogue expressions while completing the omitted dialogue.

[0066] When a dialogue of a person acting on behalf of the user is omitted in the second skill enhancement content, the application unit 140 can display a plurality of options for selecting appropriate utterance content of the person on the user terminal 10. The user can select an option that describes appropriate utterance from the displayed options.

[0067] Alternatively, when the dialogue of a person acting on behalf of the user is omitted in the second skill enhancement content, the application unit 140 can provide an environment in which the user can actually speak appropriate utterance content of that person. The user terminal 10 can record the user's utterance when the utterance of a muted speaker is provided during playback of the second skill enhancement content. The user terminal 10 transmits option information selected by the user and / or the recorded user's utterance to the application unit 140, and the application unit 140 transmits the received option information and / or the recorded user's utterance to the evaluation unit 160. The evaluation unit 160 can evaluate the option information selected by the user and / or the recorded user's utterance based on criteria described below.

[0068] The virtual scene section 150 can provide the user terminal 10 with virtual scene content in which tasks that can be derived from the theme and / or basic content, or utterances of skill-enhancing content are reconstructed.

[0069] The virtual site content provides options for the user to select appropriate speech in a virtual site related to the theme presented by the presentation unit 120, and provides an environment in which the user can actually speak, thereby enabling the user to apply the skills they have acquired in the virtual site.

[0070] The virtual on-site content is designed to teach and educate people on how to appropriately deal with various changing situations, taking into account the characteristics of people with autism spectrum disorders, who have difficulty adapting and adapting to various changes flexibly.

[0071] For example, if the theme selected by a user is "dressing appropriately for the weather," the corresponding detailed tasks are, as described above, (1) checking the weather, (2) checking the temperature, (3) determining the general range of clothing, (4) selecting appropriate clothing from the clothing owned, and (5) identifying inappropriate clothing. The basic content is a video containing scenes corresponding to each detailed task, and the skill-enhancing content is constructed by extracting only the speech content from each basic content. In this case, the virtual local content may be derived from the above-mentioned theme and task, for example, providing guidance on how to borrow or purchase an umbrella when the weather forecast differs from the actual weather or when it suddenly starts raining. The virtual local content may also be a reconstructed version of the speech content of the skill-enhancing content constructed by extracting only the speech content from each basic content. This reconstruction may involve changing the speaker from a female to a male, changing the speaker's age group, or changing the number of speakers. Therefore, the virtual local content can present various changing situations based on the theme and detailed tasks, enabling the user to learn and learn appropriate speech accordingly.

[0072] The virtual site content, like the skill enhancement content described above, includes a first virtual site content that includes a speaker playing the role of the user and the full content of the utterance, and a second virtual site content in which the utterance of the speaker playing the role of the user is muted when he or she speaks.

[0073] That is, the first virtual location content includes a video including content derived from the basic content and / or a video in which content of the skill-enhancing content is reconstructed. The first virtual location content is configured in a manner in which multiple speakers interact with each other, and one of the speakers plays the role of a user.

[0074] The second virtual location content may be provided to the user after muting the speech of the speaker who played the role of the user in the first virtual location content.

[0075] The virtual scene unit 150 may provide the first virtual scene content to the user terminal 10 a predetermined number of times determined according to the age and degree of disability of the user, and then provide the second virtual scene content to the user terminal 10, in which only the speech of the speaker who played the role of the user is muted. The virtual scene unit 150 presents a video in which the speech of the person acting as the user is omitted when playing a video through the second virtual scene content, and allows the user to learn linguistic dialogue expressions while completing the omitted dialogue by applying the speech learned in the basic content and the skill strengthening content.

[0076] At this time, the virtual scene unit 150 can receive option information and / or utterance information selected or recorded through the virtual scene content from the user terminal 10, and the virtual scene unit 150 transmits the received option information and / or recorded utterance information to the evaluation unit 160. The evaluation unit 160 can evaluate the option information selected by the user and / or the recorded user utterance based on criteria described below.

[0077] The evaluation unit 160 can evaluate the content learned by the user based on the correctness of the option information received by the application unit 140 and / or the virtual scene unit 150, respectively, and / or the recorded user utterances.

[0078] If the evaluation unit 160 evaluates the user's learning content based on the recorded user's utterances, the evaluation unit 160 evaluates the user's learning content based on a plurality of evaluation criteria, including keyword evaluation criteria, conversation response speed evaluation criteria, speaking speed evaluation criteria, conversation repetition evaluation criteria, etc.

[0079] The evaluation unit 160 analyzes and evaluates the audio of the recorded user's speech, and if the user's speech matches a pre-set evaluation criterion, it determines that the learning training is successful, and if the user's speech does not match the evaluation criterion, it determines that the learning training is unsuccessful.

[0080] The keyword evaluation criteria are used to determine whether or not a keyword is included in a user's utterance and to evaluate this.

[0081] The conversation response speed evaluation criterion is an evaluation of how appropriately fast the user speaks after the other person finishes speaking. If it takes too long to listen to what the other person says and respond, the conversation may be interrupted or the user may be prompted, which may hinder the smooth maintenance of the conversation. If the user speaks before the other person finishes speaking, the conversation may be interrupted, or the user may speak about something completely unrelated to the response to what the other person said.

[0082] The speaking rate assessment standard is used to evaluate the speaking rate during conversation. Speaking rate is an important technique for effectively conveying words to the other person. If the speaking rate is too fast or too slow, it will be difficult for the other person to understand or pay attention to the speaker's words, making it difficult to maintain a conversation.

[0083] The conversational repetition metric evaluates whether a user repeats the same phrases or words when speaking.

[0084] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a digital therapy method based on cognitive behavioral therapy according to the present invention.

[0085] 4, the cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy method (hereinafter referred to as the "method") according to the present invention may include a step of collecting user background information from the user terminal 10 by the collection unit 110 (S100), a step of presenting at least one theme to the user terminal 10 by the presentation unit 120 (S200), a step of providing the user terminal 10 with a plurality of tasks and basic content corresponding to the selected theme by the user terminal 10 when the user terminal 10 selects one of the themes by the learning unit 130 (S300), a step of providing the user terminal 10 with skill enhancement content that can apply a technique corresponding to the basic content by the application unit 140 (S400), a step of providing the user terminal 10 with virtual scene content derived from the basic content or reconstructed from the content of the skill enhancement content by the virtual scene unit 150 (S500), and a step of evaluating the learned content by the evaluation unit 160 (S600). Details of each step are as described above.

[0086] Meanwhile, the method may further include, after step S600, a step (not shown) of providing a reward to the user.

[0087] In the step of providing a reward to the user, when the evaluation unit 160 completes the evaluation, a first reward may be provided to the user terminal 10.

[0088] In this case, the step of providing a reward to the user may include providing a second reward to the user terminal 10 together with the first reward if the evaluation unit 160 determines that the content of the user's conversation matches the pre-set evaluation criteria and that the learning training is successful.

[0089] To this end, the system 1000 according to the present invention may further include a reward unit (not shown).

[0090] When the reward unit receives the evaluation result information from the evaluation unit 160, it provides a first reward to the user terminal 10. At this time, the first reward is given when the user completes learning a theme and a task corresponding to that theme, regardless of the result. Therefore, the first reward may be smaller in size than other rewards described below.

[0091] Meanwhile, the second reward may be greater than the first reward because it is given when a user achieves results that meet the evaluation criteria for one theme and tasks corresponding to that theme, resulting in successful learning training. The reward unit that provided the user with the second reward transmits the results to the collection unit 110, the presentation unit 120, and / or the learning unit 130. When a user receives the second reward, the collection unit 110 collects and stores the second reward as the user's background information. When a user receives the second reward, the presentation unit 120 may display a successful learning training for the theme for which the user received the second reward for a certain period of time, or may not present the theme on the user terminal 10 for a certain period of time. When a user reselects the theme for which the user received the second reward, the learning unit 130 may increase the difficulty level of the basic content corresponding to that theme. Therefore, as described above, basic content with an increased number of speakers or a reduced number of tasks may be provided to the user terminal 10. Meanwhile, for people with autism spectrum disorders, repeated learning of the same theme and task is important, so the user repeatedly learns the basic content corresponding to the theme and task for which the second reward with increased difficulty has been received, and if the evaluation unit 160 again evaluates the learning training as successful accordingly, the evaluation unit 160 provides the user with a third reward. Therefore, the reward unit not only encourages the user to participate in learning by providing the user with a reward according to the repeated learning, but also motivates the user to voluntarily participate repeatedly in the theme and task learned within a certain period of time.

[0092] Meanwhile, the first to third rewards described above may be provided by the parental terminal. For example, each reward may be provided as mileage or points that can be exchanged for a real reward. Alternatively, each reward may take the form of a symbolic icon that can be directly exchanged for a real reward. For example, the symbolic icon may represent a real item that the user likes, such as chocolate, strawberries, or snacks, and the parental terminal may directly provide the reward to the user through the icon received by the user. This may provide a real reward to the user, motivating them to participate in learning and repeat participation.

[0093] Furthermore, for example, if each reward is mileage or points, the reward unit can categorize the themes that the user has studied and determine themes with a high degree of similarity as similar themes.

[0094] The reward unit may separately calculate a reward amount based on the difficulty level, average time required, etc. for similar themes. The reward amount calculated in this manner may be determined as an expected reward amount and may be displayed on the user terminal 10 together with the theme when the user selects the theme.

[0095] This is because the user is provided with a larger reward when repeatedly learning a similar theme. Also, learning a similar theme has the advantage of increasing learning efficiency.

[0096] Meanwhile, as described above, the application unit 140 and the virtual scene unit 150 provide skill enhancement content and virtual scene content, respectively, to the user terminal 10. Meanwhile, the skill enhancement content and the virtual scene content include a speaker who plays the role of the user. In this case, the application unit 140 and / or the virtual scene unit 150 can recognize the user's face or facial expression and provide the user terminal 10 with an animation in which the user's current face or facial expression is synthesized in real time with the face of the speaker who plays the role of the user.

[0097] The user terminal 10 captures a face of the user undergoing training through a camera and transmits the captured face to the digital therapeutic system 1000. The application unit 140 and / or the virtual scene unit 150 can synthesize the received face and facial expression of the user onto the face of a speaker playing the role of the user in the animation.

[0098] This allows the user to recognize the speaker whose face and facial expression are currently synthesized as the speaker playing the role of the user, and as such, the user's gaze is directed to the speaker, improving learning efficiency. This not only makes learning more enjoyable for the user, but also allows the user to confirm in real time that the user is gazing at the skill-enhancing content and / or virtual scene content in the correct area.

[0099] The application unit 140 and the virtual site unit 150 assign feature points to the facial area photographed via the camera of the user terminal 10, and calculate and digitize the amount of change in the assigned feature points using interpolation, thereby implementing animation of the face and / or facial expression of a 2D or 3D model that changes in real time.

[0100] The application unit 140 and the virtual scene unit 150 each search for a user's facial region in an image captured by the camera of the user terminal 10, assign feature points to the searched facial region, and, when a change in the feature points is input, digitize the change and apply the digitized change to a 2D or 3D model in which control points corresponding to the feature points and their change are preset, thereby implementing a real-time animation of the face and / or expression of the 2D or 3D model. When applying the digitized change, the application unit 140 and the virtual scene unit 150 each read a 2D or 3D model in which feature points and control points are preset, and, when a digitized change in the feature points is recognized, control and output the change in the feature points using the preset control points. If the change in the feature points is not transmitted, the application unit 140 and the virtual scene unit 150 output an initialized face and / or expression of the read model. In this case, the digitized change is preferably a vector function value with respect to time.

[0101] The application unit 140 and the virtual site unit 150 are described in more detail below, in which the application unit 140 and the virtual site unit 150 synthesize the current face or facial expression of the user onto the face of a speaker playing the role of the user in real time.

[0102] The application unit 140 and the virtual scene unit 150 each capture a face and / or facial expression via a camera to search for a facial region, and assign feature points to the eyes, nose, mouth, eyebrows, and overall facial contours within the searched facial region. The amount of change in the feature points that changes as the face and / or facial expression changes is then converted into data, and this is applied to a 2D or 3D model in which control points corresponding to the feature points and the amount of change in the feature points are preset, thereby implementing a facial and / or facial expression animation of the 2D or 3D model that changes in real time.

[0103] When applying the digitized feature point change amount, the device reads a 2D or 3D model with preset feature points and control points that change depending on the feature point change amount, checks whether the digitized feature point change amount is received, and if so, controls the feature point change amount according to the preset control points and outputs it. If the feature point change amount is not received, the device outputs the initialized face and / or facial animation of the read model. Therefore, it can be recognized that the user is not viewing the skill enhancement content or virtual location content or is viewing it outside a certain area.

[0104] Meanwhile, the amount of change in feature points within a face region captured by a camera can be calculated through interpolation.

[0105] Interpolation is a technique for generating facial expression animation by approximating intermediate stages from a face and / or expression expressed through multiple feature points, and there are various well-known methods such as shape interpolation, which approximates geometric structures, and key frame interpolation, which approximates images over time.

[0106] Below, one embodiment of how the interpolation method is applied is described in detail.

[0107] First, still images are extracted at regular time intervals from a video input in real time via a camera, and feature points are assigned to the facial area found in the still images and temporarily stored in a first data memory. Then, after a certain time (e.g., 0.1 to 1 second) has passed, a still image is extracted from the input video, and feature points are assigned to the facial area found in the still images and temporarily stored in a second data memory. The feature points temporarily stored in the first and second data memories are compared, and the amount of change is calculated and digitized. At this time, the amount of change is approximated as a vector function value with respect to time. Then, a 2D or 3D model with preset feature points is loaded, and the digitized amount of change in the feature points is applied to implement facial expression animation.

[0108] The user terminal 10 and parental terminal according to the present invention may be a terminal such as a desktop PC, laptop computer, tablet PC, or smartphone equipped with an input means such as a keyboard, mouse, touchpad, or touchscreen, and a display screen, but is not limited thereto. Any device capable of processing digital information can be connected to the digital therapeutic server 100 via a communication network, allowing for input of search information and selection information, and installation of an application program capable of displaying searched result information. The user terminal 10 according to the present invention is a component that connects to the digital therapeutic server 100 via a communication network and transmits and receives information, and may include, for example, at least one of a smartphone, tablet personal computer, mobile phone, video phone, desktop personal computer, laptop computer, netbook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable multimedia player (PMP), wearable device (e.g., smart glasses, head-mounted display (HMD), etc.), unmanned terminal (kiosk), or smart watch.

[0109] The user terminal 10 and the digital therapeutic server 100 according to the present invention can communicate via their respective communication units and communication networks. A communication network refers to a connection structure that enables information exchange between nodes such as terminals and servers. Examples of such communication networks include, but are not limited to, a 3GPP (registered trademark) (3rd Generation Partnership Project) network, a LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, a 5G network, a WIMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access) network, the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), a Wireless LAN (Wireless Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a PAN (Personal Area Network), a Wi-Fi network, a Bluetooth (registered trademark) network, a satellite broadcasting network, an analog broadcasting network, and a DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting) network. The communication units of the user terminal 10 and the digital therapeutic server 100 can include electronic components for the communication network to enable wired and wireless data communication via the above-mentioned communication network.

[0110] As used herein, the digital therapeutic server 100 and each component of the digital therapeutic server 100 may be a processor that executes a series of executable processes stored in memory, or may operate as a software module driven and controlled by a processor. Additionally, the processor may be a hardware device.

[0111] For reference, a cognitive-behavioral therapy-based digital therapy method according to one embodiment of the present invention may be embodied in the form of program instructions that can be executed by various computer means and recorded on a computer-readable medium. The computer-readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, and the like, alone or in combination. The program instructions recorded on the medium may be specially designed and configured for the present invention, or may be known and available to those skilled in the art of computer software. Examples of computer-readable media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs, magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, and hardware devices specially configured to store and execute program instructions, such as ROMs, RAMs, and flash memories. Examples of program instructions include not only machine language code created by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The hardware devices described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention, and vice versa.

[0112] In this specification, the term "unit" includes a unit realized by hardware, a unit realized by software, and a unit realized using both hardware and software. Also, one unit may be realized using two or more pieces of hardware, and two or more units may be realized by one piece of hardware.

[0113] It should be reiterated that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the description and expression of the embodiments explicitly described above, and that the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited by obvious modifications or substitutions in the technical field to which the present invention belongs.

Claims

1. A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy, comprising: a user terminal; and a digital therapeutic server that provides learning content based on cognitive behavioral therapy to the user terminal, The digital therapeutic server includes: a collection unit that collects background information of the user via the user terminal; a presentation unit that presents at least one theme to the user terminal; a learning unit that, when the user terminal selects one of the themes, provides the user terminal with a plurality of tasks and basic content corresponding to the theme; an application unit that provides the user terminal with skill enhancement content that can apply a technique corresponding to the basic content; a virtual scene unit that provides the user terminal with virtual scene content derived from the basic content or in which the skill enhancement content is reconstructed; A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy, comprising: an evaluation unit that evaluates what a user has learned.

2. 10. The cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy system of claim 1, The services provided to the user terminal by the collection unit, the presentation unit, the learning unit, the application unit, the virtual site unit, and the evaluation unit are respectively: A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy, characterized by being able to handle assessment or psychological assessment of cognitive behavioral therapy, reconceptualization, skills acquisition, skills consolidation and application training, generalization and maintenance, and post-treatment assessment follow-up.

3. 10. The cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy system of claim 1, The user's background information collected by the collection unit includes the user's age and degree of disability, The learning unit, the application unit, and the virtual scene unit adjust the difficulty level of the basic content, the skill enhancement content, and the virtual scene content according to the collected age and degree of disability of the user. A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy.

4. 10. The cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy system of claim 1, A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy, characterized in that the multiple themes presented by the presentation unit to the user terminal are themes corresponding to situations that may occur in everyday life.

5. 5. A cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy system according to claim 4, comprising: A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy, characterized in that the basic content is composed of videos including scenes corresponding to each of the multiple tasks.

6. 6. A cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy system according to claim 5, A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy, characterized in that the skill enhancement content is configured in a manner in which multiple speakers interact with each other based on the dialogue content included in the basic content, and includes first skill enhancement content in which one of the multiple speakers plays the role of the user.

7. 7. A cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy system according to claim 6, the skill enhancement content includes second skill enhancement content in which speech of a speaker playing the role of the user is muted; The application unit includes: providing the first skill enhancement content to the user terminal, and then providing the second skill enhancement content to the user terminal; the user terminal records the user's speech when the muted speaker's speech is provided; The application unit receives the recorded user speech, a digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy.

8. 8. A cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy system according to claim 7, comprising: The virtual location content includes a first virtual location content including a video including content derived from the basic content or a video in which content of the skill-enhancing content is reconstructed; The first virtual location content is configured in a manner in which a plurality of speakers interact with each other, and one of the plurality of speakers plays the role of the user; The virtual location content includes a second virtual location content in which speech of a speaker who played the role of the user in the first virtual location content is muted, the virtual scene unit provides the first virtual scene content to the user terminal, and then provides the second virtual scene content to the user terminal; the user terminal records the user's speech when the muted speaker's speech is provided; The digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy, wherein the virtual on-site unit receives the recorded user utterances.

9. 9. A cognitive behavioral therapy-based digital therapy system according to claim 8, comprising: The evaluation unit evaluates the content learned by the user based on the user's utterances received by the application unit and the virtual scene unit, respectively. A digital therapeutic system based on cognitive behavioral therapy.

10. collecting user background information via a user terminal; presenting at least one theme to a user terminal; When the user terminal selects one of the themes, providing the user terminal with a plurality of tasks and basic content corresponding to the selected theme; providing skill-enhancing content that can apply a technique corresponding to the basic content to a user terminal; Providing virtual scene content derived from the basic content or reconstructed from the skill-enhancing content to the user terminal; and evaluating what the user has learned.

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