Writing analysis system, writing implement and analysis device

Abstract

To estimate a user's degree of fatigue based on information on writing actions.SOLUTION: The writing analysis system has a writing instrument, an analysis device, and a display device. The writing instrument has a barrel in which a writing body having a writing unit at the front end is accommodated, a motion measuring unit provided on the barrel to measure the motion of the writing instrument, and an output unit that outputs information about the measured motion to the analysis device. The analysis device includes a storage unit that stores a reference writing attribute that indicates features of user's writing motions, an acquisition unit for acquiring information about the motion of the writing instrument measured during a predetermined period, and a determination unit that determines a period writing attribute that indicates characteristics of a user's writing motion in a predetermined period based on the acquired information about the motion. The display device displays information based on the difference between the reference writing attribute and the period writing attribute.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a writing analysis system, a writing implement, and an analysis device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, information about a writing action is acquired using a sensor attached to a writing instrument, and the information is used for information processing. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for calculating the time that a writing instrument has been used based on the measurement results of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor attached to the writing instrument.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a writing implement that includes an LED (Light Emitting Diode) and is capable of measuring a user's level of fatigue based on a flicker test using blinking of the LED. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-211948 A [Patent Document 2] Utility Model Registration No. 3000617 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In order to measure the degree of fatigue using the writing implement described in Patent Document 2, the user had to stop writing and perform a flicker test. If the degree of fatigue could be estimated based on information about the writing action without such an operation, convenience for the user would be improved.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a writing analysis system, a writing instrument, and an analysis device that enable estimation of a user's fatigue level based on information about the writing action. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The writing analysis system of the present invention is a writing analysis system having a writing instrument, an analysis device, and a display device, wherein the writing instrument has a barrel in which a writing body having a writing part at its front end is accommodated, a motion measurement unit provided in the barrel for measuring the motion of the writing instrument, and an output unit for outputting information input from the motion measurement unit to the analysis device, the analysis device has a memory unit for storing reference writing attributes that indicate the characteristics of a user's writing motion, an acquisition unit for acquiring information regarding the motion of the writing instrument measured over a specified period of time, and a judgment unit for determining period writing attributes that indicate the characteristics of the user's writing motion over a specified period of time based on the acquired information regarding the motion, and the display device displays information based on the difference between the reference writing attributes and the period writing attributes.

[0008] In the writing analysis system according to the present invention, the display device is preferably provided on a barrel of the writing implement.

[0009] In the writing analysis system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the movement measuring section measures, as the movement of the writing implement, acceleration and angular velocity in three mutually orthogonal directions.

[0010] In addition, in the writing analysis system of the present invention, it is preferable that the writing instrument further has a pressure measuring unit that is housed in the barrel in contact with the rear end surface of the writing body and measures the pressure from the writing body, the operation measuring unit further measures magnetic fields in three mutually perpendicular directions as the operation of the writing instrument, and the output unit further outputs information on the measured pressure.

[0011] In addition, in the writing analysis system of the present invention, it is preferable that the writing instrument further has a rechargeable battery housed in the barrel and supplying power to at least the motion measurement unit, a receiving coil housed in the barrel and charging the rechargeable battery, and an adjustment member for adjusting the center of gravity of the writing instrument housed closer to the front end than the axial center of the barrel, wherein the center of gravity of the writing instrument is adjusted to a position between 40% and 60% from the axial front end of the writing instrument, and the barrel is composed of multiple members that can be separated in the circumferential direction.

[0012] A writing implement according to the present invention is characterized in that it is used in the writing analysis system according to the present invention.

[0013] The analysis device of the present invention is an analysis device of a writing analysis system having a writing instrument and an analysis device, and is characterized in that it has a memory unit that stores reference writing attributes that indicate the characteristics of a user's writing action, an acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the writing instrument action measured over a specified period from the writing instrument, a determination unit that determines period writing attributes that indicate the characteristics of the user's writing action over a specified period based on the acquired information regarding the action, and a display unit that displays information based on the difference between the reference writing attributes and the period writing attributes. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The writing analysis system, writing implement, and analysis device according to the present invention make it possible to estimate a user's level of fatigue based on information about the writing action. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a writing analysis system 10. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a front cross-sectional view of the writing instrument 1. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the writing instrument 1. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view of a first barrel member 111. FIG. [Figure 7] 2 is a perspective view of a second barrel member 112. FIG. [Figure 8] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a writing instrument 1. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an analysis device 2. [Figure 10] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of an operation information table T1. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of a handwriting attribute table T2. FIG. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a flow of pre-processing. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a transmission process. [Figure 14] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a reference handwriting attribute determination process. FIG. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of an analysis process. [Figure 16] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of a period writing attribute determination process. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a character information output process. [Figure 18] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a character information generation process. [Figure 19] FIG. [Figure 20] 2 is a cross-sectional view of the writing instrument 5. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, it should be noted that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, but covers the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0017] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a writing analysis system 10 according to a first embodiment. The writing analysis system 10 generates character information indicating written characters based on information related to the operation of the writing instrument 1. The writing analysis system 10 also determines writing attributes indicating characteristics of the user's writing operation based on information related to the operation of the writing instrument 1 output from the writing instrument 1. The writing analysis system 10 estimates the user's fatigue level for a predetermined period based on the difference between a reference writing attribute, which is a reference writing attribute, and a period writing attribute, which is a writing attribute for a predetermined period.

[0018] The writing analysis system 10 includes a writing instrument 1, an analysis device 2, and a user terminal 3. The analysis device 2 is an information processing terminal such as a PC (Personal Computer), a server, a mobile phone, or a smartphone. The user terminal 3 is an information processing terminal such as a PC, a server, a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a game console used by a user. The writing instrument 1, the analysis device 2, and the user terminal 3 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 4 such as the Internet or an intranet.

[0019] The structure of the writing instrument 1 will be described below with reference to Figures 2 to 5. Figure 2 is a front view of the writing instrument 1, Figure 3 is a front cross-sectional view of the writing instrument 1 taken along line AA in Figure 2, Figure 4 is a side view of the writing instrument 1, and Figure 5 is a side cross-sectional view of the writing instrument 1 taken along line BB in Figure 4. In the following description, the direction of the tip (the so-called "pen tip") in the axial direction of the writing instrument 1 is referred to as the front of the writing instrument 1.

[0020] The writing instrument 1 has a barrel 11, a writing body 12, a motion sensor 13, a tail plug 14, a pressure sensor 15, a rechargeable battery 16, and a processing board 17. The barrel 11 has a generally cylindrical shape, and the writing body 12 is accommodated in the barrel 11 at a generally axial position. The writing body 12 has a writing part 121 for applying ink at its front end, and an ink containing tube 122 for containing ink to be supplied to the writing part 121. The ink containing tube 122 is supported by being inserted into a containing tube support part 114 provided inside the barrel 11 perpendicular to the axial direction. In addition, a tapered inclined part 113 is provided at the front end of the barrel 11.

[0021] A recess 1131 is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the inclined portion 113, and a motion sensor 13 is provided in the recess 1131. The motion sensor 13 is a sensor that measures the motion of the writing implement 1, and is, for example, a sensor that measures acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field in three mutually orthogonal directions. The motion sensor 13 is an example of a motion measurement unit.

[0022] The rear end of the ink containing tube 122 is inserted into a tail plug 14, which has a closed rear end face and an air hole 141 provided in part of the side face. The rear end face of the tail plug 14 abuts against a pressure sensor 15, which is adhered to and supported by the front face of a sensor support part 115 provided inside the barrel 11 perpendicular to the axial direction. The pressure sensor 15 is a sensor that measures the pressure from the tail plug 14. The pressure sensor 15 measures, via the tail plug 14, the pressure (so-called "writing pressure") that the writing body 12 receives from a writing object such as paper when writing with the writing instrument 1. The pressure sensor 15 is an example of a pressure measuring part.

[0023] It is not necessary to provide the tail plug 14 in the writing instrument 1. In this case, the rear end surface of the ink reservoir 122 of the writing body 12 abuts against the pressure sensor 15.

[0024] A rechargeable battery 16 is accommodated behind the sensor support section 115 inside the shaft tube 11. The rechargeable battery 16 supplies power to the motion sensor 13, the pressure sensor 15, and the processing board 17 via a first conductor 161, a second conductor (not shown), and a third conductor 162. A power receiving coil 163 for charging the rechargeable battery 16 by non-contact charging is also accommodated near the rear end of the shaft tube 11. The power receiving coil 163 is connected to the rechargeable battery 16 via a power receiving circuit (not shown). Note that the internal structure of the rechargeable battery 16 is not shown in FIGS. 2 and 4.

[0025] In addition, in the writing instrument 1, a power receiving terminal for connecting a power supply cable may be provided instead of the power receiving coil 163, and the rechargeable battery 16 may be charged by a wire. Also, instead of the rechargeable battery 16, a dry cell may be used.

[0026] A processing board 17 is housed behind the rechargeable battery 16 inside the barrel 11. The processing board 17 is a printed circuit board on which an integrated circuit is mounted for realizing the function of outputting information relating to the motion measured by the motion sensor 13 and information relating to the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 15. A storage device and a communication device are also mounted on the processing board 17. Note that, hereinafter, the information relating to the motion and the pressure information may be collectively referred to as "written information."

[0027] An adjustment member 18, through which an ink containing tube 122 is inserted, is provided behind the inclined portion 113 inside the barrel 11. The adjustment member 18 is a member for adjusting the position of the center of gravity of the writing instrument 1. The adjustment member 18 is a member that has a predetermined weight and is housed closer to the front end than the center in the axial direction of the barrel 11 so that the position of the center of gravity of the writing instrument 1 is at a position that is 40% or more and 60% or less from the axial front end of the writing instrument 1. By having the adjustment member 18, the writing instrument 1 has a center of gravity similar to that of a conventional writing instrument while being equipped with various sensors, a rechargeable battery 16, etc., and is therefore easy for the user to use.

[0028] A display device 19 is provided at the rear of the barrel 11. The display device 19 is, for example, an LED chip capable of emitting multiple colors. The display surface of the display device 19 is exposed on the outer circumferential surface of the barrel 11, and is connected to the processing board 17 inside the barrel 11. The display device 19 emits light in a color corresponding to a signal supplied from the processing board 17 so as to be visible from outside the barrel 11. The display device 19 may be a display such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display capable of displaying an image based on the display data supplied from the processing board 17.

[0029] The barrel 11 is composed of a first barrel member 111 and a second barrel member 112 which are separable in the circumferential direction.

[0030] Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the first barrel member 111, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the second barrel member 112. As shown in Fig. 6, the first barrel member 111 has a shape obtained by cutting a part of the rear of the barrel 11 along a cut surface along the axial direction. An accommodating tube support portion 114 and a sensor support portion 115 are formed on the inner peripheral surface of the first barrel member 111. In addition, a plurality of recesses 1111 are provided in the vicinity of the cut surface of the first barrel member 111.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 7, the second barrel member 112 has a shape roughly obtained by cutting a cylinder along a cut surface along its axial direction. Two openings 116 are provided on a side surface of the second barrel member. The openings 116 are provided at positions corresponding to the housing tube support portion 114 and the sensor support portion 115 of the first barrel member 111, respectively. In addition, a plurality of protrusions 1121 are provided near the cut surface of the second barrel member 112. The plurality of protrusions 1121 are provided at positions corresponding to the recesses 1111 of the first barrel member 111, and the first barrel member 111 and the second barrel member 112 are engaged with each other by the recesses 1111 and the protrusions 1121 fitting with each other.

[0032] In this way, since the barrel 11 is composed of a first barrel member 111 and a second barrel member 112 that can be separated in the circumferential direction, it becomes easy to accommodate each component of the writing instrument 1 inside the barrel 11, thereby improving the productivity of the writing instrument 1.

[0033] 8 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the writing instrument 1. In addition to the above-mentioned motion sensor 13, pressure sensor 15, and display device 19, the writing instrument 1 includes a memory unit 171, a communication unit 172, and a processing unit 173. The memory unit 171, the communication unit 172, and the processing unit 173 are mounted on a processing board 17.

[0034] The motion sensor 13 is a sensor that includes an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, and a magnetic field sensor, and measures the acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field in three mutually orthogonal directions. The acceleration sensor, for example, includes a fixed electrode and a movable electrode arranged according to a predetermined positional relationship, and measures the acceleration based on a change in capacitance between the fixed electrode and the movable electrode based on the displacement of the movable electrode when acceleration is applied. The angular velocity sensor measures the angular velocity, for example, by detecting the Coriolis force generated in a vibration element that vibrates in a certain direction. The magnetic field sensor measures the magnetic field, for example, by measuring a Hall voltage generated when a magnetic field is applied to a semiconductor element. The motion sensor 13 generates digital data indicating the values ​​of the acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field in three directions measured by each sensor at a predetermined sampling frequency (for example, 100 Hz), and supplies the data to the processing unit 173. It is noted that the motion sensor 13 does not need to include a magnetic field sensor.

[0035] The pressure sensor 15 includes a semiconductor element having a gauge resistor formed on its surface, and measures pressure by detecting a change in the gauge resistor caused by distortion of the semiconductor element when pressure is applied. The pressure sensor 15 generates digital data indicating the value of the measured pressure at a predetermined sampling frequency (e.g., 100 Hz) and supplies the digital data to the processing unit 173.

[0036] The storage unit 171 is a device for storing programs or data, and includes, for example, a semiconductor memory device. The storage unit 171 stores an operating system program, a driver program, an application program, data, and the like, which are used in processing by the processing unit 173. Programs are installed in the storage unit 171 from a computer-readable and non-transitory portable storage medium, such as a CD (Compact Disc)-ROM (Read Only Memory), using a known setup program or the like.

[0037] The communication unit 172 includes a communication interface circuit that enables the writing instrument 1 to communicate with the analysis device 2. The communication interface circuit included in the communication unit 172 is a communication interface circuit for a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) or the like. The communication unit 172 transmits data provided from the processing unit 173 to the analysis device 2 via an access point (not shown) of the wireless LAN.

[0038] The processing unit 173 includes one or more processors and their peripheral circuits. The processing unit 173 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the overall operation of the writing instrument 1. The processing unit 173 may be a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an LSI (Large-Scaled IC), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like. The processing unit 173 controls the operation of the communication unit 172 so that various processes of the writing instrument are executed in an appropriate order based on the programs stored in the storage unit 171. The processing unit 173 executes processes based on the programs stored in the storage unit 171. The processing unit 173 can also execute multiple programs in parallel.

[0039] The processing unit 173 includes, as its functional blocks, an operation information acquisition unit 174, an output unit 175, and a display control unit 176. These functional blocks are functional modules realized by a program executed by the processing unit 173. These functional blocks may be implemented on the processing board 17 as firmware.

[0040] 9 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of the analysis device 2. The analysis device 2 includes an analysis storage unit 21, an analysis communication unit 22, and an analysis processing unit .

[0041] The analysis storage unit 21 is a device for storing programs or data, and includes, for example, a semiconductor memory device. The analysis storage unit 21 stores an operating system program, a driver program, an application program, data, and the like used in processing by the analysis processing unit 23. Programs are installed in the analysis storage unit 21 from a computer-readable portable storage medium, such as a CD-ROM or a DVD-ROM, using a known setup program, for example.

[0042] The analysis and communication unit 22 includes a communication interface circuit that enables the analysis device 2 to communicate with the writing instrument 1 and the user terminal 3 via the network 4. The communication interface circuit included in the analysis and communication unit 22 is a communication interface circuit such as a wired LAN or a wireless LAN. The analysis and communication unit 22 transmits data supplied from the analysis processing unit 23 to the writing instrument 1 or the user terminal 3, and receives data transmitted from the writing instrument 1 or the user terminal 3 and supplies the data to the analysis processing unit 23.

[0043] The analysis processing unit 23 is, for example, a CPU, and controls the overall operation of the analysis device 2. The analysis processing unit 23 may be a DSP, an LSI, an ASIC, an FPGA, or the like. The analysis processing unit 23 controls the operation of the analysis communication unit 22 so that various processes of the analysis device 2 are executed in an appropriate order based on the programs stored in the analysis storage unit 21. The analysis processing unit 23 executes processes based on the programs stored in the analysis storage unit 21. Furthermore, the analysis processing unit 23 can execute multiple programs in parallel.

[0044] Analysis processing unit 23 includes, as its functional blocks, a receiving unit 231, a determining unit 232, an attribute information transmitting unit 233, a character information generating unit 234, and a character information transmitting unit 235. These functional blocks are functional modules realized by a program executed by analysis processing unit 23. These functional blocks may be implemented in analysis device 2 as firmware.

[0045] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the data structure of the handwriting information table T1 stored in the analysis storage unit 21. The handwriting information table T1 stores information on time, acceleration, angular velocity, magnetic field, and pressure in mutual association. The acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field are information on the movement measured by the movement sensor 13, and are values ​​of the acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field in three mutually orthogonal directions. The pressure is information on the pressure measured by the pressure sensor 15. The time is the time when the acceleration, angular velocity, magnetic field, and pressure were measured.

[0046] 11 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the handwriting attribute table T2 stored in the analysis storage unit 21. The handwriting attribute table T2 stores a user ID, a reference handwriting attribute, a state, and the number of handwriting actions in association with each other.

[0047] The writing instrument ID is information for identifying the writing instrument 1. The reference writing attribute is information indicating the characteristics of the reference writing action of a user who uses each writing instrument 1. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the writing attribute is the proportion of each attribute when the writing action of a user using the writing instrument 1 is classified into one of attributes A, B, and C for each stroke (meaning the action from when the writing instrument 1 comes into contact with the writing subject to when it is released).

[0048] A writing action is classified into one of the attributes based on, for example, the writing angle, which is the angle of the axial direction of the writing implement 1 with respect to the writing object, the writing pressure, which is the pressure applied from the writing object to the writing body 12, and the length of writing time, which is the time during which the writing object is in contact with the paper surface to complete one stroke. Note that, as the writing angle and the writing pressure, representative values ​​such as the maximum value or average value of the writing angle and the writing pressure during the writing time are used, respectively. The writing angle, the writing pressure, and the writing time are calculated based on information regarding the operation of the writing implement 1.

[0049] For example, attribute A classifies writing actions with a large writing angle, large writing pressure, and long writing time. That is, attribute A classifies writing actions with large writing pressure and relatively neat writing. Attribute B classifies writing actions with a small writing angle, small writing pressure, and medium writing time. That is, attribute B classifies writing actions with small writing pressure and relatively neat writing. Attribute C classifies writing actions with a medium writing angle, small writing pressure, and short writing time. That is, attribute C classifies writing actions that are relatively rough.

[0050] The state indicates whether the reference writing attribute has been determined, and either "determined" or "updating" is stored. The number of writing actions indicates the number of writing actions whose attributes have been classified. It can be said that the more writing actions are classified, the more accurately the reference writing attribute reflects the characteristics of the user's writing actions. Therefore, the reference writing attribute is determined when a sufficient amount of writing actions has been classified.

[0051] In the example shown in Fig. 11, 10,000 writing actions are classified for "writing instrument A," which is a sufficient amount to determine the tendency of the user's writing actions, and therefore "confirmed" is stored as the state of "writing instrument A." On the other hand, 5,000 writing actions are classified for "writing instrument B," which is an insufficient amount to determine the tendency of the user's writing actions, and therefore "updating" is stored as the state of "writing instrument B."

[0052] 12 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of pre-processing executed by the writing analysis system 10. The pre-processing is a process for determining a user's reference writing attribute, and is executed in a state in which the user's reference writing attribute has not been determined. The pre-processing is executed by the processing unit 173 and the analysis processing unit 23 in cooperation with each component of the writing instrument 1 and the analysis device 2.

[0053] First, the writing implement 1 executes a transmission process (S101). The transmission process is a process for transmitting handwritten information to the analysis device 2. The transmission process will be described in detail later.

[0054] Next, the analysis device 2 executes a reference handwriting attribute determination process (S102). The reference handwriting attribute determination process is a process for determining a reference handwriting attribute of a user based on handwriting information. The reference handwriting attribute determination process will be described in detail later.

[0055] 13 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of a transmission process executed by the writing instrument 1. First, the motion information acquisition unit 174 of the writing instrument 1 acquires writing information (S201). The motion information acquisition unit 174 acquires acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field information from the motion sensor 13 at predetermined time intervals (for example, 1 / 100th of a second). The motion information acquisition unit 174 also acquires pressure information from the pressure sensor 15 at predetermined time intervals. The motion information acquisition unit 174 associates the acquired information with the time at which each piece of information was acquired, and stores the information in the memory unit 171 as writing information.

[0056] Next, the output unit 175 judges whether or not an output condition is satisfied (S202). The output condition is, for example, that the amount of handwritten information stored in the storage unit 171 is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount (for example, an amount corresponding to 30 seconds). If it is judged that the output condition is not satisfied (S202-No), the process returns to S201, and the motion information acquisition unit 174 continues to acquire the handwritten information.

[0057] If it is determined that the output condition is satisfied (S202-Yes), the output unit 175 outputs the handwritten information stored in the storage unit 171 (S203) and ends the transmission process. The output unit 175 transmits the handwritten information to the analysis device 2 via the communication unit 172. In this manner, the output unit 175 outputs the information input from the motion sensor 13 and the pressure sensor 15 to the analysis device 2.

[0058] 14 is a diagram showing an example of the flow of a reference writing attribute determination process executed by the analysis device 2. First, the receiving unit 231 of the analysis device 2 receives writing information from the writing instrument 1 via the analysis and communication unit 22 (S301). The receiving unit 231 stores the received writing information in the action information table T1 of the analysis storage unit 21.

[0059] Next, the determination unit 232 determines whether or not writing information about a writing action of one stroke is stored in the action information table T1 (S302). A writing action of one stroke refers to an action from when the writing implement 1 comes into contact with the writing object until it is released. Therefore, the determination unit 232 can determine whether or not writing information about a writing action of one stroke is stored based on a time change in the writing pressure. The determination unit 232 refers to the action information table T1, and determines that information about the writing action of one stroke is stored in the action information table T1 when the pressure changes from less than a predetermined value to a predetermined value or more, and then changes from the predetermined value or more to less than the predetermined value after the change.

[0060] If it is determined that the information on the handwriting action of one stroke is not stored (S302-No), the process returns to S301, and the receiving unit 231 continues to receive the handwriting information.

[0061] When it is determined that writing information about a single writing action is stored (S302-Yes), the determination unit 232 classifies the single writing action into one of a plurality of attributes (S303). The determination unit 232 refers to the action information table T1 and identifies the time during which the pressure is equal to or greater than a predetermined value as the writing time. The determination unit 232 calculates the maximum and average values ​​of the writing angle of the writing implement 1 based on the information on the magnetic field and the angular velocity during the identified writing time. The determination unit 232 also calculates the maximum and average values ​​of the writing pressure based on the pressure during the writing time.

[0062] The determination unit 232 classifies the writing action into one of a plurality of attributes based on the calculated maximum and average values ​​of the writing angle, the maximum and average values ​​of the writing pressure, and the length of the writing time. The determination unit 232 updates the proportion of each attribute and the number of writing actions in the writing attribute table T2 based on the result of the classification.

[0063] Next, the determination unit 232 determines whether or not the confirmation condition is satisfied (S304). The confirmation condition is a condition indicating whether a sufficient amount of writing actions have been classified to accurately reflect the characteristics of the user's writing action, and is, for example, that the number of writing actions in the updated writing attribute table T2 is a predetermined number (for example, 10,000 strokes) or more. The confirmation condition may be that writing actions have been classified for a predetermined period (for example, one week). If it is determined that the confirmation condition is not satisfied (S304-No), the receiving unit 231 continues to receive information regarding the action of the writing implement 1 (S301), and the determination unit 232 determines whether or not information on a new writing action of one stroke has been stored (S302).

[0064] If it is determined that the confirmation condition is satisfied (S304-Yes), the determination unit 232 determines the user's reference handwriting attribute (S305) and ends the reference handwriting attribute determination process. The determination unit 232 determines the user's reference handwriting attribute by updating the state of the handwriting attribute table T2 from "updating" to "confirmed."

[0065] 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of a fatigue level estimation process executed by the writing analysis system 10. The fatigue level estimation process is executed in a state in which the reference handwriting attribute of the user has been determined by the reference handwriting attribute determination process. The fatigue level estimation process is executed by the processing unit 173 and the analysis processing unit 23 working in cooperation with each component of the writing instrument 1 and the analysis device 2.

[0066] First, the writing instrument 1 executes a transmission process (S401).

[0067] Next, the determination unit 232 of the analysis device 2 executes a period writing attribute determination process (S402). The period writing attribute determination process is a process for determining the period writing attribute of the user for a predetermined period based on the writing information. The period writing attribute, like the reference writing attribute, is the proportion of each attribute when the writing action of the user using the writing implement 1 is classified into one of attributes A, B, and C for each stroke. The predetermined period is a period shorter than the period used to determine the reference writing attribute, and is, for example, a period equivalent to about 100 writing strokes. The period writing attribute determination process will be described in detail later.

[0068] Next, the attribute information transmitting unit 233 transmits information on the difference between the reference writing attribute and the period writing attribute (S403). For example, the attribute information transmitting unit 233 refers to the writing attribute table T2 and identifies the attribute that has the largest proportion among the attributes A, B, and C in the reference writing attribute. Similarly, the attribute information transmitting unit 233 identifies the attribute that has the largest proportion among the attributes A, B, and C in the determined period writing attribute. The attribute information transmitting unit 233 generates information indicating whether the attribute identified in the reference writing attribute and the attribute identified in the period writing attribute are the same. The attribute information transmitting unit 233 transmits the generated information to the writing instrument 1 via the analysis and communication unit 22.

[0069] By comparing the reference writing attribute with the period writing attribute, it is possible to determine whether the characteristics of the user's writing action have temporarily changed. When a user continues writing for a long period of time, the characteristics of the writing action change significantly due to fatigue. Therefore, the user's fatigue level is estimated by comparing the reference writing attribute with the period writing attribute.

[0070] Next, the display control unit 176 of the writing implement 1 displays information on the difference between the reference writing attribute and the period writing attribute on the display device 19 (S404), and ends the fatigue level estimation process. The display control unit 176 receives information on the difference between the reference writing attribute and the period writing attribute from the analysis device 2 via the communication unit 172. The display control unit 176 causes the display device 19 to emit light in a color according to the received information. For example, if the received information indicates that the attribute specified in the reference writing attribute and the attribute specified in the period writing attribute are the same, the display control unit 176 causes the display device 19 to emit light in blue, and otherwise causes the display device 19 to emit light in red.

[0071] Note that, in S403, only when the attribute specified in the reference writing attribute does not match the attribute specified in the period writing attribute, the attribute information transmitting unit 233 may transmit information indicating that to the writing instrument 1. In this case, the display control unit 176 causes the display device 19 to emit red light when such information is received from the analysis device 2, and causes the display device 19 to emit blue light when such information is not received.

[0072] 16 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of a period writing attribute determination process. First, the receiving unit 231 of the analysis device 2 receives writing information from the writing implement 1 via the analysis and communication unit 22 (S501). The receiving unit 231 stores the received information in the action information table T1 of the analysis storage unit 21.

[0073] Next, the determination unit 232 determines whether or not handwriting information about a one-stroke writing action is stored in the action information table T1 (S502). If it is determined that handwriting information about a one-stroke writing action is not stored (S502-No), the receiving unit 231 continues to receive handwriting information (S501), and the determination unit 232 determines whether or not handwriting information about a new one-stroke writing action is stored (S502).

[0074] If it is determined that writing information about a single-stroke writing action is stored (S502-Yes), the determination unit 232 classifies the single-stroke writing action into one of a plurality of attributes (S503). The determination unit 232 classifies the writing action into one of the attributes based on the maximum and average values ​​of the writing angle, the maximum and average values ​​of the writing pressure, and the length of the writing time. The determination unit 232 associates the writing action with the attributes and stores them in the analysis storage unit 21.

[0075] Next, the determination unit 232 determines period writing attributes indicating characteristics of writing actions in a predetermined period (S504), and ends the period writing attribute determination process. The determination unit 232 extracts information on a predetermined number (e.g., 100 strokes) of writing actions whose attributes have been determined most recently and stored in the analysis storage unit 21. The determination unit 232 determines the period writing attributes by calculating the proportion of each attribute with reference to the attributes of the extracted writing actions. Note that the determination unit 232 may extract information on writing actions in a most recent predetermined period (e.g., 5 minutes).

[0076] 17 is a sequence diagram showing an example of the flow of the character information output process. The character information output process is executed periodically or irregularly in parallel with the analysis process. The character information output process is executed by a processing unit such as a processor provided in the analysis processing unit 23 and the user terminal 3 in cooperation with each component of the analysis device 2 and the user terminal 3.

[0077] First, the character information generating unit 234 of the analysis device 2 executes a character information generating process (S601). The character information generating process is a process for generating character information indicating characters written by a user using the writing implement 1, based on the writing information stored in the action information table T1. The character information generating process will be described in detail later.

[0078] Next, the character information transmitting unit 235 of the analysis device 2 transmits the generated character information to the user terminal 3 via the analysis and communication unit 22 (S602).

[0079] Next, the user terminal 3 displays the transmitted text information (S603), and ends the text information output process.

[0080] 18 is a flow diagram showing an example of the flow of the character information generation process. First, the character information generation unit 234 of the analysis device 2 determines whether or not information on a writing action of one character is stored in the motion information table T1 (S701). The character information generation unit 234 determines whether or not writing information on a writing action of one character is stored based on, for example, the acceleration and pressure information in the motion information table T1.

[0081] When writing a plurality of characters using the writing implement 1, an inter-character action is included between the writing actions of each character, in which the writing implement 1 is moved away from the writing target in the writing direction (downward for vertical writing, rightward for horizontal writing, etc.). The character information generating unit 234 refers to the motion information table T1 and specifies, as the period of the inter-character action, a period during which the pressure is less than a predetermined value and the moving distance calculated based on the acceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. When two inter-character actions are specified in the motion information table T1 and one or more writing actions are included between the two inter-character actions, the character information generating unit 234 determines that information on the writing action of one character is stored in the motion information table T1.

[0082] When it is determined that the handwriting information about the writing action of one character is not stored (S701-No), the process returns to S701. That is, the character information generating unit 234 waits until the handwriting information about the writing action of one character is stored in the action information table T1.

[0083] When it is determined that the writing information for the writing action of one character is stored (S701-Yes), the character information generating unit 234 generates character information based on the writing information for the writing action of one character (S702) and ends the character information generation process. The character information generating unit 234 acquires the information on the writing action of one character. The character information generating unit 234 generates character information by inputting the writing information for the writing action of one character to a classifier that is a trained model stored in advance in the analysis storage unit 21.

[0084] The classifier is a trained model that has been trained to learn the relationship between handwriting information and character information using a machine learning technique such as deep learning. The training model is a neural network, and is composed of an input layer, one or more intermediate layers, and an output layer, each of which has a plurality of nodes. Training handwriting information is input to each node of the input layer, and a weighted sum of values ​​output from each node of the input layer is input to each node of the intermediate layer. A weight of each node of each layer is set so that the difference between the output value from the output layer and the training character information corresponding to the training handwriting information input to the input layer is small. The weights can be set by a known method such as, for example, backpropagation.

[0085] In order to input the information on the writing action of one character to the classifier, the character information generation unit 234 resamples the acquired information on the writing action of one character to a predetermined number of samples. This unifies the number of data samples regardless of the user's writing speed, the number of strokes of the character, etc., and allows the information on the writing action to be input to the classifier. A known method such as linear interpolation is used for the resampling.

[0086] As described above, in the writing analysis system 10, the analysis device 2 determines the period writing attribute based on information about the operation of the writing implement 1, and the display device 19 displays information about the difference between a previously determined reference writing attribute and the period writing attribute. This makes it possible for the writing analysis system 10 to estimate the user's fatigue level based on information about the operation of the writing implement 1.

[0087] Furthermore, in the writing instrument 1, the motion sensor 13 measures, as writing information, acceleration in three mutually orthogonal directions, angular velocity, and magnetic field, as well as information on pressure from the writing object. This enables the writing analysis system 10 to generate character information with high accuracy.

[0088] In the following, an example is described in which the accuracy of character information is compared when the acceleration and angular velocity in three directions are measured as the motion of a writing implement, when the acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field in three directions are measured, and when the acceleration, angular velocity, and magnetic field and pressure in three directions are measured. In this example, the motion sensor 13 is housed in the recess 1131 15 mm behind the tip of the writing implement 1. The sampling frequency of the motion sensor 13 and the pressure sensor 15 is 100 Hz.

[0089] As data used in the comparative example, the handwriting information was measured in advance when 100 users wrote five characters, "a," "o," "ka," "ke," and "sa," using the writing implement 1. These five characters were selected from among hiragana characters with three strokes, starting from the earliest in the alphabetical order of the Japanese alphabet. Of the acquired data, the handwriting information of 90 users was used as learning information, and the handwriting information of the remaining 10 users was used as evaluation information.

[0090] The training written information and the evaluation written information were each resampled so that the number of samples was 300. The resampled training written information was input to a learning model, which is a neural network having three fully connected layers as intermediate layers, and a classifier, which is a trained model, was generated. The resampled evaluation classification information was then input to the classifier, and character information was obtained. The accuracy rate was calculated based on the assumption that the correct answer was obtained when the characters indicated by the acquired character information matched the characters written by the user.

[0091] When acceleration and angular velocity information was used as the written information, the accuracy rate was 78%, when magnetic field information was also used as the written information, the accuracy rate was 80%, and when pressure information was also used as the written information, the accuracy rate was 86%. Therefore, the motion sensor 13 can generate character information with high accuracy by measuring magnetic field information as the written information. Also, the motion sensor 13 can generate character information with high accuracy by measuring pressure information as the written information.

[0092] Moreover, in the writing instrument 1, the motion sensor 13 is provided on the inclined portion 113 at the front end. This enables the writing instrument 1 to estimate the degree of fatigue or generate character information with higher accuracy. That is, if the motion sensor 13 is provided near the rear end of the writing instrument 1, the motion (i.e., the drawn line) of the writing part 121 at the front end of the writing body 12 cannot be accurately measured. In contrast, by providing the motion sensor 13 at the front end close to the writing part 121, it becomes possible to accurately measure the drawn line, and therefore it becomes possible to estimate the degree of fatigue or generate character information with higher accuracy. Furthermore, by storing the motion sensor 13 in the recess 1131 of the inclined portion 113, the motion sensor 13 does not interfere with the writing action, and the convenience of the user is improved.

[0093] An example of comparing the accuracy of character information when the position of the motion sensor 13 of the writing instrument 1 is changed will be described below. In this example, the above-mentioned writing instrument 1, Comparative Example 1 in which the position of the motion sensor 13 is moved to a position 15 mm behind the writing instrument 1 (the center of the grip of a typical writing instrument), and Comparative Example 2 in which the position of the motion sensor 13 is moved to a position 30 mm behind the writing instrument 1 (the upper part of the grip of a typical writing instrument) were used. As the writing information, acceleration and angular velocity in three mutually orthogonal directions were used, and the accuracy rate for each writing instrument was calculated. The accuracy rates were highest for the writing instrument 1, followed by Comparative Example 2 and Comparative Example 1, at 78%, 70%, and 58%, respectively.

[0094] The reason why the accuracy rate differs depending on the position of the motion sensor 13 is that the position and the way in which the user holds the writing instrument differs from user to user. In the above example, of the 100 users, 9 users held the writing instrument near the inclined portion 113, and 4 users held the writing instrument at a position corresponding to the upper part of the grip of a general writing instrument. That is, in the case of the writing instrument 1 in which the motion sensor 13 is located at the inclined portion 113, the motion sensor 13 was located in front of the fingers for all 100 users. In contrast, in the case of Comparative Example 1 in which the motion sensor 13 is located at the center of the grip of a general writing instrument, 9 users had the motion sensor in front of the fingers, 87 users had the motion sensor located near the bottom of the fingers, and 4 users had the motion sensor located behind the fingers. In addition, in the case of Comparative Example 2 in which the motion sensor 13 is located at the upper part of the grip of a general writing instrument, 4 users had the motion sensor located directly under the fingers, and 96 users had the motion sensor located behind the fingers.

[0095] Since one of the fulcrums of the writing motion is the finger that grips the writing implement, the tendency of the handwriting information acquired by the motion sensor 13 differs depending on whether the motion sensor 13 is located in front of or behind the fulcrum finger. With the writing implement 1 in which the motion sensor 13 is located on the inclined portion 113, the handwriting information of all 100 people has the same tendency, whereas in Comparative Example 1 and Comparative Example 2, handwriting information of different tendencies is mixed. Generally, in machine learning, the more diverse the tendency of the data, the more learning data is required to perform highly accurate classification, so Comparative Examples 1 and 2 showed relatively low correct answer rates.

[0096] From the above, it is preferable that the motion sensor 13 is provided at a position close to the tip of the pen, which is in front of the fingers when the user holds the pen. Therefore, in the writing instrument 1, the motion sensor 13 is arranged on the inclined portion 113 so that the motion sensor 13 is located in front of the fingers. In this manner, the writing instrument 1 can acquire writing information that allows the classifier to achieve a high accuracy rate. That is, in general, a writing instrument has a tapered structure at the tip so that the user can easily visually recognize the drawn line, so that the user rarely holds the tapered structure portion when holding the writing instrument. Therefore, in the writing instrument 1, the user who holds the writing instrument places his / her finger behind the inclined portion 113, rather than placing his / her finger on the inclined portion 113 where the motion sensor 13 is located. Note that the inclined portion 113 may be gradually tapered as it approaches the tip, as long as it is a portion that is thinner than the portion where the user holds the writing instrument 1.

[0097] In the writing analysis system 10, the functions of the analysis device 2 may be realized by the user terminal 3. In this case, the writing instrument 1 may directly communicate with the user terminal 3 by short-range wireless communication without going through the network 4.

[0098] In addition, in the writing instrument 1, the writing body 12 is accommodated in an approximately axial position of the barrel 11. In this manner, it is possible to provide the user with a similar feel to that of a conventional writing instrument. In other words, if the writing body 12 is arranged in a position different from the axial position of the barrel 11 for reasons such as accommodating the motion sensor 13 or the pressure sensor 15, the contact point between the writing part 121 and the writing target will not be on the axial line of the barrel 11, which may impair the feel of use as a writing instrument. In the writing instrument 1, the writing body 12 can be accommodated in an approximately axial position of the barrel 11 by accommodating the motion sensor 13 in a recess 1131 provided on the outer periphery of the inclined portion 113, and it is possible to provide the user with a similar feel to that of a conventional writing instrument.

[0099] In the above description, in S403 of the analysis process, the attribute information transmission unit 233 transmits information indicating whether the attribute specified for the reference writing attribute and the attribute specified for the period writing attribute match, but this is not limited to such an example. The attribute information transmission unit 233 may transmit information indicating the amount of change of the period writing attribute relative to the reference writing attribute as information regarding the difference between the reference writing attribute and the period writing attribute. The information indicating the amount of change is, for example, the mean square value of the amount of change of the proportion of each attribute. In this case, in S404, the display control unit 176 causes the display device 19 to emit light in a color according to the magnitude of the amount of change. For example, the display device 19 emits light by changing the hue so that the greater the amount of change, the closer to red the color becomes, and the smaller the amount of change, the closer to blue the color becomes.

[0100] In the above description, the display device 19 is provided on the barrel 11 of the writing instrument 1, but this is not limited to the example. For example, the function of the display device 19 may be realized by the analysis device 2. For example, the analysis device 2 may include a display unit such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and in S403 of the analysis process, the attribute information transmission unit 233 may display an image including information regarding the difference between the reference writing attribute and the period writing attribute on the display unit. Similarly, the function of the display device 19 may be realized by the user terminal 3.

[0101] The second embodiment will be described below. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment only in the physical configuration of the writing instrument, so only the configuration of the writing instrument will be described. In addition, the same reference numerals are used for the same configuration as in the above description, and the description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0102] Fig. 19 is a front view of a writing instrument 5 according to the second embodiment, and Fig. 20 is a cross-sectional view of the writing instrument 5. The writing instrument 5 has a ballpoint pen 51 and a cylindrical holder 52 into which the ballpoint pen 51 is removably inserted.

[0103] The ballpoint pen 51 is, for example, a known knock-type ballpoint pen, and includes a substantially cylindrical barrel 511, a writing body 512 that protrudes from the front end of the barrel 511 and has a writing part that applies ink to the front end, a knock cover 513 inserted into the rear end of the barrel 511, and a knock mechanism 514. The knock mechanism 514 makes the writing body 512 housed in the barrel 511 protrude from the front end of the barrel 511 in response to a knock operation that presses the knock cover 513 forward, or houses the writing body 512 protruding from the barrel 511 in the barrel 511. The configuration of the knock mechanism 514 is known, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0104] A through hole 521a having a diameter smaller than the outer diameter of the barrel 511 of the ballpoint pen 51 and larger than the outer diameter of the knock cover 513 is provided in the rear end surface 521 of the holder 52. An annular pressure sensor 15 is provided on the inside of the rear end surface 521. The pressure sensor 15 abuts against the rear end surface of the barrel 511, so that the writing pressure is measured by the pressure sensor 15. In addition, the knock cover 513 passes through the through hole 521a in the rear end surface 521 of the holder 52, so that the user can perform a knock operation with the holder 52 attached to the ballpoint pen 51.

[0105] A tapered inclined portion 522 is provided at the front end of holder 52. A recess 523 is provided in inclined portion 522 to accommodate motion sensor 13. A display device 19 is provided near the center in the axial direction of the outer circumferential surface of holder 52. Although not shown, holder 52 also has a built-in processing board and rechargeable battery, similar to writing instrument 1.

[0106] Thus, the writing instrument 5 has the ballpoint pen 51 and the holder 52 into which the ballpoint pen 51 is removably inserted and which is equipped with the motion sensor 13 and the pressure sensor 15. This allows the writing instrument 1 to estimate the user's degree of fatigue while allowing the user to use the ballpoint pen 51 of their choice.

[0107] In the above description, the ballpoint pen 51 is a knock-type ballpoint pen, but is not limited to this example. The ballpoint pen 51 may be a known rotating ballpoint pen in which the writing body 512 is protruded from the barrel 511 or is accommodated in the barrel 511 by rotating a portion corresponding to the knock cover 513. Also, other writing implements such as a pencil or a felt-tip pen may be used instead of the ballpoint pen 51. In this case, the through hole 521a may not be provided in the holder 52.

[0108] In the above description, the pressure sensor 15 is provided inside the rear end surface 521 of the holder 52, but the present invention is not limited to this example and may be provided at any position where the writing pressure can be measured. For example, if the barrel 511 of the ballpoint pen 51 has a step such that the outer diameter becomes thinner toward the rear, the pressure sensor 15 may be provided inside the holder 52 so as to abut against the step from the rear. Also, if a protrusion is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the barrel 511 of the ballpoint pen 51, the pressure sensor 15 may be provided inside the holder 52 so as to abut against the protrusion from the rear.

[0109] It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, substitutions, and modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the processes of the above-described parts may be executed in different orders as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and modifications may be combined as appropriate within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 1 writing implements 11 Shaft cylinder 113 Slope 12 Cursive 13 Motion Sensor 15 Pressure Sensor 16 Rechargeable Batteries 163 Receiving coil 171 Storage section 172 Communications Department 174 Operation information acquisition unit 175 Output section 176 Display control section 19 Display device 2 Analysis device 21 Analysis storage section 22 Analysis and Communication Department 231 Receiving unit 232 Judgment section 233 Attribute information transmission unit 234 Character information generation section 235 Text information transmission unit

Claims

1. A writing analysis system having a writing instrument, an analysis device, and a display device, The writing instrument is a barrel housing a writing body having a writing part at a front end; A motion measuring unit that is accommodated in the barrel and measures the motion of the writing instrument; an output unit that outputs the information input from the motion measurement unit to the analysis device, The analysis device includes: A storage unit that stores reference writing attributes that indicate characteristics of a user's writing action; An acquisition unit that acquires information regarding the operation of the writing instrument measured over a predetermined period of time; a determination unit that determines a period writing attribute indicating a feature of the writing action of the user during the predetermined period based on the acquired information about the action, The display device displays information regarding the difference between the baseline writing attribute and the period writing attribute. A writing analysis system comprising:

2. The display device is provided on a barrel of the writing instrument. The writing analysis system of claim 1 .

3. The motion measurement unit measures acceleration and angular velocity in three mutually orthogonal directions as the motion of the writing instrument. The writing analysis system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The motion measurement unit further measures magnetic fields in three mutually orthogonal directions as the motion of the writing instrument, The writing instrument further includes a pressure measuring section that is housed in the barrel in contact with a rear end surface of the writing body and measures a pressure from the writing body as an operation of the writing instrument. The writing analysis system according to claim 3 .

5. The writing instrument is A rechargeable battery housed in the barrel for supplying power to at least the motion measurement unit; A receiving coil that is housed in the barrel and charges the rechargeable battery; and an adjustment member for adjusting the center of gravity of the writing instrument, the adjustment member being accommodated in the barrel toward the front end from the center in the axial direction, The center of gravity of the writing instrument is adjusted to a position between 40% and 60% from the front end of the writing instrument in the axial direction, The shaft cylinder is composed of a plurality of members that can be separated in the circumferential direction. A writing analysis system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. A writing implement for use in the writing analysis system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. An analysis device of a writing analysis system having a writing implement and an analysis device, A storage unit that stores reference writing attributes that indicate characteristics of a user's writing action; an acquisition unit that acquires information about the operation of the writing instrument measured during a predetermined period from the writing instrument; a determination unit that determines a period writing attribute indicating a feature of the writing action of the user during the predetermined period based on the acquired information about the action; a display unit that displays information regarding a difference between the reference writing attribute and the period writing attribute; An analysis device comprising:

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