Communication support device, program, and storage medium

Abstract

To support a non-face-to-face communication at a remote site by more appropriately providing presentation information to an information recipient.SOLUTION: In a construction of the present invention for solving the above problem, a communication support device for presenting a content to an information recipient is a communication support device including: an information recipient information acquisition part that acquires information recipient information generated from the information recipient; an interest concentration level estimation part that estimates an interest concentration level in the information recipient on the basis of a time series variation of the information recipient information; a presentation specification specifying part that specifies a presentation specification of the content presented to the information recipient; and a presentation information change instruction part that creates a change instruction for changing the presentation specification of the content in accordance with the change of the interest concentration level. The presentation specification of the content is changed in accordance with the change instruction from the presentation information change instruction part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication support technology for transmitting some information to a target including an information recipient. In particular, it relates to the support of non-face-to-face communication at a remote location.

Background Art

[0002] From the viewpoints of labor saving, efficiency improvement, and prevention of infectious diseases, there is an increasing demand to limit the number of people gathering in companies, workplaces, etc. and conduct business remotely. As a result, the opportunities for business instructions and reports using non-face-to-face communication systems using characters, voice, or voice and video, and the opportunities to transmit technologies related to business remotely are increasing.

[0003] However, in non-face-to-face communication, non-verbal communication elements (gestures, expressions, voice tones, etc.) are missing or difficult to accurately convey, and the transmission efficiency of emotions and the like is lower than that of face-to-face communication. As a result, there is a risk of unconsciously reducing the interest in the presented information on the receiving side (hereinafter referred to as the information recipient) and unilaterally transmitting information.

[0004] On the other hand, technologies have been disclosed that acquire the state of an information recipient using biological information and change the content to be transmitted according to the state of the information recipient. For example, in Patent Document 1, a method is shown in which the arousal level is measured from biological information, and when the arousal level is low, the presented information is changed to information presented in a display style of a mood state.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Here, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to prepare in advance contents that define display methods with different preferences. Therefore, Patent Document 1 can be applied when a large number of people learn the same content, such as in a cram school.

[0007] However, in communication for a small number of people or individual communication such as business explanations, the preference states of information recipients (target persons) will vary widely. In such a case, it is necessary to prepare a large number of display methods with different preference states in advance. However, preparing contents in this way is extremely difficult due to large constraints in terms of labor and time.

[0008] In view of the above situation, an object of the present invention is to support communication by providing information presented more appropriately to an information recipient.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0009] To solve the above problems , the present invention then In a communication support device for presenting contents to an information recipient, an information recipient information acquisition unit that acquires information recipient information generated from the information recipient, an interest concentration degree estimation unit that estimates the interest concentration degree in the information recipient based on the time-series change of the information recipient information, a presentation specification specifying unit that specifies the presentation specification of the contents presented to the information recipient, and a presentation information change instruction unit that creates a change instruction for changing the presentation specification of the contents according to the change in the interest concentration degree. The presentation specification specifying unit includes a content classification estimation unit that estimates the content classification of the contents, an information amount calculation unit that calculates the information amount of the contents, and a presentation speed calculation unit that calculates the presentation speed of the contents based on the information amount. The communication support device also includes a presentation information change instruction unit that creates a change instruction for changing at least one of the content classification and the presentation speed.

[0010] The present invention also includes a program for causing a communication support device, which is a computer, to function, a storage medium storing the program, and a program product.

[0011] Furthermore, a system including the communication support device and a communication support method using these are also included in the present invention.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide presentation information more appropriately to an information recipient and suppress a decrease in interest and concentration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, Examples 1 and 2 will be described with reference to the drawings. In Examples 1 and 2, a lecture from a lecturer who is an information sender existing at a remote location to a student who is an information receiver will be described as an example of non-face-to-face communication. However, these are merely examples and also include mechanical information presentation such as e-learning.

Example

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a non-face-to-face communication support system in this example. The main devices constituting this system are a communication support device 100, an information presentation device 200, and an information reception device (not shown). These devices are connected via a network or the like. In this example, the communication support device 100, the information presentation device 200, and the information reception device are described as independent devices, but it is not limited to this form. That is, the communication support device 100 and the information presentation device 200 may be configured as one device. Also, the communication support device 100 and the information reception device may be configured as one device.

[0016] Here, in this example, a lecture is being given from a lecturer 201 at a remote location to a student 303. For this purpose, in this example, according to the operation of the lecturer 201, the lecture content is transmitted from the information presentation device 200 to the information reception device. This lecture content is an example of the content (presentation information) of the present invention. Note that the content in the present invention may be any kind of information and its expression does not matter.

[0017] Then, the lecture content is output by the information reception device either by being connected to itself or via a screen 301 and a speaker 302 which are a part of it. As a result, the student 303 can confirm this content.

[0018] In addition, the communication support device 100 estimates the degree of interest concentration based on information of the information recipient such as the actions of the student 303. Then, the communication support device 100 creates a change instruction for changing the presentation specification based on the degree of interest concentration and the presentation specification of the lecture content corresponding thereto. As a more specific example, when the degree of interest concentration drops below a predetermined standard, the communication support device 100 changes the presentation specification. As a result, the lecture content with the changed presentation specification is transmitted from the information presentation device 200 to the information receiving device.

[0019] Next, the details of the configuration for performing such processing will be described. First, in order to detect information of the information recipient, a biological information detection device 304 and an action detection device 305 are used. These can be realized by so-called sensors and cameras installed at the lecture location of the student 303. In this embodiment, biological information and actions are used as information of the information recipient, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and either one of them may be used.

[0020] Then, the communication support device 100 changes the presentation specification using the information from the biological information detection device 304, the action detection device 305, the screen 301, and the speaker 302. For this purpose, the communication support device 100 includes a biological information acquisition unit 101, a presentation information acquisition unit 102, an interest concentration estimation unit 103, a content classification estimation unit 104, an information amount analysis unit 105, a presentation speed calculation unit 106, an interest concentration database 107, a presentation information change instruction unit 108, and an action information acquisition unit 109.

[0021] The biological information acquisition unit 101 receives the input of biological information detected by the biological information detection device 304. Here, the biological information detection device 304 can be realized by a biological sensor. The biological sensors include, for example, an electroencephalograph, a cerebral blood flow meter, a heart rate meter, a pulse meter, an eye tracker, an electromyograph, a sweat meter, a thermosensor, and a motion sensor. In addition to these, a camera that photographs the student 303, a microphone that collects sound, etc. may also be used. This biological information is various physiological and anatomical information emitted by the student 303. Examples of this include electroencephalogram, cerebral blood flow, heart rate, pulse, position of the line of sight, movement of the eyeballs, pupil diameter, degree of eyelid opening, muscle stiffness, sweating amount, body temperature, body movement, posture, expression, voice pitch, speech rate, breathing rate, etc. obtained from the biological information detection device 304. Note that the biological information detection device 304 may be in a form worn by the student 303, or may be installed around to measure biological information non-contact.

[0022] Next, the motion information acquisition unit 109 receives the input of the motion detected by the motion detection device 305. Here, the motion detection device 305 includes a camera or a sensor that detects the motion of the student 303. Note that the biological information detection device 304 and the motion detection device 305 may be realized by one device. In this case, the function of the motion information acquisition unit 109 may be provided in the biological information acquisition unit 101. This motion is information indicating the movement of body parts such as the arms and head.

[0023] Also, the presentation information acquisition unit 102 receives presentation information from the screen 301 and the speaker 302. The presentation information acquisition unit 102 receives, as presentation information (lecture content), the display content displayed on the screen 301 and the voice uttered by the speaker 302 from the screen 301. In this embodiment, the screen 301 and the speaker 302 are separated, but a device in which the screen and the speaker are integrated may also be used. Also, the lecture content may be only one of the display content and the voice.

[0024] In addition, the interest concentration estimation unit 103 estimates the interest concentration of the student 303 with respect to the lecture content using the biological information and motion information acquired by the biological information acquisition unit 101 and the motion information acquisition unit 109. Here, the interest concentration is an index indicating the degree of interest of the student 303 in the lecture content. For example, when the activity of the parasympathetic nerve estimated from the biological information is dominant, the higher the brain activity, the higher the interest concentration is considered.

[0025] Also, the strength of the action of the parasympathetic nerve can be estimated by, for example, the pNNx index obtained by analyzing the heartbeat variation in the time domain or the LF / HF obtained by analyzing in the frequency domain. In addition, instead of depending on the heartbeat, a biological index reflecting the action of the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve may be used. The threshold for determining that the action of the parasympathetic nerve is dominant for each index is calculated in advance for each individual using a questionnaire and the evaluation results of biological information. The brain activity may be estimated from the fact that the values of electroencephalogram or cerebral blood flow measuring the activity of the brain are large, or alternatively, the frequency or speed of the line of sight or body movement, which is affected by the activity of thinking, may be used as an alternative index for the brain activity. The lower the brain activity although the action of the parasympathetic nerve is dominant, the lower the interest concentration is judged. When the action of the sympathetic nerve is dominant, regardless of the height of the brain activity, the interest concentration is judged to be low.

[0026] Furthermore, when the student 303 is restless due to an action, the interest concentration estimation unit 103 determines that the interest concentration has decreased. In this case, when the action is more than the standard or a predetermined action is detected, it can be determined that the interest concentration has decreased. Note that the interest concentration estimation unit 103 may use at least one of the biological information and the action, or may use other information.

[0027] In addition, the content classification estimation unit 104 estimates the content classification of the presented content using the lecture content, which is the presentation information acquired by the presentation information acquisition unit 102. Here, the content classification is a type of presentation specification of the lecture content and indicates the classification. This classification indicates the characteristics of the presented information in the lecture content. The content classification includes, for example, "goals·objectives", "background", "means·implementation details", "results", "schedule", etc.

[0028] Here, each content classification is prepared in advance in association with a plurality of words, and the words in the presented information are analyzed to estimate the classification. For example, words such as "goal", "purpose", "aim", "intention", "aim at", and "vision" are prepared as words associated with "goal / purpose", and if these words are included in the presented information obtained at 102, it is determined that the current content classification is "goal / purpose". Note that there may be cases where words related to multiple content classifications are included in the screen. In that case, the content classification with the largest number of included words is set as the representative of the content classification of the information presented on the screen. If there is voice information, the analysis result of the words in the voice information per unit time is set as the current content classification. If line-of-sight information can be obtained, the analysis result of the words near the line of sight is set as the current content classification. Also, the content classification may be treated as chapters, sections, etc. For this reason, when changing the content classification, the presentation in any lecture content (presented information) will be changed.

[0029] In addition, the information amount analysis unit 105 analyzes the information amount of the presented information obtained by the presented information acquisition unit 102. Here, the information amount refers to the number of words included in the presented screen or voice, or the number of graphics and symbols in the presented screen. That is, the information amount analysis unit 105 identifies such an information amount.

[0030] In addition, the presentation speed calculation unit 106 calculates the presentation speed of the presented information, which is the amount of presented information per unit time, from the information amount identified by the information amount analysis unit 105. Here, the presentation speed may be the scroll speed of the presented screen or the playback speed of the voice.

[0031] In addition, the interest concentration database 107 stores the value and change amount of the interest concentration, the content classification at that time, and the presentation speed for each information recipient. That is, the interest concentration database 107 stores interest concentration relationship data indicating the relationship between the time-series change of the interest concentration and the presentation specification for each information recipient. Here, an example of the interest concentration relationship data is shown in FIG. 7.

[0032] Figure 7 shows the interest concentration relationship data for Lecture A of Taro XX, one of the students 303. In Figure 7(a), for each "time" when the lecture content is presented, the "interest concentration", "content classification", and "presentation speed" of Taro XX are recorded. These respectively show the processing results of the interest concentration estimation unit 103, the content classification estimation unit 104, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106. In the example of Figure 7(a), it shows that the interest concentration is decreasing between 10:20 and 10:30. Also, Figure 7(b) shows the correspondence between the presentation specifications and the interest concentration for Taro XX, one of the students 303. In this example, as the presentation specifications, the content classification and the presentation speed are used. And the numerical values indicating these and the interest concentration are associated. In the example of Figure 7(b), the interest concentration with the content classification of "purpose" shows the maximum value of "30". Also, when the presentation speed is "20 - 30", the interest concentration shows the maximum value of "80". Note that in Figure 7, the example of Taro XX is shown as the student 303, but the interest concentration relationship data of other students 303 are stored in the interest concentration database 107.

[0033] Here, when creating the interest concentration relationship data in the interest concentration database 107, calibration content may be used before information presentation. Also, the data of the presentation information and the interest concentration may be collected and constructed for a certain period with the function of the subsequent presentation information change instruction unit 108 disabled. By referring to and analyzing this interest concentration relationship data, the following combinations can be extracted. · Content classification and presentation speed when the interest concentration increases · Content classification and presentation speed when the interest concentration is maintained at a high level · Content classification and presentation speed when the interest concentration decreases · Content classification and presentation speed when the interest concentration is maintained at a low level By using this information, for an information recipient (student 303) for whom content classification contributes significantly, it is possible to select control to change the content classification in order to maintain the attention concentration. Therefore, for student 303 for whom the contribution of the presentation speed is significant, it is possible to select control to change the presentation speed in order to maintain the attention concentration.

[0034] Alternatively, the weights of content classification and presentation speed for the increase, maintenance, and decrease of the attention concentration may be calculated, and each may be changed according to the weights. The contributions or weights of content classification and presentation speed for the increase, maintenance, and decrease of the attention concentration may be calculated from the ratio of the number of times the attention concentration has decreased, or may be calculated from the amount of decrease in the attention concentration.

[0035] Also, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines the necessity of changing the presentation specification based on the attention concentration of the attention concentration estimation unit 103, the content classification of the content classification estimation unit 104, the presentation speed of the presentation speed calculation unit 106, and the attention concentration relationship data. Specifically, as the presentation specification, it is determined whether it is necessary to change one or more of the content classification or presentation speed of the presentation information. Then, when it is determined to be necessary, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction to change the presentation specification of the lecture content that is the presentation information. As a result, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 outputs the change instruction to the information presentation device 200. As a result, the presentation specification of the lecture content is changed from the information presentation device 200. For this purpose, the information presentation device 200 may change the presentation specification actively, or the lecturer 201 may change the presentation specification. Then, the lecture content with the changed presentation specification is transmitted from the information presentation device 200 to the information receiving device.

[0036] Here, the communication support device 100, the information presentation device 200, and the information receiving device can be realized by a so-called computer. Examples of this include a PC, a smartphone, and a tablet. It may also be realized as a so-called server.

[0037] Next, FIG. 2 is a flowchart regarding the change of the presentation specification in this embodiment. Each step of this flowchart is repeated every predetermined time Δt1. Δt1 may be fixed regardless of a person, or may be a value inversely proportional to the presentation speed calculated by the presentation speed calculation unit 106. By setting it as a value inversely proportional to the presentation speed, for example, when the explanation speed is high, it becomes easier to follow the switching of the content.

[0038] First, in step S101, the presentation information acquisition unit 102 acquires the screen and voice information of the lecture content presented from the screen 301 and the speaker 302, respectively. Note that either the acquired screen or voice information may be used. Further, these may be acquired from the information receiving device.

[0039] Next, in step S102, the content classification estimation unit 104, the information amount analysis unit 105, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106 specify the presentation specification of the presented lecture content based on the acquired screen and voice information. In this way, the content classification estimation unit 104, the information amount analysis unit 105, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106 function as a presentation specification specifying unit that specifies the presentation specification of the lecture content.

[0040] Specifically, the content classification estimation unit 104 estimates the content classification of the lecture content. Further, the information amount analysis unit 105 analyzes the information amount of the lecture content, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106 calculates the presentation speed of the lecture content using the information amount.

[0041] Also, in step S103, the biological information acquisition unit 101 and the motion information acquisition unit 109 acquire the biological information of the student 303 and the motion information indicating the motion thereof. That is, the biological information acquisition unit 101 and the motion information acquisition unit 109 function as an information receiver information acquisition unit that acquires information receiver information including biological information and motion information. Note that in this embodiment, the biological information and the motion information may be configured to acquire only one of them.

[0042] Next, in step S104, the interest concentration estimation unit 103 estimates the interest concentration of student 303 using biometric information, motion information, that is, information recipient information.

[0043] Next, in step S105, the interest concentration estimation unit 103 calculates the time change (time-series change) of the interest concentration of student 303. For this purpose, the interest concentration estimation unit 103 calculates the difference between the interest concentration of student 303 estimated in the current loop and the interest concentration of student 303 estimated in the previous loop. That is, the difference in interest concentration for each Δt1 is calculated.

[0044] Next, in step S106, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 compares the difference calculated in step S105 with a predetermined value Th1 stored in advance. Then, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether the interest concentration has decreased below the allowable value.

[0045] As a result, if the interest concentration in the current loop has decreased by a predetermined value Th1 or more compared to the previous loop (Δt1 ago) (Y), the process proceeds to step S107. If the interest concentration has not decreased by a predetermined value Th1 or more (N), this flow ends.

[0046] Next, in step S107, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 refers to the interest concentration database 107 to identify the interest concentration relationship data of the corresponding student 303. Then, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 obtains the content classification, presentation speed, or a combination thereof that increases from the current interest concentration from the interest concentration relationship data (Fig. 7(b)). That is, the content classification and presentation speed of the interest concentration with a value larger than the current interest concentration are identified.

[0047] Next, in step S108, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction to change one or more of the content classification or the presentation speed so as to contribute to the recovery or improvement of the interest concentration of the student 303. That is, in this step, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction to change the presentation specification to the content classification or the presentation speed specified in step S107. Then, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 transmits this change instruction to the information presentation device 200. As a result, the information presentation device 200 can change the presentation specification of the lecture content according to the change instruction. In this case, the information presentation device 200 may display the content of the change instruction and receive a change request corresponding thereto from the instructor 201. In this way, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 outputs a change request to the instructor 201, and accordingly, the instructor 201 can perform an operation of changing the specification.

[0048] Through the above flow, in the communication in the non-face-to-face communication system, it is possible to prevent it from being difficult to notice the decrease in the interest concentration of the information recipient due to the lack or decrease in accuracy of non-verbal communication elements. Furthermore, by correcting the explanation according to the change tendency of the interest concentration for each information recipient, the interest concentration can be efficiently restored. As a result, smooth business instructions, reports, or technical guidance can be performed.

[0049] Note that the flow of changing the content classification or the presentation speed does not have to be performed every time unit Δt1 for analyzing the interest concentration, the content classification, and the presentation speed, and may be performed every Δt2 larger than Δt1. FIG. 3 is a flowchart regarding a modification example of the change of the presentation specification in the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, steps S101 to S105 are the same as the flow shown in FIG. 2, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Note that these flows are performed every predetermined time Δt1.

[0050] Then, every Δt2 larger than Δt1, the determination in step S109 is made. In step S109, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether any of the following is satisfied. · The number of times the decrease in the interest concentration calculated every Δt1 (the difference from the interest concentration before Δt1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th1) is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times · The number of times the interest concentration is below a predetermined value Th2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times As a result, when any of the above is satisfied, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines that the interest concentration of the student 303 has decreased. Then, when it is determined that the interest concentration has decreased (Y), the process proceeds to step S107. On the other hand, when it is determined that the interest concentration has not decreased (N), this flow ends. Note that the processes of steps S107 and S108 are the same as those in the flow of FIG. 2, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0051] Through the above flow, it is possible to reduce the frequency of changing the content classification or the presentation speed, and prevent the situation where the explanation method is changed frequently and the explanation becomes more difficult to understand. This concludes the description of Example 1.

Example

[0052] Next, as Example 2, an application example of the non-face-to-face communication support system of Example 1 will be described. In this example, when the understanding of the lecture content, which is the presentation information, decreases, a supplementary explanation is provided. In this example, this supplementary explanation is provided in a way that maintains or improves the interest concentration of the student 303, who is the information recipient. Note that the system configuration of this example is the same as that of Example 1.

[0053] FIG. 4 is a flowchart regarding the change of the presentation specification in Example 2. First, the processes from step S101 to step S103 are the same as those in the flow shown in FIG. 2, so the description thereof is omitted.

[0054] Next, in step S110, the interest concentration estimation unit 103 estimates the confusion degree of the student 303. For this purpose, the interest concentration estimation unit 103 estimates based on the biological information and motion information of the biological information acquisition unit 101 and the motion information acquisition unit 109.

[0055] Here, the degree of confusion is defined such that when the activity of the sympathetic nerve estimated from the information of the information recipient such as biological information and motion information is dominant, the higher the brain activity, the higher the degree of confusion. The strength of the activity of the sympathetic nerve can be estimated, for example, by the low value of the pNNx index obtained by analyzing the heartbeat variation in the time domain or the LF / HF obtained by analyzing in the frequency domain.

[0056] In addition, regardless of the heartbeat, a biological index reflecting the functions of the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve may be used. The threshold for determining that the activity of the sympathetic nerve is dominant for each index is calculated in advance for each individual using a questionnaire and the evaluation results of biological information. The brain activity may be estimated from the large values of the brain waves and cerebral blood flow measured for the brain activity, or alternatively, the frequency or speed of the line of sight and body movement, which are affected by the activity of thinking, may be used as an alternative index for the brain activity. It is determined that the lower the activity of the sympathetic nerve and the lower the brain activity, the lower the degree of confusion. When the activity of the parasympathetic nerve is dominant, the degree of confusion is determined to be low regardless of the height of the brain activity.

[0057] Next, in step S112, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 calculates the difference between the degree of confusion of the information recipient estimated in the current loop and the degree of confusion of the information recipient estimated in the previous loop. Then, in step S113, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether the difference calculated in step S112 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th3 and whether the degree of confusion in the current loop has increased by a predetermined value Th3 or more compared to the previous loop (before Δt1).

[0058] As a result, if both are satisfied (Y), it is determined that the degree of confusion has decreased below the allowable value, and the process proceeds to step S107. If not satisfied (N), this flow ends. Next, in step S107, the same processing as in FIGS. 2 and 3 is performed.

[0059] Next, in step S114, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 changes the presentation specification and creates a supplementary instruction for making a supplementary explanation. For this purpose, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 reads out the supplementary explanation stored in itself and creates a change instruction similar to that in the first embodiment.

[0060] As a result, when supplementary explanation is necessary, it is possible to provide a supplementary explanation in an easy-to-understand way for the student 303 who is the information recipient, and it is possible to further assist the understanding of the student 303.

[0061] In addition, when implementing this embodiment, it is not necessary to limit the information provider to a person, and an educational system that presents predetermined educational content may be the information provider.

[0062] Also, as shown in FIG. 2 of Embodiment 1, this control may be performed every Δt2 that is greater than Δt1 for a flow that changes content classification or presentation speed.

Embodiment

[0063] Next, as Embodiment 3, another application example of the non-face-to-face communication support system of Embodiment 1 will be described. In this embodiment, when the interest concentration of the student 303 decreases or the degree of confusion increases, the amount of new information is changed as the presentation specification.

[0064] First, the configuration of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic configuration diagram of the non-face-to-face communication support system in Embodiment 3. Here, in Embodiment 3, a new new word extraction unit 110 is newly provided instead of or in addition to the content classification estimation unit 104, the information amount analysis unit 105, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106. That is, in this embodiment, the new word extraction unit 110 is used as the presentation specification specifying unit. In FIG. 5, the description of some elements common to FIG. 1 is omitted, and the description will be centered on the differences. In particular, although the biological information acquisition unit 101 is described in FIG. 5, it is desirable to provide an operation information acquisition unit 109 in addition.

[0065] The new word extraction unit 110 extracts words that newly appear in the lecture content acquired by the presentation information acquisition unit 102.

[0066] In this embodiment, as the interest concentration-related data, instead of or in addition to content classification and presentation speed, the number or ratio of new words is associated with the interest concentration. That is, in Embodiments 1 to 3, as the interest concentration-related data, information indicating the correspondence between the interest concentration and the presentation specification is used. Also, regarding the interest concentration here, it is possible to use its value or the amount of change in the time series.

[0067] Based on the interest concentration estimated by the interest concentration estimation unit 103, the number or ratio of new words extracted by the new word extraction unit 110, and the interest concentration-related data, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether it is necessary to change the number or ratio of new words in the lecture content. If it is determined that it is necessary, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction to change the number or ratio of new words as the presentation specification.

[0068] Next, the processing flow of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 6 is a flowchart regarding the change of the presentation specification in Embodiment 3.

[0069] First, in step S115, the new word extraction unit 110 prepares an array for storing the words included in the lecture content and presented. Also, in step S101, the same processing as in Embodiment 1 or 2 is performed.

[0070] Next, in step S116, the new word extraction unit 110 extracts the words that newly appeared within a predetermined time Δt1 from the information obtained in step S101. The new words refer to the words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adjectival verbs, adverbs, etc.) that are not stored in the array prepared in step 115. That is, the newly appeared words indicate the words that appear for the first time in that loop in the corresponding lecture content. Also, in step S103, the same processing as in Embodiment 1 or 2 is executed.

[0071] Next, in step S117, the interest concentration estimation unit 103 estimates the interest concentration or confusion degree of the student 303 based on the biological information and operation information.

[0072] Next, in step S118, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 calculates the difference between the interest concentration degree or confusion degree of the information recipient estimated in the current loop and the interest concentration degree or confusion degree of the information recipient estimated in the previous loop.

[0073] Next, in step S119, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether the difference calculated in step S118 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th1 and whether the interest concentration degree in the current loop is decreased by a predetermined value Th1 or more compared to the previous loop (before Δt1). As a result, if it is decreased (Y), it is determined that the interest concentration degree has decreased to an acceptable value or more, and the process proceeds to step S107. Alternatively, it is determined whether the difference calculated in step S118 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th3 and whether the confusion degree in the current loop is increased by a predetermined value Th3 or more compared to the previous loop (before Δt1). As a result, if it is increased (Y) as well, it is determined that the confusion degree has increased to an acceptable value or more, and the process proceeds to step S107.

[0074] Also, in step S119, if the interest concentration degree has not decreased to an acceptable value or more, or if the confusion degree has not increased to an acceptable value or more (N), the process proceeds to step S121.

[0075] Next, in step S107, similar to those in the first and second embodiments, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 refers to the interest concentration degree database 107. In this embodiment, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 obtains the number or ratio of new words whose interest concentration degree of the student 303 increases from the interest concentration degree related data.

[0076] Next, in step S120, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction that contributes to the recovery of the interest concentration degree or the reduction of the confusion degree of the information recipient. That is, a change instruction including the designation of the number or ratio of new words is created.

[0077] Also, in step S121, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 stores the newly extracted words within Δt1 into the word storage array created in step S115. By storing only the newly presented words while maintaining a high level of interest concentration or a low level of confusion, it is possible to prevent treating poorly understood words as known words.

[0078] With the above processing flow, when the cause of the decrease in the information recipient's interest concentration or the increase in confusion is due to the new information volume, it is possible to change to an explanation of the new information volume that allows the information recipient to maintain interest concentration and is easy to understand. As a result, smooth business instructions, reports, or technical guidance can be provided.

[0079] Regarding the creation and use of the word storage array, it is desirable to create one for each information recipient and add words through all the information presentations obtained by the information recipient. Alternatively, it is desirable to create one for each combination of information presenter and information recipient and add and use words as long as the combination of information presenter and information recipient is the same. This makes it possible to prevent the information recipient's understood words from being identified as new words. Also, it is desirable not to determine words other than exactly matching words as new words, to identify the presence or absence of paraphrasing, and to process the words used in paraphrasing as information that has the same meaning as the original word and that the information recipient already understands.

[0080] Note that when implementing this embodiment, the information presenter does not necessarily have to be a person, and an educational system that presents predetermined educational content may be the information presenter.

[0081] Also, as shown in FIG. 2 of Example 1, this control may perform the flow of changing the number of new words every Δt2 which is larger than Δt1. Further, the predetermined values shown in this specification may be determined in advance, or for each information recipient, the concentration of interest or the duration of the decrease in the degree of confusion may be obtained, and the value may be set smaller for an information recipient with a longer duration. This is because even a slight decrease in the concentration of interest or an increase in the degree of confusion may be resolved while listening to the explanation. By obtaining and using the threshold values of the decrease in the concentration of interest or the increase in the degree of confusion that cannot be resolved even by continuing to listen to the explanation, it is possible to more accurately determine the necessity of changing the explanation.

[0082] Finally, implementation examples of implementing each example in a distance education system will be described. FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram showing an implementation example. In this system, a communication support device 100 provided at the head office of an educational institution is connected to information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2 used by an instructor 201. Further, the communication support device 100 is connected to information receiving devices 21 to 26 used by students 303 via a wide area network 30 such as the Internet.

[0083] Here, the information receiving devices 21 to 26 are composed of information receiving devices 21 to 24 provided in classroom A or classroom B of the educational institution, and information receiving devices 25 and 26 that can be used at home or the like. Here, classroom A and classroom B may be directly managed bases of the educational institution, or may be partners such as franchise bases.

[0084] Also, the information receiving device 25 can be realized by a mobile terminal such as a so-called smartphone. Further, the information receiving device 26 can be realized by a desktop PC or the like. In this figure, the biological information detection device 304, the motion detection device 305, the screen 301, and the speaker 302 are omitted. Also, the biological information detection device 304, the motion detection device 305, and the screen 301 may be configured integrally with the information receiving device. Furthermore, the installation locations of the information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2, such as classroom A, classroom B, or the instructor's home, can assume various options.

[0085] In addition, the communication support device 100 can be realized by a so-called server device. Therefore, it has a processing device 11, a network I / F 12, a memory 13, and a storage 14, which are connected to each other by a bus or the like.

[0086] First, the processing device 11 can be realized by a processor such as a CPU, and executes the processing described in the above flowchart according to the communication support program 15 expanded in the memory 13. The network I / F 12 has a function of connecting to the wide area network 30.

[0087] The memory 13 expands the communication support program 15 and the data and information necessary for the above processing. In addition, the communication support program 15 and the like are stored in a storage medium such as the storage 14, and this is expanded in the memory 13 as needed.

[0088] The storage 14 has a function of storing information, data, and programs. And in each embodiment, the interest concentration database 107 and the content 16 which is the lecture content are stored. Although not shown, it is desirable to store the communication support program 15. Furthermore, the storage 14 may be realized in a separate housing from the communication support program 15. The storage 14 can be realized by, for example, a file server.

[0089] With the above configuration, the lecturer 201 can use the information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2 to present the lecture content to the information receiving devices 21 to 26. And at this time, the communication support device 100 can appropriately change the presentation specification of the lecture content. Therefore, a more appropriate lecture can be given to the information receivers represented by the students 303.

[0090] Alternatively, the information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2 may be omitted or integrated with the communication support device 100. In this case, it is desirable that the communication support device 100 itself, rather than the lecturer 201, presents the lecture content to the information receiving devices 21 to 26. For this purpose, the communication support device 100 will mechanically provide information using artificial intelligence or the like. However, it goes without saying that artificial intelligence can also be utilized when the information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2 are realized as individual devices.

[0091] In addition, when providing the same lecture content to multiple people simultaneously, that is, to multiple information receivers, it is conceivable that the interest concentration levels or confusion levels of individuals may vary. In this case, for determining changes in content classification, presentation speed, the number or ratio of new words, the interest concentration level or confusion level may be the minimum value or the maximum value within the information receivers, or representative values such as the mode value or the average value may be used. Here, "providing" the lecture content "simultaneously" includes cases where the reception timings are shifted due to factors such as communication capabilities.

[0092] Note that this system can also be applied to on-the-job training, know-how transfer, technology inheritance, business support, etc. outside educational institutions.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0093] 100... Communication support device, 101... Biometric information acquisition unit, 102... Presentation information acquisition unit, 103... Interest concentration estimation unit, 104... Content classification estimation unit, 105... Information quantity analysis unit, 106... Presentation speed calculation unit, 107... Interest concentration database, 108... Presentation information change instruction unit, 109... Operation information acquisition unit, 200... Information presentation device, 201... Lecturer, 301... Screen, 302... Speaker, 303... Student, 304... Biometric information detection device, 305... Motion detection device

Claims

1. In a communication support apparatus for presenting content to an information recipient, an information recipient information acquisition unit that acquires information recipient information generated from the information recipient; an interest concentration estimation unit that estimates an interest concentration in the information recipient based on a time-series change of the information recipient information; a presentation specification specifying unit that specifies a presentation specification of the content presented to the information recipient; a presentation information change instruction unit that creates a change instruction for changing the presentation specification of the content according to a change in the interest concentration, wherein the presentation specification specifying unit has a content classification estimation unit that estimates a content classification of the content; has an information amount calculation unit that calculates an information amount of the content; has a presentation speed calculation unit that calculates a presentation speed of the content based on the information amount, and the presentation information change instruction unit creates a change instruction for changing at least one of the content classification and the presentation speed. A communication support apparatus.

2. The communication support apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the presentation specification specifying unit has a new word extraction unit that extracts new words within a unit period included in the content, and the presentation information change instruction unit creates a change instruction for changing at least one of the content classification, the presentation speed, and the new words. A communication support apparatus.

3. A communication support program for causing a computer, which is an information recipient, to function as an information recipient information acquisition unit that acquires information recipient information generated from the information recipient; an interest concentration estimation unit that estimates an interest concentration in the information recipient based on a time-series change of the information recipient information; a presentation specification specifying unit that specifies a presentation specification of the content presented to the information recipient; a presentation information change instruction unit that creates a change instruction for changing the presentation specification of the content according to a change in the interest concentration, wherein the presentation specification specifying unit functions as a content classification estimation unit that estimates a content classification of the content; functions as an information amount calculation unit that calculates an information amount of the content; and functions as a presentation speed calculation unit that calculates a presentation speed of the content based on the information amount. The prompting information change instruction unit is a communication support program that creates a change instruction for changing at least one of the content classification and the prompting speed.

4. In the communication support program according to claim 3, the prompting specification specifying unit functions as a new word extraction unit that extracts new words within a unit period included in the content, the prompting information change instruction unit is a communication support program that creates a change instruction for changing at least one of the content classification, the prompting speed, and the new words.

5. A storage medium storing a communication support program for causing a computer, which is an information recipient, to present content, an information recipient information acquisition unit that acquires information recipient information generated from the information recipient, an interest concentration estimation unit that estimates an interest concentration level in the information recipient based on a time-series change of the information recipient information, a prompting specification specifying unit that specifies a prompting specification of the content presented to the information recipient, and functions as a prompting information change instruction unit that creates a change instruction for changing the prompting specification of the content according to a change in the interest concentration level. The prompting specification specifying unit is a content classification estimation unit that estimates a content classification of the content, an information amount calculation unit that calculates an information amount of the content, and functions as a prompting speed calculation unit that calculates a prompting speed of the content based on the information amount. The prompting information change instruction unit is a storage medium that creates a change instruction for changing at least one of the content classification and the prompting speed.

6. In the storage medium according to claim 5, the prompting specification specifying unit functions as a new word extraction unit that extracts new words within a unit period included in the content, and the prompting information change instruction unit is a storage medium that creates a change instruction for changing at least one of the content classification, the prompting speed, and the new words.

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