Information processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide an information processing device capable of avoiding the occurrence of an erroneous determination caused by camouflage when determining whether or not a user is studying according to a response for a question on whether or not the user is studying.SOLUTION: An information processing device 1A comprises: an acquisition unit 111 which acquires seating information showing a seating state of a user, sound information showing sounds collected by a microphone 131, and biological information showing a biological state of the user; a voice control unit 112 which generates voice information showing a voice message asking whether or not the user is studying and outputs the generated voice information to a speaker 132 when the seating information changes from seat leaving to seating: and a determination unit 113 which determines whether or not the user is studying on the basis of the sound information and the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 111 after the voice control unit 112 outputs the voice information to the speaker 132.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] It has been proposed to use IT technology to grasp children's study time. In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when an operation is not performed on the user terminal on which the content related to the learning item is being displayed for a time exceeding a predetermined reference time, a message asking whether the user is studying is displayed on the user terminal. In response to this message, if there is a response indicating that the user is not studying, or if there is no response at all, in the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is determined that the user of the user terminal is likely doing something other than studying.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that when a forgery such as responding that the user is "studying" is actually done even though the user is not actually studying, the user of the user terminal is erroneously determined to be studying.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and in a technique for determining whether a user is studying according to a response to an inquiry about whether the user is studying, an object is to solve the problem of avoiding the occurrence of an erroneous determination due to forgery.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] An information processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit, an audio control unit, and a determination unit. The acquisition unit acquires seating information indicating the seating state of the user, audio information indicating the sound picked up by the microphone, and biological information indicating the state of the user's living body. The audio control unit generates audio information indicating an audio message for asking whether the user is studying, in response to the seating information changing from leaving the seat to sitting down, and outputs the generated audio information to the speaker. The determination unit determines whether the user is studying based on the audio information and the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit after the audio control unit outputs the audio information to the speaker.

Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the information processing apparatus of the present disclosure, since it is determined whether the user is studying based on the audio information and the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit, even if a forgery such as responding that the user is "studying" is performed although the user is not actually studying, it is possible to avoid misjudging that the user is studying.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] <A. Embodiment> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing apparatus 1A according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The information processing apparatus 1A is a device that measures the study period of a user. The information processing apparatus 1A determines whether the user is studying or not according to the response to the inquiry as to whether the user is studying. The information processing apparatus 1A is, for example, a smartphone. The information processing apparatus 1A is given to a child by a guardian who desires to grasp the study time of the child. In the present embodiment, the child to whom the information processing apparatus 1A is given becomes the user of the information processing apparatus 1A.

[0010] As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 1A includes a processing apparatus 110, an interface apparatus 120, a voice input / output apparatus 130, and a storage apparatus 140.

[0011] In addition to the processing apparatus 110, the interface apparatus 120, the voice input / output apparatus 130, and the storage apparatus 140 shown in FIG. 1, the information processing apparatus 1A includes a communication apparatus and an operation input apparatus. The communication apparatus is a device for performing voice calls via a mobile communication network and data communication via a mobile packet communication network. The operation input apparatus is a device for receiving an input operation of a user with respect to the information processing apparatus 1A. The communication apparatus and the operation input apparatus are not shown in FIG. 1.

[0012] In FIG. 1, a seat information generation device 2 and a biological information generation device 3 connected to an information processing device 1A are illustrated together with the information processing device 1A. The seat information generation device 2 and the biological information generation device 3 are connected to an interface device 120. The connection between the seat information generation device 2 and the interface device 120 may be a wired connection or a wireless connection. A specific example of the interface device 120 when the connection between the seat information generation device 2 and the interface device 120 is a wired connection includes a USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface circuit. A specific example of the interface device 120 when the connection between the seat information generation device 2 and the interface device 120 is a wireless connection includes a wireless LAN interface circuit. The connection between the biological information generation device 3 and the interface device 120 may also be a wired connection or a wireless connection.

[0013] The seat information generation device 2 is a device that generates seat information indicating the seating state of a user with respect to a study desk. The seat information generation device 2 outputs the generated seat information to the interface device 120. The seat information generation device 2 in the present embodiment is a pressure sensor provided on the seat surface of a chair that pairs with the study desk. The pressure applied to the seat information generation device 2 differs between the state where a user is seated on the chair that pairs with the study desk and the state where the user is not seated. In the present embodiment, information indicating the magnitude of the pressure applied to the seat information generation device 2 becomes the seat information. Although the seat information generation device 2 in the present embodiment is a pressure sensor, a human sensor such as an infrared sensor provided on the study desk or the chair that pairs with the study desk may be used as the seat information generation device 2.

[0014] The biological information generation device 3 is a device that generates biological information indicating the state of the user's body. The biological information generation device 3 outputs the generated biological information to the interface device 120. As a specific example of the biological information, information indicating the user's heart rate can be mentioned. When the user's concentration increases, the sympathetic nerve becomes dominant over the parasympathetic nerve, and the user's heart rate increases. Conversely, in a state of low concentration and relaxation, the parasympathetic nerve becomes dominant over the sympathetic nerve, and the user's heart rate decreases. As a specific example of the biological information generation device 3 when the biological information is information indicating the user's heart rate of the information processing device 1A, a heart rate sensor worn on the user's body can be mentioned.

[0015] As shown in FIG. 1, the voice input / output device 130 includes a microphone 131 and a speaker 132. The microphone 131 picks up the sounds around the information processing device 1A. The microphone 131 generates sound information indicating the picked-up sounds. The speaker 132 is supplied with voice information from the processing device 110. The speaker 132 outputs the voice represented by the voice information supplied from the processing device 110.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, the memory device 140 includes a volatile memory device 141 and a non-volatile memory device 142. The volatile memory device 141 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The volatile memory device 141 is used by the processing device 110 as a work area when executing various programs. The non-volatile memory device 142 is, for example, a flash ROM (Read Only Memory). In the non-volatile memory device 142, various programs and various data that are referred to or updated during the execution of the various programs are stored. Specific examples of the programs stored in the non-volatile memory device 142 include a kernel program that causes the processing device 110 to implement an OS (Operating System), and a program P that causes the processing device 110 to implement a study time measurement method that prominently shows the features of the present disclosure. Specific examples of the data stored in the non-volatile memory device 142 include study time information D1 indicating the user's study time and concentration information D2 indicating the user's concentration during the study time. The study time information D1 and the concentration information D2 are generated by the processing device 110 operating according to the program P.

[0017] The processing device 110 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The processing device 110 functions as a control center in the information processing device 1A by operating according to the programs stored in the non-volatile memory device 142. When the power of the information processing device 1A is turned on, the processing device 110 first reads the kernel program from the non-volatile memory device 142 into the volatile memory device 141 and starts executing the kernel program read into the volatile memory device 141. The processing device 110 operating according to the kernel program and implementing the OS starts executing other programs in response to operations on the operation input device. For example, when instructed to execute the program P by an operation on the operation input device, the processing device 110 reads the program P from the non-volatile memory device 142 into the volatile memory device 141 and starts executing the program P read into the volatile memory device 141.

[0018] When the user of the information processing apparatus 1A starts studying, as shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 1A is placed on the desk of the learning machine T, and if the power is not turned on, the information processing apparatus 1A is powered on. Then, after the user U of the information processing apparatus 1A performs an operation to instruct the start of the execution of the program P on the operation input device, the user U sits on the chair paired with the learning machine and starts studying. On the other hand, the processing device 110 starts the execution of the program P in response to an operation instructing the start of the execution of the program P. The processing device 110 operating according to the program P functions as an acquisition unit 111, an audio control unit 112, a determination unit 113, a timing unit 114, and a recording unit 115, as shown in FIG. 1.

[0019] The acquisition unit 111 acquires seat information from the seat information generation device 2 via the interface device 120. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires biological information from the biological information generation device 3 via the interface device 120. The acquisition unit 111 also acquires audio information from the microphone 131.

[0020] The audio control unit 112 generates audio information indicating an audio message for inquiring whether the user is studying, triggered by the change of the seat information from leaving the seat to sitting down. The audio control unit 112 outputs the generated audio information to the speaker 132. Hereinafter, the audio message for inquiring whether the user is studying is referred to as an inquiry message.

[0021] As described above, the seating information in the present embodiment is information indicating the magnitude of the pressure applied to the seating information generation device 2. In the present embodiment, if the pressure indicated by the seating information is less than a predetermined threshold value, the voice control unit 112 determines that the user has left the seat, and if the pressure indicated by the seating information is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the voice control unit 112 determines that the user is seated. That is, when the magnitude of the pressure indicated by the seating information changes from a value less than the threshold value to a value equal to or greater than the threshold value, the voice control unit 112 determines that the state has changed from leaving the seat to sitting down, and outputs voice information indicating an inquiry message to the speaker 132. Thereafter, each time a certain period of time elapses after the voice control unit 112 outputs the voice information indicating the inquiry message to the speaker 132, the voice control unit 112 repeats the process of outputting the voice information indicating the inquiry message to the speaker 132. Note that the voice control unit 112 also determines the change from sitting down to leaving the seat by comparing the pressure indicated by the seating information with the threshold value. However, in order not to erroneously determine that the user of the information processing device 1A has left the seat when, for example, the user temporarily straightens his or her posture, the voice control unit 112 determines that the user has left the seat when the duration of the state in which the pressure indicated by the seating information is less than the threshold value exceeds a second threshold value (for example, 5 seconds).

[0022] After the voice control unit 112 outputs voice information indicating an inquiry message to the speaker 132, the determination unit 113 determines whether the user of the information processing device 1A is studying based on the voice information and the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 111. In the present embodiment, the determination unit 113 estimates the degree of concentration indicating the degree of concentration of the user based on the biological information. Note that an existing technique may be used for the algorithm for estimating the degree of concentration from the heart rate indicated by the biological information.

[0023] When at least one of the user's voice affirming that the sound indicated by the sound information is a study sound and that the user is studying, and the concentration level is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the determination unit 113 determines that the user is studying. In other words, when the sound indicated by the sound information is not a study sound and is not the user's voice affirming that the user is studying, or when the concentration level is less than the threshold value, the determination unit 113 determines that the user is not studying. A study sound refers to a sound made during study. Specific examples of study sounds include the sound of turning the pages of a book, typing sounds, or the sound of writing with a writing instrument such as a pencil.

[0024] The timing unit 114 starts timing the study time from the point in time when the determination unit 113 first determines that the user is studying, and ends the timing of the study time when the determination unit 113 determines that the user is not studying. The timing unit 114 records the user's study time by writing study time information D1 indicating the time length from the start of timing to the end of timing into the non-volatile memory device 142. Note that at the time of the first determination (hereinafter referred to as the initial determination) made after the user of the information processing device 1A starts studying, the heart rate may not change from normal (the concentration level is less than the threshold value). Therefore, the determination unit 113 may determine whether the user is studying based only on the sound information in the initial determination. In the mode of determining whether the user is studying based only on the sound information in the initial determination, at the point in time when a predetermined time has elapsed since the initial determination, the voice control unit 112 outputs voice information representing an inquiry message to the speaker 132. The determination unit 113 makes a second determination based on the sound information and biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 111. If it is determined in the second determination that the user is not studying, the timing unit 114 regards the user as not having studied at the time of the initial determination and resets the count of the study time.

[0025] The recording unit 115 records the concentration level of the user during study by writing concentration level information D2 indicating the concentration level of the user inferred from the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit 111 into the non-volatile memory device 142 during the period when the determination unit 113 determines that the user is studying.

[0026] Also, when the seating state of the user changes from leaving the seat to sitting down, the processing device 110 operating according to the program P executes the learning time measurement method shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the learning time measurement method in the present embodiment includes a first voice control process SA110, a first determination process SA120, a recording start process SA130, a second determination process SA140, a second voice control process SA150, a third determination process SA160, a recording end process SA170, a fourth determination process SA180, and a reporting process SA190.

[0027] In the first voice control process SA110, the processing device 110 functions as the voice control unit 112. In the first voice control process SA110, the processing device 110 outputs voice information indicating an inquiry message to the speaker 132.

[0028] In the first determination process SA120 following the first voice control process SA110, the processing device 110 functions as the acquisition unit 111 and the determination unit 113. In the first determination process SA120, the processing device 110 determines whether the user is studying based on the voice information acquired from the microphone 131 and the biological information acquired from the biological information generation device 3.

[0029] If the determination result in the first determination process SA120 is “No”, that is, if it is determined that the user is not studying, the processing device 110 ends the learning time measurement method without executing the processes after the recording start process SA130. If the determination result in the first determination process SA120 is “Yes”, that is, if it is determined that the user is studying, the processing device 110 executes the recording start process SA130. In the recording start process SA130, the processing device 110 functions as the timekeeping unit 114 and the recording unit 115. In the recording start process SA130, the processing device 110 starts measuring the learning time and starts recording the user's concentration.

[0030] In the second determination process SA140 and the second voice control process SA150, the processing device 110 functions as a voice control unit 112. In the second determination process SA140, the processing device 110 determines whether a certain period of time has elapsed after outputting voice information indicating an inquiry message to the speaker 132.

[0031] If the determination result in the second determination process SA140 is "No", the processing device 110 executes the fourth determination process SA180. In the fourth determination process SA180, the processing device 110 determines whether an end of the study time measurement method has been instructed by an operation on the operation input device. If the determination result of the fourth determination process SA180 is "No", the processing device 110 executes the second determination process SA140 again. If the determination result of the fourth determination process SA180 is "Yes", the processing device 110 executes a reporting process SA190 to end the study time measurement method. In the reporting process SA190, the processing device 110 transmits study time information D1 and concentration information D2 to the terminal device of the user's guardian.

[0032] If the determination result of the second determination process SA140 is "Yes", the processing device 110 executes the second voice control process SA150. In the second voice control process SA150, the processing device 110 outputs voice information indicating an inquiry message to the speaker 132.

[0033] In the third determination process SA160 following the second voice control process SA150, the processing device 110 functions as an acquisition unit 111 and a determination unit 113. In the third determination process SA160, the processing device 110 determines whether the user is studying based on the voice information acquired from the microphone 131 and the biological information acquired from the biological information generation device 3.

[0034] When the determination result in the third determination process SA160 is "No", the processing device 110 executes the fourth determination process SA180 after executing the recording end process SA170. In the recording end process SA170, the processing device 110 ends the recording of the study time and ends the recording of the concentration level. When the determination result in the third determination process SA160 is "Yes", the processing device 110 executes the fourth determination process SA180.

[0035] For example, assume that the user of the information processing device 1A studies from time T0 to time T3 shown in FIG. 4. The graph curve G in FIG. 4 represents the concentration level of the user estimated from the biological information in the time interval from time T0 to time T3. As shown in FIG. 4, the concentration level of the user of the information processing device 1A gradually decreases with the passage of time, and at time T2, it is below the threshold Th for determining whether the user is studying. In the operation example described below, the time interval ΔT obtained by dividing the time length from time T0 to time T3 into three equal parts is set as the output interval of the inquiry message, and it is assumed that no operation is performed to instruct the end of the study time measurement method until time T3.

[0036] When the user of the information processing device 1A sits down facing the learning machine at time T0, since the seating state of the user changes from leaving the seat to sitting down, the processing device 110 starts the study time measurement method shown in FIG. 3. In the information processing device 1A, first, the first voice control process SA110 is executed. That is, an inquiry message is output from the speaker 132 to the user at time T0. In response to this inquiry message, the user of the information processing device 1A gives a response indicating that they are "studying". The voice of the user's response is picked up by the microphone 131, and sound information representing the response is generated. As shown in FIG. 4, at time T0, the concentration level of the user estimated from the biological information is equal to or higher than the threshold Th. Therefore, the determination result of the first determination process SA120 executed at time T0 is "Yes", and the recording start process SA130 is executed. That is, the measurement of the study time starts, and the recording of the concentration level starts.

[0037] In the time interval from time T0 to time T1, since the time ΔT has not elapsed since the output of the inquiry message, the determination result of the second determination process SA140 is "No". Since the determination result of the second determination process SA140 is "No", the fourth determination process SA180 is executed. However, since the operation to instruct the end of the study time measurement method is not performed until time T3, the determination result of the fourth determination process SA180 is "No". As a result, the second determination process SA140 is executed again. That is, in the time interval from time T0 to time T1, the second determination process SA140 and the fourth determination process SA180 are repeatedly executed.

[0038] When time T1 is reached, the determination result of the second determination process SA140 becomes "Yes", and the second voice control process SA150 is executed. That is, at time T1, an inquiry message is output from the speaker 132 to the user. In response to this inquiry message, the user of the information processing apparatus 1A gives a reply indicating that they are "studying". As shown in FIG. 4, even at time T1, the user's concentration is equal to or higher than the threshold Th. Therefore, the determination result of the third determination process SA160 executed at time T1 is "Yes", and the fourth determination process SA180 is executed without executing the recording end process SA170. Thereafter, in the time interval from time T1 to time T2, the second determination process SA140 and the fourth determination process SA180 are repeatedly executed in the same manner as in the time interval from time T0 to time T1.

[0039] When time T2 is reached, the determination result of the second determination process SA140 becomes "Yes", the second voice control process SA150 is executed, and an inquiry message is output from the speaker 132 to the user. At time T2, although the user of the information processing apparatus 1A has lost concentration on studying and is not actually studying, a response indicating that they are "studying" is made. As a result, although voice information indicating that the user is "studying" is acquired even at time T2, the concentration level of the user estimated from the biological information is less than the threshold Th. Therefore, the determination result of the third determination process SA160 executed at time T2 becomes "No", and the recording end process SA170 is executed. As a result, the study time information D1 indicating the time from time T0 to time T2 is stored, and the concentration level information D2 indicating the concentration level of the user in the time period from time T0 to time T2 is stored.

[0040] Thereafter, in the time period from time T2 to time T3, the second determination process SA140 and the fourth determination process SA180 are repeatedly executed in the same manner as in the time period from time T0 to time T1. Then, when time T3 is reached, an operation instructing the end of the study time measurement method is performed, so the determination result of the fourth determination process SA180 becomes "Yes", and the reporting process SA190 is executed. That is, the study time information D1 indicating the time from time T0 to time T2 and the concentration level information D2 indicating the concentration level of the user in the time period from time T0 to time T2 are transmitted to the guardian's terminal device. The guardian can grasp the study time of the user of the information processing apparatus 1A by referring to the study time information D1, and can grasp the concentration level of the user during this study time by referring to the concentration level information.

[0041] As described above, according to the present embodiment, by using the biological information of the user in combination, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of misjudgment caused by a response indicating that the user is "studying" even though they are not actually studying, and it becomes possible to accurately measure the study time of the user. In addition, according to the present embodiment, it is also possible to record the concentration level together with the study time.

[0042] <B. Variation> Although one embodiment of the present disclosure has been described above, this embodiment may be modified as follows. (1) The information processing apparatus of the present disclosure may, like the information processing apparatus 1B shown in FIG. 5, have an imaging device 150 and a generation unit 116 in addition to a processing device 110, an interface device 120, an audio input / output device 130, and a storage device 140. In the information processing apparatus 1B, the acquisition unit 111 acquires imaging information obtained by imaging a user with the imaging device 150. The generation unit 116 generates posture information indicating the posture of the user based on the imaging information. In this case, when the posture indicated by the posture information is a posture different from the studying posture, the voice control unit 112 may output voice information indicating an inquiry message to the speaker 132. According to this aspect, when the posture of the user is a posture different from the studying posture, it is possible to issue a warning by outputting an inquiry message. Note that a specific example of a posture different from the studying posture is a posture of lying face down on the study desk T as shown in FIG. 6.

[0043] The seating information generation device 2 in FIG. 5 may be a device that generates seating information by performing a process of recognizing the seating of a user based on an image represented by the imaging information obtained by the imaging device 150. Further, in the information processing apparatus 1B shown in FIG. 5, the processing device 110 may execute a process of recognizing the seating of the user based on the imaging information, and in an aspect where the processing device 110 executes the process of recognizing the seating of the user based on the imaging information, the seating information generation device 2 may be omitted. Further, in the information processing apparatus 1B shown in the figure, the processing device 110 may determine whether the seated person is the user by image recognition of the imaging information, and may start execution of the learning time measurement method when it is determined that the seated person is the user.

[0044] (2) The study time measurement method in the above embodiment may be modified to the study time measurement method shown in FIG. 7. In FIG. 7, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same processes as those in FIG. 3. As is clear from comparing FIG. 7 with FIG. 3, the study time measurement method shown in FIG. 7 differs from the study time measurement method shown in FIG. 3 in that it includes a fifth determination process SA141, a sixth determination process SA142, and a seventh determination process SA143. In the fifth determination process SA141, the sixth determination process SA142, and the seventh determination process SA143, the processing device 110 functions as the voice control unit 112.

[0045] The fifth determination process SA141 is executed when the determination result of the second determination process SA140 is “No”. In the fifth determination process SA141, the processing device 110 determines whether the concentration of the user has fallen below the threshold value. When the determination result of the fifth determination process SA141 is “Yes”, the processing device 110 executes the second voice control process SA150. When the determination result of the fifth determination process SA141 is “No”, the processing device 110 executes the sixth determination process SA142.

[0046] In the sixth determination process SA142, the processing device 110 determines whether the seating state of the user has changed from sitting to leaving the seat. When the determination result of the sixth determination process SA142 is “Yes”, the processing device 110 executes the second voice control process SA150. When the determination result of the sixth determination process SA142 is “No”, the processing device 110 executes the seventh determination process SA143.

[0047] In the seventh determination process SA143, the processing device 110 determines whether the sound indicated by the sound information is a sound different from the study sound. Specific examples of sounds different from the study sound include the BGM or sound effects of computer games, or snoring. Or when the determination result of the seventh determination process SA143 is “Yes”, the processing device 110 executes the second voice control process SA150. When the determination result of the seventh determination process SA143 is “No”, the processing device 110 executes the fourth determination process SA180.

[0048] Any one or two of the fifth determination process SA141, the sixth determination process SA142, and the seventh determination process SA143 may be omitted.

[0049] (3) The information processing device 1A or the information processing device 1B may further include an advice unit that generates advice audio information indicating an audio message of advice regarding an environment where concentration can be achieved based on the concentration level of the user recorded in the recording unit 115, and outputs the generated advice audio information to the speaker 132. For example, the advice unit generates advice audio information in response to an operation to instruct the end of the study time measurement method, and outputs the generated advice audio information to the speaker 132. A specific example of advice regarding an environment where concentration can be achieved includes a suggestion of factors that hinder concentration, more specifically, a notification of the frequency of sounds that hinder concentration being picked up by the microphone 131 or a notification of the volume of the sound. A specific example of sounds that hinder concentration includes various noises generated around the user's house, or sounds of daily life generated in the house. The user of the information processing device 1A or the information processing device 1B can improve the concentration level during study by following the advice and choosing a time period when sounds that hinder concentration are less frequent or when the volume of the sound is low. Another specific example of advice regarding an environment conducive to concentration is notification of a time period when the degree of concentration was equal to or higher than a threshold. Through this advice, the user of the information processing device 1A or the information processing device 1B can grasp the time period when the degree of concentration was equal to or higher than a threshold, and can always study with a high degree of concentration by reviewing the lifestyle habits so as to study during this time period.

[0050] <C:その他> (1) In each of the above-described embodiments and Modifications (1) to (3), the non-volatile memory device 142 may include a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk (e.g., a compact disk, a digital versatile disk, a Blu-ray (registered trademark) disk), a smart card, a flash memory device (e.g., a card, a stick, a key drive), a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-ROM), a register, a removable disk, a hard disk, a floppy (registered trademark) disk, a magnetic strip, a database, a server, and other appropriate storage media. Further, the program may be transmitted from a network via a telecommunication line.

[0051] (2) Each of the above-described embodiments and Modifications (1) to (3) may be applied to a system that uses LTE (Long Term Evolution), LTE-A (LTE-Advanced), SUPER 3G, IMT-Advanced, 4G, 5G, FRA (Future Radio Access), W-CDMA (registered trademark), GSM (registered trademark), CDMA2000, UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband), IEEE 802.11 (Wi-Fi), IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX), IEEE 802.20, UWB (Ultra-WideBand), Bluetooth (registered trademark), and other appropriate systems and / or a next-generation system extended based on these.

[0052] (3) Information and the like described in each of the above-described embodiments and Modifications (1) to (3) may be represented using any of various different technologies. For example, data, information, and the like that can be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields, magnetic particles, optical fields, photons, or any combination thereof. Note that the terms described in this specification and / or the terms necessary for understanding this specification may be replaced with terms having the same or similar meanings.

[0053] (4) In each of the above-described embodiments and Modifications (1) to (3), the input / output information and the like may be stored in a specific location (for example, the volatile storage device 141), or may be managed by a management table. The input / output information and the like can be overwritten, updated, or appended. The output information and the like may be deleted. The input information and the like may be transmitted to other devices.

[0054] (5) In each of the above-described embodiments and Modifications (1) to (3), the determination may be made based on a value represented by 1 bit (0 or 1), may be made based on a true / false value (Boolean: true or false), or may be made based on a numerical comparison (for example, comparison with a predetermined value).

[0055] (6) The processing procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. exemplified in each of the above-described embodiments and Modifications (1) to (3) may be rearranged as long as there is no contradiction. For example, regarding the methods described in this specification, the elements of various steps are presented in an exemplary order and are not limited to the presented specific order.

[0056] (7) Each function illustrated in FIG. 1 or FIG. 5 is realized by an arbitrary combination of hardware and software. Also, the method of realizing each function is not particularly limited. That is, each function may be realized using one physically or logically combined device, or two or more physically or logically separated devices may be directly or indirectly (for example, using wired, wireless, etc.) connected and realized using these multiple devices. The function blocks may be realized by combining software with the above one device or the above multiple devices. Functions include, but are not limited to, judgment, decision-making, determination, calculation, computation, processing, derivation, investigation, search, confirmation, reception, transmission, output, access, solution, selection, selection determination, establishment, comparison, assumption, expectation, presumption, broadcasting, notifying, communicating, forwarding, configuring, reconfiguring, allocating (mapping), assigning, etc. For example, a functional block (component) that enables transmission is referred to as a transmitting unit or a transmitter. In any case, as described above, the implementation method is not particularly limited.

[0057] (8) The programs exemplified in each of the above embodiments and modification examples (1) to (3) should be broadly interpreted to mean instructions, instruction sets, codes, code segments, program codes, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, execution threads, procedures, functions, etc., regardless of whether they are called by the names of software, firmware, middleware, microcode, or a hardware description language, or by other names. Also, software, instructions, etc. may be transmitted and received via a transmission medium. For example, when software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies such as coaxial cables, optical fiber cables, twisted pairs, and digital subscriber lines (DSLs) and / or wireless technologies such as infrared, wireless, and microwaves, these wired technologies and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of the transmission medium.

[0058] (9) Each of the information processing apparatuses 1A and 1B may be a mobile station. A mobile station may be referred to by those skilled in the art using subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other suitable terms.

[0059] (10) In each of the above-described embodiments and modification examples (1) to (3), the description "based on" does not mean "only based on" unless otherwise specified. In other words, the description "based on" means both "only based on" and "at least based on".

[0060] (11) In each of the above-described embodiments and modification examples (1) to (3), the terms "connected", "coupled", or any variations thereof mean any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "accessed". As used in the present disclosure, two elements can be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using at least one of one or more electric wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, and also using electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency region, microwave region, and optical (both visible and invisible) region as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0061] (12) In each of the above-described embodiments and Modifications (1) to (3), as long as the terms "including", "comprising", and their modifications are used in this specification or the claims, these terms are intended to be inclusive, just like the term "comprising". Further, the term "or" used in this specification or the claims is intended not to be an exclusive disjunction.

[0062] (13) Throughout this application, when articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, these articles include the plural unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0063] (14) In this specification, the term "section" may be read as other terms such as a circuit, a device, or a unit. Similarly, the term "device" may be read as other terms such as a circuit, a device, or a unit.

[0064] (15) It is obvious to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described in this specification. The present invention can be implemented in modified and changed forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention determined based on the description of the claims. Therefore, the description in this specification is for illustrative purposes and has no restrictive meaning for the present invention. Also, a plurality of aspects selected from the aspects exemplified in this specification may be combined.

[0065] <D: Aspects grasped from the above-described forms or modifications> The following aspects are grasped from at least one of the above-described forms or modifications. The information processing apparatus according to the first aspect includes an acquisition unit, an audio control unit, and a determination unit. The acquisition unit acquires seat information indicating the seating state of the user, audio information indicating the sound picked up by the microphone, and biometric information indicating the state of the user's body. The audio control unit generates audio information indicating an audio message for asking whether the user is studying, triggered by the change of the seat information from leaving the seat to sitting down, and outputs the generated audio information to the speaker. The determination unit determines whether the user is studying based on the audio information and the biometric information acquired by the acquisition unit after the audio control unit outputs the audio information to the speaker. According to the information processing apparatus of the first aspect, by using biometric information in combination, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of misjudgment caused by the user responding that they are "studying" even though they are not actually studying.

[0066] In an example of the first aspect (second aspect), the determination unit estimates the concentration level indicating the degree of concentration of the user based on the biometric information, and the sound indicated by the audio information is at least one of the study sound and the user's voice affirming that they are studying when studying, and when the concentration level is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the determination unit may determine that the user is studying. According to the second aspect, it becomes possible to determine whether the user is studying based on at least one of the study sound and the user's response affirming that they are studying, and the concentration level.

[0067] In an example of the first aspect or the second aspect (third aspect), the audio control unit may repeatedly output the audio information indicating the audio message to the speaker after a certain period of time has elapsed since the audio information was output to the speaker. The information processing apparatus according to the third aspect may include a timing unit that starts timing the study time when the determination unit first determines that the user is studying, and ends the timing of the study time when the determination unit determines that the user is not studying. According to the third aspect, it is possible to measure the study time while periodically outputting the audio message for asking whether the user is studying.

[0068] In an example of the third aspect (fourth aspect), when the concentration of the user falls below a threshold value, the voice control unit may output voice information indicating a voice message to a speaker. The concentration indicates the degree of concentration of the user. The degree of concentration of the user is inferred from biological information. According to the fourth aspect, when the concentration of the user falls below the threshold value, a voice message asking whether the user is studying can be output.

[0069] In an example of the third aspect or the fourth aspect (fifth aspect), when the seating information indicating the user's leaving the seat is acquired by the acquisition unit, the voice control unit may output voice information indicating a voice message to a speaker. According to the fifth aspect, when the user's leaving the seat is detected, a voice message asking whether the user is studying can be output.

[0070] In an example of any one of the third aspect to the fifth aspect (sixth aspect), when the sound indicated by the sound information is a sound different from the study sound, the voice control unit may output voice information indicating a voice message to a speaker. According to the sixth aspect, when a sound different from the study sound is picked up, a voice message asking whether the user is studying can be output.

[0071] The information processing apparatus according to an example of the seventh aspect related to any one of the third aspect to the sixth aspect may further include a recording unit that records the concentration of the user inferred from the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit during the period when the determination unit determines that the user is studying. According to the seventh aspect, the concentration can be recorded along with the study time.

[0072] The information processing apparatus according to an example of the seventh aspect (eighth aspect) may further include an advice unit that generates advice voice information indicating an advice voice message regarding an environment in which concentration is possible based on the concentration of the user recorded in the recording unit and outputs the generated advice voice information to a speaker. According to the eighth aspect, the user can be advised of an environment in which concentration is possible.

[0073] In an example (ninth aspect) of any of the first to eighth aspects, the acquisition unit may further acquire imaging information obtained by imaging the user. The information processing apparatus according to the eighth aspect may include a generation unit that generates posture information indicating the posture of the user based on the imaging information. In this eighth aspect, when the posture indicated by the posture information is a posture different from the studying posture, the voice control unit may output voice information indicating a voice message to the speaker. According to the eighth aspect, when the posture of the user is a posture different from the studying posture, a voice message asking whether the user is studying can be output.

Explanation of Signs

[0074] 1A, 1B... Information processing apparatus, 110... Processing apparatus, 111... Acquisition unit, 112... Voice control unit, 113... Determination unit, 114... Timing unit, 115... Recording unit, 116... Generation unit, 120... Interface apparatus, 130... Voice input / output apparatus, 131... Microphone, 132... Speaker, 140... Storage apparatus, 141... Volatile storage apparatus, 142... Non-volatile storage apparatus, 150... Imaging apparatus.

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires seating information indicating the seating state of the user, sound information indicating the sound picked up by the microphone, and biological information indicating the state of the user's body; A voice control unit that generates voice information indicating a voice message for asking whether the user is studying when the seating information changes from leaving the seat to sitting down, and outputs the generated voice information to a speaker; A determination unit that determines whether the user is studying based on the sound information and the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit after the voice control unit outputs the voice information to the speaker, and has: The determination unit: Estimates a concentration level indicating the degree of concentration of the user based on the biological information; When the sound indicated by the sound information is at least one of a study sound and the user's voice affirming that they are studying, and the concentration level is equal to or higher than a threshold value, it is determined that the user is studying. An information processing device.

2. The voice control unit repeatedly outputs voice information indicating the voice message to the speaker after a certain period of time has elapsed since outputting the voice information to the speaker. A timing unit that starts timing the study time from the point in time when it is first determined by the determination unit that the user is studying, and ends the timing of the study time when it is determined by the determination unit that the user is not studying. The information processing device according to Claim 1.

3. When the concentration level indicating the degree of concentration of the user inferred from the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit is below a threshold value, the voice control unit outputs voice information indicating the voice message to the speaker. The information processing device according to Claim 2.

4. When the voice control unit acquires the seating information indicating the user's departure from the seat by the acquisition unit, the voice control unit outputs voice information indicating the voice message to the speaker. The information processing device according to Claim 2 or Claim 3.

5. The voice control unit: When the sound indicated by the sound information is a sound different from the study sound, outputs voice information indicating the voice message to the speaker. The information processing device according to any one of Claims 2 to 4.

6. Further includes a recording unit that records the concentration level of the user inferred from the biological information acquired by the acquisition unit during the period when it is determined by the determination unit that the user is studying. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. The information processing apparatus further comprising an advice unit that generates advice voice information indicating a voice message of advice to the user regarding an environment in which concentration is possible, and outputs the generated advice voice information to the speaker. The information processing apparatus according to claim 6.

8. The acquisition unit further acquires imaging information obtained by imaging the user, and includes a generation unit that generates posture information indicating the posture of the user based on the imaging information. The voice control unit outputs voice information indicating the voice message to the speaker when the posture indicated by the posture information is a posture different from the posture during studying. The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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