Online Lesson System

Abstract

To provide an online lesson system and program for allowing participants not to care about eyes of other participants and enabling an instructor to give detailed lessons, with reduced physical burden.SOLUTION: An online lesson system 100 comprises: a terminal device for an instructor; a plurality of terminal devices for participants; and a server device 3. The server device comprises: a lesson moving image data storage part for storing and lesson moving image data photographed in advance; a lesson moving image data distribution control part for making a lesson moving image displayed simultaneously on the respective terminal devices for the participants; a participant video data transmission control part which respectively transmits participant video data being video data of each participant to the terminal device for the instructor in real time, displays the whole video of each participant in the terminal device for the instructor, and does not transmit the participant video data to the terminal devices for other participants; and a voice data transmission and reception control part for enabling the transmission and reception of voice data between the terminal device for the instructor and the terminal device for the respective participants.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an online lesson system for multiple students, and in particular to one that is suitable for use in lessons involving physical movements such as fitness, yoga, and dance. [Background technology]

[0002] Traditionally, fitness, yoga, dance, and other lessons, with the exception of individual lessons, have generally involved gathering students together in a classroom or other location, where the instructor demonstrates a set of movements and has the students imitate them, either simultaneously or in sequence.

[0003] One of the biggest hurdles for participants in these types of lessons is the eyes of other participants. There are a considerable number of people who are unable to sign up for lessons in the first place, or who do not continue for long even if they do participate, because they are embarrassed about being seen by other participants, or because they have to dress appropriately in relation to other participants.

[0004] Another problem is that students find it difficult to ask questions to the instructor. This is thought to be due to the students' hesitation to ask questions because they are afraid that their questions will stop everyone in the class or that other students will hear their questions.

[0005] On the other hand, for instructors, the physical strain of having to demonstrate each lesson can make it difficult to complete multiple lessons. Also, while instructors are working together with students, or while students are in the back, they may not be able to keep a close eye on them.

[0006] Furthermore, recently, due to the impact of infectious diseases such as the new coronavirus and influenza, it has become difficult for both students and instructors to participate in these types of lessons, which attract a certain number of people.

[0007] However, to address this issue, various online systems have been developed, such as a variety of web meeting systems and a distance learning system as shown in Patent Document 1, and using these can eliminate concerns about infectious diseases.

[0008] However, this type of conventional online system allows each participant to monitor the other participants, so it cannot solve the inconveniences that participants face when being seen by other participants, nor can it solve problems for instructors, such as the physical burden and the difficulty of providing attentive instruction to each participant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-337589 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve all of the above problems at once, and its main objective is to provide an online lesson system that allows students to take lessons without worrying about the eyes of other students, reduces the physical burden on instructors, and allows them to provide attentive instruction to each student. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] That is, the present invention is an online lesson system characterized by comprising the following components: (1) A terminal device for the instructor and multiple terminal devices for the students. (2) A lesson video data storage unit that stores lesson video data, which is data on lesson videos that have been filmed in advance. (3) A lesson video data distribution control unit that simultaneously distributes the lesson video data to each of the student terminal devices, thereby allowing the lesson video to be displayed simultaneously on each of the student terminal devices. (4) A student video data transmission control unit that transmits student video data, which is video data of each student watching the lesson video and performing an action, to the instructor terminal device in real time, so that all videos of each student are displayed on the instructor terminal device, and does not transmit the student video data to other student terminal devices. (5) A voice data transmission / reception control unit for transmitting and receiving voice data between the lecturer terminal device and each of the student terminal devices, thereby enabling a conversation between the lecturer and the students.

[0012] With this system, students can enjoy the lesson in a relaxed atmosphere without worrying about the eyes of other students, since their own video data is transmitted only to the instructor's terminal device and not to the terminal devices of other students. On the other hand, from the instructor's perspective, since pre-recorded lesson videos are distributed to each student's terminal device, there is no need for the instructor to move, which greatly reduces the physical burden on the instructor, and in turn allows the instructor to keep a close eye on the movements of each student, and since individual audio instructions can be given to each student, more detailed lessons become possible. Furthermore, there are other benefits, such as not having to go to a classroom and preventing infections that may occur when instructors and students gather together in one place.

[0013] It is preferable that the online lesson system further includes a lecturer video data transmission control unit that transmits lecturer video data, which is video data of the lecturer operating the lecturer terminal device, to the student terminal devices in real time and displays the lecturer's video on each student terminal device. In this way, students can see the instructor's video on their own screen in real time, giving them the satisfaction of feeling like they are receiving one-on-one instruction from the instructor.

[0014] The online lesson system may also be configured so that the voice data transmission / reception control unit does not transmit voice data during a call between the instructor and the student to other student terminal devices. With this configuration, the voice data transmission / reception control section allows real-time communication between the instructor regarding instruction and questions without being heard by other students, so there is no need for students to be shy about other students and students can receive lessons more freely.

[0015] In the online lesson system, it is preferable that the voice data transmission / reception control section does not transmit voice data from other student terminals to the instructor terminal device while the instructor and student are on a call. In this way, from the student's perspective, the voices of other students will not be picked up by the microphone of the instructor's terminal device and heard while they are talking to the instructor, so they can take the lesson more freely without worrying about the presence of other students.

[0016] In addition, it is preferable that the online lesson system has the voice data transmission / reception control unit transmit voice data acquired by the instructor terminal to each of the student terminals in real time while the instructor and student are not in conversation. In this way, the students can hear the instructor's voice in real time, which gives them the satisfaction of feeling like they are receiving one-on-one instruction from the instructor.

[0017] In the online lesson system, it is preferable that the student video data transmission control section does not display videos of other students on the instructor terminal device while the instructor and the student are on a call. This allows the instructor to focus solely on the student on the call, allowing for more detailed advice. The student can also feel as though the instructor is looking only at them, without looking at the other students' videos, making it easier to feel like they're receiving a private lesson.

[0018] In addition, as a specific aspect of the online lesson system, it is preferable that the lesson video data distribution control unit also distributes the lesson video data to the instructor terminal device, so that the lesson video is displayed simultaneously on the instructor terminal device and each of the student terminal devices.

[0019] Furthermore, in the online lesson system, it is preferable that the lesson video data distribution control unit continues to display the lesson video on the instructor's terminal device and the student's terminal during a call between the instructor and the student. In this way, the lesson video continues to be displayed even during the call, making it possible to give more detailed advice while watching the lesson video. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention described above, an online lesson system can be provided which allows students to take lessons without worrying about the eyes of other students, reduces the physical burden on instructors, and allows instructors to provide attentive instruction to each student. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an online lesson system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the online lesson system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the online lesson system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the online lesson system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the online lesson system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] An online lesson system 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0023] The online lesson system 100 according to this embodiment is used for lessons involving physical movements such as fitness, yoga, and dance, and allows multiple students to take lessons from their homes, etc., without having to gather in a classroom, etc. Specifically, this online lesson system 100 is composed of an instructor terminal device 1, multiple student terminal devices 2, and a server device 3, all of which are communicatively connected via a communication network INT such as the Internet.

[0024] The instructor terminal device 1, student terminal device 2, and server device 3 are equipped with hardware such as a computer main body having a CPU, storage device (including a hard disk), communication interface, input / output interface, etc., and input / output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, display, microphone, speaker, and web camera connected to the computer main body. These are so-called general-purpose computers in which the CPU and its peripheral devices work together to perform various functions according to the programs stored in the storage device.

[0025] In this embodiment, the instructor terminal device 1, the student terminal devices 2, and the server device 3 cooperate with each other through communication to perform the following functions as a whole.

[0026] (1) A lesson video data storage unit 31 that stores lesson video data by a lecturer. (2) A lesson video data distribution control unit 32 that distributes lesson video data to each of the student terminal devices 2 so that the lesson video is displayed simultaneously on each of the student terminal devices 2. (3) A student video data transmission control unit 33 transmits student video data, which is video data of each student watching the lesson video and performing an action, to the instructor terminal device 1 in real time, so that all the images of each student are displayed on the instructor terminal device 1, and does not transmit the student video data to other student terminal devices 2. (4) A voice data transmission / reception control unit 34 that enables a conversation between the lecturer and the students by transmitting and receiving voice data between the lecturer terminal device 1 and each student terminal device 2, and does not transmit voice data during the conversation to other student terminal devices 2. (5) A lecturer video data transmission control unit 35 that transmits lecturer video data, which is video data of the lecturer operating the lecturer terminal device 1, to each student terminal device 2 in real time and displays the lecturer's video on each student terminal device 2.

[0027] Next, each of the above-mentioned parts will be described in detail.

[0028] The lesson video data storage unit 31 stores data of lesson videos (lesson video data) that have been recorded in advance using a video camera or the like and that include physical movements of a teacher, and is set in the storage device of the server device 3. This lesson video data includes video data and audio data.

[0029] At the specified lesson start time, the lesson video data distribution control unit 32 distributes the lesson video data to each of the student terminal devices 2 that have been registered in advance, and when the student performs a specified operation on the student terminal device 2 that has received the lesson video data, the lesson video is simultaneously displayed on the display 21 of each student terminal device 2. The lesson video data distribution control unit 32 also distributes the lesson video to the instructor terminal device 1, and causes the lesson video to be simultaneously displayed on the display 11 of this instructor terminal device 1.

[0030] The lesson video distributed by the lesson video data distribution control unit 32 continues to be displayed at a constant speed on the display 21 of each student terminal device 2 without stopping until the specified lesson end time, and each student cannot pause, fast forward, rewind, etc. Then, the lesson video data distribution control unit 32 stops distribution of the lesson video to each student terminal device 2 when the lesson end time arrives.

[0031] The student video data transmission control unit 33 receives video data (student video data) of each student taken by a webcam or the like from each student terminal device 2, transmits this data to the instructor terminal device 1, and displays it in real time on the display 11 of the instructor terminal device 1.

[0032] The student video data transmission control unit 33 is configured to display a list of all student videos side by side on the display 11 of the instructor terminal device 1 during normal times (meaning when the instructor is not talking to any students; the same applies below). On the other hand, when the instructor selects a specific student by performing a predetermined operation on the display and is talking to that student (referred to as "during a call"), the student video data transmission control unit 33 displays only the video of the student currently on the call on the display 11 of the instructor terminal device 1, and does not display the videos of the other students. The student video data transmission control unit 33 then transmits and displays the acquired video data of each student only to the instructor terminal device 1, and does not display it on the displays 21 of the other student terminal devices 2.

[0033] The voice data transmission / reception control unit 34 transmits and receives voice data, which is data on the voices of the instructor and each student picked up by the microphones, etc., of the terminal devices 1 and 2, between the instructor terminal device 1 and each student terminal device 2. Specifically, the voice data transmission / reception control unit 34 normally transmits and outputs the instructor's voice data picked up by the microphone of the instructor terminal device 1 to each student terminal device 2 in real time, but does not transmit the student's voice data picked up by the microphone of each student terminal device 2 to the instructor terminal device 1 or other student terminal devices 2. On the other hand, during a call, the voice data transmission / reception control unit 34 transmits and receives voice data only between the instructor terminal device 1 and one student terminal device 2 selected by the instructor. In other words, the instructor's voice data during the call is transmitted only to the selected student terminal device 2, not to the other student terminal devices 2. In other words, when the instructor selects one of the students on DS Play to start a call, the instructor's voice is forcibly muted in the other student terminal devices 2. The voice data of the selected student 2 is sent only to the instructor terminal device 1, and is not sent to the other student terminal devices 2. Furthermore, voice data picked up by the microphones of the other student terminal devices 2 is not sent to the instructor terminal device 1.

[0034] The instructor video data transmission control unit 35 receives data of the instructor's video taken by a web camera or the like (instructor video data) from the instructor terminal device 1, transmits this data to all student terminal devices 2, and displays it in real time. This instructor video data transmission control unit 35 continues to transmit instructor video data to all student terminal devices 2 during a lesson, during normal operation, and during a call.

[0035] In this embodiment, the functions of the lesson video data distribution control unit 32, student video data transmission control unit 33, audio data transmission / reception control unit 34, and instructor video data transmission control unit 35 configured as described above are fulfilled by the server device 3.

[0036] Next, the operation of the online lesson system 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 3 to 5. Figures 3 to 5 are diagrams schematically showing the displays 21A and 21B of the instructor terminal device 1 and the student terminal devices 2A and 2B during an online lesson. Here, it is assumed that two students A and B are participating in the online lesson.

[0037] First, when the scheduled lesson start time arrives, a pre-recorded lesson video will be played. L is distributed to the instructor terminal device 1 and each student terminal device 2A, 2B, and the online lesson begins. The instructor explains the lesson video using physical movements in front of the camera on the instructor terminal device 1. Students A and B then start the lesson individually in front of the cameras on their respective student terminal devices 2A and 2B, referring to the lesson video being distributed and the video and audio of the instructor.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, the display 11 of the instructor terminal device 1 normally displays the lesson video V being distributed. L And real-time video of all participants A and B SA , V SB And the instructor's own video V T In this state, the instructor terminal device 1 displays the lesson video V L The voices picked up by the microphones of the student terminal devices 2A and 2B are not output.

[0039] On the other hand, the displays 21A and 21B of the student terminal devices 2A and 2B display the lesson video V currently being distributed. L And the instructor's own real-time video V T and the participant's own video V SA , V SB In this state, the lesson video V (self-view) is displayed side by side, and the real-time video of other students is not displayed. L The voice of the student and the real-time voice of the lecturer are output from the speaker, and the voices picked up by the microphones of the other student terminal devices are not output.

[0040] As shown in FIG. 4, when student A clicks on the call button 22 displayed on the display 21A during the lesson, the video V of student A displayed on the display 11 of the instructor terminal device 1 is SA The instructor then changes the appearance of the image V of the student A on the display 11. SA When you click or otherwise select Student A, a one-to-one call between the instructor and Student A becomes possible (call state).

[0041] In this call state, as shown in FIG. 5, the display 11 of the instructor terminal device 1 displays the lesson video V being distributed. L At the same time, real-time video of participant A during the call V SA And the instructor's own real-time video V T (Self View) and another participant B's real-time video V are displayed side by side. SB In addition, the lesson video V is not displayed on the instructor's terminal device 1. L Along with the voice of participant A, the voice of participant A who is currently on the call is output from the speaker.

[0042] In this call state, the display 21A of the student terminal device 2A of the student A who is on the call displays the lesson video V being distributed. L Along with the lecturer's real-time video T And the video of participant A himself SA The lesson video V (self-view) is displayed side by side on the student terminal device 2A of the student A. L Along with the voice of the instructor, the voice of the instructor who is currently on the call is output from the speaker.

[0043] On the other hand, during this call, the display 21B of the student terminal device 2B of the other student B displays the lesson video V being distributed, just as it does in normal times. L And the instructor's real-time video V T And participant B's own video V SB (Self View) and other participants A's real-time video V are displayed side by side. SAThe lesson video V is not displayed on the other student terminal device 2B. L Only the speaker's voice will be output, and the instructor's voice will not be output (will be forced to mute).

[0044] This call state can be ended by the instructor clicking the end button 12 displayed on the display 11 of the instructor terminal device 1. This causes the display 11 of the instructor terminal device 1 to return to normal. Also, the instructor's voice is unmuted on the student terminal device 2B, and the instructor's voice is now output.

[0045] <Effects of this embodiment> With the online lesson system 100 of this embodiment configured as described above, students can enjoy the lesson at their own leisure without worrying about what other students think, since their own video data is sent only to the instructor's terminal device 1 and not to the other student's terminal devices 2. In addition, the audio data transmission / reception control unit 34 allows students to communicate with the instructor in real time regarding instruction and questions without being heard by other students, so there is no need to worry about other students in this regard either.

[0046] On the other hand, from the instructor's point of view, since the lesson video that has been filmed in advance is distributed to each student's terminal device 2, there is no need for the instructor to move, which greatly reduces the physical burden, and in turn allows the instructor to keep a close eye on the movements of each student, and since the instructor can provide individual audio instructions to each student, detailed lessons become possible.

[0047] Furthermore, there are other benefits, such as not having to go to a classroom and preventing infections that may occur when instructors and students gather together in one place.

[0048] <Other Modified Embodiments> The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment.

[0049] For example, the instructor terminal device 1 and the student terminal device 2 may be configured as any device such as a tablet, smartphone, notebook PC, or game console, as long as it is a computer equipped with input / output devices such as a display, microphone, speaker, and webcam, and is connectable to a communication network INT such as the Internet.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the functions of the lesson video data storage unit 31, the lesson video data distribution control unit 32, the student video data transmission control unit 33, the audio data transmission / reception control unit 34, and the instructor video data transmission control unit 35 are performed by the server device 3, but this is not limitative. Some or all of these functions may be performed by the instructor terminal device 1 or the student terminal device 2.

[0051] In addition, the lesson video distributed to each student terminal device 2 by the lesson video data distribution control unit 32 may be configured so that each student can rewind and play it at any position during distribution (so-called catch-up playback or time-shift playback).

[0052] Furthermore, while a student and a lecturer are on the phone, the lecturer terminal device 1 may display an image of the other student, and the lecturer terminal device 1 may output a voice of the other student.

[0053] Furthermore, the lesson video to be distributed does not have to be a pre-recorded lesson by the instructor himself, but may be a pre-recorded lesson by another person.

[0054] Furthermore, the voice data transmission / reception control unit 34 in the above embodiment is configured not to transmit voice data during a call between the instructor terminal device 1 and each student terminal device 2 to other student terminal devices 2, but this is not limiting. The voice data transmission / reception control unit 34 in other embodiments may be configured to transmit voice data during a call between the instructor terminal device 1 and each student terminal device 2 to other student terminal devices 2.

[0055] Furthermore, "pre-filmed lesson videos" are not limited to videos of physical lessons such as fitness classes, yoga classes, dance classes, music classes, painting classes, English conversation classes, or cooking classes, but may also be videos of classroom lessons such as seminars, lectures, training sessions, courses, workshops, or symposiums, and may even be videos obtained by recording presentation materials created with presentation software such as PowerPoint, with or without audio.

[0056] In the above embodiment, the display 21 of each student terminal 2 displays a real-time video V of one instructor. T In another embodiment, the display 21 of each student terminal 2 displays real-time video V of multiple lecturers. T may be displayed.

[0057] In addition, various modifications and combinations of the embodiments may be made as long as they do not go against the spirit of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 100... Online lesson system 1. Lecturer's terminal device 2. Student terminal device 3. Server device 31 Lesson video data storage section 32 Lesson video data distribution control section 33 Participant video data transmission control section 34 Voice data transmission / reception control section 35 Lecturer video data transmission control section INT...Internet

Claims

1. a lecturer terminal device and a plurality of student terminal devices; a lesson video data storage unit that stores lesson video data that is data of lesson videos that have been shot in advance; a lesson video data distribution control unit that distributes the lesson video data to each of the student terminal devices so that the lesson video is simultaneously displayed on each of the student terminal devices; a student video data transmission control unit that transmits student video data, which is video data of each student watching the lesson video and performing an action, to the instructor terminal device in real time, so that all of the student's videos are displayed on the instructor terminal device, and does not transmit the student video data to other student terminal devices; a voice data transmission / reception control unit for transmitting and receiving voice data between the instructor terminal device and each of the student terminal devices, thereby enabling a conversation between the instructor and the students; a lecturer video data transmission control unit that transmits lecturer video data, which is real-time video data of the lecturer operating the lecturer terminal device, to each of the student terminal devices in real time; When the instructor and student are on the phone, The lesson video, the instructor video data, and the student video data of the student currently on the call are displayed on the display of the instructor terminal device, and the student video data of the other students are not displayed. An online lesson system characterized in that the lesson video, the instructor video data and the student video data of the other student are displayed on the display of the student terminal device of the other student, but the student video data of the student in question is not displayed during the call.

2. 2. The online lesson system according to claim 1, wherein the voice data transmission / reception control unit is configured so as not to transmit voice data during a call between the instructor and the student to other student terminal devices.

3. 3. An online lesson system according to claim 2, wherein said voice data transmission / reception control section does not transmit voice data from other student terminal devices to said instructor terminal device while the instructor and student are on a call.

4. 4. An online lesson system according to claim 3, wherein the voice data transmission / reception control unit transmits voice data acquired by the instructor terminal device to each of the student terminal devices in real time while the instructor and the student are not in conversation.

5. An online lesson system as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the student video data transmission control unit does not display videos of other students on the instructor terminal device while the instructor and the student are on a call.

6. An online lesson system as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the lesson video data distribution control unit also distributes the lesson video data to the instructor terminal device, so that the lesson video is displayed simultaneously on the instructor terminal device and each of the student terminal devices.

7. An online lesson system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lesson video data distribution control unit continues to display the lesson video on the instructor's terminal device and the student's terminal during a call between the instructor and the student.

8. An online lesson system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the lesson video continues to be displayed at a constant speed on the display of the student's terminal device without being stopped until the specified end time of the lesson, and is configured so that it cannot be paused, fast-forwarded and / or rewound by the operation of each student.

9. A program for an online lesson system including a lecturer terminal device and a plurality of student terminal devices, a lesson video data storage unit that stores lesson video data that is data of lesson videos that have been shot in advance; a lesson video data distribution control unit that distributes the lesson video data to each of the student terminal devices so that the lesson video is simultaneously displayed on each of the student terminal devices; a student video data transmission control unit that transmits student video data, which is video data of each student watching the lesson video and performing an action, to the instructor terminal device in real time, so that all of the student's videos are displayed on the instructor terminal device, and does not transmit the student video data to other student terminal devices; causing the computer to function as a lecturer video data transmission control unit that transmits lecturer video data, which is real-time video data of the lecturer operating the lecturer terminal device, to each of the student terminal devices in real time; When the instructor and student are on the phone, The lesson video, the instructor video data, and the student video data of the student currently on the call are displayed on the display of the instructor terminal device, and the student video data of the other students are not displayed. A program for an online lesson system, characterized in that the lesson video, the instructor video data and the student video data of the other student are displayed on the display of the student terminal device of the other student, and the student video data of the student in question is not displayed during the call.

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