Online conference system, method, and program

The online conference system addresses the issue of misinterpreting participant emotions by recognizing and adjusting emotional states for appropriate presentation, improving communication quality.

JP7806881B2Active Publication Date: 2026-01-27NEC CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024507238
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Patents
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-03-15
Publication Date
2026-01-27
Estimated Expiration
2042-03-15

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing online conference systems fail to accurately recognize and present the specific emotional states of individual participants, leading to misinterpretation of their reactions.

Method used

An online conference system that includes an acquisition unit to recognize participant emotions, an adjustment unit to modify the presentation content based on these emotions, and a presentation unit to present the adjusted content to other participants, allowing for tailored emotional feedback.

Benefits of technology

Enables appropriate presentation of participant reactions, facilitating smoother communication by hiding negative emotions and emphasizing positive ones, thus enhancing the overall conference experience.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

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Patent Text Reader

Abstract

An online conference system (1), to present reactions of participants in an online conference suitably, comprises: an acquisition unit (11) that acquires an emotion recognition result regarding a first participant who participates in the online conference; an adjustment unit (12) that adjusts a presented content of the emotion recognition result; and a presentation unit (13) that presents the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant.
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an online conference system, a control method for an online conference system, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In online conferences, there is a demand for a technology that allows a speaker to see the reactions of other participants to the speaker.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a system that analyzes an image of a participant captured by a camera to recognize the state of the participant, and changes the background color of the participant according to the recognized state. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent No. 6872066 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The system described in Patent Document 1 has a problem in that it does not take into account the specific states of individual participants. For example, even if a participant who is in a good mood or smiles a lot has negative feelings toward a speaker's remarks, the problem is that the participant will not be recognized as having negative feelings toward the speaker's remarks.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an example of a purpose thereof is to provide a technology for appropriately presenting the reactions of participants in an online conference. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An online conference system according to one aspect of the present invention includes an acquisition means for acquiring an emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference, an adjustment means for adjusting presentation content of the emotion recognition result, and a presentation means for presenting the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0008] A control method for an online conference system according to one aspect of the present invention includes at least one processor acquiring an emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference, adjusting presentation content of the emotion recognition result, and presenting the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0009] A program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to function as an acquisition means for acquiring an emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference, an adjustment means for adjusting presentation content of the emotion recognition result, and a presentation means for presenting the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, the reactions of participants in an online conference can be presented in an appropriate manner. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an online conference system according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a flowchart showing the flow of a control method for an online conference system according to an exemplary embodiment 1 of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an online conference system according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] 10 is an example of an image displayed to acquire first setting information and second setting information in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an avatar placed in a virtual space by a generation unit in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a control method for an online conference system according to an exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of processing for an online conference executed in an online conference system according to an exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a conference video of an online conference generated by a generation unit in exemplary embodiment 2 of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of a control method for an online conference system according to an exemplary embodiment 3 of the present invention. [Figure 10] 10 is a diagram showing an example of the content presented on the display by the display unit in the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an online conference system, a server, a virtual reality device, and an emotion recognition device in each exemplary embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Exemplary Embodiment 1 A first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. This exemplary embodiment is a basic form of the exemplary embodiments described below.

[0013] (Overview of Online Conference System 1) The online conference system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment is a system that enables users of a plurality of computers to communicate with each other by providing each of the computers with video, audio, and data. The functions of the online conference system 1 may be provided in any of the plurality of computers, or may be provided in another computer (e.g., a server) that can communicate with each of the plurality of computers.

[0014] Furthermore, the online conference system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment is a system that acquires the emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference, and adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result and presents it to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0015] The first participant and the second participant are not particularly limited and may be any participants who are participating in the conference. For example, the first participant is a participant who listens to speech, and the second participant is a participant who makes a speech.

[0016] Adjusting the presentation content of the emotion recognition result means changing the emotion or the degree of emotion contained in the emotion recognition result and including the changed emotion recognition result in the presentation content. In other words, the presentation content includes the emotion recognition result, and the emotion recognition result is adjustable. The presentation content is presented to at least the second participant who speaks, but may also be presented to the first participant in addition to the second participant.

[0017] As an example, the online conference system 1 includes in the presentation content an emotion recognition result in which the degree of some or all of the emotions included in the emotion recognition result has been adjusted, or includes in the presentation content an emotion recognition result in which the degree of some or all of the emotions included in the emotion recognition result has been adjusted so as not to be included in the presentation content.

[0018] As a more specific example, the online conference system 1 includes positive emotion recognition results included in the emotion recognition results in the presentation content, but does not include negative emotion recognition results included in the emotion recognition results in the presentation content. Examples of positive emotions include happiness, joy, relief, etc. Examples of negative emotions include sadness, anger, anxiety, etc.

[0019] With this configuration, if a first participant feels negative emotions after hearing a comment from a second participant, the online conference system 1 does not reveal the negative emotions to the second participant. Therefore, the online conference system 1 does not reveal to the second participant any negative emotions that the first participant does not want the second participant to know, thereby facilitating smooth communication between the first participant and the second participant.

[0020] As another example, the online conference system 1 includes in the presentation content an emotion recognition result that has been modified by suppressing or emphasizing the emotion included in the emotion recognition result.

[0021] With this configuration, for example, if the first participant is emotionally unstable, the online conference system 1 suppresses the emotion, and if the first participant is emotionally stable, the emotion is emphasized and included in the presentation content. Therefore, the online conference system 1 can preferably present the reactions of the participants in the online conference.

[0022] The emotion recognition result can be obtained using known technology. One example of a technology for obtaining an emotion recognition result is a technology for analyzing a user's physiological indices, facial expressions, and voice, and visualizing positive and negative emotions to obtain an emotion recognition result. Examples of a user's physiological indices include pulse waves, brain waves, heart rate, and sweating.

[0023] (Configuration of online conference system 1) The configuration of an online conference system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an online conference system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment.

[0024] 1, the online conference system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment includes an acquisition unit 11, an adjustment unit 12, and a presentation unit 13. The acquisition unit 11, the adjustment unit 12, and the presentation unit 13 are components that respectively realize an acquisition means, an adjustment means, and a presentation means in this exemplary embodiment.

[0025] The acquisition unit 11 acquires an emotion recognition result of a first participant who participates in an online conference. The acquisition unit 11 supplies the acquired emotion recognition result to the adjustment unit 12.

[0026] The adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result supplied from the acquisition unit 11. The adjustment unit 12 supplies the adjusted presentation content to the presentation unit 13. The process of adjusting the presentation content by the adjustment unit 12 is as described above.

[0027] The presentation unit 13 presents the presentation content adjusted by the adjustment unit 12 to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0028] As described above, the online conference system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment employs a configuration including an acquisition unit 11 that acquires the emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference, an adjustment unit 12 that adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result, and a presentation unit 13 that presents the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0029] Therefore, according to the online conference system 1 of this exemplary embodiment, the presentation content including the adjusted emotion recognition result of the first participant is presented to the second participant, thereby achieving the effect of being able to appropriately present the reactions of the participants in the online conference.

[0030] (Flow of online conference system control method S1) The flow of the control method S1 of the online conference system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a flow diagram showing the flow of the control method S1 of the online conference system 1 according to this exemplary embodiment.

[0031] (Step S11) In step S11, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the emotion recognition result of the first participant in the online conference. The acquisition unit 11 supplies the acquired emotion recognition result to the adjustment unit 12.

[0032] (Step S12) In step S12, the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result supplied from the acquisition unit 11 in step S11. The adjustment unit 12 supplies the adjusted presentation content to the presentation unit 13. The process of adjusting the presentation content by the adjustment unit 12 is as described above.

[0033] (Step S13) In step S13, the presentation unit 13 presents the presentation content adjusted by the adjustment unit 12 in step S12 to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0034] As described above, in the control method S1 of the online conference system according to this exemplary embodiment, in step S11, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in the online conference, in step S12, the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result supplied from the acquisition unit 11 in step S11, and in step S13, the presentation unit 13 presents the presentation content adjusted by the adjustment unit 12 in step S12 to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0035] Therefore, the control method S1 for an online conference system according to this exemplary embodiment provides the same effects as those of the online conference system 1 described above.

[0036] Exemplary Embodiment 2 A second exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same functions as those described in the first exemplary embodiment are given the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted as appropriate.

[0037] (Configuration of online conference system 100) The configuration of the online conference system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the online conference system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment.

[0038] As shown in Figure 3, the online conference system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment includes a server 2, a virtual reality device 3A, an emotion recognition device 4A, a virtual reality device 3B, and an emotion recognition device 4B. In this exemplary embodiment, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the virtual reality device 3A and the virtual reality device 3B, they will simply be referred to as the "virtual reality device 3." Similarly, when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the emotion recognition device 4A and the emotion recognition device 4B, they will simply be referred to as the "emotion recognition device 4."

[0039] Furthermore, in this exemplary embodiment, a case will be described in which a user of virtual reality device 3A is listening to a speech made by a user of virtual reality device 3B, but the online conference system 100 is not limited to this configuration. In other words, in the online conference system 100, the virtual reality device 3 and emotion recognition device 4 used by the user listening to the speech are referred to as virtual reality device 3A and emotion recognition device 4A, and the virtual reality device 3 and emotion recognition device 4 used by the user making the speech are referred to as virtual reality device 3B and emotion recognition device 4B. Here, the user listening to the speech will also be referred to as the first participant, and the user making the speech will also be referred to as the second participant.

[0040] Furthermore, in the online conference system 100 shown in FIG. 3, there are two virtual reality devices 3 and two emotion recognition devices 4, but the number of virtual reality devices 3 and emotion recognition devices 4 is not limited.

[0041] 3, the server 2, the virtual reality device 3A, the emotion recognition device 4A, the virtual reality device 3B, and the emotion recognition device 4B are each communicatively connected via a network N. The specific configuration of the network N does not limit the present embodiment, but as an example, a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a wired LAN, a WAN (Wide Area Network), a public line network, a mobile data communication network, or a combination of these networks can be used.

[0042] In the online conference system 100, the server 2 provides video, audio, and data to the virtual reality device 3A and the virtual reality device 3B, thereby enabling the users of the virtual reality device 3A and the virtual reality device 3B to communicate with each other.

[0043] Furthermore, in the online conference system 100, the emotion recognition device 4A recognizes the emotion of the user of the virtual reality device 3A and outputs the emotion recognition result to the server 2. The server 2 then adjusts the presentation content of the acquired emotion recognition result and outputs the adjusted presentation content to the virtual reality device 3B.

[0044] (Server 2 configuration) As shown in FIG. 3, the server 2 includes a communication unit 21, a control unit 22, and a storage unit 23.

[0045] The communication unit 21 is a communication module that communicates with other devices via the network N. As an example, the communication unit 21 outputs data supplied from the control unit 22 (described later) to other devices via the network N, and acquires data output from other devices via the network N and supplies the data to the control unit 22.

[0046] The storage unit 23 stores data referenced by the control unit 22. Examples of data stored in the storage unit 23 include emotion recognition results, presentation content, and first setting information and second setting information, which will be described later.

[0047] (Function of control unit 22) The control unit 22 controls each component included in the server 2. As shown in Fig. 3, the control unit 22 also functions as an acquisition unit 11, an adjustment unit 12, a presentation unit 13, and a generation unit 223. In this exemplary embodiment, the acquisition unit 11, the adjustment unit 12, the presentation unit 13, and the generation unit 223 are components that respectively realize an acquisition means, an adjustment means, a presentation means, and a generation means.

[0048] The acquisition unit 11 acquires data supplied from the communication unit 21. Examples of the data acquired by the acquisition unit 11 include emotion recognition results (emotion recognition results of the first participant and the second participant), and first setting information, second setting information, first attribute information, second attribute information, and intimacy information, which will be described later. The acquisition unit 11 stores the acquired data in the storage unit 23.

[0049] The adjustment unit 12 acquires the emotion recognition results stored in the storage unit 23 and adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition results. The adjustment unit 12 also adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition results based on data acquired from the virtual reality device 3. The adjustment unit 12 may also adjust the speech content of the second participant, the movement of the second participant, and the avatar of the participant. An example of the process in which the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content will be described later. The adjustment unit 12 stores the adjusted presentation content in the storage unit 23.

[0050] The presentation unit 13 presents the presentation content to the second participant by outputting the presentation content to the virtual reality device 3B via the communication unit 21. As one example, the presentation unit 13 acquires from the storage unit 23 a conference video generated by the generation unit 223 described below, the conference video including the adjusted presentation content, and outputs the conference video to the virtual reality device 3 via the communication unit 21. As another example, the presentation unit 13 outputs a conference video not including the presentation content to the virtual reality device 3A, and outputs a conference video including the presentation content to the virtual reality device 3B. An example of a conference video output by the presentation unit 13 will be described later.

[0051] The presentation unit 13 may also be configured to present the emotion recognition result in real time. In other words, the presentation unit 13 may output the presentation content at least when the presentation content changes during the online conference. With this configuration, the presentation unit 13 can present the emotion of the first participant to the second participant in real time.

[0052] The generation unit 223 generates a conference video of an online conference to be displayed on the virtual reality device 3. As an example, the generation unit 223 acquires presentation content stored in the storage unit 23 and generates a conference video including the presentation content. The generation unit 223 stores the generated conference video in the storage unit 23.

[0053] The generation unit 223 may also generate a virtual space for holding an online conference. As an example, the generation unit 223 may generate a virtual space in which avatars of at least one of the first participant and the second participant are placed. The avatars used by the generation unit 223 may be acquired from the virtual reality device 3, or may be configured to associate a user ID for distinguishing a user from other users with an avatar and store them in advance in the storage unit 23, and acquire the user ID from the virtual reality device 3.

[0054] Furthermore, when generating a virtual space in which an avatar is placed, generating unit 223 acquires the presentation content stored in storage unit 23 and places an avatar in the virtual space according to the presentation content. The avatar that generating unit 223 places in the virtual space according to the presentation content will be described later.

[0055] (Configuration of virtual reality device 3A) As shown in FIG. 3, the virtual reality device 3A includes a communication unit 31A, a control unit 32A, an input unit 34A, an imaging unit 35A, and a display 36A.

[0056] The communication unit 31A is a communication module that communicates with other devices via the network N. As an example, the communication unit 31A outputs data supplied from a control unit 32A (described later) to other devices via the network N, and acquires data output from other devices via the network N and supplies the data to the control unit 32A.

[0057] The input unit 34A is an interface that accepts input from a user. The input unit 34A supplies input information indicating the accepted input from the user to the control unit 32A. Examples of input accepted by the input unit 34A include first setting information entered by the first participant, first attribute information indicating the attributes of the first participant, and intimacy information indicating the intimacy between the first participant and the second participant.

[0058] Here, the first setting information is information set by the first participant as to how the server 2 adjusts the content of the emotion recognition result to be presented. In other words, the first setting information is information indicating how the first participant wants the emotion of the first participant adjusted and presented to the second participant. An example of the first setting information is to emphasize (or suppress) positive emotions (or negative emotions). An example of a process for receiving input of the first setting information will be described later.

[0059] Examples of the attributes of the first participant include gender, age, hometown, place of residence, occupation, and clothing.

[0060] The imaging unit 35A is a camera capable of capturing moving images. The imaging unit 35A supplies the captured moving images to the control unit 32A. An example of a moving image captured by the imaging unit 35A is a moving image that includes the user's face as a subject.

[0061] The display 36A is a device that displays images. A The display 36A acquires image data supplied from the control unit 32A and displays an image indicated by the image data. An example of an image displayed by the display 36A is an image of an online conference.

[0062] (Function of control unit 32A) The control unit 32A controls each of the components included in the virtual reality device 3 A. The control unit 32A also functions as an acquisition unit 321A and a display unit 322A, as shown in FIG.

[0063] The acquisition unit 321A acquires data supplied from the communication unit 31A, the input unit 34A, and the imaging unit 35A. The acquisition unit 321A outputs the acquired data to the server 2 via the communication unit 31A, and supplies the data to a display unit 322A, which will be described later.

[0064] The display unit 322A acquires an image to be displayed on the display 36A, and supplies image data representing the image to the display 36A. Hereinafter, the display unit 322A supplying image data to the display 36A and the display 36A displaying an image represented by the image data will also be expressed as the display unit 322A displaying an image on the display 36A.

[0065] (Configuration of emotion recognition device 4A) As shown in FIG. 3, the emotion recognition device 4A includes a communication unit 41A, a control unit 42A, and a sensor unit 44A.

[0066] The communication unit 41A is a communication module that communicates with other devices via the network N. As an example, the communication unit 41A outputs data supplied from a control unit 42A (described later) to other devices via the network N, and acquires data output from other devices via the network N and supplies the data to the control unit 42A.

[0067] The control unit 42A controls each component included in the emotion recognition device 4 A. The control unit 42A also functions as an emotion recognition unit 421A, as shown in FIG.

[0068] The emotion recognition unit 421A recognizes the emotion of the first participant based on sensor information supplied from the sensor unit 44A, which will be described later. The process by which the emotion recognition unit 421A recognizes the emotion of the first participant is as described above. The emotion recognition unit 421A generates an emotion recognition result indicating the recognized emotion and outputs the generated emotion recognition result to the server 2 via the communication unit 41A. Examples of emotion recognition results include an emotion recognition result indicating that the first participant felt a positive emotion and an emotion recognition result indicating that the first participant felt a negative emotion.

[0069] Furthermore, the emotion recognition unit 421A may include the degree of the recognized emotion in the emotion recognition result. As an example, the emotion recognition unit 421A may indicate the degree of emotion on a scale of 1 to 10 and include this in the emotion recognition result.

[0070] Furthermore, the emotion recognition unit 421A may output the sensor information supplied from the sensor unit 44A as an emotion recognition result to the server 2 via the communication unit 41A.

[0071] The sensor unit 44A is a sensor that detects at least one of a physiological index, a facial expression, and a voice of the first participant, and supplies sensor information indicating at least one of the detected physiological index, facial expression, and voice to the control unit 42A.

[0072] (Configuration of virtual reality device 3B and emotion recognition device 4B) The virtual reality device 3B is a virtual reality device used by the second participant. Instead of the first setting information acquired and output by the above-described virtual reality device 3A, the virtual reality device 3B acquires and outputs second setting information, which is information input by the second participant and sets how the server 2 adjusts the content of the emotion recognition results to be presented. In other words, the second setting information is information indicating how the second participant wants the emotions of the first participant to be adjusted and presented. The other configuration of the virtual reality device 3B is the same as that of the above-described virtual reality device 3A, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0073] In addition, the virtual reality device 3B acquires and outputs second attribute information indicating the attributes of the second participant and the degree of intimacy with the first participant, instead of the first attribute information indicating the attributes of the first participant and the degree of intimacy with the second participant acquired and output by the virtual reality device 3A described above. Examples of attributes are as described above.

[0074] The emotion recognition device 4B is an emotion recognition device that recognizes the emotion of the second participant. The configuration of the emotion recognition device 4B is the same as that of the emotion recognition device 4A described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0075] (An example of a process for acquiring first setting information and second setting information) An example of a process in which the virtual reality device 3 acquires the first setting information and the second setting information will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is an example of an image displayed to acquire the first setting information and the second setting information in this exemplary embodiment.

[0076] When the virtual reality device 3 receives an input from the first or second participant indicating that an online conference is to be started, the display unit 322 displays an image for acquiring the first setting information and the second setting information on the display 36. As an example, the display unit 322 displays the image shown in FIG.

[0077] As shown in Figure 4, the image for obtaining the first setting information and the second setting information includes items related to the first setting information (items included in "settings other than when speaking" in Figure 4) and items related to the second setting information (items included in "settings when speaking" in Figure 4).

[0078] As an example, if a user sets the item "Positive Emotions" in "Settings Other Than When Speaking" to "ON" and further sets it to "+20%", the acquisition unit 321 acquires first setting information indicating that positive emotions are to be emphasized by 20%.

[0079] As another example, if the user sets the setting for the item "negative emotion" in the "settings when speaking" to "OFF," the acquisition unit 321 acquires second setting information indicating that negative emotions are not included.

[0080] Here, in the case where the speaker and the listeners are fixed, such as in a lecture, an image for acquiring either the first setting information or the second setting information may be displayed.

[0081] In addition, the image for obtaining the first setting information and the second setting information may include an item for selecting whether to make the online conference include moving images captured by the imaging unit 35, and an item for selecting whether to make the online conference include placing an avatar in a virtual space, as shown in Figure 4.

[0082] (Example 1 of a process in which the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result) For example, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the presentation content based on the first setting information input by the first participant.

[0083] As an example, if the first setting information indicates that the positive emotion recognition results of the first participant are to be included in the presentation content and the negative emotion recognition results of the first participant are not to be included in the presentation content, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the presentation content based on the first setting information.

[0084] In this configuration, if the emotion recognition result of the first participant is a negative emotion recognition result, the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the negative emotion recognition The results are not included in the presentation.

[0085] On the other hand, if the emotion recognition result of the first participant is a positive emotion recognition result, the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the positive emotion recognition Include the results in your presentation.

[0086] As another example, when the first setting information indicates that emotions are to be suppressed or emphasized, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the presentation content based on the first setting information.

[0087] In this configuration, when the first setting information indicates that positive emotions are to be emphasized by 20% and the emotion recognition result of the first participant indicates that the first participant felt a positive emotion, the adjustment unit 12 includes the emotion recognition result adjusted by emphasizing the positive emotion indicated by the emotion recognition result by 20% in the presentation content.

[0088] On the other hand, if the first setting information indicates that negative emotions are to be suppressed by 30% and the emotion recognition result of the first participant indicates that the first participant felt negative emotions, the adjustment unit 12 includes the emotion recognition result adjusted by suppressing the negative emotions indicated by the emotion recognition result by 30% in the presentation content.

[0089] In this way, by the adjustment unit 12 adjusting the content to be presented based on the first setting information, the first participant can adjust the emotions of the first participant to be presented to the second participant, so that the reaction of the first participant participating in the online conference can be presented to the second participant in an appropriate manner.

[0090] For example, with this configuration, when a first participant who is feeling depressed joins an online conference, the adjustment unit 12 can adjust the content of the presentation to inform the second participant that the second participant is not feeling depressed because of the comments made by the second participant.

[0091] (Example 2 of the process in which the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result) As another example, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the presentation content based on second setting information input by the second participant.

[0092] As an example, if the second setting information indicates that a positive emotion recognition result is included in the presentation content and that a negative emotion recognition result is not included in the presentation content, and the emotion recognition result of the first participant is a negative emotion recognition result, the adjustment unit 12 recognition On the other hand, if the emotion recognition result of the first participant is a positive emotion recognition result, the adjustment unit 12 may include the positive emotion in the content of presentation. recognition The results may be included in the presentation.

[0093] As another example, when the second setting information indicates that emotions are to be suppressed or emphasized, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the presentation content based on the second setting information.

[0094] As an example, if the second setting information indicates that positive emotions are to be emphasized by 20% and the emotion recognition result of the first participant indicates that the first participant felt a positive emotion, the adjustment unit 12 may include in the presentation content an emotion recognition result that has been adjusted by emphasizing the positive emotion indicated by the emotion recognition result by 20%.

[0095] On the other hand, if the second setting information indicates that negative emotions are to be suppressed by 30% and the emotion recognition result of the first participant indicates that the first participant felt negative emotions, the adjustment unit 12 may include in the presented content an emotion recognition result that has been adjusted by suppressing the negative emotions indicated by the emotion recognition result by 30%.

[0096] In this way, by the adjustment unit 12 adjusting the content to be presented based on the second setting information, the second participant can adjust the emotions of the first participant to be presented to the second participant, so that the reaction of the first participant participating in the online conference can be presented to the second participant in an appropriate manner.

[0097] For example, with this configuration, if the second participant does not want to know that the first participant has felt negative emotions due to the second participant's comments, the adjustment unit 12 can adjust the content of the presentation to indicate to the second participant that the first participant does not have negative emotions, even if the first participant has felt negative emotions.

[0098] (Example 3 of the process in which the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result) As yet another example, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the presentation content based on the attributes of one or both of the first participant and the second participant.

[0099] As an example, if the first attribute information indicates that the first participant is in their 50s and that their occupation is teacher, and the emotion recognition result of the first participant is a positive emotion recognition result, the adjustment unit 12 may emphasize the positive emotion recognition result and include it in the presented content. In other words, if the attribute indicated by the first attribute information is an attribute that indicates that the first participant is not a very frank person, the adjustment unit 12 may emphasize the positive emotion recognition result of the first participant and include it in the presented content.

[0100] In this case, the adjustment unit 12 may further change the content of the speech of the second participant to be more polite. In other words, if the attribute indicated by the first attribute information is an attribute that indicates that the first participant is not a very frank person, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the behavior of the second participant to be more polite. Here, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust not only the content of the speech but also the behavior of the second participant to be more polite.

[0101] As another example, if the second attribute information indicates that the second participant is in their twenties and that their occupation is in the entertainment industry, the adjustment unit 12 may change the speech of the second participant to be more polite. In other words, if the second attribute information indicates that the second participant is an attribute that is estimated to be a frank person, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the behavior of the second participant to be more polite.

[0102] As yet another example, if a second participant participates in an online conference as an avatar and the first attribute information indicates that the first participant is dressed formally, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the clothing of the avatar of the second participant so that it also becomes formal. In other words, if the attributes indicated by the first attribute information are attributes that indicate that the online conference is a serious conference, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the clothing of the avatar of the second participant so that it also becomes clothing suitable for a serious conference.

[0103] In this way, the adjustment unit 12 can facilitate communication between participants in an online conference by adjusting the content to be presented based on the attributes of one or both of the first and second participants.

[0104] (Example 4 of the process in which the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result) As yet another example, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the presented content based on the degree of intimacy between the first participant and the second participant.

[0105] As an example, if the intimacy information output from the virtual reality device 3A indicating the intimacy with the second participant indicates that this is the first time the first participant has met the second participant, and the emotion recognition result of the first participant is a positive emotion recognition result, the adjustment unit 12 may emphasize the emotion recognition result and include it in the presentation content. In other words, if the intimacy between the first participant and the second participant is low, the adjustment unit 12 , th 1. Participants' positive emotion recognition results may be highlighted and included in the presentation.

[0106] Furthermore, when the intimacy between the first participant and the second participant is low and at least one of the first participant and the second participant participates in the online conference as an avatar, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the behavior of the participant participating as an avatar to be polite.

[0107] The adjustment unit 12 may further decrease the degree of emphasis on the emotion recognition result as the degree of intimacy between the first participant and the second participant increases.

[0108] Here, the adjustment unit 12 may estimate the degree of intimacy.

[0109] As an example, the adjustment unit 12 may estimate the intimacy level based on the number of online conferences held by the first participant and the second participant. For example, if the number of online conferences held by the first participant and the second participant exceeds a predetermined number (for example, five times), the adjustment unit 12 may be configured to increase the intimacy level.

[0110] As another example, the adjustment unit 12 may estimate the intimacy level based on the content of the statement made by the first participant. For example, if the content of the statement made by the first participant is frank, the adjustment unit 12 may be configured to increase the intimacy level.

[0111] In this way, the adjustment unit 12 can facilitate smooth communication between the participants of the online conference by adjusting the content to be presented based on the degree of intimacy between the first participant and the second participant.

[0112] (Example 5 of process in which the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result) As yet another example, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the content to be presented during an online conference based on at least one of sensor information detected during the online conference, the emotion recognition result of the first participant, and the emotion recognition result of the second participant.

[0113] As an example, when there are multiple first participants, the adjustment unit 12 may be configured to adjust the content to be presented during the online conference based on the emotion recognition results of each of the multiple first participants.

[0114] In this configuration, for example, if the emotion recognition result indicates that a predetermined number or more of the first participants (e.g., 80% or more of the total) of the multiple first participants felt positive emotions, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the emotion recognition results of all the first participants to emotion recognition results indicating that they felt positive emotions.

[0115] As another example, the adjustment unit 12 may be configured to adjust the content presented during the online conference based on the emotion recognition result of the first participant.

[0116] In this configuration, for example, if the emotion recognition result of the first participant indicates that the first participant has had a positive emotion for a predetermined period of time (for example, five minutes) or more, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the emotion recognition result of the first participant to one that emphasizes the positive emotion.

[0117] As yet another example, the adjustment unit 12 may be configured to adjust the presentation content during the online conference based on sensor information detected during the online conference and the emotion recognition result of the second participant.

[0118] For example, if the content of the statement indicated by the sensor information is a statement in which the second participant apologizes, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the emotion recognition result of the second participant to an emotion that is more apologetic.

[0119] In another example of this configuration, when the sensor information indicates that the speaking speed of the second participant is fast, the adjustment unit 12 , th The speaking speed of the second participant may be adjusted to slow down. Also, when the second participant participates in the online conference as an avatar, the adjustment unit 12 may adjust the movement of the second participant to increase the volume.

[0120] In this way, the adjustment unit 12 can facilitate communication between participants in an online conference by adjusting the content presented during the online conference based on at least one of the sensor information detected during the online conference, the emotion recognition result of the first participant, and the emotion recognition result of the second participant.

[0121] (Example of avatars depending on the content presented) An example of an avatar that the generation unit 223 places in the virtual space in accordance with the presented content will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an avatar that the generation unit 223 places in the virtual space in this exemplary embodiment.

[0122] The generation unit 223 may control the facial expression of the avatar depending on the presented content.

[0123] As an example, if the emotion recognition result of a participant included in the presented content indicates that the emotion of the participant is neutral, the generation unit 223 places an avatar with a normal facial expression in the virtual space, as shown for participant PA4 in Figure 5.

[0124] As another example, if the emotion recognition result of a participant included in the presented content indicates that the emotion of the participant is positive, the generation unit 223 places an avatar in the virtual space with eyes wide open, corners of the mouth turned up, and a happy expression, as shown in participant PA5 in Figure 5.

[0125] As yet another example, if the emotion recognition result of the participant included in the presented content indicates that the emotion of the participant is positive and further emphasizes the positive emotion, the generation unit 223 places an avatar in the virtual space with narrowed eyes, turned up corners of the mouth, and a happier expression, as shown for participant PA6 in Figure 5.

[0126] As yet another example, if the emotion recognition result of a participant included in the presented content indicates that the emotion of the participant is negative, the generation unit 223 places an avatar in the virtual space with eyes closed and a sad expression, as shown for participant PA7 in Figure 5.

[0127] Furthermore, the generation unit 223 may control the movement of the avatar in accordance with the presented content. As an example, the generation unit 223 may control the movement of ears attached to the avatar, as shown in FIG.

[0128] As an example of this case, if the emotion recognition result of the participant included in the presented content indicates that the emotion of the participant is neutral, the generation unit 223 places participant PA4 with drooping ear tips in the virtual space.

[0129] As another example, if the emotion recognition result of a participant included in the presented content indicates that the emotion of the participant is positive, the generation unit 223 places participant PA5 or participant PA6, who has moved their entire ear, in the virtual space.

[0130] As yet another example, if the emotion recognition result of the participant included in the presented content indicates that the emotion of the participant is negative, the generation unit 223 places a participant PA6 with drooping ears in the virtual space.

[0131] Furthermore, the generation unit 223 may control the voice of the avatar according to the presented content. For example, if the emotion recognition result of the participant included in the presented content indicates that the emotion of the participant is positive, the generation unit 223 generates a conference video including the voice of the avatar such as "happy," "fun," or "interesting."

[0132] Furthermore, the generation unit 223 may arrange, in addition to the avatar, an icon that changes depending on the emotion recognition result of the participant included in the presented content in the virtual space. An example of how the generation unit 223 arranges the icon in the virtual space will be described later.

[0133] In this way, the generation unit 223 controls the facial expression, movement, or voice of the avatar of the first participant placed in the virtual space according to the presented content. With this configuration, the generation unit 223 can suitably present the reactions of the participants in the online conference.

[0134] (Flow of control method S2 of online conference system 100) The flow of the control method S2 of the online conference system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the control method S2 of the online conference system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment.

[0135] (Step S21) In step S21, the acquisition unit 321A of the virtual reality device 3A acquires the first setting information via the input unit 34A.

[0136] (Step S22) In step S22, the acquisition unit 321A outputs the first setting information acquired in step S21 to the server 2 via the communication unit 31A.

[0137] (Step S23) In step S23, the acquisition unit 321B of the virtual reality device 3B acquires the second setting information via the input unit 34B.

[0138] (Step S24) In step S24, the acquisition unit 321B outputs the second setting information acquired in step S23 to the server 2 via the communication unit 31B.

[0139] The order of steps S21 and S22 and steps S23 and S24 is not limited.

[0140] (Step S25) In step S25, the acquisition unit 11 of the server 2 acquires the first setting information output from the virtual reality device 3A and the second setting information output from the virtual reality device 3B via the communication unit 21. The acquisition unit 11 stores the acquired first setting information and second setting information in the memory unit 23.

[0141] (Step S30) In step S30, the online conference system 100 executes the online conference.

[0142] (An example of online meeting processing) The flow of step S30, which is the processing of the online conference executed in the online conference system 100, will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the processing of the online conference executed in the online conference system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment.

[0143] (Step S31) In step S31, the generation unit 223 generates a conference video of the online conference. As an example, when a moving image is acquired from the virtual reality device 3, the generation unit 223 generates a conference video including the moving image. As another example, when an avatar is used, the generation unit 223 generates a conference video including the avatar. The generation unit 223 stores the generated conference video in the storage unit 23.

[0144] (Step S32) In step S32, the presentation unit 13 acquires the conference video stored in the storage unit 23 and outputs the conference video to the virtual reality device 3 via the communication unit 21.

[0145] (Step S33) In step S33, the acquisition unit 321A of the virtual reality device 3A acquires the conference video output in step S32 via the communication unit 31A. The acquisition unit 321A supplies the acquired conference video to the display unit 322A.

[0146] (Step S34) In step S34, the display unit 322A displays the conference video supplied from the acquisition unit 321A in step S33 on the display 36A.

[0147] (Step S35) In step S35, the acquisition unit 321B of the virtual reality device 3B acquires the conference video output in step S32 via the communication unit 31B. The acquisition unit 321B supplies the acquired conference video to the display unit 322B.

[0148] (Step S36) In step S36, the display unit 322B displays the conference video supplied from the acquisition unit 321B in step S35 on the display 36B.

[0149] The order of steps S33 and S34 and steps S35 and S36 is not limited.

[0150] (Step S37) In step S37, the emotion recognition unit 421A of the emotion recognition device 4A acquires sensor information from the sensor unit 44A.

[0151] (Step S38) In step S38, emotion recognition section 421A generates an emotion recognition result based on the sensor information acquired in step S37.

[0152] (Step S39) In step S39, the emotion recognition section 421A outputs the emotion recognition result generated in step S to the server 2 via the communication section 41A.

[0153] Here, the processing of steps S37 to S39 may be configured to be executed when the emotion recognition unit 421A receives a signal from the virtual reality device 3A indicating that step S34 has been executed, or may be configured to be executed at all times while step S30 is being executed, regardless of the processing of step S34.

[0154] (Step S40) In step S40, the emotion recognition unit 421B of the emotion recognition device 4B acquires sensor information from the sensor unit 44B. Here, the sensor information acquired by the emotion recognition unit 421B in step S40 includes at least the voice of the second participant's speech.

[0155] (Step S41) In step S41, the emotion recognition unit 421B outputs the sensor information acquired in step S40 to the server 2 via the communication unit 41B.

[0156] Here, the processes of steps S40 and S41 may be configured to be executed constantly while step S30 is being executed, regardless of the process of step S36. Also, in step S40, the emotion recognition unit 421B may generate an emotion recognition result based on the acquired sensor information. In this case, in step S41, the emotion recognition unit 421B may output the sensor information and the generated emotion recognition result to the server 2.

[0157] (Step S42) In step S42, the acquisition unit 11 of the server 2 acquires the emotion recognition result output in step S39 and the sensor information output in step S41 via the communication unit 21. The acquisition unit 11 stores the acquired emotion recognition result and sensor information in the storage unit 23.

[0158] (Step S43) The adjustment unit 12 acquires the first setting information, the second setting information, the emotion recognition result, and the sensor information stored in the storage unit 23, and adjusts the presentation content. The process by which the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content is as described above.

[0159] (Step S44) In step S44, the generation unit 223 generates a conference video of the online conference. As described above, the generation unit 223 may generate a virtual space for holding the online conference.

[0160] (Step S45) In step S45, the control unit 22 of the server 2 determines whether to end the conference. As one example, the control unit 22 determines to end the conference when a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the conference. As another example, the control unit 22 determines to end the conference when an instruction to end the conference is received from the virtual reality device 3.

[0161] If it is determined in step S45 that the conference is to be ended, the online conference process shown in FIG. 7 ends.

[0162] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S45 that the conference has not ended, the processing returns to step S32, and the presentation unit 13 acquires the conference video stored in the memory unit 23 (i.e., the updated conference video) and outputs the conference video to the virtual reality device 3 via the communication unit 21.

[0163] As described above, the conference video stored in the memory unit 23 may be a conference video including the presentation content. Also, if the conference video stored in the memory unit 23 is a conference video that does not include the presentation content, the presentation unit 13 outputs the conference video and the presentation content to at least the virtual reality device 3B in step S32, which is executed again.

[0164] (Example of online meeting video) An example of a conference video of an online conference generated by the generation unit 223 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a conference video of an online conference generated by the generation unit 223 in this exemplary embodiment.

[0165] As an example, the generation unit 223 generates a conference video MP1 including a first participant PA1 and a second participant PA2, as shown in Fig. 8. The first participant PA1 and the second participant PA2 may each be a moving image including the first participant or the second participant as a subject acquired from the virtual reality device 3, which may be included directly in the conference video MP1, or may be an avatar representing the first participant or the second participant, respectively.

[0166] 8, the generation unit 223 may include multiple other first participants PA3 in the conference video MP1. Similar to the configuration described above, the multiple other first participants PA3 may be moving images acquired from the virtual reality device 3 or avatars.

[0167] Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 8, the generation unit 223 may include, in the conference video MP1, an icon ICN1 corresponding to the emotion recognition result of the first participant PA1, which is included in the presentation content.

[0168] Furthermore, when the emotion recognition result of the first participant PA1 included in the conference video MP1 changes, the generation unit 223 generates a conference video MP2 based on the emotion recognition result after the change, as shown in FIG.

[0169] As an example, if the emotion recognition result of the first participant PA1 changes to a positive emotion, the generation unit 223 changes the facial expression of the first participant PA1 to an expression indicating that the first participant PA1 has become more positive. Furthermore, the generation unit 223 also changes the icon ICN1 corresponding to the emotion recognition result of the first participant PA1 to an icon ICN2 indicating that the first participant PA1 has become more positive.

[0170] As another example, the generation unit 223 may be configured to change the background color according to the emotion recognition result of the first participant PA1. For example, if the first participant PA1 has a positive emotion, the generation unit 223 may change the background color of the first participant PA1 to green, and if the first participant PA1 has a negative emotion, the generation unit 223 may change the background color of the first participant PA1 to red.

[0171] As described above, in the online conference system 100 according to this exemplary embodiment, the acquisition unit 11 of the server 2 acquires the emotion recognition result of the first participant participating in the online conference from the emotion recognition device 4A, the adjustment unit 12 adjusts the presentation content of the emotion recognition result acquired by the acquisition unit 11, and the presentation unit 13 presents the adjusted presentation content to the virtual reality device 3B used by the second participant.

[0172] Therefore, according to the online conference system 100 of this exemplary embodiment, the presentation content including the adjusted emotion recognition result of the first participant can be presented to the second participant, thereby achieving the effect of being able to appropriately present the reactions of the participants in the online conference.

[0173] Exemplary Embodiment 3 A third exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same functions as those described in the above exemplary embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their description will not be repeated.

[0174] (Overview of the online conference system 100A) In the online conference system 100A according to this exemplary embodiment, presentation content from a predetermined period or a predetermined time in the past is presented. More specifically, the presentation unit 13 of the server 2 acquires presentation content from a predetermined period or a predetermined time in the past stored in the storage unit 23 and outputs it to the virtual reality device 3. The other configurations are the same as those of the online conference system 100 described above, and therefore will not be described again.

[0175] (Online conference system 100 A(Flow of control method S3) The flow of the control method S3 of the online conference system 100A according to this exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram showing the flow of the control method S3 of the online conference system 100A according to this exemplary embodiment. Fig. 9 shows an example in which the server 2 outputs presentation content from a predetermined period or a predetermined time in the past to the virtual reality device 3B, but the device to which the server 2 outputs the presentation content is not limited to the virtual reality device 3B.

[0176] (Step S51) In step S51, the acquisition unit 321B of the virtual reality device 3B acquires presentation information indicating a predetermined period or a predetermined point in time in the past via the input unit 34B.

[0177] (Step S52) In step S52, the acquisition unit 321B outputs the presentation information acquired in step S51 to the server 2 via the communication unit 31B.

[0178] (Step S53) In step S53, the acquisition unit 11 of the server 2 acquires the presentation information output from the virtual reality device 3B in step S52 via the communication unit 21. The acquisition unit 11 stores the acquired presentation information in the memory unit 23.

[0179] (Step S54) In step S54, the presentation unit 13 acquires the presentation information stored in the memory unit 23, and acquires the presentation content corresponding to the presentation information from the memory unit 23. Then, the presentation unit 13 outputs the acquired presentation content to the virtual reality device 3B via the communication unit 21.

[0180] (Step S55) In step S55, the acquisition unit 321B of the virtual reality device 3B acquires the presentation content output from the server in step S54 via the communication unit 31B. The acquisition unit 321B supplies the acquired presentation content to the display unit 322B.

[0181] (Step S56) The display unit 322B acquires the presentation content supplied from the acquisition unit 321B in step S55, and then displays the acquired presentation content on the display 36B.

[0182] (Example of what is displayed) An example of the content presented by the display unit 322B on the display 36B will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the content presented by the display unit 322B on the display 36B in this exemplary embodiment.

[0183] The display unit 322B may display a conference video of the online conference corresponding to the acquired presentation content, as shown in FIG. ,figure As shown in FIG. 10, as described in the above-described embodiment, the display unit 322B may display a conference video including a first participant PA1, a second participant PA2, and an icon ICN1 corresponding to the emotion recognition result of the first participant PA1.

[0184] As an example of this configuration, the presentation unit 13 of the server 2 may acquire conference video including presentation content corresponding to the presentation information from the memory unit 23, and output the acquired conference video to the virtual reality device 3B. As another example of this configuration, the virtual reality device 3B may store conference video acquired in the past in a memory unit (not shown), and acquire conference video corresponding to the acquired presentation content from the memory unit.

[0185] Furthermore, if the acquired presentation content is the presentation content for a predetermined period, the display unit 322B may display the conference video including a seek bar SB indicating the point in time during the predetermined period that is being played back, as shown in FIG. 10.

[0186] In this case, the display unit 322B may include a flag UF above the seek bar SB, as shown in FIG. 10, which indicates the point in time at which the first participant spoke.

[0187] As described above, in the online conference system 100A according to this exemplary embodiment, the presentation unit 13 of the server 2 outputs presentation content from a predetermined period or a predetermined time in the past to the virtual reality device 3. Therefore, according to the online conference system 100A according to this exemplary embodiment, it is possible to later present how the second participant reacted to a statement made by the first participant.

[0188] [Software implementation example] Some or all of the functions of the online conference system 1, the server 2, the virtual reality device 3, and the emotion recognition device 4 may be realized by hardware such as an integrated circuit (IC chip), or by software.

[0189] In the latter case, the online conference system 1, server 2, virtual reality device 3, and emotion recognition device 4 are realized, for example, by a computer that executes instructions of a program, which is software that realizes each function. An example of such a computer (hereinafter referred to as computer C) is shown in FIG. 11. The computer C includes at least one processor C1 and at least one memory C2. The memory C2 stores a program P for operating the computer C as the online conference system 1, server 2, virtual reality device 3, and emotion recognition device 4. In the computer C, the processor C1 reads and executes the program P from the memory C2, thereby realizing each function of the online conference system 1, server 2, virtual reality device 3, and emotion recognition device 4.

[0190] The processor C1 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a micro processing unit (MPU), a floating point number processing unit (FPU), a physics processing unit (PPU), a microcontroller, or a combination thereof. The memory C2 may be, for example, a flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof.

[0191] The computer C may further include a RAM (Random Access Memory) for expanding the program P during execution and for temporarily storing various data. The computer C may also include a communication interface for transmitting and receiving data to and from other devices. The computer C may also include an input / output interface for connecting input / output devices such as a keyboard, mouse, display, and printer.

[0192] Furthermore, the program P can be recorded on a non-transitory tangible recording medium M that can be read by the computer C. Such a recording medium M can be, for example, a tape, a disk, a card, a semiconductor memory, or a programmable logic circuit. The computer C can acquire the program P via such a recording medium M. The program P can also be transmitted via a transmission medium. Such a transmission medium can be, for example, a communication network or broadcast waves. The computer C can also acquire the program P via such a transmission medium.

[0193] [Appendix 1] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. For example, embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in the above-described embodiments are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0194] [Appendix 2] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can also be described as follows: However, the present invention is not limited to the following described aspects.

[0195] (Appendix 1) An online conference system comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring an emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference; an adjustment means for adjusting presentation content of the emotion recognition result; and a presentation means for presenting the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant. (Appendix 2) The online conference system according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment means includes positive emotion recognition results contained in the emotion recognition results in the presented content, and does not include negative emotion recognition results in the presented content.

[0196] (Appendix 3) 3. The online conference system according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment means includes in the presentation content the emotion recognition result that has been modified by suppressing or emphasizing the emotion included in the emotion recognition result.

[0197] (Appendix 4) An online conference system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the adjustment means adjusts the presented content based on attributes of one or both of the first participant and the second participant.

[0198] (Appendix 5) 5. The online conference system according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting means adjusts the presented content based on the intimacy between the first participant and the second participant.

[0199] (Appendix 6) 6. The online conference system of claim 1, wherein the acquisition means acquires the emotion recognition result of the second participant, and the pre-adjustment means adjusts the presentation content during the online conference based on at least one of sensor information detected during the online conference, the emotion recognition result of the first participant, and the emotion recognition result of the second participant.

[0200] (Appendix 7) 7. The online conference system according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment means adjusts the presented content based on first setting information input by the first participant.

[0201] (Appendix 8) 8. The online conference system according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment means adjusts the presented content based on second setting information input by the second participant.

[0202] (Appendix 9) 9. The online conference system according to claim 1, wherein the presentation means presents the emotion recognition result in real time.

[0203] (Appendix 10) 10. The online conference system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the presentation means presents the presentation content from a predetermined period or a predetermined point in time in the past.

[0204] (Appendix 11) An online conference system as described in any one of appendices 1 to 10, further comprising a generation means for generating a virtual space for holding the online conference and controlling the facial expression, movement, or voice of an avatar of the first participant placed in the virtual space in accordance with the presented content.

[0205] (Appendix 12) 1. A method for controlling an online conference system, comprising: at least one processor acquiring an emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference; adjusting presentation content of the emotion recognition result; and presenting the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0206] (Appendix 13) A program that causes a computer to function as an acquisition means that acquires an emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference, an adjustment means that adjusts presentation content of the emotion recognition result, and a presentation means that presents the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0207] [Appendix 3] Some or all of the above-described embodiments can also be expressed as follows.

[0208] An online conference system comprising at least one processor that executes an acquisition process for acquiring an emotion recognition result of a first participant participating in an online conference, an adjustment process for adjusting presentation content of the emotion recognition result, and a presentation process for presenting the adjusted presentation content to a second participant different from the first participant.

[0209] The online conference system may further include a memory, and the memory may include the acquisition Processing and adjustment Processing and presentation A program for causing the processor to execute the above processes may be stored in the storage medium. The program may be recorded on a computer-readable, non-transitory, tangible recording medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0210] 1, 100, 100A Online Conference System 11 Acquisition Department 12 Adjustment part 13 Presentation part 2 Server 223 Generation part 3 Virtual Reality Devices 4 Emotion recognition device

Claims

1. an acquisition means for acquiring an emotion recognition result of at least the first participant out of a first participant and a second participant participating in an online conference; an adjustment means for estimating a degree of intimacy between the first participant and the second participant based on the number of online conferences in which the first participant and the second participant have participated, and adjusting the emotion recognition result based on the estimated degree of intimacy; a presentation means for presenting content including the adjusted emotion recognition result to the second participant; Equipped with when the emotion recognition result indicates a positive emotion and the estimated intimacy is at a second level lower than the first level, the adjustment means adjusts the emotion recognition result by emphasizing the emotion recognition result at a stronger degree than the degree of emphasis at the first level. Online conference system.

2. A method executed by an online conference system, acquiring an emotion recognition result of at least the first participant out of a first participant and a second participant participating in an online conference; estimating a degree of intimacy between the first participant and the second participant based on the number of online meetings in which the first participant and the second participant have participated, and adjusting the emotion recognition result based on the estimated degree of intimacy; presenting a presentation including the adjusted emotion recognition result to the second participant; Including, the adjusting includes adjusting the emotion recognition result by emphasizing the emotion recognition result at a stronger degree than the degree of emphasis at the first level when the emotion recognition result indicates a positive emotion and the estimated intimacy is at a second level lower than the first level. method.

3. acquiring an emotion recognition result of at least the first participant out of a first participant and a second participant participating in an online conference; estimating a degree of intimacy between the first participant and the second participant based on the number of online meetings in which the first participant and the second participant have participated, and adjusting the emotion recognition result based on the estimated degree of intimacy; presenting a presentation including the adjusted emotion recognition result to the second participant; causing a computer to execute a process including the adjusting includes adjusting the emotion recognition result by emphasizing the emotion recognition result at a stronger degree than the degree of emphasis at the first level when the emotion recognition result indicates a positive emotion and the estimated intimacy is at a second level lower than the first level. program.

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