Object evaluation method, object evaluation system, object evaluation device, object evaluation program, and storage medium on which the program is recorded.

Abstract

This system provides an object evaluation system that can evaluate objects related to animals kept as pets from multiple perspectives. [Solution] The evaluation system S includes a situation recognition unit 1d that recognizes a video of the behavior of pet P in a situation where pet P and owner O are within a predetermined range where they can communicate, and pet P and owner O are experiencing the object simultaneously or consecutively; an impression recognition unit 1f that recognizes owner O's impressions of the situation; an emotion estimation unit 1e that recognizes pet P's estimated emotions in response to the situation based on the video; and an evaluation processing unit 1j that evaluates the object based on owner O's impressions and pet P's emotions.

Description

【Technical Field】 【0001】 The present invention relates to a target thing evaluation method for evaluating a target thing, a target thing evaluation system, a target thing evaluation device, a target thing evaluation program, and a storage medium storing the program. 【Background Art】 【0002】 Conventionally, a system is known that attaches a sensor for detecting the behavior of an animal kept as a pet via a collar or the like, and evaluates pet products (for example, pet food) based on the data detected by the sensor (see, for example, Patent Document 1). 【Prior Art Documents】 【Patent Documents】 【0003】 【Patent Document 1】 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2024-514908 【Summary of the Invention】 【Problems to be Solved by the Invention】 【0004】 However, the system of Patent Document 1 only detects the behavior of the pet itself that has experienced the pet product. That is, the evaluation of the pet product by this system does not sufficiently take into account the influence of the environment around the pet (for example, the situation in which the pet product is used, etc.). 【0005】 Therefore, with the system of Patent Document 1, it is possible to evaluate the pet product from a one-sided perspective based only on the pet, but there is a problem that it is difficult to perform an evaluation that takes into account the influence from the surrounding environment, etc. (that is, an evaluation from a multi-faceted perspective). 【0006】 The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to provide a method for evaluating objects related to animals kept as pets, a system for evaluating objects, a device for evaluating objects, a program for evaluating objects, and a storage medium on which the program is recorded, which can perform evaluations calculated from a multifaceted perspective. [Means for solving the problem] 【0007】 The object evaluation method of the present invention is A method for evaluating an object, The process involves a situation recognition unit recognizing situational information, which is information relating to a situation in which a target animal experiencing the target object and a target person experiencing the target object, or a similar object, together with the target animal, are in a predetermined range where communication is possible, and a first experience, which is the target animal's experience of the target object, and a second experience, which is the target person's experience of the target object or a similar object, are occurring simultaneously or consecutively. The impression recognition unit performs the step of recognizing the subject's impression of the situation, The emotion estimation unit recognizes the emotion of the target animal estimated for the situation based on the situation information, The evaluation processing unit is characterized by comprising the step of performing an evaluation of the subject object based on the aforementioned impressions and emotions. 【0008】 Here, "things" refers to things that the subject animal and the subject person (for example, a pet and its owner) can experience together. Specifically, this includes not only items such as food and drink and pet toys, but also actions such as walks and ways of playing. Therefore, the "experience" of these things would be, for example, eating food or drink, or playing with a toy. 【0009】 As a result of diligent research, the inventors of this invention have found that, depending on the type of object, the effect that the object has on the pet or its owner differs depending on whether the experience is shared by the pet animal alone or only by the pet's owner, or by both the pet animal and its owner. 【0010】 Therefore, the evaluation method of the present invention estimates the emotions of the target animal and the subject person when they are experiencing the target object or similar object together, grasps the subject person's impressions, and then performs an evaluation (e.g., scoring) of the target object based on these. As a result, this evaluation method can perform an evaluation of the target object by considering not only the one-sided perspective of the target animal's emotions, but also the different perspective of the subject person's impressions. 【0011】 Therefore, the evaluation method of the present invention enables evaluation of the subject matter from multifaceted perspectives, including the subject animal and the subject person, that is, evaluation using a new evaluation axis that was not previously available. By referring to the evaluation conducted in this way, it becomes possible to efficiently develop products and services that are of high value to both the subject animal and the subject person. 【0012】 In the object evaluation method of the present invention, The aforementioned object and the aforementioned similar object are food. The first and second experiences may involve consuming the food. 【0013】 In the object evaluation method of the present invention, if the object is food and the experience is the consumption of that food, Preferably, the first and second experiences involve consuming the food taken from the same single container. 【0014】 As a result of diligent research, the inventors of this invention have found that when food is consumed from the same container, the effect on at least one of the subjects is amplified. Therefore, when food is the subject, if the method of experience is to consume it from the same container, it becomes easier to grasp the effect of the subject, and thus a more accurate evaluation can be made. 【0015】 In the object evaluation method of the present invention, if the object is food and the experience is the consumption of that food, Preferably, the food item in question is a dual-use food that can be consumed by both the target animal and the target person. 【0016】 As a result of diligent research, the inventors of this invention have found that when the same food is consumed, the effect on at least one of the subjects becomes stronger, whether it is a pet or a human. Therefore, when food is the subject, if the food is made into a dual-use food that can be consumed by both pets and humans, it becomes easier to understand the effects of the subject, and thus a more accurate evaluation can be performed. 【0017】 In the object evaluation method of the present invention, if the object is food and the experience is the consumption of that food, The aforementioned object, the food, is animal food intended for consumption by the aforementioned animal. The aforementioned similar item, the food, may be human food intended for consumption by the subject. 【0018】 In the object evaluation method of the present invention, The aforementioned comments may be at least one of the positive and negative feelings of the subject. 【0019】 In the object evaluation method of the present invention, The aforementioned emotion may be at least one of the degree of positive behavior and the degree of negative behavior of the subject animal. 【0020】 In the method for evaluating a target object of the present invention, the weighting processing unit includes a step of weighting the feelings and the emotions based on the type of the target object, it is preferable that the evaluation processing unit performs an evaluation by scoring the target object based on the weighted feelings and emotions. 【0021】 Depending on the type of the target object, there are cases where either the emotion of the target animal or the feeling of the target person should be particularly emphasized in the evaluation. Therefore, by weighting the feelings and emotions based on the type of the target object in this way, a more accurate evaluation can be performed for each target object. 【0022】 In the method for evaluating a target object of the present invention, when it is configured to weight the feelings and emotions based on the type of the target object, the state recognition unit includes a step of recognizing whether the state of the target animal regarding the target object when experiencing the first experience is a negative state or a positive state, it is preferable that the weighting processing unit changes the magnitude of the weighting for the emotion according to the state. 【0023】 For example, when the object is food, if the target animal has just eaten the food, the change in emotion when eating the food is likely to be small, and the evaluation is also likely to be low. Therefore, when evaluating an object, it is necessary to also consider the state when experiencing the object. 【0024】 Therefore, by weighting based on the state when experiencing the object in this way, the influence on the evaluation due to the situation can be suppressed, and a more accurate evaluation can be performed. 【0025】 In the method for evaluating a target object of the present invention, when it is configured to weight the feelings and emotions based on the type of the target object and to change the weighting according to the state, The weighting processing unit may be configured to perform at least one of the following: increasing the weighting of the emotion when the state is negative, and decreasing the weighting of the emotion when the state is positive. 【0026】 In the object evaluation method of the present invention, if the configuration is such that weighting of impressions and feelings is performed based on the type of object, The experience count recognition unit includes a step of recognizing the number of times the first experience has been experienced, It is preferable that the weighting processing unit performs a process that increases the weighting of the emotion as the number of times the first experience is experienced increases. 【0027】 For example, if the object is food, the emotional change an animal experiences when eating it for the first time may be greater or less than when it is accustomed to eating that food. Therefore, when evaluating an object, it is necessary to consider the number of times the object has been experienced. 【0028】 Therefore, by assigning weights based on the number of times an object has been experienced, the influence of frequency on evaluation can be suppressed, allowing for a more accurate evaluation. 【0029】 Furthermore, the object evaluation system of the present invention is A system for evaluating objects, It is characterized by being configured to perform one of the above-described object evaluation methods. 【0030】 Furthermore, the object evaluation device of the present invention is A device for evaluating objects, It is characterized by being configured to perform one of the above-described object evaluation methods. 【0031】 Furthermore, the object evaluation program of the present invention is A subject evaluation program that causes a computer to execute a subject evaluation method for evaluating a subject, It is characterized by being configured to perform one of the above-described object evaluation methods. 【0032】 Furthermore, the recording medium of the present invention is The above-mentioned object evaluation program is recorded, and the object evaluation program is readable by the computer. 【0033】 Furthermore, the object evaluation method of the present invention is A method for evaluating an object, Steps include: recognizing situational information, which is information relating to a situation in which a target animal experiencing the aforementioned object and a target person experiencing the aforementioned object, or an object similar to the aforementioned object, together with the target animal, are in a predetermined range where communication is possible, and a first experience, which is the target animal's experience of the aforementioned object, and a second experience, which is the target person's experience of the aforementioned object or an object similar to the aforementioned object, are occurring simultaneously or consecutively; A step of recognizing the subject's feelings about the aforementioned situation, A step of recognizing the emotions of the target animal estimated in relation to the situation based on the aforementioned situational information, The method is characterized by comprising the step of evaluating the subject matter based on the aforementioned impressions and feelings. [Brief explanation of the drawing] 【0034】 [Figure 1] An explanatory diagram showing the schematic configuration of the evaluation system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the configuration of the processing unit of the evaluation system in Figure 1. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the experience situation of the object being evaluated by the evaluation system in Figure 1. [Figure 4] A graph summarizing the results of an experiment on evaluating pets' emotions. [Figure 5] A graph summarizing the experimental results regarding evaluations of pet owners' opinions. [Figure 6] A graph showing an example of experimental results regarding evaluations of positive emotions among pet owners. [Figure 7] A graph showing an example of experimental results regarding evaluations of negative emotions among pet owners. [Figure 8] A flowchart illustrating the processes performed by the evaluation system in Figure 1 when evaluating an object. [Modes for carrying out the invention] 【0035】 The object evaluation system and object evaluation method described below are systems and methods for evaluating objects related to animals kept as pets from a multifaceted perspective that includes both the perspective of the pet and the perspective of the owner. 【0036】 Here, "things" refers to things that pets and their owners can experience together. Specifically, this includes not only items such as food and drinks and pet toys, but also actions such as walks and playtime. Therefore, the "experience" of these things would be, for example, eating food or playing with a toy. 【0037】 In this embodiment, the subject matter is described as "food and beverages," and the "experience" of that subject matter is described as the consumption of that food and beverage. However, as mentioned above, the system and method of this embodiment are applicable to subject matter and experiences other than the consumption of food and beverages. 【0038】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the animal experiencing the subject object is defined as a pet, and the person experiencing the subject object, or a similar object, together with the subject animal is defined as the pet's owner. However, the subject animals and subjects are not limited to pets and their owners. For example, animals in a zoo and zoo visitors who feed those animals can also be subject animals and subjects. 【0039】 The evaluation system S (object evaluation system) according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 6. 【0040】 [Schematic configuration] First, we will explain the general configuration of the evaluation system S using Figures 1 and 2. 【0041】 As shown in Figure 1, the evaluation system S is comprised of a server 1 owned by the service provider of the evaluation system S. This server 1 is configured to communicate with a camera 2 that captures the state of experiencing the target object via the internet, public network, etc., a first terminal 3 such as a smartphone or tablet used by the pet owner O (see Figure 3), and a second terminal 4 such as a laptop computer used by an employee of the company receiving the service. 【0042】 Furthermore, the object evaluation system of the present invention is not limited to being composed of a single server; it is sufficient if any of the terminals constituting the object evaluation system are configured to be equipped with the processing unit described later. 【0043】 Therefore, for example, the entire object evaluation system may be composed of multiple servers. Alternatively, at least one processing unit or at least a part of the functions of that processing unit may be implemented in a terminal that can communicate with a server, and the object evaluation system may be composed of the terminal and the server working together or by the terminal alone. 【0044】 Furthermore, in the evaluation system S of this embodiment, functions corresponding to the input and output units described later, which are provided in the first terminal 3 or the second terminal 4, may be provided in a terminal having a processing unit provided in the server 1, and configured as an independent object evaluation device. 【0045】 As shown in Figure 2, the camera 2, which captures the state of experiencing the target object, is equipped with a camera-side input unit 2a as a function (processing unit) realized by at least one of the implemented hardware configuration and program. The camera-side input unit 2a is configured to transmit the video captured by the camera 2 to the server 1. 【0046】 The first terminal 3 used by owner O includes a first terminal side input unit 3a and a first terminal side output unit 3b as functions (processing units) realized by at least one of the implemented hardware configuration and program. 【0047】 The second terminal 4 used by companies and other entities receiving services through the evaluation system includes a second terminal output unit 4a as a function (processing unit) realized by at least one of the implemented hardware configuration and program. 【0048】 In this embodiment, the first terminal-side input unit 3a and the first terminal-side output unit 3b of the first terminal 3 are described as being the touch panel of a smartphone. Furthermore, the second terminal-side output unit 4a of the second terminal 4 is described as being the monitor and speaker of a notebook computer. 【0049】 However, at least one of the first and second terminals is not limited to such a configuration, and only one that can receive information input from the user of that terminal and output information to the user of that terminal is required. For example, these terminals may be configured to enable input and output using a keyboard, microphone, camera, speaker, etc., in addition to a touch panel. 【0050】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server 1, camera 2, first terminal 3, and second terminal 4 are described as being composed of real-world objects. However, the equipment constituting the object evaluation system of the present invention, or the equipment that inputs or outputs information to or from the object evaluation system, is not limited to real-world objects. 【0051】 Therefore, for example, these devices may be constructed using items in virtual space, or they may be constructed by combining items in real space and items in virtual space. Specifically, at least one of the first terminal-side input unit 3a and the first terminal-side output unit 3b of the first terminal 3 in this embodiment may be made virtual, and the first terminal 3 may be configured to be operable by the owner O in virtual space or a space that combines virtual space and real space. 【0052】 [Configuration of each processing unit] Next, the processing units that constitute the evaluation system S will be described with reference to Figures 2 to 8. 【0053】 In the following explanation, the term "recognition" is used, and this "recognition" includes not only the process of directly acquiring the target information, but also various processes for obtaining the target information, such as processes that generate the target information by performing some kind of processing on the underlying information. Furthermore, some or all of the processes necessary for such recognition may be performed by the recognition processing unit itself, or they may be performed by other systems, processing units, databases, etc., that are separately provided inside or outside the equipment or system equipped with the processing unit. 【0054】 As shown in Figure 2, Server 1 includes, as functions (processing units) realized by at least one of the implemented hardware configuration and program, a questionnaire implementation unit 1a, a pet attribute recognition unit 1b, an owner attribute recognition unit 1c, a situation recognition unit 1d, an emotion estimation unit 1e, a feedback recognition unit 1f, a state recognition unit 1g, an experience count recognition unit 1h, a weighting processing unit 1i, an evaluation processing unit 1j, and a presentation unit 1k. 【0055】 The survey implementation unit 1a conducts the survey by presenting a questionnaire regarding the owner O and the pet P to the first terminal side output unit 3b of the first terminal 3 in a format that can be answered via the first terminal side input unit 3a of the first terminal 3. 【0056】 The questionnaires to be conducted include a pre-evaluation questionnaire to understand the prerequisites for evaluating the subject object, and an evaluation questionnaire for evaluating the subject object. The pre-evaluation questionnaire is conducted before the evaluation process is carried out. The evaluation questionnaire is conducted after the experience with the subject object. 【0057】 The pre-survey questionnaire is designed to identify pet attributes, owner attributes, status, and experience frequency, as will be discussed later. Specifically, for example, regarding pet P, the questionnaire will ask about the type of animal (dog or cat, breed, etc.), age, sex, health, personality, food and drink preferences, living environment, relationship with owner O (how many years have you owned the pet, who usually takes care of it), pet's condition (health, before or after a meal, etc.), and the number of times the subject or similar things have been experienced. Regarding owner O, the questionnaire will ask about age, sex, health, food and drink preferences, occupation, family structure, and the number of times the subject or similar things have been experienced. 【0058】 The evaluation questionnaire is a questionnaire used to understand the owner O's impressions, as described later, in order to conduct an evaluation. Therefore, after experiencing the target object, a questionnaire is administered within a predetermined period set by the system designer (for example, within one day) to ask for impressions of that experience. Alternatively, a questionnaire to ask for baseline impressions may be administered before experiencing the target object. 【0059】 The pet attribute recognition unit 1b recognizes the attributes of pet P (type, age, sex, health condition, personality, food and drink preferences, living environment, relationship with owner, etc.) based on the results of a pre-survey conducted by the survey implementation unit 1a. 【0060】 The owner attribute recognition unit 1c recognizes the owner O's attributes (age, gender, health condition, food and drink preferences, occupation, family structure, etc.) based on the results of a pre-survey conducted by the survey implementation unit 1a. 【0061】 The situation recognition unit 1d recognizes situational information, which is information about the situation in which the object is being experienced. 【0062】 Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, first, while the camera 2 is located within a predetermined range (in this embodiment, within the camera's field of view A) from which the pet P and owner O can communicate, the camera 2 records a video of the pet P's behavior in a situation where the first experience, which is the pet P's experience with the object, and the second experience, which is the owner O's experience with the object, or an object similar to the object, are occurring simultaneously or consecutively. 【0063】 Here, "a predetermined range within which communication is possible" refers to the range in which pet P and owner O can influence each other in some way. For example, this range includes the range in which pet P and owner O can touch each other, make eye contact, or the range in which the owner can speak to the pet or hear the pet's barks. Therefore, if communication devices are being used, pet P and owner O may be physically separated. 【0064】 Subsequently, camera 2 transmits the video to the situation recognition unit 1d, and the situation recognition unit 1d recognizes the received video as situational information. 【0065】 In this embodiment, the object of interest is a biscuit (common food) that can be consumed by both pet P and owner O and is contained in the same box, and the experience is the consumption of that biscuit. Therefore, in this embodiment, the situational information is a video taken of owner O giving a biscuit to pet P while eating a biscuit himself, taken from the same box (container). 【0066】 Furthermore, the situational information of the present invention is not limited to such videos, but may be any information relating to the situation in which the subject object is being experienced. For example, the situational information may be an image, an audio recording, a written description of the situation, or a combination thereof. Also, for example, the situational information may be a combination of information obtained by separately recognizing information about the subject animal and information about the subject. 【0067】 Furthermore, the situation recognition unit of the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and any unit capable of recognizing situational information is acceptable. For example, the situation recognition unit may be configured to recognize situational information recognized by a separate system, rather than a dedicated camera. 【0068】 The emotion estimation unit 1e recognizes the emotions of pet P estimated for a given situation (in this embodiment, the situation of eating biscuits together) based on the pet attributes recognized by the pet attribute recognition unit 1b and the situation information recognized by the situation recognition unit 1d. 【0069】 In this embodiment, the emotion estimation unit 1e takes situation information recognized by the situation recognition unit 1d (a video of the situation) and pet attributes recognized by the pet attribute recognition unit 1b as input, and uses a generative model that outputs the estimated emotion of pet P to estimate and recognize the emotion of pet P. 【0070】 The generative model is trained using situational information, pet attributes, and the corresponding emotions of the pets as training data, and learns the correlation between the situational information, pet attributes, and the emotions of the pets. Furthermore, the generative model may be one that is included in the evaluation system S, or it may be one that is included in a separate system. 【0071】 It should be noted that the emotion estimation unit of the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and any unit that estimates and recognizes the emotions of a target animal in relation to a given situation based on situational information is acceptable. 【0072】 Therefore, for example, the emotion estimation unit may estimate and recognize the emotions of the target animal using only situational information and without using pet attributes. Alternatively, for example, the emotion estimation unit may prepare a data table in advance that corresponds to the attributes of the target animal and shows the relationship between situational information and the emotions of the target animal, and estimate and recognize the emotions of the target animal by referring to that data table. 【0073】 Furthermore, for example, the situational information used in the emotion estimation unit may be video footage taken by other devices such as mobile terminals, rather than video footage taken by a camera. In addition to video footage of the pet's situation, information about the pet acquired by wearable devices may also be used as situational information. Moreover, the emotions of the pet may be estimated on these mobile terminals or wearable devices (i.e., equipped with emotion estimation units), and the results of the estimation may be transmitted to other processing devices (e.g., servers). 【0074】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the degree of positive behavior and the degree of negative behavior of pet P are adopted as the emotions estimated by the emotion estimation unit 1e (see Figure 4). 【0075】 It should be noted that the emotions in this invention are not limited to this configuration, and any emotion that can be used for evaluation described later is acceptable. For example, the emotion estimation unit may estimate quantitative values ​​such as emotional valence intensity and arousal level as emotions, or it may estimate qualitative expressions such as happy or anxious as emotions. 【0076】 Furthermore, the form of the estimated emotion can be any form that can be used in the evaluation process described later. For example, it could be the time-series data itself, as shown in Figure 4, or it could be a single score such as the average value or rate of change over a predetermined period. Alternatively, the emotion estimated by the generative model can be used as is without performing such a conversion process. 【0077】 The feedback recognition unit 1f recognizes the owner O's feelings about the situation (in this embodiment, the situation of eating biscuits together). 【0078】 In this embodiment, the feedback recognition unit 1f recognizes the results of the questionnaire conducted by the questionnaire implementation unit 1a as the feedback of the owner O, after correcting them with respect to the owner attributes recognized by the owner attribute recognition unit 1c. 【0079】 Furthermore, the impression recognition unit of the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and any unit that recognizes the subject's impression of a situation is acceptable. 【0080】 Therefore, for example, the feedback recognition unit may recognize feedback based solely on the results of the questionnaire. Alternatively, for example, the feedback recognition unit may estimate and recognize the emotions of the subject by using a generative model that outputs estimated feedback when situational information is input. 【0081】 The generative model in question uses situational information and the owner's comments corresponding to that situational information as training data, and learns the correlation between that situational information and the owner's comments. Furthermore, this generative model may be one that is included in the object evaluation system or one that is included in a separate system. 【0082】 Furthermore, for example, the feedback recognition unit may be configured according to the attributes of the subject, and a data table representing the correspondence between situational information and the subject's feedback may be prepared in advance. The feedback may then be estimated and recognized by referring to this data table. 【0083】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the positive and negative emotions of the pet owner O are adopted as the impressions recognized by the impression recognition unit 1f (see Figures 5 to 7). 【0084】 It should be noted that the impressions in this invention are not limited to this configuration, and any impressions that can be used for evaluation described later are acceptable. For example, the impression recognition unit may estimate quantitative values ​​related to emotions, such as emotional valence intensity and arousal level calculated from survey results, as emotions, or it may recognize qualitative expressions such as "fun" or "anxious" as impressions. 【0085】 Furthermore, the format of the recognized feedback can be any format that can be used in the evaluation process described later. For example, it may be the time-series data itself, as shown in Figures 5 to 7, or it may be a single score such as the average value or rate of change over a predetermined period. Alternatively, the recognized feedback may be used as is without performing such a conversion process. 【0086】 The state recognition unit 1g recognizes, based on the results of a pre-experience questionnaire administered by the questionnaire implementation unit 1a, whether the state of the object of pet P during the first experience is negative or positive. This state may be recognized as either negative or positive, or it may be recognized as a multi-level system using scoring (for example, a scoring system where the most negative is 0 points and the most positive is 10 points). 【0087】 In this embodiment, the first experience is the experience of pet P eating the object, which is a biscuit. For example, the state recognition unit 1g recognizes a negative state if pet P is full after a meal or does not like biscuits (e.g., full), and a positive state if pet P is hungry before a meal or likes biscuits (e.g., hungry). 【0088】 Furthermore, the state recognition unit of the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and only needs to recognize whether the state of the target animal regarding the object or similar object when experiencing the first experience is negative or positive. 【0089】 Therefore, for example, the state recognition unit may recognize the state based on the situation information. Furthermore, whether the state is negative or positive may be set appropriately depending on the type of object, etc. 【0090】 The experience count recognition unit 1h recognizes the number of times the first experience was experienced based on the results of the pre-survey conducted by the survey implementation unit 1a. 【0091】 It should be noted that the number of experiences in this invention is not limited to this configuration, and any system that recognizes the number of first experiences is sufficient. For example, the experience count recognition unit may recognize the number of experiences based on situational information, or it may acquire and recognize the number of experiences counted by another system. 【0092】 The weighting processing unit 1i assigns weights to the emotions recognized by the emotion estimation unit 1e and the impressions recognized by the impression recognition unit 1f, based on the type of object. 【0093】 This is because, depending on the type of object being evaluated, it may be necessary to give particular emphasis to either the pet P's emotions or the owner O's feelings. Therefore, by assigning weights to feelings and opinions based on the type of object being evaluated, a more accurate evaluation can be made for each object. 【0094】 In this embodiment, the weighting processing unit 1i recognizes the type of object based on a pre-survey. However, if there is only one object, the system may recognize the type of object predetermined by the system designer. 【0095】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the weighting processing unit 1i increases the weighting of pet P's emotions if the state recognized by the state recognition unit 1g is a negative state, and decreases the weighting of pet P's emotions if the state is a positive state. 【0096】 This is because, when evaluating something, it is necessary to consider the state of mind when experiencing that thing. For example, if the object is food, and the pet has just eaten (i.e., is full), then the emotional change when eating that food is likely to be small, and the evaluation is likely to be low. 【0097】 Therefore, by assigning weights based on the state in which things are experienced, the influence of circumstances on evaluation can be suppressed, thus enabling more accurate evaluations. 【0098】 In this embodiment, the weighting processing unit 1i performs both processes of increasing and decreasing the weighting depending on the state, but it may be configured to perform only one of these processes. Furthermore, the weighting according to the state may be the opposite of this embodiment: if the state recognized by the state recognition unit is a negative state, the weighting for emotion may be decreased, and if the state is a positive state, the weighting for emotion may be increased. 【0099】 Furthermore, in this embodiment, the weighting processing unit 1i performs a process that increases the weighting of the pet P's emotions as the number of experiences recognized by the experience count recognition unit 1h increases. 【0100】 This is because, when evaluating something, it is necessary to consider the number of times that thing has been experienced. For example, if the thing is food, the emotional change when an animal eats it for the first time may be greater or less than when it is used to eating that food. 【0101】 Therefore, by assigning weights based on the number of times an object has been experienced, the influence of frequency on evaluation can be suppressed, allowing for a more accurate evaluation. 【0102】 It should be noted that the object evaluation system of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, it is not necessary to weight emotions and impressions. Even when weighting is performed, it is possible to perform only one of the following: weighting based on the type of object, weighting based on the state when experiencing the object, or weighting based on the number of times it has been experienced. Alternatively, weighting based on other rules (for example, weighting based on pet attributes or owner attributes) may be performed, or some of these weightings may be combined. 【0103】 The evaluation processing unit 1j evaluates the target object by assigning a score based on the emotions of the pet P and the impressions of the owner O, which have been weighted by the weighting processing unit 1i. Naturally, if no weighting has been applied, the scoring is based on the perceived emotions and impressions. 【0104】 In this embodiment, a score is assigned to the product value of the subject item. The score may include, for example, a numerical value relating to one or more characteristics of the subject item, a predicted value such as how well it will sell when it is put on the market, or an estimated customer evaluation (for example, an evaluation such as "I really want to eat it," "I want to eat it," "I don't want to eat it," or "I really don't want to eat it," or a graded evaluation from A to E). 【0105】 Furthermore, the method for calculating the score may be set appropriately depending on the type of object and the type of score required. For example, if the score is a numerical value or a graded evaluation, the numerical value may be calculated by referring to a predetermined data table or the like. Alternatively, if the score is an evaluation such as an opinion, the owner's opinion and the pet's emotions and evaluation may be used as training data, and a generative model that has learned the correlation between the owner's opinion and the pet's emotions and evaluation may be used to input the owner's opinion and the pet's emotions obtained this time and output the evaluation. 【0106】 It should be noted that the evaluation processing unit of the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and any unit that performs an evaluation of the target object is acceptable. For example, the evaluation performed by the evaluation processing unit may be an evaluation other than scoring, and may be an evaluation that compares a predetermined object (for example, one or more competing products) and determines whether it is highly or low in a predetermined aspect. 【0107】 The presentation unit 1k presents the evaluation results performed by the evaluation processing unit 1j to the person receiving the service from the evaluation system S via the second terminal side output unit 4a of the second terminal 4. 【0108】 [Reference experiment] Here, we will explain the results of an example experiment concerning the changes in the emotions of pet P and the changes in the impressions of owner O in the evaluation system S, using Figures 3 to 7. 【0109】 (Experimental method) First, the outline of the experimental method is as follows: 【0110】 1. Preparation (1) Prepare two to three biscuits each for owner O and pet P (dog) in separate containers. However, the amount given to pet P does not necessarily have to be two to three biscuits; you can give it an amount appropriate for pet P. (2) As shown in Figure 3, ensure that the entire bodies of the owner O and pet P are captured within the field of view A of camera 2, and conduct the experiment within that angle as much as possible. (3) Record a video. However, the video must be no longer than 5 minutes. 【0111】 2. Experiment (1) Call pet P over, and while owner O eats human biscuits, give pet P about 2-3 pet biscuits within a time of 2-3 minutes. When conducting the experiment with two pets, you can conduct the experiment with each pet separately or with both pets at the same time. (2) The experiment will be terminated and filming will be stopped at any time at the owner O's discretion. 【0112】 (Experimental Pattern) Next, the experimental pattern is as follows: 【0113】 Pre-survey →First day experiment (+ filming) + first day questionnaire →Experiment on days 2 and 3 → Day 4 experiment (+ filming) + Day 4 questionnaire →Experiment on days 5 and 6 → Day 7 experiment (+ filming) + final questionnaire 【0114】 While this experiment was conducted over a period of one week, the duration of the experiment is not necessarily limited to one week and may be adjusted as appropriate depending on the subject matter, the type of animal, etc. Similarly, the data acquisition (administration of questionnaires) may also be adjusted as needed. For example, if the experiment is conducted over a month (four weeks), the frequency of data acquisition from the second week onward may be reduced. 【0115】 (Analysis method) Next, the analysis method for the data obtained from the experiment is as follows. 【0116】 • The behavior of dogs eating biscuits with their owners was classified into positive and negative behaviors and analyzed (Reference: Olsson 2020). Positive behaviors are classified into two categories: behaviors involving large movements (excitement / begging) and behaviors that do not involve movement (relaxation). • Negative behaviors: Classified into tension / aversion and low response. Feeding behavior is classified as a maintenance behavior and falls under the category of innate behavior (behavior that is present from birth). Therefore, it is judged that there is no individual difference in this behavior and it has been excluded from the analysis. • A total of 65 videos were analyzed (the duration of the relevant action was measured in seconds for each video). Negative behaviors were excluded from the analysis because they occurred only three times throughout the entire period (two individuals were afraid of the box, one showed little reaction, and one was a different individual). Because the number and duration of interactions differ for each individual, the slope coefficient (l) is calculated using Equation 1 (described below) to enable comparison and used for statistical analysis. 【0117】 [Formula 1] TIFF0007872884000001.tif20161 【0118】 (Experimental results) As a result of this experiment, as shown in Figure 4, the slope coefficient of pet P's positive behavior changed significantly over time (Friedman test: *p<0.05). In the data shown in Figure 4, the number of valid responses was n=7 (individuals who participated for 4 weeks). 【0119】 In other words, the behavior of pets (dogs) can be summarized as follows: • The gradient coefficient of positive behavior (time) in dogs decreased significantly as the experiment progressed. • On the first day of the experiment, more exciting behaviors were observed, but as time progressed, relaxing behaviors increased. At the start of the experiment, some dogs exhibited behaviors such as fear of the box or freezing up due to not understanding the situation. However, no further negative behaviors were observed in the test subjects, and even those that initially showed negative behaviors eventually exhibited only positive behaviors. • It was determined that the subjects became more relaxed and enjoyed sharing meal times over time. 【0120】 Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, the results of this experiment showed that the total score for positive emotions (0-24 points) changed significantly over time (Friedman test: *p<0.05, **p<0.01) (Friedman test: *p<0.05, **p<0.01) (Friedman test: *p<0.05, **p<0.01)). Similarly, the total score for negative emotions (0-24 points) changed significantly over time (Friedman test: *p<0.05). The number of valid responses was n=13. 【0121】 More specifically, as shown in Figure 6, significant changes were observed in three of the four items that constitute positive emotions: happy / pleasant / joyful / fun (Friedman test: *p<0.05, **p<0.01). 【0122】 Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, significant changes were observed in two of the five items that constitute negative emotions: irritated / unpleasant / angry / depressed / worried / anxious (Friedman test: *p<0.05). 【0123】 In other words, the owner's feelings (impressions) can be summarized as follows: Both positive and negative emotions change significantly from the start of the experiment. Positive emotions rise significantly on the first day and then continue to rise gradually. Positive emotions, especially happiness, comfort, and enjoyment, increase. Negative emotions significantly decrease on the first day and persist at low levels. Negative emotions, especially irritation and worry / anxiety, tend to decrease. 【0124】 As a result of such experiments, the inventors of the present invention have found that, depending on the type of object, the effect of the object on the pet or the owner differs depending on whether the experience is shared by the pet animal alone or only by the owner of the pet, or by both the pet animal and the owner together. 【0125】 For example, as can be seen from the results of this experiment, when owners eat treats together with their pets, the positive emotions of the owners and the relaxation effect on the pets are significantly improved compared to when they eat treats separately. 【0126】 [Processing performed in each processing unit] Next, with reference to Figures 2 and 8, the processes executed by the evaluation system S (i.e., the object evaluation method) will be described. 【0127】 In this process, first, the questionnaire implementation unit 1a presents a pre-questionnaire regarding the owner O and pet P to the first terminal side output unit 3b of the first terminal 3 in a format that can be answered via the first terminal side input unit 3a of the first terminal 3 (Figure 8 / STEP01). 【0128】 The pre-interview questionnaire is designed to identify pet attributes, owner attributes, current status, and number of previous experiences. 【0129】 Next, the pet attribute recognition unit 1b recognizes the attributes of pet P (type, age, sex, health condition, personality, food and drink preferences, living environment, relationship with owner, etc.) based on the results of the pre-survey conducted by the survey implementation unit 1a (Figure 8 / STEP02). 【0130】 Next, the owner attribute recognition unit 1c recognizes the owner O's attributes (age, gender, health condition, food and drink preferences, occupation, family structure, etc.) based on the results of the pre-survey conducted by the survey implementation unit 1a (Figure 8 / STEP03). 【0131】 Next, the situation recognition unit 1d recognizes the video captured by camera 2 as situational information, which is information about the situation in which pet P and owner O are experiencing the object (Figure 8 / STEP04). 【0132】 Next, the emotion estimation unit 1e recognizes the pet's emotions in relation to the situation, based on the pet attributes recognized by the pet attribute recognition unit 1b and the situation information recognized by the situation recognition unit 1d (Figure 8 / STEP05). 【0133】 Next, the questionnaire implementation unit 1a presents an evaluation questionnaire regarding the pet owner O to the first terminal side output unit 3b of the first terminal 3 in a format that can be answered via the first terminal side input unit 3a of the first terminal 3 (Figure 8 / STEP06). 【0134】 The evaluation questionnaire to be administered is a questionnaire designed to understand the owner O's impressions in order to conduct an evaluation. 【0135】 Next, the feedback recognition unit 1f recognizes the owner's feedback on the situation based on the owner attribute recognition unit 1c's recognition of the owner's attributes and the results of the evaluation questionnaire (Figure 8 / STEP07). 【0136】 Next, the state recognition unit 1g recognizes, based on the results of the pre-experience questionnaire conducted by the questionnaire implementation unit 1a, whether the state of the object of pet P during the first experience is negative or positive (Figure 8 / STEP08). 【0137】 Next, the experience count recognition unit 1h recognizes the number of times the pet has experienced the target object (the first experience) based on the results of the pre-survey conducted by the survey implementation unit 1a. (Figure 8 / STEP09). 【0138】 Next, the weighting processing unit 1i weights the emotion recognized by the emotion estimation unit 1e and the impression recognized by the impression recognition unit 1f based on the type of object, the state recognized by the state recognition unit 1g, and the number of experiences recognized by the experience count recognition unit 1h (Figure 8 / STEP10). 【0139】 Next, the evaluation processing unit 1j evaluates the object based on the emotions of the pet P and the impressions of the owner O, which have been weighted by the weighting processing unit 1i (Figure 8 / STEP 11). 【0140】 Next, the presentation unit 1k presents the evaluation results performed by the evaluation processing unit 1j to the person receiving the service from the evaluation system S via the second terminal output unit 4a of the second terminal 4 (Figure 8 / STEP 12), and then the process ends. 【0141】 As explained above, the evaluation method implemented using the evaluation system S estimates the emotions of pet P and owner O when pet P and owner O are experiencing the target object or similar object together, and grasps the subject's impressions. Based on these, an evaluation of the target object is performed. This allows the evaluation of the target object to be calculated by considering not only the one-sided perspective of pet P's own emotions, but also the different perspective of owner O's impressions. 【0142】 Therefore, this evaluation method allows for evaluation of the subject matter from multiple perspectives, including that of the pet P and the owner O, that is, evaluation using new evaluation axes that were not previously available. By referring to evaluations conducted in this way, it becomes possible to efficiently develop products and services that are of high value to both the pet P and the owner O. 【0143】 [Other embodiments] Although the illustrated embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments. 【0144】 For example, the above embodiment described a case where the evaluation system S is a single computer system. However, the present invention also includes an evaluation program for causing any one or more computers to execute the aforementioned object evaluation method, and a recording medium for recording the program and which is readable by a computer used by a user or the like. 【0145】 Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, the presentation unit 1k presents the evaluation results performed by the evaluation processing unit 1j to the person receiving the service from the evaluation system S via the second terminal side output unit 4a of the second terminal 4. 【0146】 However, the object evaluation system of the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, it may be configured to transmit the evaluation results performed by the evaluation processing unit to another system without providing a presentation unit. Also, for example, it may be configured to present not only the evaluation results, but also at least one of the subject's impressions and the subject animal's emotions obtained during the evaluation process, to at least one of the person receiving the service from the object evaluation system and the subject. 【0147】 Furthermore, in the above embodiment, for example, the object is a biscuit (common food) that can be consumed by both the pet P and the owner O and is contained in the same box, and the experience is the consumption of that biscuit. 【0148】 This is because, as a result of diligent research, the inventors of this invention have found that when food is consumed from the same container, the impact on at least one of the pets and their owners becomes stronger. Furthermore, when food is the subject of the experiment, by having the experience take place from the same container, it becomes easier to grasp the impact of the subject, and thus a more accurate evaluation can be made. 【0149】 Furthermore, the inventors of this invention have diligently researched and found that when the same food is consumed, the effect on at least one of the pet and the owner becomes stronger. Consequently, when food is the subject of this invention, if the food is made into a dual-use food that can be consumed by both the pet and the owner, it becomes easier to grasp the effects of that food, and thus a more accurate evaluation can be made. 【0150】 However, the object and the experience associated with it in the object evaluation system of the present invention are not limited to this configuration. For example, if the object is food, it may be animal food for the target animal to consume, and similar objects experienced together with the object may be human food for the owner to consume. Furthermore, these foods may be contained in separate containers. [Explanation of symbols] 【0151】 1...Server, 1a...Questionnaire implementation unit, 1b...Pet ​​attribute recognition unit, 1c...Owner attribute recognition unit, 1d...Situation recognition unit, 1e...Emotion estimation unit, 1f...Feedback recognition unit, 1g...State recognition unit, 1h...Experience count recognition unit, 1i...Weighting processing unit, 1j...Evaluation processing unit, 1k...Presentation unit, 2...Camera, 2a...Camera side input unit, 3...First terminal, 3a...First terminal side input unit, 3b...First terminal side output unit, 4...Second terminal, 4a...Second terminal side output unit, A...Field of view, O...Owner, P...Pet, S...Evaluation system (Target object evaluation system).

Claims

[Claim 1] A method for evaluating an object, The process involves a situation recognition unit recognizing situational information, which is information relating to a situation in which a target animal experiencing the target object and a target person experiencing the target object, or a similar object, together with the target animal, are in a predetermined range where communication is possible, and a first experience, which is the target animal's experience of the target object, and a second experience, which is the target person's experience of the target object or a similar object, are occurring simultaneously or consecutively. The impression recognition unit performs the step of recognizing the subject's impression of the situation, The emotion estimation unit recognizes the emotion of the target animal estimated for the situation based on the situation information, A method for evaluating an object, characterized in that an evaluation processing unit performs an evaluation of the object based on the aforementioned impressions and emotions. [Claim 2] In the object evaluation method described in claim 1, The aforementioned object and the aforementioned similar object are food. A method for evaluating an object, characterized in that the first experience and the second experience are the consumption of the food. [Claim 3] In the object evaluation method described in claim 2, A method for evaluating an object, characterized in that the first experience and the second experience are the consumption of the food taken from the same single container. [Claim 4] In the object evaluation method described in claim 2, A method for evaluating an object, characterized in that the object, the food, is a dual-use food that can be consumed by the target animal and also by the target person. [Claim 5] In the object evaluation method described in claim 2, The aforementioned object, the food, is animal food intended for consumption by the aforementioned animal. A method for evaluating an object, characterized in that the aforementioned similar object, the food, is human food intended for consumption by the subject. [Claim 6] In the object evaluation method described in claim 1, The method for evaluating an object is characterized in that the aforementioned impression is at least one of the subject's positive and negative feelings. [Claim 7] In the object evaluation method described in claim 1, A method for evaluating an object, characterized in that the emotion is at least one of the degree of positive behavior and the degree of negative behavior of the object. [Claim 8] In the object evaluation method described in claim 1, The weighting processing unit includes a step of weighting the impressions and emotions based on the type of object, The evaluation processing unit is characterized by performing an evaluation of the subject object by assigning a score based on the weighted impressions and emotions. [Claim 9] In the object evaluation method described in claim 8, The state recognition unit includes a step of recognizing whether the state of the target animal with respect to the target object when experiencing the first experience is negative or positive. The weighting processing unit is characterized by changing the magnitude of the weighting applied to the emotion according to the state, and is a method for evaluating an object. [Claim 10] In the object evaluation method described in claim 9, The weighting processing unit is characterized by performing at least one of the following: increasing the weighting for the emotion when the state is negative, and decreasing the weighting for the emotion when the state is positive. [Claim 11] In the object evaluation method described in claim 8, The experience count recognition unit includes a step of recognizing the number of times the first experience has been experienced, The weighting processing unit is characterized by performing a process that increases the weighting of the emotion as the number of times the first experience is experienced increases. [Claim 12] A system for evaluating objects, A target object evaluation system characterized by being configured to perform the target object evaluation method described in any one of claims 1 to 11. [Claim 13] A device for evaluating objects, An object evaluation device characterized by being configured to perform the object evaluation method described in any one of claims 1 to 11. [Claim 14] A subject evaluation program that causes a computer to execute a subject evaluation method for evaluating a subject, A target object evaluation program characterized by being configured to perform the target object evaluation method described in any one of claims 1 to 11. [Claim 15] A recording medium characterized by recording the object evaluation program described in claim 14, and the object evaluation program being readable by the computer. [Claim 16] A method for evaluating an object, Steps include: at least one computer recognizes situational information, which is information relating to a situation in which a first experience, which is the animal's experience of the object, and a second experience, which is the person's experience of the object or a similar object, are occurring simultaneously or sequentially, while the target animal is within a predetermined range where communication is possible with the target person experiencing the object or a similar object together with the target animal; The steps include: the at least one computer recognizes the subject's feelings about the situation; The steps include: the at least one computer recognizing the emotions of the target animal estimated for the situation based on the situation information; A method for evaluating an object, characterized in that at least one computer evaluates the object based on the impressions and feelings described above.

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