Communication systems and terminal equipment

Abstract

A communication system that transmits, to a server device, response information corresponding to provided information, said response information having been generated on the basis of a location designation input performed by a user of a terminal device in accordance with prescribed provided information that was provided, wherein fairness can be guaranteed even when a time limit has been set with regard to the response information corresponding to provided information.　The communication system comprises a server device and a terminal device that are connected in a manner allowing communication. The terminal device comprises a location detection sensor for receiving the location designation input from the user, and also comprises a control unit that, on the basis of a predetermined time period, controls a region where the location designation input is accepted, said region being within a detection region of the location detection sensor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system and a terminal device that transmit, as electronic data, reply information corresponding to provided information, such as answer information for a test question, etc., generated based on a position instruction input made by a user of a terminal device to which predetermined provided information, such as a test question, etc., is provided, from the terminal device to a server device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for entrance examinations, qualification examinations, etc., a method is generally used in which test question booklets and paper answer sheets are distributed to examinees gathered at a test site, and the answer sheets are collected and scored. However, in this method, it is necessary to collect the answer sheets and score them, resulting in a high human cost on the side of conducting the test and a problem that it takes time to manage the answer sheets.

[0003] As a method for solving this problem, for example, a method using an online system that connects a server device on the test question providing side and a terminal device as a client device on the examinee side receiving the test through a communication network, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-156996) and Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-122475), etc., has been proposed.

[0004] According to the method using this online system, the answer information is sent from the terminal device to the server device as electronic data and is managed by the server device, so manpower and labor such as in the case of collecting answer sheets are unnecessary, and management is also made easy.

[0005] Previously, multiple-choice answers were used to improve scoring efficiency, but in recent years, there has been increasing emphasis on assessing test-takers' thinking and expression abilities. To build an online system that meets this requirement, a terminal device is needed that can detect handwritten input by test-takers and acquire it as electronic data. As this type of terminal device, one that is equipped with a position detection sensor that detects handwritten input based on position indication input using an electronic pen can be used. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-156996 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-122475 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] By the way, in exams where many test-takers receive the same questions simultaneously, ensuring fairness is crucial. For example, allowing test-takers to submit answers even after the exam has ended would undermine fairness.

[0008] Furthermore, not limited to the tests described above, if a system allows users to submit reply information in response to specific provided information, even under time constraints, it would compromise fairness.

[0009] The purpose of this invention is to provide a communication system that can solve the above-mentioned problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To solve the above problems, A communication system comprising a server device and a terminal device that are connected in a communicative manner, The aforementioned terminal device is Display surface and, A position detection sensor that detects position instruction input, A control unit that controls, based on a predetermined time, whether to enable or disable detection by a portion of the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor corresponding to an input field indicating an input reception area included in an image displayed on the display surface, which is an image based on information provided by the server device, Equipped with 、 The control unit enables detection by a first sub-region within the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor corresponding to the first input field included in the image displayed on the display surface during a first time period before the start of the test included in the predetermined time period; enables detection by a second sub-region within the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor, which is different from the first sub-region, corresponding to a second input field different from the first input field displayed on the display surface during a second time period from the start of the test to the end of the test included in the predetermined time period; and disables detection by the second sub-region during the first time period and a third time period after the end of the test period. The present invention provides a communication system characterized by the following:

[0011] In the communication system with the above configuration, for example, from the start time of the test to the end time of the test, the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor corresponding to the answer field Detection by subregions within of valid This prevents fraudulent answers from being submitted after the end of the exam, thereby ensuring fairness. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the outline of a first embodiment of the communication system of this invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a test server device that constitutes the communication system of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a diagram used to illustrate the communication system of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a diagram used to illustrate the communication system of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows an example of the external configuration of a terminal device that constitutes the communication system of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the hardware configuration of a terminal device constituting the communication system of the first embodiment. [Figure 7]It is a diagram for explaining an electrical configuration example of a terminal device constituting a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a diagram for explaining an example of a position detection sensor and a position detection circuit section of a terminal device constituting a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart for explaining an example of the operation flow of a test server device constituting a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of an example of the operation flow of a terminal device constituting a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of an example of the operation flow of a terminal device constituting a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of an example of the operation flow of a terminal device constituting a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 13] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of an example of the operation flow of a terminal device constituting a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 14] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of an example of the operation flow of a terminal device constituting a communication system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 15] It is a diagram for explaining an overview of a second embodiment of the communication system of this invention. [Figure 16] It is a diagram for explaining an example of the hardware configuration of a response terminal constituting a terminal device in a communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 17] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of an example of the operation flow of a relay control terminal constituting a terminal device in a communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 18] It is a flowchart for explaining a part of an example of the operation flow of a relay control terminal constituting a terminal device in a communication system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 19]This is a flowchart illustrating a part of the operation flow of a relay control terminal that constitutes a terminal device in the communication system of the second embodiment. [Figure 20] This is a flowchart illustrating a part of the operation flow of a response terminal that constitutes a terminal device in the communication system of the second embodiment. [Figure 21] This is a flowchart illustrating a part of the operation flow of a response terminal that constitutes a terminal device in the communication system of the second embodiment. [Figure 22] This is a flowchart illustrating a part of the operation flow of a response terminal that constitutes a terminal device in the communication system of the second embodiment. [Figure 23] This is a flowchart illustrating a part of the operation flow of a response terminal that constitutes a terminal device in the communication system of the second embodiment. [Figure 24] This is a flowchart illustrating a part of the operation flow of a response terminal that constitutes a terminal device in the communication system of the second embodiment. [Figure 25] This is a diagram illustrating the outline of a third embodiment of the communication system of this invention. [Figure 26] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation flow of a response terminal that constitutes a terminal device in the communication system of the third embodiment. [Figure 27] This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation flow of a test server device that constitutes the communication system of the first embodiment. [Figure 28] This figure illustrates an example of a terminal device of another embodiment of the communication system of this invention. [Figure 29] This figure illustrates an example of an electronic pen used in another embodiment of the communication system of this invention. [Figure 30] This figure illustrates an example of an erasing unit used in another embodiment of the communication system of this invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the communication system and terminal device according to this invention will be described with reference to the figures. The communication system of the embodiment described below is configured in which a server device and a plurality of terminal devices are connected via a communication network, and is an example of a system for conducting simultaneous examinations such as university entrance examinations.

[0014] In this example, the server device is the examination server device, and the terminal device is a device that allows each examinee to input their answers and send them to the examination server device. The predetermined information provided to the terminal device in this example is examination schedule information and examination question information, which includes answer fields consisting of multiple pages, and the response information corresponding to the provided information is the answer information to the written examination questions, which includes examinee identification information consisting of the name and examination number of each examinee who has written their answers.

[0015] [First Embodiment] Figure 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the configuration of the first embodiment of the communication system according to the present invention, in which a test server device 1 and a plurality of terminal devices 2 are connected via a communication network NW. In this first embodiment, the terminal devices 2 are configured as single devices and are, for example, lent to each examinee at the examination venue where examinees gather. As will be described later, in this first embodiment, the examination question information consists of information on a cover page having fields for each examinee's name and examination number, and information on one to more pages of question pages following the cover page. In this first embodiment, the question pages include questions and fields for answering those questions.

[0016] Test server device 1 consists of personal computers.

[0017] In this example, terminal device 2 includes an electronic paper 21 as an example of a display unit for displaying each page of the examination question information, and on the back of the electronic paper 21, a position detection sensor 22 is provided for detecting position input from an electronic pen 3 as an example of a position indicator. The electronic paper 21 also displays an image of the handwriting trace produced by handwriting input as an example of position input from the electronic pen 3.

[0018] In this embodiment, the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22 is approximately the same size as the display area of ​​the electronic paper 21, and the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22 and the display area of ​​the electronic paper 21 are arranged to overlap precisely. In this embodiment, the position detection sensor 22 is an electromagnetic induction type position detection sensor that detects the position indicated by the electronic pen 3 by interacting with the electronic pen 3 via electromagnetic induction coupling.

[0019] In this first embodiment, the communication network NW is composed of a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) network, and wireless communication is performed between the test server device 1 and the multiple terminal devices 2 via access points located within or near the test venue.

[0020] In this embodiment, terminal device 2 also includes a communication unit for communicating with the test server device 1 via a communication network NW, and is equipped with multiple operation buttons such as a next page button 23a for changing the page of test question information to the next page, a previous page button 23b for returning to the previous page, and a submit button 23c. The submit button 23c is for submitting answer information, and when this submit button 23c is operated, answer information including the examinee's identification information (examinee's name and examination number) is transmitted to the test server device 1 via the communication network NW.

[0021] In this example, the terminal device 2 has a recess 24 for placing the electronic pen 3. The terminal device 2 is also equipped with an indicator 25, such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode), to notify the power status (on / off) and whether communication is in progress.

[0022] <Overview of operation in this example communication system> In this first embodiment, before the start of the test, the test server device 1 sends a power-on command to all of the terminal devices 2 via the communication network NW, causing each of the terminal devices 2 to switch from standby to powered-on.

[0023] Next, the test server device 1 broadcasts test schedule information, including the test start time and test end time, to all of the terminal devices 2 via the communication network NW. Each of the terminal devices 2 stores the received test schedule information in its storage unit.

[0024] Next, in this embodiment, the test server device 1 broadcasts information about the test questions, including the answer fields, to all of the multiple terminal devices 2 via the communication network NW before the test start time. Each of the multiple terminal devices 2 stores the received test question information in its storage unit until at least the test end time.

[0025] In this embodiment, each terminal device 2 that receives the exam schedule information and the exam question information performs control to ensure fairness among multiple test takers based on the times, such as the exam start time and exam end time, included in the exam schedule information.

[0026] In this embodiment, to ensure fairness, the terminal device 2 performs the following control, for example. - The area of ​​the position detection sensor that detects writing input by the electronic pen 3 is controlled by time. For example, before the start time of the exam and after the end time of the exam, writing input is permitted only in the fields for the examinee's name and examinee number, and from the start time to the end time of the exam, writing input is permitted in the answer fields. • Before the start of the test and from the start of the test until the end of the test, communication with external devices other than test server device 1 via the communication network NW is prohibited. All button operations before the start of the exam will be disabled, and after the end of the exam, only the submit button will be allowed to be operated. If the submit button 23c is pressed between the start time and the end time of the exam, all subsequent writing will be invalidated, and all subsequent button operations will be prohibited (not permitted). The operation of the next page button 23a or the previous page button 23b is only permitted from the start time of the exam until the end time of the exam.

[0027] When the submission button 23c is pressed, terminal device 2 transmits the answer information to test server device 1 via the communication network NW. In this case, the answer information may be transmitted to test server device 1 by combining the written input information of the answers entered in the answer fields on each page of the test question information provided by test server device 1. However, this would result in a large amount of communication and is undesirable in terms of communication load. Therefore, in this embodiment, the answer information consists of information for each page (page number information) and written input information of the answers on that page (i.e., time-series information of coordinate position information in the position detection area of ​​position detection sensor 22), and does not include test question information.

[0028] Even with this configuration, the positional range of the answer fields for each question number on each page of the exam questions is fixed for each page. Therefore, if the exam server device 1 knows the page number and the coordinate position information of the handwritten input, which is the answer information, it can recognize which question number the answer corresponds to.

[0029] In this embodiment, after a period of time has elapsed from the end of the exam, taking into account the time it takes for examinees to leave, a power-off command is sent from the exam server device 1 to the terminal device 2 via the communication network NW. Upon receiving this power-off command, the terminal device 2 performs the power-off operation.

[0030] By configuring the system as described above, this embodiment of the communication system consisting of the test server device 1 and the terminal device 2 makes it possible to construct a test system that eliminates unfairness among test takers using the terminal device 2.

[0031] The following describes a detailed configuration example and an example of operation of the test server device 1 and terminal device 2 that constitute the communication system of this embodiment.

[0032] <Example of electrical configuration of a test server device> Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of the test server device 1. As shown in Figure 2, the test server device 1 is configured by connecting a control unit 101, a provided information storage unit 102, a setting table information storage unit 103, a transmission information generation unit 104, a response information reception processing unit 105, a response information storage unit 106, and a communication unit 107 to the system bus 100.

[0033] The control unit 101 is composed of, for example, a processor and controls the overall operation of the test server device 1. As mentioned above, the communication unit 107 in this example is composed of a Wi-Fi® wireless communication unit.

[0034] The information storage unit 102 stores power-on commands, power-off commands, test schedule information, and test question information including answer fields.

[0035] In this embodiment, the examination question information consists of multiple pages, comprising a cover page and one or more question pages, with each page assigned a page number. The cover page has, for example, a field NA for the examinee's name and a field NB for the examinee's examination number, as shown in Figure 3(A). Each question page of the examination question information contains one or more questions, as shown in Figure 3(B), with each question consisting of a question number LA, a question statement LB, and an answer field LC. The terminal device 2 receives this examination question information and displays the examinee's name field NA, the examinee's examination number field NB, the question number LA, the question statement LB, and the answer field LC on the electronic paper 21, as shown in Figure 3(B).

[0036] The size of each page of the cover page and the question pages of the examination question information is approximately equal to the size of the display area of ​​the electronic paper 21. Therefore, the size of each page of the examination question information is also equal to the size of the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22. For this reason, as will be described later, the position ranges of the examinee's name entry field NA and the examinee number entry field NB on the cover page, and the position ranges of the answer fields for each question on each page of the question pages, can be associated with the corresponding coordinate ranges in the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22.

[0037] For example, as shown in Figures 3(A) and (B), if the fields for the examinee's name NA and examinee number NB on the cover page, and the answer field LC on the question page are each rectangular areas, then the position range of each rectangular area can be determined by, for example, the coordinates of the upper left corner and the coordinates of the lower right corner of the corresponding rectangular area in the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22.

[0038] In this case, the setting table information storage unit 103 stores setting table information that stores the correspondence between the page number of each page of the cover page and the problem pages, the column names contained on each page, and the position range of each column name (the position range within the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor), as shown in Figure 4. In this example, as shown in Figure 4, the page number of the cover page is set to "0", and the page numbers of the problem pages are set to "1", "2", ...

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, the setting table information includes information relating the position range of the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22 to the examinee's name field and examinee number field on the cover page, as well as information relating the position range of the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22 to the answer field for each question number on each page of the question pages. The setting table information identifies the fields for entering the information corresponding to the provided information, such as the examinee's name field, examinee number field, and answer field.

[0040] The transmission information generation unit 104, under the control of the control unit 101, reads power-on commands, power-off commands, test schedule information, and test question information including answer fields from the provided information storage unit 102, and also reads setting table information from the setting table information storage unit 103 to generate transmission information, which is then broadcast to multiple terminal devices 2 via the communication unit 107 and the communication network NW.

[0041] The response information receiving processing unit 105 stores the response information received from the terminal device 2 via the communication unit 107 in the response information storage unit 106. Then, for each piece of response information stored in the response information storage unit 106, the response information receiving processing unit 105 uses the setting table information in the setting table information storage unit 103 to obtain the information in the examinee's name field and the examinee number field on the cover page as identification information for the response information, and performs a matching process between each question number on the question page and the information in the answer field for that question.

[0042] Thus, in this embodiment, the answer information collected by the test server device 1 is stored for each examinee as information consisting of the question number and the answer. Therefore, the test server device 1 can easily grasp the correspondence between the question number and the answer for each examinee, and has the advantage of being able to easily score (evaluate) each examinee's answers.

[0043] Furthermore, if the answer to a question with a given question number is not a written response but has a uniquely determined answer, by providing the correct answer information for that question number, it becomes possible to score that question electronically, for example, using the examination server device 1, without the need for an examiner.

[0044] In the block diagram of Figure 2, the transmission information generation unit 104 and the response information reception processing unit 105 can be configured as function processing units that are executed by a software program in the control unit 101.

[0045] <Example of external configuration of terminal device 2> Figure 5 is an external perspective view of the terminal device 2 of this embodiment. Figure 6(A) is a plan view of the terminal device 2 of this first embodiment, Figure 6(B) is a side view of the terminal device 2, and Figure 6(C) is a partial cross-sectional view of the area circled in Figure 6(B).

[0046] As shown in Figures 5 and 6(A), the terminal device 2 has a rectangular plate-like structure and consists of a sheet-like portion 2S and an electronic component housing portion 2K. In this embodiment of the terminal device 2, the electronic component housing portion 2K is formed on one end of the rectangular sheet-like portion 2S in the direction of its long side.

[0047] As shown in Figures 5 and 6(A) and (B), the sheet-like portion 2S has an extremely thin thickness of, for example, 3 millimeters and is in the shape of a sheet, for example, A4 size. As shown in Figure 6(C), an electronic paper 21 and a position detection sensor 22 are arranged on this sheet-like portion 2S.

[0048] In other words, as shown in the cross-sectional view of Figure 6(C), a thin base member 26 made of, for example, resin is provided on the bottom side of the terminal device 2, and a frame case 27 made of, for example, resin is provided to surround this base member 26. A position detection sensor 22, for example, having multiple loop coils formed on a flexible substrate, is provided in the recess formed on the base member 26 by being surrounded by the frame case 27, and an electronic paper 21 is provided on top of it.

[0049] In this example, the electronic paper 21 is composed of a microcapsule electrophoretic display (EPD). In this example, the top surface of the electronic paper 21 is covered and protected by a transparent protective layer 28, as shown in Figure 6(C).

[0050] In this case, the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22 and the display area of ​​the electronic paper 21 are approximately the same size, and the electronic paper 12 and the position detection sensor are arranged so that the two areas overlap just. In this example, the size of the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22 and the display area of ​​the electronic paper 21 are such that they occupy almost the entire surface of the sheet-like portion 2S, as shown by the dotted lines in Figures 5 and 6(A).

[0051] Therefore, the user can view the image of the problem statement displayed on the electronic paper 21 of the sheet-like part 2S and write their answer in the answer field indicated by the displayed image using the electronic pen 3. The handwritten input of the answer written in the answer field is read through the position detection sensor and converted into electronic data.

[0052] As shown in Figures 5 and 6(B), the electronic component housing 2K is configured as a platform having a predetermined height, for example, 15 millimeters, from the bottom surface of the terminal device 2. Inside, circuit components such as a position detection circuit connected to the position detection sensor 22 and a display control circuit for the electronic paper 21 are housed. In this example, the width of the electronic component housing 2K is approximately equal to the horizontal length of the terminal device 2, and the vertical length of the electronic component housing 2K is set to a length that can accommodate the electronic components, in this example being about 60 to 70 millimeters.

[0053] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5 and 6(A), the electronic component housing 2K is provided with the aforementioned next page button 23a, previous page button 23b, and submit button 23c exposed for operation. The electronic component housing 2K also has a recess 24 for placing the electronic pen 3, and an indicator 25 is provided.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a terminal, in this example a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connector 29, is provided on the side of the electronic component housing 2K to enable charging of the rechargeable battery of the terminal device 2 and data exchange with the electronic circuit inside the electronic component housing 2K.

[0055] <Example of electrical configuration of terminal device 2> Figure 7 is a block diagram showing an example of the electrical configuration of terminal device 2. As shown in Figure 7, terminal device 2 is configured by connecting the following to the system bus 200: control unit 201, wireless communication unit 202, received information processing unit 203, test schedule information storage unit 204, test question information storage unit 205, clock circuit unit 206, transmission information generation unit 207, display information generation unit 208, display control unit 209, position detection circuit unit 210, handwriting input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, answer information storage unit 212, operation button interface (in Figure 7, interface is written as I / F; the same applies hereafter) 213, button operation valid / invalid determination unit 214, indicator interface 215, beep sound notification unit 216, USB interface 217, and charging control unit 218.

[0056] The control unit 201 is composed of, for example, a processor and controls the entire terminal device 2. In this embodiment, the terminal device 2 is in a standby state in which power voltage is supplied to the control unit 201 and the wireless communication unit 202 even before power is turned on based on a power-on command from the test server device 1.

[0057] In this embodiment, the wireless communication unit 202 is configured as a Wi-Fi® wireless communication unit and is used to communicate with the test server device 1 via the communication network NW.

[0058] The received information processing unit 203, under the control of the control unit 201, identifies the information received via the wireless communication unit 202. The test schedule information received from the test server device 1 is stored in the test schedule information storage unit 204, and the test question information and setting table information are stored in the test question information storage unit 205.

[0059] Furthermore, when the received information processing unit 203 determines that it has received a power-on command from the test server device 1, the control unit 201 controls the supply of power voltage from the battery 219 to each component (although this is not shown in Figure 7). Also, when the received information processing unit 203 determines that it has received a power-off command from the test server device 1, the control unit 201 controls the supply of power voltage from the battery 219 to each component to be cut off.

[0060] The clock circuit unit 206 provides time information in hours, minutes, and seconds, and as will be described later, it is used to perform control related to writing input by the electronic pen 3 via the position detection sensor 22, control related to accepting operations of operation buttons 23a, 23b, and 23c, and control related to the display of the electronic paper 21, based on the test start time and test end time included in the test schedule information.

[0061] The clock circuit unit 206 is pre-set to the time for all terminal devices 2 deployed at the test site. Time synchronization may be performed by a time synchronization command from the test server device 1, or by using another device. The clock circuit unit 206 may also be configured as a radio-controlled clock to autonomously and always keep accurate time.

[0062] The transmission information generation unit 207 generates information to be transmitted from the terminal device 2 via the wireless communication unit 202, that is, transmission information for the response.

[0063] As will be described later, in this embodiment, the receiving information processing unit 203 handles only information from the test server device 1 as received information, the transmitting information generation unit 207 generates only information to be transmitted to the test server device 1, and the wireless communication unit 202 is controlled to communicate only with the test server device 1.

[0064] The display information generation unit 208 generates display image information to be displayed on the electronic paper 21 and sends it to the display control unit 209. The electronic paper 21 is connected to the display control unit 209, and the display control unit 209 controls the display image based on the display image information generated by the display information generation unit 208 to be displayed on the electronic paper 21.

[0065] In this embodiment, the display information generation unit 208 is located below the control unit 201 and controls the display image information to be displayed on the electronic paper 21 based on the test schedule information stored in the test schedule information storage unit 204.

[0066] Specifically, before the start of the exam, the display information generation unit 208 is able to read only the information for the cover page of the exam question information from the exam question information storage unit 205, and generates display image information for the cover page showing only the fields for the examinee's name and examinee number, and displays it on the electronic paper 21 via the display control unit 209. Between the start and end of the exam, the display information generation unit 208 is able to read information for all pages of the exam question information, including the cover page and the question pages, from the exam question information storage unit 205, and generates display image information for the page of the exam question information indicated by the examinee, and displays it on the electronic paper 21 via the display control unit 209. After the end of the exam, the display information generation unit 208 is able to read only the information for the cover page of the exam question information from the exam question information storage unit 205, and generates display image information for the cover page showing only the fields for the examinee's name and examinee number, and displays it on the electronic paper 21 via the display control unit 209.

[0067] A position detection sensor 22 is connected to the position detection circuit unit 210. The position detection circuit unit 210 detects the position indicated by the electronic pen 3 within the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22, acquires handwriting information (handwriting input information) as time-series information of the detection result of the indicated position, and sends it to the system bus 200. A detailed configuration example of this position detection circuit unit 210 and position detection sensor 22 is shown in Figure 8.

[0068] As shown in Figure 8, the electronic pen 3 that interacts with the position detection sensor 22 in this embodiment incorporates a resonant circuit consisting of a coil 31 and a capacitor 32 connected in parallel to the coil 31.

[0069] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 8, the position detection sensor 22 consists of n (where n is an integer of 2 or more) rectangular loop coils 22X1~22X arranged in the X-axis direction, with the vertical direction of the sheet-like portion 2S being the X-axis direction and the horizontal direction being the Y-axis direction. n The X-axis direction loop coil 22X consists of this coil, and the Y-axis direction has m (where m is an integer greater than or equal to 2) loop coils 22Y1~22Y arranged in the Y-axis direction. m It consists of a loop coil 22Y in the Y-axis direction made of [the same material].

[0070] In the example shown in Figure 8, the position detection circuit 210 comprises a selection circuit 2101, an oscillator 2102, a current driver 2103, a transmit / receive switching circuit 2104, a receive amplifier 2105, an indicated position detection circuit 2106, and a processing control unit 2107.

[0071] The selection circuit 2101 sequentially selects one of the multiple X-axis loop coils 22X and multiple Y-axis loop coils 22Y, and uses the selected loop coil to transmit a signal to the electronic pen 3 and to receive a signal returned from the electronic pen 3.

[0072] A transmit / receive switching circuit 2104, which is switched by the processing control unit 2107, is connected to the selection circuit 2101. When this transmit / receive switching circuit 2104 is connected to the transmitting terminal T, an AC signal is supplied from the oscillator 2102 to the selection circuit 2101. When it is connected to the receiving terminal R, a signal from the selection circuit 2101 is supplied to the indicated position detection circuit 2106 through the receiving amplifier 2105.

[0073] The position detection circuit 2106 detects the induced voltage generated in the loop coil of the position detection sensor 22, i.e., the received signal, converts the detected output signal into a digital signal, and outputs it to the processing control unit 2107. The processing control unit 2107 calculates the coordinate values ​​of the indicated position in the X-axis and Y-axis directions of the electronic pen 3 based on the digital signals from the position detection circuit 2106, i.e., the voltage levels of the induced voltages generated in each loop coil. The processing control unit 2107 then sends the writing input information, consisting of the time-series data of the calculated coordinate values, to the system bus 200.

[0074] The handwritten input information valid / invalid determination unit 211 determines whether the handwritten input information from the position detection circuit unit 210 is valid or invalid based on the time specified in the examination schedule information stored in the examination schedule information storage unit 204. In this embodiment, the handwritten input information valid / invalid determination unit 211 determines that the handwritten input information on the cover page of the examination paper, where the examinee's name and examination number are displayed, is valid before the examination start time and after the examination end time, and determines that the handwritten input information on pages other than the cover page is invalid. Furthermore, the handwritten input information valid / invalid determination unit 211 determines that the handwritten input information on all pages of the examination paper is valid between the examination start time and the examination end time.

[0075] The display information generation unit 208 generates display image information from the handwriting input information that has been determined to be valid, and the display control unit 209 displays the display image on the electronic paper 21 at the position where the handwriting input information was indicated and input by the electronic pen 3.

[0076] The answer information storage unit 212 stores the handwritten input information that has been deemed valid by the handwritten input information valid / invalid determination unit 211 as answer information. In this case, the handwritten input information of the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page of the examination question is stored as the examinee's identification information for the answer information.

[0077] An operation button interface 213 is connected to an operation button group 23 consisting of a next page button 23a, a previous page button 23b, and a submit button 23c. The operation button interface 213 detects which of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 (next page button 23a, previous page button 23b, and submit button 23c) has been pressed, and sends information about the detected operation button to the system bus 200.

[0078] The button operation enable / disable determination unit 214 determines whether the information of the operation buttons detected by the operation button interface 213 is enable or disable based on the time specified in the test schedule information stored in the test schedule information storage unit 204. In this embodiment, the button operation enable / disable determination unit 214 determines that all operation buttons of the operation button group 23 are disabled before the test start time, and after the test end time, it determines that only the operation of the submission button 23c is enabled, and the operation of the other operation buttons is disabled. Furthermore, the button operation enable / disable determination unit 214 determines that all operation buttons of the operation button group 23 are enabled between the test start time and the test end time.

[0079] The control unit 201 executes processing corresponding to the operation of the operation button determined to be valid by the button operation valid / invalid determination unit 214. Specifically, when the operation button determined to be valid is the next page button 23a, the control unit 201 reads the exam question information for the next page after the page displayed on the electronic paper 21 from the exam question information storage unit 205, and when it is the previous page button 23b, it reads the exam question information for the previous page before the page displayed on the electronic paper 21 from the exam question information storage unit 205, and controls the electronic paper 21 to display them accordingly. Furthermore, when the operation button determined to be valid is the submit button 23c, the control unit 201 controls the wireless communication unit 202 to transmit the answer information stored in the answer information storage unit 212 to the test server device 1 via the transmission information generation unit 207.

[0080] An indicator 25 is connected to the indicator interface 215. Under the control of the control unit 201, the indicator interface 215 notifies the user of power on / off status by lighting up or turning off the LEDs that make up the indicator 25, and also notifies the user of invalid writing force from the electronic pen 3 or invalid operation of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 by flashing the LEDs that make up the indicator 25.

[0081] The beep notification unit 216 notifies the user of invalidation of handwritten input information by the electronic pen 3 or invalidation of the operation of the operation button group 23 by emitting a beep sound.

[0082] A USB connector 29 is connected to the USB interface 217. When an external device is connected to the USB connector 29 via a USB cable, the USB interface 217 sends a connection notification to the control unit 201. Upon receiving the connection notification, the control unit 201 activates the charging control unit 218. The charging control unit 218 is connected to the USB connector 29 and also to the battery 219, and charges the battery 219 using the charging current sent through the USB connector 29.

[0083] In the block diagram shown in Figure 7, the receiving information processing unit 203, the transmitting information generation unit 207, the display information generation unit 208, the display control unit 209, the handwriting input information enable / disable determination unit 211, and the button operation enable / disable determination unit 214 can be configured as a function processing unit that the control unit 201 executes using a software program.

[0084] <Example of the operation flow of the communication system in the first embodiment> The operation flow of the test server device 1 and terminal device 2 when a simultaneous test is conducted using the first embodiment of the communication system configured as described above will be explained below.

[0085] <<Example of the operation flow of test server device 1>> Figure 9 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation flow of the test server device 1 when a simultaneous test is conducted using the first embodiment of the communication system configured as described above. In the following description, the control unit 101 of the test server device 1 will be described as having a configuration in which each of the processing units of the transmission information generation unit 104 and the response information reception processing unit 105 is executed by a software program.

[0086] First, the control unit 101 reads a power-on command from the provided information storage unit 102 and broadcasts it to multiple terminal devices 2 via the communication network NW (step S101). Next, the control unit 101 reads the test schedule information from the provided information storage unit 102 and similarly broadcasts it to multiple terminal devices 2 via the communication network NW (step S102). Next, the control unit 101 similarly broadcasts the test question information read from the provided information storage unit 102 and the setting table information read from the setting table information storage unit 103 to multiple terminal devices 2 via the communication network NW (step S103).

[0087] Subsequently, the control unit 101 monitors for receiving response information from the terminal device 2 (step S104), and when it determines that response information has been received, it stores the received response information in the response information storage unit 106 (step S105).

[0088] Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the reception of response information has ended by determining whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed from the end of the test (step S106). If it determines that the reception of response information has not ended, it returns to step S104 and repeats the process from step S104 onwards. If it determines in step S106 that the reception of response information has ended, the control unit 101 reads a power-off command from the provided information storage unit 102 and broadcasts it to multiple terminal devices 2 via the communication network NW (step S107), and terminates this processing routine.

[0089] <<Example of the operation flow of terminal device 2>> Figures 10 to 14 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation flow of terminal device 2 when a simultaneous test is conducted using the first embodiment of the communication system configured as described above. In the following description, it will be explained that the control unit 201 of terminal device 2 is configured as a functional processing unit in which the receiving information processing unit 203, transmitting information generation unit 207, display information generation unit 208, display control unit 209, handwriting input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, and button operation valid / invalid determination unit 214 are executed by software programs.

[0090] The control unit 201 of the terminal device 2, in standby mode, monitors for the reception of a power-on command from the test server device 1 via the communication network NW and waits for the power-on command to be received (step S201 in Figure 10). In step S201, when it is determined that a power-on command has been received, the control unit 201 supplies power voltage from the battery 219 to each part and powers on the terminal device 2 (step S202).

[0091] Next, the control unit 201 monitors for the reception of test schedule information from the test server device 1 via the communication network NW and waits for the reception of test schedule information (step S203). Then, in step S203, when it is determined that test schedule information has been received, the received test schedule information is stored in the test schedule information storage unit 204 (step S204).

[0092] Next, the control unit 201 monitors for the reception of test question information and setting table information from the test server device 1 via the communication network NW, and waits for the reception of test question information and setting table information (step S205). Then, in step S205, when it is determined that the test question information and setting table information have been received, the received test question information and setting table information are stored in the test question information storage unit 205 (step S206).

[0093] The control unit 201 then reads the cover page from the stored test question information, which contains fields for the examinee's name and examination number, and displays it on the electronic paper 21 (step S207). The control unit 201 also prohibits access from the terminal device 2 to external sources other than the test server device 1 via the wireless communication unit 202 (step S208).

[0094] Next, the control unit 201 refers to the test schedule information in the test schedule information storage unit 204 and determines whether or not the test start time has arrived (step S209). If it is determined in step S209 that the test start time has not yet arrived, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the position detection circuit unit 210 has detected writing input from the electronic pen 3 through the position detection sensor 22 (step S211 in Figure 11).

[0095] In step S211, when it is determined that a written input has been detected, the control unit 201 determines whether the written input is for the fields for the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page by referring to the setting table information (see Figure 4) stored in the examination question information storage unit 205 (step S212).

[0096] In step S212, if the control unit 201 determines that the writing input is in the fields for the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page, the control unit 201, using the function of the writing input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, determines that the writing input is valid, displays the writing input information detected by the position detection circuit unit 210 on the electronic paper 21, and stores it in the answer information storage unit 212 in association with the page information (page number "0" of the cover page) (step S213). After step S213, the control unit 201 returns to step S209 and repeats the processing from step S209 onward.

[0097] Furthermore, in step S212, if the control unit 201 determines that the handwriting input is in an area other than the fields for the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page, the control unit 201, using the function of the handwriting input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, determines that the handwriting input is invalid and, without displaying it on the electronic paper 21, flashes the notification indicator 25 and emits a beep sound to notify that the handwriting input is invalid (step S214). After step S214, the control unit 201 returns to step S209 and repeats the process from step S209 onward.

[0098] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S211 that no handwriting input has been detected, the control unit 201 determines whether or not any of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 has been operated (step S215).

[0099] In step S215, if the control unit 201 determines that any of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 has been operated, the control unit 201, using the function of the button operation valid / invalid determination unit 214, determines that all operation buttons are prohibited and invalid because it is before the test start time. The control unit then flashes the notification indicator 25 and emits a beep sound to indicate that the button operation is invalid (step S216). After step S218, the control unit 201 returns to step S209 and repeats the process from step S209 onward.

[0100] Furthermore, if step S215 determines that none of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 have been operated, the control unit 201 returns to step S209 and repeats the process from step S209 onward.

[0101] Next, in step S209, when it is determined that the test start time has arrived, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the position detection circuit unit 210 has detected writing input from the electronic pen 3 through the position detection sensor 22 (step S221 in Figure 12).

[0102] In step S221, if it is determined that handwriting input has been detected, the control unit 201 determines whether the handwriting input is on the cover page or on the question page (step S222). In step S222, if it is determined that the handwriting input is on the cover page, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the handwriting input is in the fields for the examinee's name and examination number by referring to the setting table information stored in the examination question information storage unit 205 (see Figure 4) (step S223).

[0103] In step S223, if the control unit 201 determines that the handwriting input is the writing of the examinee's name and examination number in the fields on the cover page, the control unit 201 determines that the handwriting input is valid using the function of the handwriting input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, displays the handwriting input information detected by the position detection circuit unit 210 on the electronic paper 21, and stores it in the answer information storage unit 212 in association with the page information (page number "0" of the cover page) (step S224).

[0104] Furthermore, in step S223, if the control unit 201 determines that the handwriting is an input outside the fields for the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page, the control unit 201, in this example, determines that the handwriting is invalid as identification information for the answer information based on the function of the handwriting input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, but displays it on the electronic paper 21 (step S225). The purpose of this step S225 is to display on the electronic paper 21 as notes or memos by the examinee, even if handwriting input outside the fields for the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page between the start time and the end time of the exam is invalid as identification information for the answer information, in order to benefit the examinee.

[0105] If, in step S222, it is determined that the input is written on the question page, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the input is written on the answer field by referring to the setting table information (see Figure 4) stored in the examination question information storage unit 205 (step S226).

[0106] In step S226, if the control unit 201 determines that the writing force is a written input into the answer field on the question page, the control unit 201 determines that the writing force is valid using the function of the writing input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, displays the writing input information detected by the position detection circuit unit 210 on the electronic paper 21, and stores it in the answer information storage unit 212 in association with the page information of the question page (step S227).

[0107] Furthermore, in step S226, if the control unit 201 determines that the handwriting input is outside the answer field on the question page, the control unit 201, in this example, determines that the handwriting input is invalid as answer information based on the function of the handwriting input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, but displays it on the electronic paper 21 (step S228). This process in step S228 is also done to display it on the electronic paper 21 as a memo or note for the examinee, for the examinee's convenience.

[0108] Then, following steps S224, S225, S227, and S228, if it is determined in step S221 that no handwriting input has been detected, the control unit 201 determines whether or not any of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 has been operated (step S231 in Figure 13).

[0109] In step S231, if it is determined that any of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 has been operated, the control unit 201, using the function of the button operation valid / invalid determination unit 214, determines that all operation buttons are valid because the time is between the test start time and the test end time, and determines which of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 was operated (step S232).

[0110] In step S232, if the control unit 201 determines that the next page button 23a has been operated, it erases the display information of the page currently displayed on the electronic paper 21 and displays the display information of the next page (step S233). Also, in step S232, if the control unit 201 determines that the previous page button 23b has been operated, it erases the display information of the page currently displayed on the electronic paper 21 and displays the display information of the previous page (step S234). If the examinee's name, examination number, etc. have already been entered by hand on the cover page or question page, or if answers, etc. have already been entered by hand on the question page, these entries will also be displayed on the page displayed on the electronic paper 21 screen.

[0111] Then, after steps S233 and S234, or in step S231, if it is determined that none of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 have been operated, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the test end time has arrived (step S235). If it determines that the test end time has not arrived, the process returns to step S221 in Figure 12, and the process from step S221 onwards is repeated.

[0112] Then, in step S232, when it is determined that the submission button 23c has been operated, the control unit 201 transmits the answer information, which includes the information from the fields for the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page and the information from the answer field on the question page, to the examination server device 1 via the wireless communication unit 202 and the communication network NW (step S236).

[0113] Following step S236, the control unit 201 disables all writing input by the electronic pen 3 after the submission button 23c is operated, operation of the operation button group 23, and communication via the wireless communication unit 202 (step S237).

[0114] Following step S237, the control unit 201 monitors for the reception of a power-off command from the test server device 1 via the wireless communication unit 202 and waits for the power-off command to be received (step S238). If the control unit 201 determines in step S238 that a power-on command has been received, it proceeds to step S250 in Figure 14, stops supplying power voltage from the battery 219 to each part, turns off the power to the terminal device 2, and terminates this processing routine.

[0115] Next, in step S235, when it is determined that the end time of the exam has arrived, the control unit 201 reads the cover page of the exam question information from the exam question information storage unit 205 and controls it to display it on the electronic paper 21 (step S239). After the end time of the exam, a message prompting the examinee to press the submit button may be displayed on the cover page along with the display surface of the electronic paper 21 to ensure that the examinee presses the submit button.

[0116] Next, the control unit 201 determines whether or not it has detected writing input from the electronic pen 3 via the position detection sensor 22 using the position detection circuit unit 210 (step S241 in Figure 14). If it determines in step S241 that writing input has been detected, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the writing is for writing in the fields for the examinee's name and examination number by referring to the setting table information stored in the examination question information storage unit 205 (see Figure 4) (step S242).

[0117] In step S242, if the control unit 201 determines that the writing input is a written entry in the fields for the examinee's name and examination number, the control unit 201 determines that the writing input is valid using the function of the writing input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, displays the writing input information detected by the position detection circuit unit 210 on the electronic paper 21, and stores it in the answer information storage unit 212 in association with the page information (page number "0" of the cover page) (step S243).

[0118] Furthermore, in step S242, if the control unit 201 determines that the handwriting input is in an area other than the fields for the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page, the control unit 201, using the function of the handwriting input information valid / invalid determination unit 211, determines that the handwriting input is invalid and, without displaying it on the electronic paper 21, flashes the notification indicator 25 and emits a beep sound to inform the user that the handwriting input is invalid (step S244).

[0119] Then, following steps S243 and S244, and if it is determined in step S241 that no writing input has been detected, the control unit 201 determines whether or not any of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 has been operated (step S245).

[0120] In step S245, if it is determined that any of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 has been operated, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the button that was operated was the submit button 23c (step S246).

[0121] In step S246, when it is determined that the operation performed was the submit button 23c, the control unit 201 determines that it is a valid operation based on the function of the button operation valid / invalid determination unit 214, and transmits the answer information, including the information from the examinee's name entry field and examinee number entry field on the cover page and the information from the answer field on the question page, to the examination server device 1 via the wireless communication unit 202 and the communication network NW (step S247).

[0122] Furthermore, if in step S246 it is determined that the button operated was not the submit button 23c, the control unit 201, using the function of the button operation valid / invalid determination unit 214, determines that the operation of a prohibited operation button is invalid, and flashes the notification indicator 25 and emits a beep sound to notify that the button operation is invalid (step S248).

[0123] Then, following steps S247 and S248, the control unit 201 monitors for the reception of a power-off command from the test server device 1 via the wireless communication unit 202 and waits for the power-off command to be received (step S249). Even if it is determined in step S245 that the operation button has not been operated, the control unit 201 proceeds to step S249 and waits for the power-off command to be received.

[0124] Then, in step S249, when the control unit 201 determines that it has received a power-off command, it stops supplying power voltage from the battery 219 to each part and turns off the power to the terminal device 2 (step S250), thus ending this processing routine.

[0125] <Effects of the First Embodiment> In the communication system of the first embodiment configured as described above, the terminal device 2 can reliably ensure fairness among examinees by changing the area within the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor that accepts writing input by the electronic pen 3, corresponding to the time periods before the start of the exam, between the start and end of the exam, and after the end of the exam.

[0126] Specifically, before the start time of the exam and after the end time of the exam, only written entries for the examinee's name and examination number on the cover page were accepted, while written entries in the answer fields for the questions on the question page were prohibited or invalidated. Written entries in the answer fields for the questions on the question page were only accepted between the start time and the end time of the exam. This ensures fairness among examinees, for example, by preventing them from writing answers after the end time of the exam.

[0127] Furthermore, in the terminal device 2 of the communication system of the first embodiment described above, fairness among examinees can be further ensured by controlling which operation buttons among the operation button group 23 are enabled and permitted for use, corresponding to the time periods before the start of the exam, between the start and end of the exam, and after the end of the exam.

[0128] In other words, the "next page" button and the "previous page" button, which are part of the control buttons, are only permitted to be used between the start and end times of the exam. This prevents test-takers from flipping through the exam pages before the exam begins, and also prevents them from returning to the question page and attempting to write down their answers after the exam has ended, thus ensuring fairness among test-takers.

[0129] Furthermore, in the communication system of the first embodiment described above, the terminal device 2 is configured to be able to communicate only with the test server device and not with any other devices. This prevents cheating by communicating with other devices before the start of the test or during the time between the start and end of the test.

[0130] <Modified form of the first embodiment> In the first embodiment described above, the test server device 1 controls the power on and off of the terminal device 2. However, the terminal device 2 may be configured to have a power button so that the user (test taker) can turn the power on and off. If the terminal device 2 is provided with a power button in this way, the terminal device 2 will access the test server device 1 to request a connection when the power is turned on. In this case, the test server device 1 will send test question information and schedule information to the terminal device 2 when it confirms that it has connected to the terminal device 2 via the communication network NW in response to the connection request access from the terminal device 2.

[0131] Furthermore, in the first embodiment described above, the test schedule information, test question information, and setting table information were transmitted from the test server device 1 to each terminal device 2 before the start of the test. However, it is also possible to prepare terminal devices 2 that already contain the test schedule information, test question information, and setting table information and lend them to each examinee. In that case, the test server device 1 does not need to transmit any information to the terminal devices 2, and only needs to receive and store the answer information from the terminal devices 2.

[0132] The operation buttons 23a, 23b, and 23c are provided as mechanical components in the electronic component housing 2K, but they are displayed as icon buttons on the electronic paper 21, for example, at a location on the electronic component housing 2K side, to detect the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor 22. of The system may be configured to detect input operations performed by an electronic pen on each icon button in a detection area corresponding to the icon button's position. In this case, the operation input for the operation button would be an example of position input using the electronic pen 3.

[0133] In the first embodiment described above, when it was determined in step S223 of Figure 12 that the input was not the field for the examinee's name or examination number on the cover page, and when it was determined in step S226 that the input was not the answer field on the question page, only the input was displayed on the electronic paper 21 and not saved and transmitted to the examination server device 1. However, it is also possible to save the input and transmit it to the examination server device 1 along with the answer information. In that case, the examiner of the examination results can refer to the written input information other than the answer information as material to understand the examinee's thought process leading to the answer, and it may be used as part of the evaluation.

[0134] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S223 of Figure 12 that the writing is not in the field for the examinee's name or examination number on the cover page, or if it is determined in step S226 that the writing is not in the answer field on the question page, the writing can be invalidated and not displayed on the electronic paper 21, and the invalidity can be indicated by an indicator 25 or a beep sound.

[0135] Furthermore, instead of turning the power of the terminal device 2 on and off remotely from the test server device 1 as in the embodiment described above, the terminal device 2 may be configured to have a power button so that the user can operate it.

[0136] Furthermore, while applicants are allowed to fill in their name and examination number on the cover page before and after the start of the exam, it may be permissible to restrict the filling in of names and examination numbers after the start of the exam. Additionally, applicants are not allowed to fill in their name and examination number on the cover page during the exam, but may be given the opportunity to review and correct them after the exam before submission.

[0137] Furthermore, while submitting answer information by operating the submit button 23c is now possible during the exam period, it may be limited to after the exam has ended.

[0138] [Second Embodiment] The second embodiment is a modification of the communication system of the first embodiment described above, and this is also an example applied when a simultaneous examination is conducted. In the first embodiment described above, the examination question information was provided to the terminal device, including the answer field on the question page. In contrast, in this second embodiment, the question page contains only the questions and does not include the answer field, and the examination question information is divided into question page information and answer page information. In this example, the question page and the answer page are the cover page (page number 0) and the page following the cover page, respectively, and are corresponding pages to each other. In this second embodiment, the question page and the answer page are displayed on separate devices, and the device displaying the answer page is configured to allow input of answers.

[0139] Figure 15 is a diagram showing an overview of the configuration of the communication system in this second embodiment. As shown in Figure 15, the communication system in the second embodiment includes a test server device 1A with the same configuration as in the first embodiment, and a terminal device 20 connected to this test server device 1A via a communication network NW consists of a response terminal device 4 (hereinafter referred to as a response terminal) and a relay control terminal 5 provided between the response terminal 4 and the communication network NW to control the relay of information between the test server device 1 and the response terminal 4. In other words, the terminal device 20 is composed of two devices, a first device and a second device.

[0140] The test server device 1A of this second embodiment has the same configuration as the test server device 1 of the first embodiment and operates in the same way as shown in Figure 6. However, in this second embodiment, the test question information is divided into question page information and answer page information, as described above. The page on which the input fields for the examinee's name and examination number are displayed (see Figure 3(A)) is designated as the cover page of the answer page information (page number 0), and the cover page of the question page information (page number 0) is designated as a page containing information that examinees should read before the start of the exam, such as precautions for examinees taking the exam.

[0141] Furthermore, each page of the answer page information following the cover page corresponds to each page of the question page information following the cover page. For example, if the first page of the question page contains two questions, Question 1 and Question 2, then the first page of the corresponding answer page has designated areas for the answer to Question 1 and the answer to Question 2, respectively. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the page numbers (or the page numbers of the answer pages in the second embodiment) are separated. mosquito This allows us to determine which question the information corresponds to.

[0142] Therefore, the setting table information in the second embodiment is formed to correspond to the answer page information. That is, the cover page in the setting table information shown in Figure 4 is the cover page of the answer page information. Also, the page number of the answer page is used instead of the page number of the question page in Figure 4, and the position range is the position range information for the answer field for each question on the answer page.

[0143] As described above, the test server device 1A of the second embodiment is the same as the test server device 1 of the first embodiment except for the test question information and setting table information provided to the terminal device. Therefore, the configuration example and operation details of the test server device 1A of the second embodiment will be omitted here.

[0144] The relay control terminal 5 is equipped with a wireless communication unit, such as Wi-Fi®, for connecting to the test server device 1A via a communication network NW, and also has a wireless communication unit, in this example, using the Bluetooth® standard, for wirelessly connecting to the answer terminal 4. The relay control terminal 5 is also equipped with a display screen 5D for displaying the question page of the test question information. The drawing speed of the display image on the display screen 5D of the relay control terminal 5 is set to be faster than the drawing speed of the display image on the electronic paper 12 of the answer terminal 4.

[0145] In this second embodiment, the relay control terminal 5 is comprised of a high-performance mobile phone terminal called a smartphone, and the display screen 5D in this example is comprised of an LCD (Lyquid Crystal Display).

[0146] Furthermore, the functions of the relay control terminal 5 in this second embodiment are pre-installed as one of the application software programs to be executed on the smartphone. Since the configuration of a smartphone is well known, a detailed explanation of the configuration example of the relay control terminal 5 is omitted here.

[0147] The answer terminal 4 does not have a Wi-Fi® wireless communication unit 202 for directly connecting to the test server device 1 via the communication network NW. Instead, it has a wireless communication unit, such as a Bluetooth® standard unit, for wirelessly connecting to the relay control terminal 5. Furthermore, since the answer terminal 4 does not display the question page of the test question information, the test question information storage unit 205 stores the answer page information and setting table information from the test question information.

[0148] Aside from the two differences mentioned above, the response terminal 4 has the same electrical configuration as the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 7. Therefore, a detailed block diagram of the electrical configuration example of the response terminal 4 is omitted here. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to describe the same components of the response terminal 4 as those of the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment.

[0149] The relay control terminal 5 should be located near the answer terminal 4, allowing the examinee to view its display screen 5D while writing their answer on the answer terminal 4 using the electronic pen 3. However, in this second embodiment, the answer terminal 4 is configured such that the relay control terminal 5 can be propped up and secured against it, making it easier for the examinee to write their answer while viewing the display screen 5D of the relay control terminal 5.

[0150] In other words, in this example, the answering terminal 4 is equipped with a relay control terminal mounting section 2H for propping up and securing the relay control terminal 5. Figure 16(A) is a plan view of the answering terminal 4 of this second embodiment, Figure 16(B) is a side view of the answering terminal 4, and Figure 16(C) shows the state in which the relay control terminal 5 is propped up and secured on the relay control terminal mounting section 2H of the answering terminal 4.

[0151] As shown in Figures 15 and 16(A) and (B), the relay control terminal mounting section 2H is formed to protrude on the side opposite to the sheet-like section 2S of the electronic component housing section 2K. That is, as shown in Figures 16(A) and (B), the relay control terminal mounting section 2H consists of an extension member 41 that extends from the electronic component housing section 2K of the answer terminal 4 along the bottom surface direction of the answer terminal 4, and an inclined wall section 42 formed on the longitudinal end side of the extension member 41 of the answer terminal. The extension member 41 has a recess 43 into which the end of the relay control terminal 5 can be inserted.

[0152] As shown in Figure 16(C), when the casing of the smartphone in the example of the relay control terminal 5 is inserted into the recess 43, for example, in a horizontal position, the lateral end of the smartphone casing abuts against the wall of the electronic component casing 2K in the recess 43, thereby securing the smartphone to the relay control terminal mounting section 2H without it falling over.

[0153] Alternatively, even without using the relay control terminal mounting section 2H, the configuration may be such that the relay control terminal 5 can be propped up in the recess 24 for mounting the electronic pen 3 by making the recess 24 deeper.

[0154] Furthermore, the relay control terminal 5 may be placed not only horizontally on the relay control terminal mounting section 2H or recess 24, but also vertically.

[0155] Furthermore, the test questions may be provided not only as still images but also as videos. In cases where the test questions are displayed on a relay control terminal separately from the answer page, as in the embodiment described above, providing questions as videos becomes easier. Enabling the provision of questions as videos makes it possible to present a variety of questions. For example, it is convenient for language proficiency tests.

[0156] <Example of the operation flow of the communication system in the second embodiment> <<Example of the operation flow of test server device 1A>> The operation of the test server device 1A of the communication system in the second embodiment is the same as that of the test server device 1 of the communication system in the first embodiment, as shown in Figure 9, so its explanation is omitted here. However, as mentioned above, the differences are that the test question information consists of question page information and answer page information, and the setting table information relates to the answer page information.

[0157] <<Example of the operation flow of relay control terminal 5>> Figures 17 to 19 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation flow of the relay control terminal 5 in this second embodiment. As mentioned above, this flowchart shows the relay control installed on the smartphone that constitutes the relay control terminal 5. terminal The function is performed by running the application software.

[0158] First, the relay control terminal 5 monitors for the reception of a power-on command from the test server device 1A via the communication network NW and waits for the power-on command to be received (step S301 in Figure 17). In step S301, if it is determined that a power-on command has been received, the relay control terminal 5 forwards the received power-on command to the response terminal 4 (step S302).

[0159] Next, the relay control terminal 5 monitors for the reception of test schedule information from the test server device 1A via the communication network NW and waits for the reception of test schedule information (step S303). Then, in step S303, when it is determined that the test schedule information has been received, the relay control terminal 5 stores the received test schedule information in its storage unit (step S304). The relay control terminal 5 also forwards the received test schedule information to the response terminal 4 (step S305).

[0160] Next, the relay control terminal 5 monitors for the reception of test question information and setting table information from the test server device 1A via the communication network NW, and waits for the reception of test question information and setting table information (step S306). Then, in step S306, when it is determined that the test question information and setting table information have been received, the relay control terminal 5 stores the question page information from the received test question information in its storage unit and displays the cover page (page number 0) of the question page information on the display screen 5D (step S307).

[0161] Next, the relay control terminal 5 transmits the answer page information and setting table information from the test question information received from the test server device 1A to the answer terminal 4 (step S308).

[0162] Furthermore, the relay control terminal 5 prohibits access to external devices other than the test server device 1A (step S309).

[0163] Next, the relay control terminal 5 refers to the test schedule information stored in the memory unit to determine whether or not the test start time has arrived and waits for the test start time to arrive (step S311 in Figure 18). When it is determined in step S311 that the test start time has arrived, the relay control terminal 5 displays the first page (page number 1) of the question page information on the display screen 5D (step S312). This allows the examinee to read the questions displayed on the display screen 5D and input the answers for the first page of the question page on the answer terminal 4.

[0164] Next, the relay control terminal 5 determines whether or not it has received a next-page request from the answer terminal 4 to advance to the next page (step S313). If it determines that a next-page request has been received, it displays the question information for the next page of the problem page information, which is the page after the currently displayed page, on the display screen 5D (step S314).

[0165] If it is determined in step S313 that a next page request has not been received, and if it is determined in step S314 that a previous page request has been received from the answer terminal 4 to return to the previous page (step S315), the relay control terminal 5 then determines whether or not it has received a previous page request. If it is determined that a previous page request has been received, the display screen 5D displays the question information for the page before the currently displayed page (step S316).

[0166] If, in step S315, it is determined that a request for the previous page has not been received, and after step S316, the relay control terminal 5 determines whether or not the test end time has arrived (step S317). If, in step S317, it is determined that the test end time has not arrived, the relay control terminal 5 determines whether or not it has received the answer page information and submission request from the answer terminal 4 (step S318).

[0167] If, in step S318, the relay control terminal 5 determines that it has not received response page information and submission request from response terminal 4, it returns to step S313 and repeats the processing from step S313 onward.

[0168] In step S317, when it is determined that the test has ended, the relay control terminal 5 also determines whether or not it has received the answer page information and submission request from the answer terminal 4 (step S321 in Figure 19).

[0169] Then, in steps S318 and S321, when it is determined that the answer page information and submission request have been received from the answer terminal 4, the relay control terminal 5 temporarily stores the received answer page information (step S322), and transmits the answer page information temporarily stored in the relay control terminal 5 to the test server device 1A via the communication network NW (step S323).

[0170] Next, the relay control terminal 5 monitors for the reception of a power-off command from the test server device 1A via the communication network NW and waits for the power-off command to be received (step S324). In step S324, if it determines that a power-off command has been received, the relay control terminal 5 forwards the received power-off command to the response terminal 4 (step S325). Then, the relay control terminal 5 terminates this processing routine.

[0171] <<Example of the operation flow of response terminal 4>> Figures 20 to 24 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation flow of the response terminal 4 when a simultaneous test is conducted using the second embodiment of the communication system configured as described above.

[0172] In standby mode, the response terminal 4 monitors for the reception of power-on commands transmitted from the relay control terminal 5 and waits for the power-on command to be received (step S401 in Figure 20). When the response terminal 4 determines in step S401 that it has received a power-on command, it supplies power voltage to each part and powers on (step S402).

[0173] Next, the response terminal 4 monitors for the reception of test schedule information from the test server device 1A, which is transferred from the relay control terminal 5, and waits for the reception of the test schedule information (step S403). Then, in step S403, when it is determined that the test schedule information has been received, the received test schedule information is stored in the test schedule information storage unit 204 (step S404).

[0174] Next, the answer terminal 4 monitors for the reception of answer page information and setting table information transferred from the relay control terminal 5 and waits for their reception (step S405). Then, in step S405, when it is determined that the answer page information and setting table information have been received, the received answer page information and setting table information are stored in the test question information storage unit 205 (step S406).

[0175] Then, the answer terminal 4 reads the cover page from the stored answer page information, which contains fields for the examinee's name and examination number, and displays it on the electronic paper 21 (step S407). The answer terminal 4 also prohibits access to external devices other than the relay control terminal 5 (step S408).

[0176] Next, the response terminal 4 refers to the test schedule information in the test schedule information storage unit 204 and determines whether or not the test start time has arrived (step S409). If it is determined in step S409 that the test start time has not yet arrived, the response terminal 4 executes the process shown in Figure 21. The processes in steps S411 to S416 in Figure 21 correspond to the processes in steps S211 to S216 before the test start time shown in Figure 11, which are executed by the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, and are similar processes.

[0177] In other words, according to the processing flow shown in Figure 21, the answer terminal 4 accepts only input from the electronic pen 3 in the fields for the examinee's name and examinee number on the cover page of the answer page information before the start of the exam, and prohibits input in other areas. If input is made in any of these other areas, the terminal will notify the user that the input is invalid with a beep or indicator 25. Also, before the start of the exam, operation of any of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 is prohibited on the answer terminal 4, and any operation of any of the operation buttons will be considered invalid and the terminal will notify the user of this invalidity with a beep or indicator 25.

[0178] Next, in step S409, when it is determined that the test start time has arrived, the answer terminal 4 performs the processing flow shown in Figure 22. The processing in steps S421 to S428 in Figure 22 corresponds to steps S221 to S228 of the processing for handwriting input by the electronic pen 3 between the test start time and the test end time, as shown in Figure 12, which is performed by the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, and is almost the same processing.

[0179] However, in the processing flow shown in Figure 22 of the second embodiment, the processing is not for each question page of the question page information including the answer field as in the first embodiment, but rather for the cover page and answer page of the answer page information. Therefore, in step S422, the process determines whether the page on which the writing force was detected is the cover page or an answer page of the answer page information.

[0180] Then, if the determination result in step S422 is the cover page, the answer terminal 4 performs the processing in steps S423 to S425, saving the written input in the fields for the examinee's name and examination number as part of the answer information (which becomes identification information), while displaying the written input in other areas on the electronic paper 21 but not saving it as answer information. Also, if the determination result in step S422 is the answer page, the processing in steps S426 to S428 is performed, saving the written input in the answer fields as answer information, while displaying the written input in areas other than the answer fields on the electronic paper 21 but not saving it as answer information.

[0181] Then, following steps S424, S425, S427, and S428, if it is determined in step S421 that no handwriting input has been detected, the response terminal 4 executes the processing shown in Figure 23. The processing in steps S431 to S439 in Figure 23 corresponds to steps S231 to S239 of the processing for the operation buttons of the operation button group 23 from the start time to the end time of the test, as shown in Figure 13, which is executed by the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment, and is almost the same except for a few parts.

[0182] In the response terminal 4, according to the processing flow shown in Figure 23, if any of the operation buttons in the operation button group 23 are operated between the start time of the test and the end time of the test, the response terminal 4 will execute the processing corresponding to the operated operation button, in the same manner as in the first embodiment. However, in this second embodiment, the question page is displayed on the display screen 5D of the relay control terminal 5, and the response information is configured to be transmitted to the test server device 1A via the relay control terminal 5, so it is necessary to perform processing that takes into account the cooperation between the relay control terminal 5 and the response terminal 4.

[0183] Therefore, in the processing flow shown in Figure 23, the processing in step S436 is different from that of step S236 in the first embodiment, and step S440 is added as a preprocessing step for step S433, which corresponds to step S233 in the first embodiment, and step S441 is added as a preprocessing step for step S434, which corresponds to step S234 in the first embodiment.

[0184] In other words, in the processing flow shown in Figure 23, the differences between the first and second embodiments are explained as follows: In step S436, based on the operation of the submission button 23c, the answer information is sent to the relay control terminal 5, and an answer submission request is sent to request that the answer information be sent to the test server device 1A. When the next page button 23a is operated, the answer terminal 4 sends a next page request to the relay control terminal 5 in step S440, which is a request to move the question page to the next page, and then in step S433, the next page of the answer page is displayed on the electronic paper 21. Furthermore, when the previous page button 23b is operated, the answer terminal 4 sends a previous page request to the relay control terminal 5 in step S441, which is a request to move the question page to the previous page, and then in step S434, the answer terminal 4 displays the previous page of the answer page on the electronic paper 21.

[0185] Then, in the processing flow shown in Figure 23, when it is determined in step S435 that the end time of the exam has arrived, the answer terminal 4 is controlled to read the cover page of the answer page information from the exam question information storage unit 205 and display it on the electronic paper 21 (step S439).

[0186] Next, the response terminal 4 executes the processing flow shown in Figure 24. The processing steps S451 to S460 in Figure 24 correspond to steps S241 to S250 of the processing for writing input using the electronic pen 3 and the operation button group 23 after the end of the test, as shown in Figure 14, which is executed by the terminal device 2 in the first embodiment, and are almost identical. However, in the processing flow of Figure 24 in the second embodiment, the difference is that in step S457, which corresponds to step S247 in the first embodiment, the response information and the request to submit the response are sent to the relay control terminal 5.

[0187] <Effects of the second embodiment> In the communication system of the second embodiment described above, although the question page and the answer page are on different terminals, it is possible to reliably ensure fairness among examinees, just as in the first embodiment.

[0188] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, since the answer field is provided on the question page, it is preferable that the display size of one page be as large as possible. However, in the second embodiment, since the question page and the answer page are displayed on different terminal screens, this constraint is eliminated.

[0189] <Modified form of the second embodiment> In the second embodiment described above, the answer terminal is provided with operation buttons such as a next page button, a previous page button, and a submit button. However, these operation buttons may also be provided on the relay control terminal 5 side. In that case, when the next page button or previous page button is operated, the relay control terminal 5 changes the question page displayed on the display screen 5D to the next page or the previous page, and also sends a next page request or a previous page request to the answer terminal 4 to change the answer page to the next page or the previous page, causing the answer page to be changed and displayed. Furthermore, when the submit button is operated, the relay control terminal 5 sends the answer information to the answer terminal 4 to obtain the answer information and transmits it to the test server device 1A.

[0190] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the relay control terminal 5 stores the question page information and the answer terminal 4 stores the answer page information, and each terminal manages the question page and answer page. However, the relay control terminal 5 may store all of the question page information, answer page information, and setting table information, and also control and manage the answer terminal 4. In that case, the relay control terminal 5 shall be equipped with a group of operation buttons.

[0191] In this configuration, the answer terminal 4 has only enough buffer memory to display one page of the answer on the electronic paper, and the relay control terminal 5 sends the answer page corresponding to the question page displayed on the display screen 5D to the answer terminal 4. Furthermore, the answer terminal 4 always sends the handwritten information entered by the electronic pen 3 to the relay control terminal 5, and the relay control terminal 5 also processes whether the handwriting force is valid or invalid using the setting table information, and the relay control terminal 5 may also manage the answer information.

[0192] With this configuration, the response terminal 4 only needs to have the function of displaying on electronic paper and the function of detecting writing input based on position indication input from the electronic pen 3 via a position detection circuit using a position detection sensor, and supplying it to the relay control terminal 5. This results in a very simple configuration, making it possible to manufacture the response terminal 4 at a lower cost.

[0193] In the example of the second embodiment described above, the relay control terminal 5 is configured as a smartphone, but it is not limited to this. Any electronic device or terminal can be used as long as it includes a communication unit for connecting to the test server device 1A via a communication network NW, a communication unit for connecting to the answer terminal 4, and a display unit for displaying the question text. For example, it could be a tablet-type mobile terminal or a laptop computer.

[0194] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, the question page information of the examination question information may be provided to each examinee as paper material, rather than being provided to the terminal device as electronic information. In that case, the relay control terminal 5 is configured to connect the examination server device 1A and the terminal device 20 Its role is simply to relay the information exchanged between the two parties. Furthermore, the test server device 1A only needs to provide the answer page information and the setting table information to the terminal device 20, and since there is no need to change the page information of the question page on the display screen 5D of the relay control terminal 5, there is no need for the terminal device 20 to send information about the page change to the relay control terminal 5.

[0195] In the second embodiment described above, the response terminal 4 and the relay control terminal 5 are connected by a short-range wireless communication means conforming to the Bluetooth® standard. However, it goes without saying that the method of wireless connection between the response terminal 4 and the relay control terminal 5 is not limited to this. Alternatively, the response terminal 4 and the relay control terminal 5 may be connected via a wired connection cable such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable.

[0196] In addition to the modifications described above, the modifications described for the terminal device 2 in the first communication system can also be applied to the response terminal 4 in the second embodiment of the communication system described above.

[0197] [Third Embodiment] The third embodiment of the communication system is one in which the configuration of the communication system of the first embodiment and the configuration of the communication system of the second embodiment can be selectively constructed. An example of the configuration of this third embodiment of the communication system is shown in Figure 25. As shown in Figure 25, in this third embodiment, the test server device 1B and the terminal device 20B are connected via a communication network NW.

[0198] The hardware configuration of the test server device 1B is the same as that shown in the block diagram of Figure 2. However, the provided information storage unit 102 in Figure 2 stores first test question information consisting of question page information including answer fields, as in the first embodiment, and second test question information consisting of question page information and answer page information, as in the second embodiment. In addition, the setting table information storage unit 103 stores first setting table information showing the relationship between the page number of the question page information shown in Figure 4 and the position range of the answer fields for the questions on each page, as in the first embodiment, and second setting table information showing the relationship between the page number of the answer page information and the position range of the answer fields for the questions on each page, as in the second embodiment.

[0199] Furthermore, the test server device 1B has, as a functional unit for controlling the flow of providing test question information to terminal devices, a first test information provision processing function unit 110 for test question information consisting of question page information including answer fields, as in the first embodiment, and a second test information provision processing function unit 120 for test question information consisting of question page information and answer page information, as in the second embodiment.

[0200] In this third embodiment, the test server device 1B is configured to automatically select whether to operate the first test information provision processing function unit 110 or the second test information provision processing function unit 120 depending on the nature of the access from the terminal device 20B, that is, whether or not the access was made via the relay control terminal 5.

[0201] In this third embodiment, the terminal device 20B is configured to allow the user to choose between being configured solely by the response terminal 6 (configuration of the communication system in the first embodiment) or being configured with the response terminal 6 and the relay control terminal 5 (configuration of the communication system in the second embodiment). In this example, the user's selection of the communication system is whether or not to connect the relay control terminal 5 to the response terminal 6. The response terminal 6 is configured to automatically select whether or not to configure itself as the communication system in the first embodiment or the communication system in the second embodiment, depending on whether or not the relay control terminal 5 is connected.

[0202] The response terminal 6, which constitutes the terminal device 20B of this third embodiment, is configured to support both the communication system of the first embodiment and the second communication system by adding the functions of the response terminal 4 of the second embodiment to the terminal device 2 of the first embodiment.

[0203] In other words, the hardware configuration of the response terminal 6 is the same as that of the terminal device 2 shown in the block diagram of Figure 7. However, instead of the wireless communication unit 202 in Figure 7, the response terminal 6 includes a first wireless communication unit 61 for direct connection to the test server device 1B via the communication network NW, and a second wireless communication unit 62 for connection to the relay control terminal 5, as shown in Figure 25.

[0204] Furthermore, the response terminal 6 is equipped with a power button as one of its operation buttons, and when this power button is turned on and power is supplied, it sends a connection request to the test server device 1B. Before sending this connection request to the test server device 1B, the response terminal 6 determines whether or not it is connected to the relay control terminal 5.

[0205] When the response terminal 6 determines that it is connected to the relay control terminal 5, it sends a connection request to the test server device 1B via the relay control terminal 5. When it determines that it is not connected to the relay control terminal 5, it sends a connection request directly to the test server device 1B.

[0206] In this example, the first wireless communication unit 61 of the response terminal 6 is, for example, a Wi-Fi® wireless communication unit, and the second wireless communication unit 62 is, for example, a Bluetooth® short-range wireless communication unit for wirelessly connecting with the relay control terminal 5. The second wireless communication unit 62 of the response terminal 6 is configured to constantly monitor whether a relay control terminal 5 equipped with a corresponding short-range wireless communication unit is present within its connection range, and to automatically connect to the relay control terminal 5 when it determines that such a terminal is present.

[0207] It goes without saying that the configurations of the first wireless communication unit 61 and the second wireless communication unit 62 are not limited to the example described above. Furthermore, instead of the second wireless communication unit 62, the connection between the response terminal and the relay control terminal 5 may be made via a wired connection using a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable or similar cable.

[0208] Furthermore, the terminal device 2 has, as a functional unit for controlling the flow of operations for generating answer information for the test question information provided by the test server device 1B, a first test information corresponding processing function unit 63 for test question information including an answer field, as in the first embodiment, and a second test information corresponding processing function unit 64 for test question information consisting of question page information and answer page information, as in the second embodiment. The functions of these first test information corresponding processing function unit 63 and second test information corresponding processing function unit 64 are pre-installed as application software for the control unit of the answer terminal 6.

[0209] In the first embodiment, the processing of the first test information corresponding processing function unit 63 is as follows: Terminal device The processing flow shown in Figures 10 to 14 is what is described as being performed by unit 2. Furthermore, the processing of the second test information corresponding processing function unit 64 is what is described in Figures 20 to 24 as being performed by the answer terminal 4 in the second embodiment.

[0210] <Example of the operation flow of the communication system in the third embodiment> <<Example of the operation flow of response terminal 6>> Figure 26 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation flow of the response terminal 6 of the communication system in the third embodiment.

[0211] The response terminal 6 monitors whether the power button has been turned on and power has been supplied, and waits for power to be supplied (step S601). In step S601, if it is determined that power has been supplied, the response terminal 6 determines whether it is connected to the relay control terminal 5 via the second wireless communication unit 62 (step S602).

[0212] In step S602, if the second wireless communication unit 62 determines that it is not connected to the relay control terminal 5, the response terminal 6 directly transmits a connection request to the test server device 1B through the first wireless communication unit 61 (step S603). Then, it is determined whether or not it has been confirmed that it has become connected to the test server device 1B as a result of this connection request in step S603, for example, by whether or not it has received connection confirmation information from the test server device 1B (step S604).

[0213] Then, in step S604, if it is determined that the connection with the test server device 1B has been confirmed, the response terminal 6 executes the processing of the first test information corresponding processing function unit 63 (step S605). After the completion of the processing in step S605, the response terminal 6 determines whether or not the power has been turned off by operating the power button (step S609), and if it is determined that the power has been turned off, it terminates this processing routine.

[0214] Furthermore, in step S602, if the second wireless communication unit 62 determines that it is connected to the relay control terminal 5, the response terminal 6 transmits a connection request to the test server device 1B via the relay control terminal 5 through the second wireless communication unit 61 (step S606). Then, whether or not it has been confirmed that it has become connected to the test server device 1B as a result of this connection request in step S606 is determined, for example, by whether or not it has received connection confirmation information from the test server device 1B (step S607).

[0215] Then, in step S607, if it is determined that the connection with the test server device 1B has been confirmed, the response terminal 6 executes the processing of the second test information corresponding processing function unit 64 (step S608). After the completion of the processing in step S608, the response terminal 6 determines whether or not the power has been turned off by operating the power button (step S609), and if it is determined that the power has been turned off, it terminates this processing routine.

[0216] <<Example of the operation flow of test server device 1B>> Figure 27 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation flow of the test server device 1B of the communication system according to the third embodiment.

[0217] As shown in Figure 27, the test server device 1B first determines whether or not it has received a connection request from the terminal device 20B (step S111). If it determines that it has not received a connection request, it waits for the connection request to be received. If it determines in step S111 that it has received a connection request from the terminal device 20B, it performs the connection process with the terminal device 20B, and once connected, it sends connection confirmation information to the terminal device 20B (step S112).

[0218] Next, the test server device 1B determines whether or not it is connected to the terminal device 20B via the relay control terminal 5 (step S113). This step S113 is performed by registering information in the communication protocol that allows the response terminal 6 and the relay control terminal 5 to be identified, respectively, for the other devices connected via the communication network NW, and then determining this identification information when the other device is connected.

[0219] In step S113, if it is determined that the terminal device 20B is connected directly to the response terminal 6 of the terminal device 20B, rather than via the relay control terminal 5, the test server device 1B executes the processing of the first test information provision processing function unit 110 (step S114), and after the completion of step S114, this processing routine is terminated.

[0220] Furthermore, if step S113 determines that the terminal device 20B has been connected via the relay control terminal 5, the test server device 1B executes the processing of the second test information provision processing function unit 120 (step S115), and after the completion of step S115, this processing routine is terminated.

[0221] <Effects of the third embodiment> The configuration of this third embodiment of the communication system provides the advantages of the first and second embodiments described above, and is also very convenient because the user can choose between the configuration of the first embodiment and the configuration of the second embodiment depending on whether or not the relay control terminal 5 is connected to the response terminal 6.

[0222] <Modified form of the third embodiment> In the example of the third embodiment described above, when the power is turned on by operating the power button of the response terminal 6, it is determined whether or not the relay control terminal 5 is connected, and a connection request is sent from the terminal device 20B to the test server device 1B according to the determination result. However, a connection request button may be provided on the response terminal 6, and after the power is turned on, when the connection request button is pressed, it is determined whether or not the relay control terminal 5 is connected, and a connection request is sent from the terminal device 20B to the test server device 1B according to the determination result.

[0223] Furthermore, the test server device 1B may send an instruction to determine whether or not to connect via the relay control terminal 5. That is, the test server device 1B sends, for example, a power-on command to the response terminal 6 to turn on the power of the response terminal 6. When performing the operation according to the first embodiment, the test server device 1B sends the test schedule information, test question information, and setting table information as is. When performing the operation according to the second embodiment, the test server device 1B notifies the response terminal 6 that it should connect to the relay control terminal 5, causing the response terminal 6 to connect to the relay control terminal 5, and the test schedule information, test question information, and setting table information are sent from the test server device 1B via this relay control terminal 5.

[0224] In the third embodiment described above, when the relay control terminal 5 is connected to the response terminal 6, the response terminal 6 transmits the response page information through the relay control terminal 5. test The response information is obtained from server device 1B and relayed via test I configured it to send the data to server device 1B. However, test Server device 1B sends the problem page information to relay control terminal 5 and the answer page information to answer terminal 6, and the answer terminal 6 then sends the answer information without going through relay control terminal 5. test It may be configured to transmit to server device 1B.

[0225] In addition to the modifications described above, modifications of the terminal device 2 and the response terminal 4 in the communication systems of the first and second embodiments described above can also be applied as modifications of the response terminal in the third communication system described above.

[0226] [Other embodiments or modifications] Furthermore, in the terminal device 2, response terminal 4, and response terminal 6 of the communication system in the above-described embodiment, the display unit is: electronic Although the device is designed to be constructed using paper, it is not limited to electronic paper. A display unit using an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electroluminescence) may also be used, as long as it can be superimposed on a position detection sensor. However, as in the embodiment described above, using electronic paper offers the advantage of realizing an inexpensive and extremely thin terminal device.

[0227] In the above embodiment, the test schedule information is provided from the test server device, but the test schedule information, such as the test start time and test end time, may be stored in advance in terminal device 2, answer terminals 4 and 6, and relay control terminal 5. Furthermore, the test question information and setting table information may also be stored in advance in terminal device 2, answer terminals 4 and 6, and relay control terminal 5.

[0228] Furthermore, in the first to third embodiments described above, it is not essential that the question page information of the examination questions be provided as electronic information; it may also be provided to examinees in the form of a printed examination question booklet.

[0229] In that case, in the first embodiment, page information indicating the answer fields on each page and setting table information are provided to the terminal device 2, and examinees can write their answers in the answer fields on each page. However, in the first embodiment, in addition to the examination question information as electronic information as described above, a printed examination question booklet may also be provided to make it easier for examinees to read the questions.

[0230] Furthermore, in the case of the second and third embodiments, the test server device only needs to provide the relay control terminal 5 with answer page information and setting table information to be transferred to the answer terminals 4 and 6, omitting the question page information of the test question information.

[0231] Furthermore, for example, a patent document (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-37033) proposes a handwriting input device consisting of a board device configured to allow paper to be clipped onto a plate-shaped board that houses a position detection device unit equipped with a position detection sensor, with the paper overlapping the position detection sensor, and an electronic pen that has writing instrument functions such as a ballpoint pen function and interacts with the position detection sensor for signals.

[0232] In this handwriting input device, when handwriting is entered onto paper using the writing instrument function of the electronic pen, the coordinate information of the handwritten trajectory is detected by the position detection unit via a position detection sensor, and this detected coordinate information is output to, for example, a personal computer for use.

[0233] With this handwriting input device, the handwritten trajectory is drawn on the paper using the writing function of the electronic pen, eliminating the need for a display panel to confirm the handwritten information as described above, thus reducing costs and making it very convenient.

[0234] This handwriting input device may be applied to terminal device 2 and answer terminals 4 and 6. In that case, it is not necessary to provide not only the question page information but also the answer page information of the exam questions to the terminal device as electronic information; it is sufficient to provide it as paper information.

[0235] However, when using this handwriting input device, terminal device 2 and answer terminals 4 and 6 are configured to align the question page and answer page with the position detection area of ​​the position detection sensor when clipping them together. The schedule information and setting table information are stored in terminal device 2 and answer terminals 4 and 6, and the same handwriting input restriction processing as described above is performed. The generated answer information is then sent to the test server device for processing in the same manner as described above. It will be done It is configured in this way.

[0236] In the above-described embodiment, the following was not explained: the erasure (eraser) of the examinee's name, examination number, and written input in the answer field using the electronic pen 3. However, it is certainly possible to configure the system so that the handwriting written with the electronic pen 3 can be erased.

[0237] In this case, to erase something written on paper, an eraser is usually used. However, with electronic handwriting, there are methods such as deleting (erasing) the electronic data of the written portion or covering it with a background color. In this case, it is necessary to distinguish between handwritten input and erased input, and there are various methods for making this distinction.

[0238] One example of this is to provide erase buttons on terminal device 2, response terminal 4, and response terminal 6. Figure 28 shows an example of terminal device 2A equipped with an erase button. That is, terminal device 2A in the example shown in Figure 28 is an example in which an erase button is provided on terminal device 2 of the first embodiment described above, and the same reference numerals are used for the same parts as terminal device 2.

[0239] The terminal device 2A in this example is equipped with a next page button 23a, a previous page button 23b, a submit button 23c, and erase buttons 23L and 23R. The erase button 23L is for right-handed users who hold the electronic pen 3 in their right hand, and the erase button 23R is for left-handed users who hold the electronic pen 3 in their left hand.

[0240] In this case, terminal device 2A treats position input detected by the position detection circuit via position detection sensor 22A as writing input when both erase buttons 23L and 23R are off, but treats it as erase input while either erase button 23L or 23R is on. The user can erase the electronic data of the writing input by pressing either erase button 23L or 23R to turn it on and then performing a position input by tracing over the written portion.

[0241] Furthermore, in the second example, a writing input position indicator is provided on the pen tip side, which is one side of the pen housing in the axial direction, and an erase position indicator is provided on the tail end side, which is the other side of the pen housing in the axial direction, and the frequency of the position indicator signal transmitted from the writing input position indicator to the position detection sensor is made different from the frequency of the position indicator signal transmitted from the erase position indicator to the position detection sensor.

[0242] In this case, the position detection circuit determines the frequency of the position indication signal received through the position detection sensor to distinguish between input for writing and input for erasing. When writing, the user brings the tip of the electronic pen close to the position detection sensor, and when erasing, they flip the electronic pen over and bring the tail end close to the position detection sensor, while also performing a position indication by tracing the written portion. This erases the electronic data of the written input.

[0243] Figure 29 shows an example configuration for an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen 3A. As shown in Figure 29, a writing input position indicator 310 for writing input is provided on the pen tip side, which is one side of the pen housing in the axial direction of the electronic pen 3A, and an erase position indicator 320 for erase input is provided on the tail end side, which is the other side of the pen housing in the axial direction of the pen housing.

[0244] The writing input position indicator 310 is composed of a resonant circuit consisting of a coil 312 wound around a ferrite core 311 and a capacitor 313. The writing lead 314 is inserted through a through hole in the ferrite core 311, and the tip of the lead 314 is positioned to protrude outward as the pen tip.

[0245] The erase position indicator unit 320 is composed of a resonant circuit consisting of a coil 322 wound around a ferrite core 321 and a capacitor 323. A core body 324 for erasure indication is inserted through a through hole in the ferrite core 321, and the tip of the core body 324 is positioned to protrude outward as the erase indication tip.

[0246] In this case, the frequency of the resonant circuit of the writing input position indicator unit 310 and the frequency of the resonant circuit of the erase position indicator unit 320 are configured to be different.

[0247] Furthermore, in the case of an electronic pen, for example, an active capacitive type electronic pen, the frequency of the position detection signal output from the conductive writing tip and the frequency of the position detection signal output from the conductive erasing tip are configured to be different.

[0248] A third example involves using a separate erasing unit (electronic eraser) from the electronic pen. Figures 30(A) and (B) show an example of an erasing unit. Figure 30(A) is an external view of the erasing unit 7 in this example, and Figure 30(B) is a cross-sectional view thereof.

[0249] The erasing unit 7 is an erasing position indicator for erasing input provided at the end side of the electronic pen in the second example above, and is a separate erasing unit from the electronic pen. as Provided If That is, as shown in FIGS. 30(A) and (B), one end side in the axial direction of the housing 71 of the erasing unit 7 is used as an erasing end 72, and a coil 74 wound around a ferrite core 73 is provided near this erasing end 72 inside the hollow portion of the housing 71. And an erasing position indicator 75 including a resonance circuit composed of the coil 74 and a capacitor (not shown) is configured. In this case, the frequency of the resonance circuit of the erasing position indicator 75 is made different from the resonance frequency of the resonance circuit of the electronic pen for writing input.

[0250] Also in the case of this third example, the position detection circuit unit discriminates the frequency of the erasing position indication signal from the erasing unit 7 received through the position detection sensor, and distinguishes between writing input and erasing input. The user can erase the electronic data of the written portion by tracing the written portion using the erasing unit 7 in the same manner as when erasing the written portion of the paper with an eraser.

[0251] Needless to say, in the example of the erasing unit, it can also be configured in an active capacitance method.

[0252] Needless to say, the communication system of the above-described embodiment has been described as a case where a simultaneous test is performed in a test venue, but it is not limited to such a case. For example, it is similarly applicable when taking a mock test at home. It is also applicable when a test schedule is set for students or pupils in schools or learning schools and the test is executed.

[0253] Furthermore, it is also applicable to a mock test in the case of remote learning through a communication network such as the Internet. In that case, for the test server device, the terminal devices 2, 2A, 20, 20B may be not a plurality but one, that is, the student or pupil who is learning may be alone.

[0254] Moreover, the communication system of this invention is not limited to a test system and can be used for various applications. As long as it is for the purpose of transmitting the reply information corresponding to the provided information generated based on the position instruction input made by the user of the terminal device in response to the provided predetermined information to the server device, it can be applied to any application. For example, it can also be applied to a questionnaire where the predetermined provided information is a questionnaire, the reply information corresponding to the provided information is an answer to the questionnaire, the answer has a time limit (due date), and there is a defined answer column.

[0255] In the description of the above embodiments, the position detection sensors provided in the terminal devices 2, 2A, and the answering terminals 4, 6 use the electromagnetic induction method. Needless to say, sensors of other position detection methods such as the active electrostatic coupling method can also be used.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0256] 1, 1A, 1B... test server devices, 2, 20, 20B... terminal devices, 3... electronic pen, 4, 6... answering terminals, 5... relay control terminal, 21... electronic paper, 22... position detection sensor, 23... operation button group, 23a... next page button, 23b... previous page button, 23c... submission button, 25... indicator, 202... wireless communication unit, 204... test schedule information storage unit, 205... test question information storage unit, 206... clock circuit unit, 210... position detection circuit unit, 211... determination unit for validity / invalidity of handwritten input information, 212... answer information storage unit, 214... determination unit for validity / invalidity of button operation

Claims

1. A communication system comprising a server device and a terminal device that are connected in a communicative manner, The aforementioned terminal device is Display surface and, A position detection sensor that detects position instruction input, A control unit that controls, based on a predetermined time, whether to enable or disable detection by a portion of the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor corresponding to an input field indicating an input reception area included in an image displayed on the display surface, which is an image based on information provided by the server device, Equipped with, The control unit enables detection by a first sub-region within the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor corresponding to the first input field included in the image displayed on the display surface during a first time period before the start of the test included in the predetermined time period; enables detection by a second sub-region within the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor, which is different from the first sub-region, corresponding to a second input field different from the first input field displayed on the display surface during a second time period from the start of the test to the end of the test included in the predetermined time period; and disables detection by the second sub-region during the first time period and a third time period after the end of the test period. A communication system characterized by the following features.

2. The terminal device includes a communication unit for communicating with the outside world, including the server device, and the control unit controls the communication function of the communication unit based on the predetermined time. The communication system according to feature 1.

3. The terminal device comprises one or more button operation units, and the control unit controls the activation or deactivation of the button operation units based on predetermined time intervals. The communication system according to feature 1.

4. The information provided is an examination question, The terminal device returns the answer to the test question. The communication system according to feature 1.

5. The server device includes a communication unit that transmits the provided information to the terminal device and receives reply information corresponding to the provided information from the terminal device. The terminal device comprises a receiving unit that receives the provided information and a display unit that provides the received information to the user. The communication system according to feature 1.

6. The aforementioned terminal device is The display surface displays a display image for receiving the position instruction input for generating reply information corresponding to the provided information, The detection area of ​​the position detection sensor is configured to overlap with the display area of ​​the display surface, and the position instruction input is made through the display surface. The communication system according to feature 1.

7. The display surface shows the provided information, as well as the input fields for the reply information. The acceptance of the position instruction input into the input field of the reply information is controlled based on the time. The communication system described in claim 6.

8. The terminal device consists of a first device and a second device. The first device includes a first display unit on which the provided information is displayed, The second device includes a second display unit on which the input field for reply information corresponding to the provided information is displayed, and the position detection sensor is arranged such that the detection area overlaps with the display area of ​​the display screen of the second display unit, and the acceptance of the position instruction input to the input field for reply information is controlled based on the time. The communication system according to feature 1.

9. The server device transmits the provided information, including the display information in the input field of the reply information, to the terminal device. The first device is connected to the server device through a first communication channel and to the second device through a second communication channel, and displays the provided information received from the server device on the display screen of the first display unit, and transmits the display information of the input field of the reply information received from the server device to the second device. The second device displays the display information of the input field of the reply information received from the first device on the display screen of the second display unit, and transmits the reply information based on the position instruction input information entered in the input field of the reply information to the server device through the first device. The communication system according to claim 8, characterized in that it is as described above.

10. Display surface and, A position detection sensor that detects position instruction input, A control unit that controls, based on a predetermined time, whether to enable or disable detection by a partial region within the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor corresponding to an input field indicating an input reception area included in the image displayed on the display surface, Equipped with, The control unit enables detection by a first sub-region within the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor corresponding to the first input field included in the image displayed on the display surface during a first time period before the start of the test included in the predetermined time period; enables detection by a second sub-region within the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor, which is different from the first sub-region, corresponding to a second input field different from the first input field included in the image displayed on the display surface during a second time period from the start of the test to the end of the test included in the predetermined time period; and disables detection by the second sub-region during the first time period and a third time period after the end of the test period. A terminal device characterized by being equipped with the following features.

11. The system includes a communication unit for communicating with external devices, including a server, and the control unit controls the communication function of the communication unit based on predetermined time intervals. The terminal device according to feature 10.

12. The device is equipped with one or more button operation units, and the control unit controls the activation or deactivation of the button operation units based on predetermined time intervals. The terminal device according to feature 10.

13. It consists of a first device and a second device, The first device includes a first display unit that displays information obtained through a communication unit for communicating with an external device, including a server device. The second device includes a second display unit on which the input field for reply information corresponding to the provided information is displayed, and the position detection sensor is arranged such that the detection area of ​​the position detection sensor overlaps with the display area of ​​the display screen of the second display unit, and the acceptance of the position instruction input to the input field for reply information is controlled based on the time. The terminal device according to feature 10.

14. The server device transmits the provided information, including the display information in the input field of the reply information, to the terminal device. The first device is connected to the server device through a first communication channel and to the second device through a second communication channel, and displays the provided information received from the server device on the display screen of the first display unit, and transmits the display information of the input field of the reply information received from the server device to the second device. The second device displays the display information of the input field of the reply information received from the first device on the display screen of the second display unit, and transmits the reply information based on the position instruction input information entered in the input field of the reply information to the server device through the first device. The terminal device according to feature 13.

15. A display unit with a different display method than the first and second display units, wherein the drawing speed of the first display unit is faster than the drawing speed of the second display unit. The terminal device according to feature 13.

16. The second display unit of the second device is made of electronic paper. The terminal device according to feature 13.

17. The position detection sensor is of the electromagnetic induction type, and the position input is performed by the user operating an electromagnetic induction type electronic pen. The terminal device according to feature 10.

18. The position detection sensor is of the active capacitive type, and the position input is performed by the user operating an active capacitive electronic pen. The terminal device according to feature 10.

Images