Communication support device, user terminal device, communication system, communication support method, program, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a communication support device which enables a hearing impaired person and a hearing non-impaired person to smoothly communicate.SOLUTION: A communication support device includes an image acquisition section, a translation section and an information transmission section. The image acquisition section acquires an identification code from image information acquired by a user terminal device, and the identification code includes chat start information for performing a chat over a network. The translation section translates the identification code into the chat start information, and the information transmission section transmits the chat start information to the user terminal device which acquires the identification code.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication support device, a user terminal device, a communication system, a communication support method, a program, and a recording medium.

Background Art

[0002] When a deaf person communicates with a listener, for example, they can receive summary note-taking support as described in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when receiving summary note-taking support, the presence of supporters and support groups is essential. For example, it is difficult to use as a means for casual communication in daily conversations or stores.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a communication support device, a user terminal device, a communication system, a communication support method, a program, and a recording medium for enabling smooth communication between a deaf person and a listener.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, the communication support device of the present invention includes an image acquisition unit, a conversion unit, and an information transmission unit, where the image acquisition unit acquires an identification code from image information acquired by a user terminal device, and the identification code includes chat start information for chatting via a network. The conversion unit converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission unit transmits the chat start information to the user terminal device that has obtained the identification code.

[0007] The user terminal device of the present invention is Including an input unit and a transmission unit, The aforementioned input unit is capable of inputting sign language information, The transmitting unit is capable of transmitting the input sign language information to the communication support device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

[0008] The communication system of the present invention is Includes a communication support device and multiple user terminal devices, The communication support device is the communication support device of the present invention, The user terminal device is the user terminal device of the present invention.

[0009] The communication support method of the present invention is This includes an image acquisition process, a conversion process, and an information transmission process. The aforementioned image acquisition step involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device. The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion step converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission step involves transmitting the chat start information to the user terminal device that has obtained the identification code.

[0010] The program of the present invention, This includes image acquisition procedures, conversion procedures, and information transmission procedures. The aforementioned image acquisition procedure involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device, The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion procedure converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission procedure transmits the chat start information to the user terminal device that acquired the identification code. It is a program for causing a computer to execute each of the above procedures.

[0011] The recording medium of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium that records the program of the present invention.

Advantages of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, a speaker and a listener can communicate smoothly.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a communication support device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the communication support device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing in the communication support device according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a communication system according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a communication system according to Embodiment 4.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In the following figures, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals. Also, unless otherwise specified, the descriptions of each embodiment can be mutually referred to, and the configurations of each embodiment can be combined unless otherwise specified.

[0015] [Embodiment 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of the communication support device 10 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the device 10 includes an image acquisition unit 11, a conversion unit 12, and an information transmission unit 13. Although not shown, the device 10 may also include, for example, a conversation information acquisition unit, a translation unit, and a conversation information transmission unit.

[0016] The device 10 may be, for example, a single device including the aforementioned parts, or it may be a device in which each of the aforementioned parts can be connected via a communication network. Furthermore, the device 10 can be connected to an external device described later via the communication network. The communication network is not particularly limited and can use a known network, for example, it may be wired or wireless. Examples of the communication network include the Internet, WWW (World Wide Web), telephone lines, LAN (Local Area Network), SAN (Storage Area Network), DTN (Delay Tolerant Networking), LPWA (Low Power Wide Area), L5G (Local 5G), etc. Examples of wireless communication include Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), Local 5G, LPWA, etc. The wireless communication may be in the form of direct communication between devices (Ad Hoc communication), infrastructure communication, indirect communication via an access point, etc. The device 10 may be, for example, incorporated into a server as a system. Furthermore, the device 10 may be, for example, a personal computer (PC, e.g., desktop or notebook type), smartphone, tablet terminal, etc., on which the program of the present invention is installed. The device 10 may also be in the form of cloud computing or edge computing, for example, in which at least one of the above-mentioned parts is on a server and the other parts are on a terminal.

[0017] Figure 2 illustrates a block diagram of the hardware configuration of the device 10. The device 10 includes, for example, a central processing unit (CPU, GPU, etc.) 101, memory 102, bus 103, storage device 104, input device 105, output device 106, communication device 107, etc. Each part of the device 10 is interconnected via the bus 103 through its respective interface (I / F).

[0018] The central processing unit 101 operates in coordination with other components via controllers (system controller, I / O controller, etc.) and is responsible for the overall control of the device 10. In the device 10, the central processing unit 101 executes, for example, the program of the present invention or other programs, and also reads and writes various types of information. Specifically, for example, the central processing unit 101 functions as an image acquisition unit 11, a conversion unit 12, and an information transmission unit 13. Furthermore, if the device 10 includes, for example, the conversation information acquisition unit, the translation unit, and the conversation information transmission unit, the central processing unit 101 also functions as the conversation information acquisition unit, the translation unit, and the conversation information transmission unit. The central processing unit 101 may be equipped with a CPU, GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), APU (Accelerated Processing Unit), or a combination thereof as its arithmetic unit.

[0019] Bus 103 can also be connected to external devices, for example. Examples of such external devices include external storage devices (external databases, etc.), printers, external input devices, external display devices, and external imaging devices. The device 10 can be connected to an external network (the aforementioned communication network) via a communication device 107 connected to bus 103, for example, and can also be connected to other devices via the external network.

[0020] Memory 102 may be, for example, main memory. When the central processing unit 101 performs processing, memory 102 reads various operational programs, such as the program of the present invention, stored in the storage device 104 (described later), and the central processing unit 101 receives data from memory 102 and executes the program. The main memory may be, for example, RAM (random access memory). Alternatively, memory 102 may be, for example, ROM (read-only memory).

[0021] The storage device 104 is also called an auxiliary storage device, for example, in relation to the main memory (primary memory). As described above, the storage device 104 stores an operating program including the program of the present invention. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a combination of a recording medium and a drive for reading and writing to the recording medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and may be internal or external, for example, an HD (hard disk), CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, MO, DVD, flash memory, memory card, etc. The storage device 104 may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD) in which the recording medium and the drive are integrated, or a solid state drive (SSD).

[0022] In this device 10, the memory 102 and storage device 104 can also store various types of information, such as log information, information obtained from an external database (not shown) or external devices, information generated by this device 10, and information used by this device 10 when executing processing. At least some of this information may be stored, for example, on an external server other than the memory 102 and storage device 104, or it may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple terminals using blockchain technology or the like.

[0023] The device 10 further includes, for example, an input device 105 and an output device 106. The input device 105 may include, for example, a pointing device such as a touch panel, trackpad, or mouse; a keyboard; imaging means such as a camera or scanner; a card reader such as an IC card reader or magnetic card reader; an audio input means such as a microphone; and so on. The output device 106 may include, for example, a display device such as an LED (light-emitting diode) display or liquid crystal display; an audio output device such as a speaker; a printer; and so on. In this embodiment 1, the input device 105 and the output device 106 are configured separately, but the input device 105 and the output device 106 may be configured as an integrated unit, such as a touch panel display.

[0024] Next, an example of the communication support method of this embodiment will be described based on the flowchart S10 in Figure 3. The communication support method of this embodiment is implemented as follows, for example, using the device 10 in Figure 1 or Figure 2. Note that the communication support method of this embodiment is not limited to the use of the device 10 in Figure 1 or Figure 2.

[0025] First, the image acquisition unit 11 obtains an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device (S11). The user refers to a person who uses this support device via a terminal device. The "other user terminal device" described later is also a terminal device similar to the user terminal device. The identification code may be a one-dimensional code such as a barcode, or a two-dimensional code such as a QR code (registered trademark).

[0026] The identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over a network. The chat may be conducted using, for example, sign language input, text input, and voice input. The chat may also be conducted by multiple people. The chat initiation information may be, for example, information for displaying an application for conducting the chat. The application may be, for example, a sign language translation application for conducting the chat, or a browser capable of displaying a chat screen on the network. The information for displaying the application may be, for example, information for launching the sign language translation application, or a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for displaying the chat screen.

[0027] Next, the conversion unit 12 converts the identification code into the chat start information (S12).

[0028] Next, the information transmission unit 13 transmits the chat start information to the user terminal device that has acquired the identification code (S13).

[0029] Thus, according to this embodiment, communication can be initiated by obtaining an identification code. Therefore, compared to conventional communication methods such as real-time captioning support, for example, there is an advantage in that the barrier to initiating communication is lowered.

[0030] The device 10 may further include a conversation information acquisition unit, a translation unit, and a conversation information transmission unit.

[0031] The conversation information acquisition unit acquires sign language information. The sign language information includes, for example, sign language action information. The sign language is not particularly limited, but examples include Japanese Sign Language, Japanese-based Sign Language, and intermediate sign language. It may also be a sign language used in various countries around the world.

[0032] The sign language information based on sign language conversation may not grammatically match that of spoken language. Therefore, the translation unit translates the sign language information into the corresponding written or spoken language. The translation is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a sign language translation using a skeletal model, or a sign language translation using a conventionally known method.

[0033] The conversation information transmission unit transmits the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. The other user terminal device is, for example, a terminal device similar to the user terminal device described above. Here, "other user terminal device" refers to, for example, a user terminal device other than the user terminal device that transmitted the sign language information to this device 10.

[0034] The conversation information acquisition unit may further acquire text information or voice information. When acquiring text information or voice information, the conversation information transmission unit may further transmit the text information or voice information to the other user terminal device. The term "other user terminal device" here refers, for example, to a user terminal device other than the one that transmitted the text information or voice information to this device 10.

[0035] Because this device 10 includes the conversation information acquisition unit, the translation unit, and the conversation information transmission unit, communication can be facilitated more smoothly compared to conventional written communication, for example. Furthermore, in conventional communication methods where both parties use written communication or text chat, it is difficult to communicate while seeing each other's faces and expressions. On the other hand, according to this embodiment, it is possible to communicate while seeing each other's faces and expressions.

[0036] [Embodiment 2] In this embodiment, an example of the user terminal device of the present invention will be described. The user terminal device of this embodiment includes an input unit and a transmission unit. The input unit is capable of receiving sign language information. The transmission unit is capable of transmitting the received sign language information to, for example, the device 10 of Embodiment 1 described above.

[0037] Furthermore, the input unit may also be capable of receiving text information and audio information. The transmission unit can transmit the input text information and audio information to, for example, the device 10 of the embodiment 1 described above.

[0038] The user terminal device may be, for example, a personal computer (PC, e.g., desktop or notebook type), a smartphone, or a tablet device. Furthermore, as in Embodiment 1, when the user terminal device acquires image information (identification code), it may acquire the image information using, for example, a camera. The acquisition of the image information may be performed, for example, by the input unit. Note that the user terminal device itself does not necessarily need to be equipped with a camera or the like; for example, the camera or the like may be externally attached to the user terminal device.

[0039] [Embodiment 3] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the communication system of the present invention. The communication system of this embodiment includes, for example, the device 10 of Embodiment 1 and the user terminal device of Embodiment 2, and is implemented as follows.

[0040] First, the identification code is displayed on the display screen of the deaf (sign language speaker) user terminal device. The identification code (image information) is acquired by the hearing (non-sign language speaker) user terminal device. The number of hearing user terminal devices is not particularly limited; for example, there may be multiple devices. The acquired identification code is converted into chat start information by this device 10. This device 10 transmits the chat start information to the hearing user terminal device. The hearing user terminal device that receives the chat start information launches, for example, a web browser to display the chat screen based on the chat start information. It is preferable that the chat start information launches a web browser to display the chat screen, as this eliminates the need for hearing users to prepare a dedicated application for communicating with deaf people. Furthermore, since no such preparation is required, it is effective in facilitating smooth communication between deaf and hearing people.

[0041] When chatting, deaf users can input sign language information into their user terminal device. The input sign language information is transmitted to the device 10. The device 10 translates the sign language information into corresponding spoken language text or audio. The device 10 transmits the translated text or audio to the hearing user terminal device. The transmitted translation result may be displayed as text on the display screen (chat screen) of the hearing user terminal device, for example, or output as audio through a speaker. The translation may be performed by the user terminal device equipped with the device 10, or by a server device or the like other than the user terminal device equipped with the device 10.

[0042] Furthermore, hearing users can input, for example, text information and voice information from their user terminal devices. The input text information or voice information is transmitted to this device 10. This device 10 transmits the text information or voice information to the deaf user terminal device. The transmitted text information or voice information may be displayed as text on, for example, the display screen (chat screen) of the deaf user terminal device. Note that the transmission may be performed, for example, by the user terminal device equipped with this device 10, or by a server device or the like other than the user terminal device equipped with this device 10.

[0043] If there are multiple deaf individuals, for example, the identification code displayed on the screen of one deaf user's terminal device may be acquired by another deaf user's terminal device. In this way, the other deaf user's terminal devices can launch, for example, a sign language translation application or a web browser to display a chat screen. This enables multi-person chat.

[0044] [Embodiment 4] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the communication system of the present invention.

[0045] First, the user terminal device of a sign language speaker (deaf person) acquires the aforementioned identification code that has been installed or displayed in advance. The location where the identification code is installed or displayed is not particularly limited, but examples include stores (e.g., general stores, bookstores, convenience stores, supermarkets, department stores, shopping centers, electronics retailers, multi-purpose facilities, etc.), facilities (e.g., art museums, aquariums, zoos, museums, theme parks, event venues, etc.), hospitals, public facilities (e.g., community centers, government offices, gymnasiums, etc.), homes (e.g., private homes, etc.), transportation facilities (e.g., train stations, bus stops, roadside rest areas, service areas, etc.), government offices (e.g., police, etc.), streets (e.g., shopping streets, marathon venues, etc.), evacuation shelters, etc. The acquired identification code is converted into the chat start information by this device 10. This device 10 transmits the chat start information to the deaf person's user terminal device. Upon receiving the chat start information, the deaf user's terminal device launches, for example, a sign language translation application or a web browser to display the chat screen, based on the chat start information.

[0046] The subsequent operations are the same as in Embodiment 3, and sign language information can be input to the deaf user terminal device. In addition, for example, text information and voice information can be input from the hearing user terminal device.

[0047] [Embodiment 5] The program of this embodiment is a program that causes a computer to execute each of the aforementioned steps. Specifically, the program of this embodiment is a program that causes a computer to execute an image acquisition procedure, a conversion procedure, and an information transmission procedure.

[0048] The aforementioned image acquisition procedure involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device, The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion procedure converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission procedure involves sending the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code.

[0049] Furthermore, the program of this embodiment can also be described as a program that causes a computer to function as an image acquisition procedure, a conversion procedure, and an information transmission procedure.

[0050] The program of this embodiment can be based on the description in the communication support device and communication support method of the present invention. Each of the above steps can be read as, for example, "step" or "process". The program of this embodiment may also be recorded on, for example, a computer-readable recording medium. The recording medium is, for example, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium. The recording medium is not particularly limited and includes, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), hard disk (HD), optical disk, floppy disk (FD), and the like.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications to the configuration and details of the present invention can be understood by those skilled in the art within the scope of the present invention.

[0052] <Note> Some or all of the above embodiments may be described as follows, but are not limited to the following: (Note 1) Including an image acquisition unit, a conversion unit, and an information transmission unit, The image acquisition unit obtains an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device. The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion unit converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission unit transmits the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code. Communication support device. (Note 2) Furthermore, it includes a conversation information acquisition unit, a translation unit, and a conversation information transmission unit, The aforementioned conversation information acquisition unit acquires sign language information, The translation unit translates the sign language information into the corresponding spoken language text or audio. The conversation information transmission unit transmits the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. The communication support device described in Appendix 1. (Note 3) The aforementioned conversation information acquisition unit further acquires text information or audio information, The aforementioned conversation information transmission unit further transmits the text information or voice information to the other user terminal device. Communication support device as described in Appendix 2. (Note 4) A communication support device as described in any of Appendix 1 to 3, wherein the chat initiation information is information for displaying an application for conducting the chat. (Note 5) A communication support device as described in any of Appendix 1 to 4, wherein the aforementioned chat is a chat conducted by multiple people. (Note 6) Including an input unit and a transmission unit, The aforementioned input unit is capable of inputting sign language information, The transmitting unit is capable of transmitting the input sign language information to any of the communication support devices described in Appendix 1 to 5. User terminal device. (Note 7) The aforementioned input unit is also capable of inputting text information and audio information. The transmission unit is capable of transmitting the input character information and voice information to the communication support device. User terminal device as described in Appendix 6. (Note 8) Includes a communication support device and multiple user terminal devices, The aforementioned communication support device is a communication support device described in any of the appendices 1 to 5. The user terminal device is the user terminal device described in Appendix 6 or 7. Communication system. (Note 9) This includes an image acquisition process, a conversion process, and an information transmission process. The aforementioned image acquisition step involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device. The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion step converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission step involves transmitting the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code. Communication support methods. (Note 10) Furthermore, it includes a conversation information acquisition process, a translation process, and a conversation information transmission process, The aforementioned conversation information acquisition process acquires sign language information, The translation process involves translating the sign language information into the corresponding spoken language text or audio. The aforementioned conversation information transmission step involves transmitting the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. Communication support methods as described in Appendix 9. (Note 11) The aforementioned conversation information acquisition step further acquires text information or audio information, The conversation information transmission step further transmits the text information or voice information to the other user terminal device. Communication support methods as described in Appendix 10. (Note 12) A communication support method as described in any of Appendix 9 to 11, wherein the chat initiation information is information for displaying the application for conducting the chat. (Note 13) The aforementioned chat is a chat conducted by multiple people, as described in any of the communication support methods described in Appendix 9 to 12. (Note 14) This includes image acquisition procedures, conversion procedures, and information transmission procedures. The aforementioned image acquisition procedure involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device, The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion procedure converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission procedure involves transmitting the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code. A program that causes a computer to perform each of the above steps. (Note 15) Furthermore, it includes a procedure for acquiring conversation information, a translation procedure, and a procedure for transmitting conversation information. The aforementioned procedure for acquiring conversation information acquires sign language information, The translation procedure translates the sign language information into the corresponding spoken language text or audio, The aforementioned conversation information transmission procedure involves transmitting the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. The program described in Appendix 14. (Note 16) The aforementioned procedure for acquiring conversational information further acquires textual or audio information, The aforementioned conversation information transmission procedure further transmits the text information or voice information to the other user terminal device. The program described in Appendix 15. (Note 17) The program described in any of Appendix 14 to 16, wherein the chat start information is information for displaying an application to conduct the chat. (Note 18) The program described in any of Appendix 14 to 17 is a chat conducted by multiple people. (Note 19) This includes image acquisition procedures, conversion procedures, and information transmission procedures. The aforementioned image acquisition procedure involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device, The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion procedure converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission procedure involves transmitting the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code. A computer-readable recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to perform each of the aforementioned steps. (Note 20) Furthermore, it includes a procedure for acquiring conversation information, a translation procedure, and a procedure for transmitting conversation information. The aforementioned procedure for acquiring conversation information acquires sign language information, The translation procedure translates the sign language information into the corresponding spoken language text or audio, The aforementioned conversation information transmission procedure involves transmitting the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. Recording media as described in Appendix 19. (Note 21) The aforementioned procedure for acquiring conversational information further acquires textual or audio information, The aforementioned conversation information transmission procedure further transmits the text information or voice information to the other user terminal device. Recording medium as described in Appendix 20. (Note 22) A recording medium as described in any of Appendix 19 to 21, wherein the chat initiation information is information for displaying the application for conducting the chat. (Note 23) The recording medium described in any of the appendices 19 to 22, which is a chat conducted by multiple people. [Industrial applicability]

[0053] According to the present invention, deaf and hearing people can communicate smoothly. The present invention can be applied, for example, to a communication support device aimed at facilitating smooth communication between deaf and hearing people, but the fields in which it can be applied are not limited, and it can be applied to a wide range of fields using communication support devices. [Explanation of symbols]

[0054] 10. Communication support device 11 Image acquisition unit 12 Conversion section 13 Information Transmission Section 101 CPU 102 memory 103 Bus 104 Storage device 105 Input device 106 Output device 107 Communication devices

Claims

1. It includes an image acquisition unit, a conversion unit, an information transmission unit, a conversation information acquisition unit, a translation unit, and a conversation information transmission unit. The image acquisition unit obtains an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device. The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion unit converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission unit transmits the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code. The aforementioned conversation information acquisition unit acquires sign language information, The translation unit translates the sign language information into the corresponding spoken language text or audio. The conversation information transmission unit transmits the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. Communication support device.

2. The user terminal device is a user terminal device for a deaf person, The other user terminal device mentioned above is the user terminal device of the listener. The communication support device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned conversation information acquisition unit further acquires text information or audio information, The aforementioned conversation information transmission unit further transmits the text information or voice information to the other user terminal device. A communication support device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The communication support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the chat start information is information for displaying an application for conducting the chat.

5. The communication support device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the chat is a chat conducted by multiple people.

6. Including an input unit and a transmission unit, The aforementioned input unit is capable of inputting sign language information, The transmitting unit is capable of transmitting the input sign language information to the communication support device according to claim 1 or 2. User terminal device.

7. Includes a communication support device and multiple user terminal devices, The communication support device is the communication support device according to claim 1 or 2, The user terminal device is the user terminal device described in claim 6. Communication system.

8. This includes an image acquisition process, a conversion process, an information transmission process, a conversation information acquisition process, a translation process, and a conversation information transmission process. The aforementioned image acquisition step involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device. The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion step converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission step involves transmitting the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code. The aforementioned conversation information acquisition process acquires sign language information, The translation process involves translating the sign language information into the corresponding spoken language text or audio. The aforementioned conversation information transmission step involves transmitting the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. Communication support methods.

9. This includes image acquisition procedures, conversion procedures, information transmission procedures, conversation information acquisition procedures, translation procedures, and conversation information transmission procedures. The aforementioned image acquisition procedure involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device, The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion procedure converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission procedure involves transmitting the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code. The aforementioned procedure for acquiring conversation information acquires sign language information, The translation procedure translates the sign language information into the corresponding spoken language text or audio, The aforementioned conversation information transmission procedure involves transmitting the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. A program that causes a computer to perform each of the above steps.

10. This includes image acquisition procedures, conversion procedures, information transmission procedures, conversation information acquisition procedures, translation procedures, and conversation information transmission procedures. The aforementioned image acquisition procedure involves obtaining an identification code from the image information acquired by the user terminal device, The aforementioned identification code includes chat initiation information for conducting a chat over the network. The conversion procedure converts the identification code into the chat start information, The information transmission procedure involves transmitting the chat start information to the user terminal device that obtained the identification code. The aforementioned procedure for acquiring conversation information acquires sign language information, The translation procedure translates the sign language information into the corresponding spoken language text or audio, The aforementioned conversation information transmission procedure involves transmitting the translated text or audio to another user terminal device. A computer-readable recording medium containing a program that causes a computer to perform each of the aforementioned steps.

Images