Communication support system, communication support method, and program

Abstract

This communication assistance system (100) comprises: a selection unit (201) that receives a selection of a type of communication performed in a team composed of a plurality of people; an acquisition unit (202) that acquires the type of the team; a speech acquisition unit (203) that acquires speech information spoken in the communication; an estimation unit (205) that estimates the state of the communication on the basis of the speech information; and an intervention control unit (a portion of a function of the control unit (208)) that controls, on the basis of the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of the team, an apparatus (151) for giving an intervention stimulus to one or more people in the team within a period in which the communication is being performed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a communication support system, a communication support method, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] If communication between people becomes lively (in other words, activated), many advantages are obtained, such as smooth progress of discussions, ability for participants to exchange various opinions, and obtaining new findings through combining multiple opinions. Therefore, the degree of activation is important when people conduct communication. Conventionally, a communication support system that assists in activating communication is known (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problem to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, conventional communication support systems may not always be able to provide appropriate support. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a communication support system and the like for more appropriately supporting communication.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0005] A communication support system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes: a selection unit that accepts the selection of the type of communication to be conducted within a team composed of multiple people; an acquisition unit that acquires the type of the team; an audio acquisition unit that acquires voice information spoken in the communication; an estimation unit that estimates the state of the communication based on the voice information; and an intervention control unit that controls equipment for providing intervention stimuli to one or more people in the team during the period in which the communication is taking place, based on the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of team.

[0006] Furthermore, a communication support method according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a communication support method performed by a computer, comprising: a selection step of accepting the selection of a type of communication to be conducted within a team composed of multiple people; an acquisition step of acquiring the type of team; an audio acquisition step of acquiring audio information spoken in the communication; an estimation step of estimating the state of the communication based on the audio information; and an intervention control step of controlling equipment to provide an intervention stimulus to one or more people in the team during the period in which the communication is taking place, based on the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of team.

[0007] Furthermore, a program relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute the communication support method described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one aspect of this disclosure, a communication support system, etc., can provide more appropriate support for communication. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1]Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication support system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the first database in the communication support system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of a second database in the communication support system according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of a third database in the communication support system according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication support system according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, arrangement and connection configurations of components, steps, and the order of steps shown in the following embodiments are examples only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. Furthermore, components in the following embodiments that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

[0011] Please note that each figure is a schematic diagram and not necessarily a strictly accurate representation. Furthermore, in each figure, substantially identical components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted or simplified.

[0012] (Embodiment) The overall configuration of the communication support system according to the embodiment will be described below. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the communication support system according to the embodiment.

[0013] In this disclosure, the communication support system is described using the example of communication between people in a meeting where the date, time, place, and participants are predetermined. However, the communication support system is applicable to any situation involving conversation between people, not just meetings, such as impromptu small talk, presentations, and seminars.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the communication support system 100 is implemented using a device installed in the space 150 (corresponding to a conference room in this case), which is the meeting place, and a server 200 implemented by an information processing server such as a cloud server or an edge server.

[0015] Each of the spaces 150 is equipped with a device 151, a selection device 152, an input device 153, a camera 154, and a microphone 155, which are capable of inputting and outputting information to and from the server 200.

[0016] Each device 151 acts on the meeting participants, stimulating one of their five senses. In other words, each device 151 is a device that provides intervention stimuli to the meeting participants. Each device 151 has a configuration corresponding to the sensory stimulus it provides. Multiple devices 151 are provided in space 150. In this example, each device 151 serves as both an environmental device that controls the environment of space 150 and a device that provides intervention stimuli to the meeting participants. In other words, each device 151 provides intervention stimuli while controlling the environment. It is also possible to provide separate environmental devices and devices that provide intervention stimuli to meeting participants.

[0017] Equipment 151 includes an audio device, a lighting device, an airflow generator, and a fragrance generator.

[0018] An acoustic device is an electrical apparatus that provides intervention stimulation via auditory stimulation. Therefore, the acoustic device generates sound that stimulates human hearing. For example, the acoustic device outputs so-called environmental sounds into the space 150, such as rustling of trees, bird chirps including songs of small birds, insect chirps, the sound of bonfires, the sound of flowing water such as the gurgle of a stream, or the sound of blowing wind such as a breeze. The acoustic device may further play music. That is, the acoustic device may function as a music playback device. As the acoustic device, in addition to a sound output device such as a speaker, a combination of devices such as a signal converter and a gain amplifier can be used.

[0019] A lighting device is an electrical apparatus that provides intervention stimulation via visual stimulation. Therefore, the lighting device generates and emits light that stimulates human vision. Note that the lighting device may generate a visual-stimulating image with the emitted light. For example, the lighting device emits light such as green light that evokes the image of a forest to each part in the space 150, causes the light to reflect, and illuminates the space 150 with the image color of a forest. Further, the lighting device may emit light that reproduces sunbeams filtering through trees onto the floor, or may display an image showing a scene in a forest including plants such as trees, animals, or a river. The lighting device is preferably not ambient lighting such as a base light, but indirect lighting such as wall surface lighting and direct lighting such as a spotlight. As the lighting device, a light source device that causes a light source such as an LED to emit light, and a display device such as a projector can be used. When an image is displayed by the lighting device, either a still image or a moving image may be displayed.

[0020] The airflow generator is an electrical device that provides intervention stimulation through tactile stimulation. The airflow generator generates wind that stimulates the human sense of touch via the airflow it produces. For example, the airflow generator can generate wind that blows as if in a forest. A blower or the like can be used as the airflow generator. Alternatively, an air conditioner may be used as the airflow generator. This allows the temperature and humidity within the space 150 to also be adjusted, so wind with adjusted temperature and humidity can be generated as a stimulating element that stimulates the sense of touch. Additionally, the airflow generator may generate airflow to diffuse scent components supplied from a scent generator (described later) into the space 150. For this purpose, it is preferable that the airflow generator is installed near the scent generator. Alternatively, the scent generator may be installed near the airflow generator. As a suitable example of such an arrangement, the airflow generator and the scent generator may be configured as an integrated device. With this configuration, the scent component supplied by the scent generator is carried by the airflow and rapidly diffused into the space 150, enabling efficient olfactory stimulation via the scent component.

[0021] The scent generator is an electrical device that provides intervention stimulation through olfactory stimulation. The scent generator generates scent that stimulates the human sense of smell. The scent generator supplies into the space 150 scent components that allow perception of a scent as if one were in a forest (for example, the scent of plants) or other odors. An aroma diffuser or the like can be used as the scent generator.

[0022] Here, it has been explained that these devices 151 may be used in two cases: one for environmental control, and the other for providing intervention stimulation to one or more specific meeting participants. When used for environmental control, the device 151 needs to act on the entire environment of the space 150. On the other hand, when used for providing intervention stimulation to meeting participants, it needs to act locally on the position of the participant within the space 150. Therefore, the device 151 is configured to be able to act on each unit position within the space 150. Furthermore, the device 151 can also act on the entire collection of unit positions.

[0023] The selection device 152 is a device that can be used by meeting participants to receive operations from the communication support system 100. The selection device 152 may be a device installed in space 150, or it may be an information terminal owned by at least one of the participants. The selection device 152 receives a selection regarding the type of meeting and transmits that selection to the server 200. Examples of meeting types include brainstorming meetings, decision-making meetings, and casual chat meetings. Such meeting types should be set appropriately according to the purpose that the meeting organizer wants to achieve through the meeting. The above examples of meeting types are just examples, and other types may be set.

[0024] For example, an appropriate method of intervention stimulation in one type of meeting may not be appropriate in another type of meeting. This is because the direction of activation, that is, the participants whose speech is suppressed or promoted by the intervention stimulation, changes depending on the objective to be achieved in the meeting. Therefore, in this embodiment, the type of meeting according to the objective is accepted in advance, and then appropriate intervention stimulation is provided for that type of meeting, so that the activation of the meeting is carried out appropriately.

[0025] Furthermore, depending on the type of meeting, appropriate environmental control tailored to the direction of activation, based on the objectives to be achieved by that meeting, can be effectively implemented. In other words, by suppressing and promoting speech in accordance with the overall progress of the meeting through environmental control, more efficient interaction can be achieved. Therefore, in this embodiment, the type of meeting according to its purpose is selected in advance, and appropriate environmental stimuli are applied to that type of meeting, so the meeting can proceed efficiently. In particular, since there is one or more different scenes depending on the type of meeting in terms of environmental control, it is possible to proceed with the meeting more efficiently by changing the environmental control over time according to the scene. For example, from the perspective of proceeding with the meeting more efficiently, intervention stimuli according to the type of meeting may not be applied, and only environmental control according to the type of meeting may be applied according to the scene.

[0026] Figure 2 shows an example of the first database in the communication support system according to the embodiment. Figure 2 shows a portion of the information stored in database 209. As shown in Figure 2, the environmental control changes over time (i.e., scenarios) for each type of meeting. For example, in a brainstorming meeting, the first environment is an icebreaker environment control. In the icebreaker environment control, the environment is controlled so that green lighting reminiscent of nature, scents such as marjoram pine, and sounds such as birdsong are provided to space 150 to help participants relax and become more comfortable with each other. Next, the second environment is a divergent environment control. In the divergent environment control, the environment is controlled so that bright warm-colored lighting, fluctuating lighting that periodically changes in illuminance and color, scents such as lavender with a relaxing effect, and music such as jazz with a relaxing effect are provided to space 150 to create a pleasant atmosphere so that the total number of utterances from all participants increases while guiding them towards topics related to the meeting agenda. Next, the third environment is a convergent environment control. In the environmental control of the convergence environment, the environment is controlled so that the space 150 is provided with cool-toned, slightly dim lighting that facilitates concentration in order to organize the content.

[0027] Next, as the fourth environment, environmental control of the divergent environment is performed. Next, as the fifth environment, environmental control of the convergent environment is performed. Next, as the sixth environment, environmental control of the divergent environment is performed. Next, as the seventh environment, environmental control of the convergent environment is performed. Thus, in the type of brainstorming meeting, a scenario is set in which environmental control of the divergent environment and the convergent environment are repeatedly performed after the environmental control of the icebreaker environment. If multiple environmental controls are included in one scenario, for example, each environmental control may be performed for a time equal to the number of environmental controls divided by the scheduled time from the start to the end of the meeting. In other words, all environmental controls may be performed evenly within the scheduled time. Alternatively, each environmental control may have a set duration. In other words, each environmental control may be performed for its respective duration, regardless of the scheduled time of the meeting.

[0028] In the decision-making meeting, the first environment, the reporting environment, is controlled. In the reporting environment, the environment is controlled so that the reporting participants speak first, the monitor screen is easy to see, and slightly bright, cool-toned lighting is provided in space 150. Next, the second environment, the divergent environment, is controlled. Next, the third environment, the convergent environment, is controlled.

[0029] In informal meetings, the first step is to create an icebreaker environment.

[0030] Returning to Figure 1, the selection device 152, as will be described in detail later, also has the function of accepting the type of team when the participants in the meeting are considered as a team, in addition to selecting the type of meeting.

[0031] The input device 153 is a device that can be used by meeting participants to allow the communication support system 100 to receive their input. The input device 153 may be a device installed in space 150, or it may be an information terminal owned by at least one of the participants. The input device 153 functions as a trigger to allow meeting participants to perform intervention stimuli at their own timing. Therefore, it is preferable that an input device 153 be provided for each meeting participant, and that each participant be able to operate it at their own discretion.

[0032] Camera 154 is a shooting device for capturing moving images within space 150. Camera 154 transmits the captured moving images to server 200.

[0033] Microphone 155 is a sound-collecting device for collecting sound within space 150. Microphone 155 transmits the collected sound to server 200 in a manner that allows for temporal positional correspondence between the sound and the video image captured by camera 154. Alternatively, if the video image can be temporally correlated with the sound collected by microphone 155, the sound does not need to be temporally correlated.

[0034] Server 200 processes information received from each device in space 150 and performs processing to enable device 151 to control the environment and provide intervention stimuli. Server 200 is realized by executing a predetermined program using a processor and memory. Server 200 comprises a selection unit 201, an acquisition unit 202, an audio acquisition unit 203, a video acquisition unit 204, an estimation unit 205, an input unit 206, a scenario determination unit 207, and a control unit 208. The control unit 208 also has a database 209.

[0035] The selection unit 201 receives the selection of the conference type from the selection device 152. The selection unit 201 passes the information regarding the received conference type selection to the control unit 208.

[0036] The acquisition unit 202 accepts the selection of the team type from the selection device 152. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 202 may estimate and determine the type of team as a participant in the meeting at that time based on at least one of the video and audio captured or recorded by the camera 154 and microphone 155, and acquire the team type based on the result of that determination. The acquisition unit 202 passes the acquired information regarding the team type to the control unit 208.

[0037] The voice acquisition unit 203 acquires the sound collected by the microphone 155. The voice acquisition unit 203 passes the voice information of the acquired sound to the estimation unit 205.

[0038] The video acquisition unit 204 acquires video footage captured by the camera 154. The video acquisition unit 204 passes the video information of the acquired video footage to the estimation unit 205.

[0039] The estimation unit 205 estimates the state of the meeting based on audio information and video information. Here, the estimation unit 205 processes the following for each participant in the meeting: the speaking time, which is the duration of the utterance by the person speaking at that time; the silence period, which is the period when all participants are silent (no utterances); the number of times the speaker has changed; and the utterance after a silence period of a certain length or longer.

[0040] These processes can all be carried out using existing technologies, as long as the above parameters can be calculated from the speech. Furthermore, while only speech information is needed to calculate the above parameters from speech, it may be difficult to determine the direction of the speaker relative to the microphone 155 because sounds such as those from environmental control are supplied into space 150. Therefore, in this example, the above parameters are accurately calculated by determining the direction of sound arrival using video information. If technological advancements allow for the accurate calculation of the above parameters from speech information alone, the camera 154 and video acquisition unit 204 may not be necessary.

[0041] Furthermore, the estimation unit 205 estimates the state of the meeting based on whether each of the parameters detected as described above satisfies a threshold condition (determination of whether it is greater than or less than the threshold). In other words, the state of the meeting is a concept indicated by whether each of one or more parameters is greater than or less than the threshold. The threshold here is set in advance experimentally or empirically. The estimation unit 205 estimates the state of the meeting using the set threshold condition and passes the estimation result to the control unit 208. Therefore, the threshold condition can also be understood as an estimation condition for estimating the state of the meeting.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, the method of intervention stimulation is changed depending on the type of meeting. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a second database in the communication support system according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the database used is one that is referenced when providing intervention stimulation, and it links information on the type of communication, the state of communication, and the control of the equipment for providing the intervention stimulation.

[0043] As shown in the diagram, if the meeting type is a brainstorming session, the goal is to create a pleasant atmosphere and encourage participation. Since it is necessary to encourage participation from all participants, for example, if the calculated parameters detect that the speaking time is longer than a threshold (detection of the presence of a participant with a long speaking time), spot lighting is used to provide an intervention stimulus to that participant. Alternatively, if a period of silence longer than a threshold is detected, airflow and scent are used to provide an intervention stimulus to all participants. Alternatively, if a change of speaker is detected (here, by comparing its presence or absence, i.e., with a threshold of 1), lighting effects are used to provide an intervention stimulus to all participants. Alternatively, if a participant who breaks the silence is detected (similarly, by comparing it with a threshold of 1), visual effects are used to provide an intervention stimulus to the entire group, including that participant. In this embodiment, such intervention stimuli are used to support the progress of the meeting so that communication among participants takes place according to the type of meeting.

[0044] Similarly, for other types of meetings, a database has been compiled detailing what kind of intervention stimuli are used under different meeting conditions. By referring to this database, it becomes possible to provide appropriate intervention stimuli to support meetings effectively.

[0045] Furthermore, Figure 4 shows an example of a third database in the communication support system according to the embodiment. The database shown in Figure 4 describes what kind of intervention stimulus to provide when providing an intervention stimulus for each type of team (i.e., team composition). Below, an example of when an intervention stimulus is provided will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. For example, if the type of meeting is a brainstorming meeting and the type of team is a "quiet" team, if the calculated parameters detect that the speaking time is longer than the threshold, no intervention stimulus will be provided. On the other hand, if a silence period longer than the threshold is detected, an intervention stimulus will be subtly provided to all participants through airflow and scent. The intervention stimulus here will be provided with stimulus parameters that are relatively weaker than standard stimulus parameters, such as airflow and scent. Also, if one or more speaker changes, which is the threshold, are detected, an intervention stimulus will be provided to all participants through wall lighting to change the atmosphere. Furthermore, if one or more participants who break the silence are detected, which is the threshold, an intervention stimulus will be provided to the entire group, including the participant who broke the silence, through video effects. Thus, in Figures 3 and 4, if intervention stimuli are set to be applied to either, the intervention stimuli will be applied during that meeting. On the other hand, in Figures 3 and 4, if intervention stimuli are not set to be applied to either, the intervention stimuli will not be applied during that meeting.

[0046] Furthermore, the conditions (database) for intervention stimuli, which are tailored to the type of meeting and the type of team, can include not only the conditions for providing or not providing an intervention stimulus, but also a threshold for the parameter used to determine whether to provide an intervention stimulus (i.e., a threshold for estimating the state of the meeting in the estimation unit), the equipment 151 used to provide the intervention stimulus, and stimulus parameters such as stimulus intensity and duration when providing the intervention stimulus. Since many factors contribute to setting such conditions, for example, the intervention stimuli given during a meeting in advance can be evaluated by participants' subjective evaluations or creativity tests, and a large number of evaluation results can be collected and used to build an intervention control model that has been trained using machine learning along with a large number of intervention stimulus conditions. The conditions for intervention stimuli set by such an intervention control model can also be made more optimal through retraining, so it is desirable to configure the system to allow for model updates and updates to the intervention stimulus conditions (database).

[0047] The input unit 206 receives input from the participant via the input device 153 and interrupts the execution of the intervention stimulus. Therefore, the input unit 206 passes on to the control unit 208 that input has been received. The conditions under which input is received by the input unit 206 are also used to update the conditions of the intervention stimulus.

[0048] The scenario determination unit 207 determines the scenario for controlling the environment of space 150 according to the type of meeting. The scenario determination unit 207 determines the scenario by selecting a predetermined scenario according to the type of meeting. The scenario determination unit 207 passes the determined scenario to the control unit 208.

[0049] The control unit 208 is an example of an environmental control unit and an intervention control unit, and controls environmental equipment for controlling the environment of space 150 according to the type of meeting, and also controls equipment for providing intervention stimuli to meeting participants based on the type of meeting, the state of the meeting, and the type of team.

[0050] The operation of the communication support system, along with the operation of the control unit 208, will be described below with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the communication support system according to the embodiment.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, first, the control unit 208 receives and acquires the selection of the type of meeting (selection step S11). Next, the control unit 208 receives and acquires the selection of the type of team (acquisition step S12). The control unit 208 refers to the database 209 (referencing information as illustrated in Figures 2-4) and reads out the conditions for performing the intervention stimulus (step S13). Meanwhile, the scenario determination unit 207 determines the scenario (step S14) and passes it to the control unit 208.

[0052] Subsequently, as soon as the meeting begins, the control unit 208 starts environmental control according to the scenario (step S15).

[0053] If input is received by the input unit 206 during the meeting (Yes in step S16), the control unit 208 controls the device 151 to provide the intervention stimulus specified in the input or a pre-set stimulus (step S17). At that time, the control unit 208 updates the conditions for providing the intervention stimulus based on the conditions at the time of input (step S18). The control unit 208 then rereads the updated conditions (step S19), returns to step S16, and continues to determine whether or not to provide the intervention stimulus using the latest conditions.

[0054] On the other hand, if there is no input to the input unit 206 (No in step S16), the server 200 acquires audio information and video information (step S20, which includes the audio acquisition step and the video acquisition step). The estimation unit 205 estimates the state of the meeting by calculating various parameters (estimation step S21). If the estimated state of the meeting satisfies the conditions (Yes in step S22), the control unit 208 controls the device 151 to provide an intervention stimulus under the read conditions (intervention control step S23). If the state of the meeting does not satisfy the conditions (No in step S22), the intervention control step S23 is skipped and it is determined whether the meeting has ended or not (step S24). If the meeting has not ended (No in step S24), the process is repeated from step S16. On the other hand, if it is determined that the meeting has ended, for example, if there is silence in the space 150 for a certain period of time (Yes in step S24), the process is terminated.

[0055] [Effects, etc.] As described above, the communication support system 100 according to the first aspect of this disclosure includes a selection unit 201 that accepts the selection of the type of communication to be conducted within a team composed of multiple people, an acquisition unit 202 that acquires the type of team, a voice acquisition unit 203 that acquires voice information spoken during the communication, an estimation unit 205 that estimates the state of communication based on the voice information, and an intervention control unit (part of the function of the control unit 208) that controls a device 151 for providing an intervention stimulus to one or more people in the team during the period in which the communication is taking place, based on the type of communication, the state of communication, and the type of team.

[0056] This allows for the control of devices that provide intervention stimuli according to the type of communication, the type of team, and the state of communication. For example, since the effective way to provide intervention stimuli may differ depending on the type of communication and the type of team, intervention stimuli can be made more effective according to the state of communication by taking into account the type of communication and the type of team. In this way, it becomes possible to support communication more appropriately.

[0057] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 according to the second aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in the first aspect, wherein the estimation unit 205 calculates, based on voice information, the speaking time during which at least one person in the team continues to speak, the silence period during which a person in the team remains silent, or the number of speaker changes, and estimates the state of communication based on whether at least one of the calculated speaking time, silence period, and number of changes satisfies a condition.

[0058] According to this, by making intervention stimuli that correspond to the state of communication based on whether at least one of the calculated speech duration, silence period, and number of alternations meets the conditions more effective, it becomes possible to support communication more appropriately.

[0059] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 according to the third aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in the first or second aspect, wherein the equipment 151 includes at least one of a spotlight, a wall light, an airflow generator, a fragrance generator, and an acoustic device.

[0060] According to this, an intervention stimulus can be provided by a device 151 that includes at least one of a spotlight, wall lighting, airflow generator, fragrance generator, and sound device.

[0061] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 according to the fourth aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the intervention control unit determines conditions for the combination of the type of communication, the state of communication, and the type of team using an intervention control model that has learned the relationship between a number of results, each showing the prior subjective evaluation by a person in the team to an intervention stimulus given when prior communication is taking place, and the result of at least one of the prior creativity test by a person in the team, and a number of combinations, each showing the combination of the type of communication, the state of communication, and the type of team during prior communication, and controls the device 151 to provide an intervention stimulus when the new type of communication, the new state of communication, and the new type of team satisfy the determined conditions.

[0062] According to this, an intervention control model that has learned from a large number of outcomes and combinations can provide intervention stimuli according to conditions determined based on the relationship between outcomes and combinations. For example, for new types of communication, new communication states, and new types of teams, intervention stimuli that are likely to yield good results when at least one of subjective evaluation and creativity tests is performed can be provided.

[0063] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 according to the fifth aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in any one of the first to fourth aspects, further comprising: a scenario determination unit 207 that determines a scenario which is a change in the environment of the space 150 where communication takes place over time, according to the type of communication; and an environment control unit (part of the function of the control unit 208) that controls environmental equipment (included in equipment 151) for controlling the environment of the space 150 where communication takes place in accordance with the determined scenario.

[0064] According to this, environmental control can be changed over time according to the type of communication. Environmental control can, for example, provide additional effects on intervention stimuli or synergistic effects with intervention stimuli. Furthermore, by adding changes over time to this environmental control, it is possible to support the progress of communication in accordance with the type of communication.

[0065] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 according to the sixth aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in any one of the first to fifth aspects, and further comprises an input unit 206 that receives input and controls the device 151 so that an intervention stimulus is given at the timing of receiving the input.

[0066] According to this, the device can be controlled so that an intervention stimulus is delivered at the moment input is received.

[0067] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 according to the seventh aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in the sixth aspect, wherein the intervention control unit controls the device 151 to provide an intervention stimulus when the type of communication, the state of communication, and the type of team satisfy predetermined conditions, and updates the conditions based on the combination of the type of communication, the state of communication, and the type of team when the input unit 206 receives input.

[0068] According to this, the intervention control unit can update the conditions for providing the intervention stimulus (i.e., automatically) based on the input for providing the intervention stimulus at the time it is received (i.e., at the user's discretion). Therefore, it is possible to provide an automatic intervention stimulus at a timing close to that of a user's discretion.

[0069] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 according to the eighth aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the intervention control unit has a database that links the type of communication, the state of communication, and information regarding the control of equipment for providing intervention stimuli, and controls the equipment for providing intervention stimuli by referring to the database during the period in which communication is taking place.

[0070] According to this, by referring to a database that links the type of communication, the state of communication, and information on the control of devices for delivering intervention stimuli, it is possible to deliver intervention stimuli during the period in which communication is taking place.

[0071] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 relating to the ninth aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in any one of the first to eighth aspects, and the communication is the communication that takes place in a meeting between the participants of the meeting.

[0072] This will allow for more effective support of meetings.

[0073] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 according to the tenth aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in any one of the first to ninth aspects, further comprising a video acquisition unit 204 that acquires video information of multiple people communicating, and an estimation unit 205 that estimates the state of communication based on the video information and audio information.

[0074] According to this, video information can be used in addition to audio information when estimating the state of communication. Estimates that cannot be made with audio information alone become possible by using video information. For example, even if it is unclear from audio information alone who made the sound, the speaker can be determined from video information, and the state of communication can be estimated based on that.

[0075] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 relating to the 11th aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in any one of the 1st to 10th aspects, wherein the acquisition unit 202 determines and acquires the type of team based on the acquired voice information.

[0076] According to this, the type of team determined based on the acquired audio information will enable more appropriate communication support.

[0077] Furthermore, the communication support system 100 relating to the twelfth aspect of this disclosure is the communication support system 100 described in any one of the first to tenth aspects, and the acquisition unit 202 acquires the type of team by accepting a selection.

[0078] According to this, depending on the type of team that accepts the selection, it will be possible to provide more appropriate support for communication.

[0079] Furthermore, the communication support method according to the 13th aspect of this disclosure is a communication support method performed by a computer, and includes: a selection step S11 that accepts the selection of the type of communication to be performed within a team composed of multiple people; an acquisition step S12 that acquires the type of team; a voice acquisition step (part of step S20) that acquires voice information spoken in the communication; an estimation step S21 that estimates the state of the communication based on the voice information; and an intervention control step S23 that controls equipment to provide an intervention stimulus to one or more people in the team during the period in which the communication is taking place, based on the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of team.

[0080] According to this, it will have the same effect as the communication support system 100 described above.

[0081] Furthermore, the program relating to the 14th aspect of this disclosure is a program that causes a computer to execute the communication support method described in the 13th aspect.

[0082] According to this, computers can achieve the same effect as the communication support methods described above.

[0083] Furthermore, the communication support system according to the 15th aspect of this disclosure includes a selection unit that accepts the selection of the type of communication to be conducted by multiple people, a scenario determination unit that determines a scenario which is a change in the environment of the space in which the communication takes place over time according to the type of communication, and an environment control unit that controls environmental equipment for controlling the environment of the space in which the communication takes place in accordance with the determined scenario.

[0084] According to this, since there is one or more different scenarios depending on the type of communication, it is possible to make communication more efficient by changing the environmental control over time according to the scene. In other words, from the perspective of making communication more efficient, it is possible to support communication more appropriately by only controlling the environment according to the type of communication and the scene, without providing intervention stimuli according to the type of communication.

[0085] (Other embodiments) Although embodiments have been described above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above.

[0086] For example, in the above embodiment, a process executed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. Furthermore, the order of multiple processes may be changed, or multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

[0087] Furthermore, the communication support system in this disclosure may be implemented by multiple devices, each having a portion of the multiple components, or by a single device having all of the multiple components. Also, some of the functions of one component may be implemented as the functions of another component, and the functions may be distributed among the components in any way. Any configuration that substantially includes all the functions necessary to implement the communication support system in this disclosure is included in this disclosure.

[0088] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, each component may be realized by executing a software program suitable for each component. Each component may also be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as a hard disk or semiconductor memory.

[0089] Furthermore, each component may be implemented by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or they may be separate circuits. Also, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0090] Furthermore, the general or specific embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, computer program, or recording medium such as a computer-readable CD-ROM. They may also be implemented in any combination of systems, apparatus, methods, integrated circuits, computer programs, and recording media.

[0091] Furthermore, this disclosure may be implemented as a communication support method to be performed by a communication support system. This disclosure may be implemented as a program for causing a computer to perform such a communication support method, or as a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

[0092] Furthermore, this disclosure also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to the embodiments that a person skilled in the art could conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment without departing from the spirit of this disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0093] 100 Communication Support Systems 150 space 151 Equipment 152 Selected Devices 153 Input Devices 154 Camera 155 Mike 200 servers 201 Selection Section 202 Acquisition Department 203 Voice Acquisition Unit 204 Video Acquisition Unit 205 Estimation section 206 Input section 207 Scenario Decision Department 208 Control Unit 209 Databases

Claims

1. A selection section that accepts the selection of the type of communication to take place within a team composed of multiple people, An acquisition unit for acquiring the type of the aforementioned team, A voice acquisition unit that acquires voice information spoken in the aforementioned communication, An estimation unit that estimates the state of the communication based on the aforementioned audio information, The system includes an intervention control unit that controls equipment for providing intervention stimuli to one or more people in the team during the period in which the communication is taking place, based on the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of team. The acquisition unit determines and acquires the type of team based on the acquired audio information. Communication support system.

2. The estimation unit, Based on the aforementioned audio information, the speaking time during which at least one person in the team continues speaking, the silence period during which a person in the team remains silent, or the number of speaker changes are calculated. The state of communication is estimated based on whether at least one of the calculated speech time, silence period, and number of alternations satisfies the conditions. The communication support system according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned equipment includes at least one of a spotlight, a wall light, an airflow generator, a fragrance generator, and an acoustic device. A communication support system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The intervention control unit, An intervention control model is used to learn the relationship between a large number of results, each representing a prior subjective evaluation by a team member of the intervention stimulus given during prior communication, and at least one of the results of a prior creativity test conducted by a team member, and a large number of combinations, each representing a combination of the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of team during the prior communication. Based on this model, conditions for the combinations of the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of team are determined. The device is controlled to provide the intervention stimulus when the new type of communication, the new state of communication, and the new type of team satisfy the determined conditions. A communication support system according to claim 1 or 2.

5. A scenario determination unit determines a scenario which is a change in the environment of the space in which the communication takes place over time, according to the type of communication. The system further comprises an environmental control unit that controls environmental equipment for controlling the environment of the space in which the communication takes place in accordance with the determined scenario, A communication support system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The system further includes an input unit that receives an input and controls the device so that the intervention stimulus is applied at the time the input is received. A communication support system according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The intervention control unit, The device is controlled to deliver the intervention stimulus when the type of communication, the state of communication, and the type of team meet predetermined conditions. The conditions are updated based on the combination of the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of team when the input is received by the input unit. The communication support system according to claim 6.

8. The intervention control unit, The database has a set of records that links the type of communication, the state of the communication, and information regarding the control of the device for providing the intervention stimulus. During the period in which the aforementioned communication is taking place, the system controls the device for delivering the intervention stimulus by referring to the database. A communication support system according to claim 1 or 2.

9. The aforementioned communication is the communication that takes place during a meeting, among the participants of that meeting. A communication support system according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The system further includes a video acquisition unit that acquires video information of multiple people who are communicating as described above. The estimation unit estimates the state of the communication based on the video information and the audio information. A communication support system according to claim 1 or 2.

11. (delete)

12. (delete)

13. A communication support method performed by a computer, A selection step that allows users to choose the type of communication that takes place within a team composed of multiple people, The acquisition step to obtain the type of the aforementioned team, A speech acquisition step to acquire spoken audio information in the aforementioned communication, An estimation step of estimating the state of communication based on the aforementioned audio information, The intervention control step includes controlling equipment to provide an intervention stimulus to one or more people in the team during the period in which the communication is taking place, based on the type of communication, the state of the communication, and the type of team. In the acquisition step, the type of team is determined and acquired based on the acquired audio information. Communication support methods.

14. To cause a computer to execute the communication support method described in claim 13, program.

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