Information processing device, information processing method, information processing system, and program

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing system, and a program that make it possible to appropriately improve signal quality in a situation in which a biological signal is measured and the signal quality thereof decreases. A biological signal of a subject person is acquired, a reference signal related to the biological signal is acquired, and a context is acquired. If the signal quality of the biological signal decreases, a cause of the decrease in the signal quality of the biological signal is suggested on the basis of the reference signal and the context, and the cause of the decrease in the signal quality of the biological signal is presented. The present disclosure can be applied to a biological signal detection system.

Description

Information processing device, information processing method, information processing system, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing system, and a program, and in particular to an information processing device, an information processing method, an information processing system, and a program that are capable of appropriately improving signal quality when the signal quality of a biological signal deteriorates.

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Devices that measure various biological signals, such as brain waves and heart rates, and detect biological conditions and abnormalities based on the measurement results are now widely used.

[0003] However, there are cases where the biosignal cannot be measured properly due to misalignment of the device or noise.

[0004] Therefore, a technology has been proposed in which, if an abnormality in the signal quality is detected based on the signal quality of the measured biological signal, it is assumed that a misalignment has occurred in the installation position of the device and a notification of the misalignment has occurred (see Patent Document 1).

[0005] In addition, a technology has been proposed in which a time series data of a measured biosignal is used to determine whether the biosignal contains noise, and if it is determined that noise is contained, an alert is sent indicating that the signal quality is deteriorating (see Patent Document 2).

[0006] JP 2014-100244 A JP 2020-155009 A

[0007] However, in the technology of Patent Document 1, abnormalities in signal quality may not necessarily be caused by misalignment of the device, and correcting the misalignment may not improve signal quality.

[0008] Furthermore, in the technology of Patent Document 2, even if noise is included, the cause of the noise is not presented, and therefore it is not known what measures can be taken to eliminate the noise, and there is a risk that signal quality cannot be improved.

[0009] In other words, in both Patent Documents 1 and 2, when a degradation in signal quality occurs during measurement of a biological signal, a notification is given that a degradation in signal quality has occurred, but the information on which this is based is not presented, so there is a risk that the degradation in signal quality cannot be properly resolved.

[0010] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and in particular, when a situation occurs in which signal quality deteriorates when measuring a biological signal, the present disclosure enables signal quality to be appropriately improved by presenting the reasons for this.

[0011] An information processing device, an information processing system, and a program according to one aspect of the present disclosure are an information processing device, an information processing system, and a program including a biosignal acquisition unit that acquires a biosignal of a subject, a reference signal acquisition unit that acquires a reference signal related to the biosignal, a context acquisition unit that acquires a context, a basis estimation unit that, when the signal quality of the biosignal deteriorates, estimates the basis for the deterioration in signal quality of the biosignal based on the reference signal and the context, and a presentation unit that presents the basis for the deterioration in signal quality of the biosignal.

[0012] An information processing method of one aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing method including steps of acquiring a biological signal of a subject, acquiring a reference signal related to the biological signal, acquiring a context, and, if the signal quality of the biological signal deteriorates, estimating the basis for the deterioration in signal quality of the biological signal based on the reference signal and the context, and presenting the basis for the deterioration in signal quality of the biological signal.

[0013] In one aspect of the present disclosure, a biological signal of a subject is acquired, a reference signal related to the biological signal is acquired, and a context is acquired.If the signal quality of the biological signal deteriorates, the basis for the deterioration in signal quality of the biological signal is estimated based on the reference signal and the context, and the basis for the deterioration in signal quality of the biological signal is presented.

[0014] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the appearance of the biosignal detection system of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating functions realized by the biosignal detection system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a basis estimation parameter and an example of estimation of a basis causing a degradation in signal quality. FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a signal quality degradation basis presentation process. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a signal quality degradation basis estimation process. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a UI display. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a UI application example (part 1). FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a UI application example (part 2). FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a UI application example (part 3). FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a general-purpose computer.

[0015] Preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present technology will be described. The description will be made in the following order: 1. Preferred embodiment 2. Example of execution by software

[0017] <<1. Preferred embodiment>> The present disclosure makes it possible to appropriately improve signal quality by estimating and presenting the basis for the degradation of signal quality, particularly when a situation occurs in which signal quality degrades during measurement of a biological signal.

[0018] FIG. 1 shows an example of the appearance of a biological signal detection system to which the technology of the present disclosure is applied.

[0019] The biological signal detection system 11 in FIG. 1 is composed of an electronic device 31, a biological signal acquisition unit 32, and an imaging unit 33.

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the biosignal acquisition unit 32 is composed of an electroencephalogram (EEG) detection device that is attached to the forehead of the head, and is fixed by a band 32a that surrounds the forehead, left and right temporal regions, and back of the head.

[0021] The biological signal acquisition unit 32 detects an electroencephalogram signal of the user 30 who is the subject, and transmits the signal as a biological signal to the electronic device 31 by wireless communication.

[0022] The biosignal acquisition unit 32 detects the contact state with the forehead of the user 30, for example, the contact impedance at the forehead, and transmits information on the contact state to the electronic device 31 as a reference signal.

[0023] The biological signal acquisition unit 32 detects head movement, which is the movement of the head of the user 30, and transmits information about the detected head movement to the electronic device 31 as a reference signal.

[0024] The imaging unit 33 captures moving images of the user 30, who is the subject, while the biosignal acquisition unit 32 is detecting the user's biosignal, and transmits the images as a reference signal to the electronic device 31 via wireless communication.

[0025] The electronic device 31 is, for example, a smartphone, receives the biological signal transmitted from the biological signal acquisition unit 32, and presents the result of detection to the user 30 who is the subject.

[0026] The electronic device 31 acquires, as reference signals, moving images recorded from the biosignal acquisition unit 32, such as the contact state between the biosignal acquisition unit 32 and the head of the user 30, and body movements, as well as the movements of the subject, the user 30, supplied from the imaging unit 33.

[0027] The electronic device 31 determines whether or not the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated, based on the biological signal and the reference signal transmitted from the biological signal acquisition unit 32. If the electronic device 31 determines that the signal quality has deteriorated, it estimates the basis for the cause of the deterioration of the signal quality based on the biological signal and the reference signal, and presents the estimation result to the user 30.

[0028] More specifically, when the electronic device 31 determines that the signal quality is deteriorating, it identifies a context consisting of additional information about the biosignal and information about the daily life and behavior of the user 30 based on the biosignal and the reference signal, estimates the basis for the cause of the deterioration in signal quality based on the identified context, and presents the estimated result to the user 30.

[0029] With this configuration, even if a deterioration in signal quality occurs when measuring brain waves, which are biological signals, in the biological signal detection system 11, the basis for the cause of the deterioration in signal quality presented to the electronic device 31 is appropriately estimated and presented to the user 30.

[0030] This allows the user 30 to appropriately improve the signal quality of the biological signal by taking measures to eliminate the reasons that cause the degradation of the signal quality that has been presented.

[0031] The functions realized by the electronic device 31 and the biological signal acquisition unit 32 will be described in detail later with reference to FIG.

[0032] <Configuration Example of Functions Realized by Biological Signal Detection System> Next, with reference to FIG. 2, functions realized by the electronic device 31 and the biological signal acquisition unit 32 of the biological signal detection system 11 of FIG. 1 will be described.

[0033] The electronic device 31 is, for example, a so-called smartphone, and is equipped with a reference signal acquisition unit 50, a context acquisition unit 51, a signal quality determination unit 52, a basis estimation unit 53, a basis estimation parameter storage unit 54, a user interaction unit 55, a basis information management unit 56, and a basis estimation parameter update unit 57.

[0034] The components from the reference signal acquisition unit 50 to the basis estimation parameter update unit 57 may be configured to realize their functions as an application program executed in the electronic device 31, or may be realized by incorporating dedicated hardware. However, in this embodiment, the description will be given on the premise that the functions are realized by an application program.

[0035] The biological signal acquisition unit 32 includes an electroencephalogram sensor 71 , a contact sensor 72 , and a body movement sensor 73 .

[0036] The brain wave sensor 71 measures brain waves as biosignals, such as power spectral density (PSD) and power in frequency bands such as theta waves, alpha waves, and beta waves, and outputs the results as biosignals.

[0037] In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the measurement results measured by the EEG sensor 71 are used as biological signals, but the measurement results may not only be the measurement results of the EEG sensor 71, but may also be preprocessed measurement results in which preprocessing has been performed on the biological signals that are the measurement results, or signal-processed measurement results in which signal processing such as noise removal has been performed.

[0038] Furthermore, the biological signal may be not only the measurement results, preprocessed measurement results, and signal processed results of the EEG sensor 71, but also, for example, a feature of the biological signal extracted by predetermined signal processing based on these, or an index representing the feature.

[0039] Furthermore, the biosignal may be a signal other than an electroencephalogram, as long as it is a signal related to a living organism. That is, the biosignal may be, for example, an electrocardiogram, such as the amplitude of the R wave, the width of the QRS wave, or heart rate variability in the electrocardiogram. The biosignal may be, for example, an electromyogram, such as the maximum amplitude, phase angle, and frequency component of the myoelectric potential of the electromyogram. The biosignal may be, for example, blood pressure, such as the systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and pulse pressure. The biosignal may be, for example, a respiratory rate, such as the amplitude, period, and respiratory depth of a respiratory waveform. The biosignal may be, for example, an electrodermal response, such as the change in skin conductance, reaction time, and amplitude in the electrodermal response. In the following description, the biosignal will be described as an electroencephalogram.

[0040] The contact sensor 72 measures impedance, for example, using an electrode provided at the point in the biosignal acquisition unit 32 that is in contact with the skin on the forehead of the user 30, and outputs a contact signal consisting of the measured change in impedance as a reference signal indicating the contact state between the EEG sensor 71 of the biosignal acquisition unit 32 and the head of the user 30.

[0041] The body movement sensor 73 consists of, for example, a gyro sensor built into the biosignal acquisition unit 32, and measures a body movement signal expressed in angular velocity and acceleration in three axial directions at the point of contact between the biosignal acquisition unit 32 and the skin on the forehead of the user 30, and outputs the signal as a reference signal indicating the body movement.

[0042] The reference signal acquisition unit 50 acquires, as reference signals, the moving image of the subject user 30 supplied from the imaging unit 33, the contact signal supplied from the contact sensor 72 of the biological signal acquisition unit 32, and the body movement signal supplied from the body movement sensor 73, and outputs the acquired reference signals to the context acquisition unit 51.

[0043] The reference signal may be not only information indicating the state of the measurement site such as a moving image of the user 30, a contact signal, and a body movement signal, but also information about the measurement environment when the biosignal is acquired.

[0044] The information on the measurement environment when acquiring the biosignal may be, for example, temperature, humidity, environmental sound, electromagnetic waves, and ultraviolet light intensity.

[0045] The context acquisition unit 51 generates a context, which is information about the user's behavior and state when measuring the reference signal supplied from the reference signal acquisition unit 50 and the biosignal input in advance by the user 30, etc., and outputs it to the signal quality determination unit 52 and the basis estimation unit 53.

[0046] More specifically, the context refers to the attributes and state of the subject user 30, the measurement environment, the measurement conditions, the task being performed by the user 30 at the time of measurement, the posture and position of the user 30 at the time of measurement, and the activity state of the user 30.

[0047] For this reason, the context acquisition unit 51 may be configured to have the subject input information such as age, sex, physical characteristics, and health condition as attributes and conditions of the user 30, and store the information. Alternatively, the context acquisition unit 51 may estimate information such as age, sex, physical characteristics, and health condition from a moving image of the user 30 supplied as a reference signal, and store the estimation results.

[0048] The context acquisition unit 51 may extract and acquire, based on the reference signal, the temperature and humidity of the measurement room, the level of external noise, the measurement time, the settings of the measurement equipment, and the like, as the context of the measurement environment and conditions.

[0049] In addition, the context acquisition unit 51 may extract measurement tasks such as tasks or assignments being performed by the user 30, types and intensities of movements, and types and intensities of stimuli as context from, for example, video images that are reference signals.

[0050] Furthermore, the context acquisition unit 51 may extract, as context, information on the position and posture of the user 30 at the time of measurement, such as the position, sitting, standing, or lying down position, and the position and angle of the area to be examined, for example, from a moving image or the like.

[0051] The context acquisition unit 51 may also extract user activity information such as the behavior, exercise, sports, sleep, and meals of the user 30 as context.

[0052] Furthermore, the context acquisition unit 51 may combine the above-mentioned multiple contexts and treat them as one context.

[0053] The signal quality determination unit 52 detects noise and artifacts contained in the biological signal supplied from the biological signal acquisition unit 32, evaluates the signal quality, and determines whether the signal quality is such that appropriate analysis and processing are possible.

[0054] When the signal quality determination unit 52 determines that the signal quality of the biological signal is lower than a predetermined signal quality, it outputs the biological signal and information indicating the deterioration of the signal quality to the basis estimation unit 53 and the basis information management unit 56. When the signal quality determination unit 52 determines that the signal quality is higher than the predetermined signal quality and is sufficient, it outputs only the biological signal to the basis information management unit 56.

[0055] When determining signal quality, the signal quality determination unit 52 associates the biosignal supplied from the biosignal acquisition unit 32 with the context supplied from the context acquisition unit 51, determines the signal quality, and outputs the determination results of the biosignal and signal quality to the basis estimation unit 53.

[0056] More specifically, the signal quality determination unit 52 may perform time domain analysis of the biological signal to analyze the waveform of the biological signal in the time domain and detect abnormal vibrations, noise, and artifacts. In this case, the signal quality determination unit 52 may detect abnormal vibrations, noise, and artifacts from the analysis result of the time domain based on a threshold value set in association with the context, and evaluate the signal quality.

[0057] Furthermore, the signal quality determination unit 52 may analyze the frequency characteristics of the biological signal by performing frequency domain analysis of the biological signal in association with the context, and detect abnormal frequency components. In this case, the signal quality determination unit 52 may detect abnormal frequency components from the analysis results of frequency identification based on a threshold value set in association with the context, and evaluate the signal quality.

[0058] Furthermore, the signal quality determination unit 52 may analyze the statistical properties of the biological signal in association with the context and detect abnormal values ​​or fluctuations. In this case, the signal quality determination unit 52 may detect abnormal values ​​or fluctuations from the analysis results of the statistical properties based on a threshold value set in association with the context, and evaluate the signal quality.

[0059] In addition, the signal quality determination unit 52 may be configured, for example, using a DNN (Deep Neural Network) or the like, and may learn the context and the corresponding biological signal pattern through machine learning, detect noise and artifacts that indicate abnormal behavior, and evaluate the signal quality.

[0060] When the signal quality determination unit 52 determines that the signal quality of the biological signal is low, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates the basis for the deterioration of signal quality based on the biological signal and context (including the reference signal) and the basis estimation parameters stored in the basis estimation parameter memory unit 54, and outputs the estimation result to the basis information management unit 56.

[0061] More specifically, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates the basis causing the degradation of signal quality by comparing the biological signal and the reference signal with a basis estimation parameter that is set as a threshold for each basis in association with the context and the reference signal contained in the context.

[0062] Furthermore, the basis estimation unit 53 performs clustering based on the biological signal and the context, and identifies any of the classes associated with known grounds, thereby estimating the grounds.

[0063] Furthermore, when the clustered class cannot be identified based on the biological signal or context as any of the classes associated with known grounds, the grounds estimation unit 53 registers the class as an unknown class, and when a similar class is found, it estimates that the grounds are unknown grounds that are context dependent.

[0064] The class here is set based on a combination of a biological signal or a context and corresponding known grounds.

[0065] For example, if the biosignal is an electroencephalogram (EEG), when a high-frequency signal is detected, myoelectricity caused by straining in some part of the body may have been detected. Therefore, a class based on strain is set for a context in which high-frequency components are detected in the electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a biosignal. As a result, for contexts in which high-frequency components are detected, strain is estimated as the basis for a decrease in signal quality through clustering.

[0066] Furthermore, for example, when the biological signal is an electroencephalogram (EEG), there is a possibility that artifacts caused by blinking or rapid eye movements (zaccades) have been detected when a low-frequency signal is detected. Therefore, for a context in which a low-frequency component is detected in the electroencephalogram (EEG), a class based on blinking or zaccades is set. As a result, for a context in which a low-frequency component is detected, blinking or zaccades is estimated as the basis for a decrease in signal quality by clustering.

[0067] The basis information management unit 56 displays and presents the information on the basis of the occurrence of degradation in signal quality, which is the estimation result supplied from the basis estimation unit 53, on a user interaction unit 55 formed of a touch panel or the like.

[0068] After presenting the information on the basis of which the degradation of signal quality is occurring, when the signal quality improves and the degradation of signal quality is resolved, the basis information management unit 56 considers that the degradation of signal quality has been resolved by taking measures in accordance with the presented information on the basis, and considers that the estimated basis information was valid (appropriate).

[0069] Furthermore, after presenting the information on the basis of which the degradation of signal quality is occurring, when the user interaction unit 55 is operated to input user feedback and information is input indicating that measures have been taken in accordance with the presented information on the basis but the degradation of signal quality has not been resolved, the basis information management unit 56 notifies the basis estimation parameter update unit 57 that the estimated information on the basis is invalid and inappropriate.

[0070] When the basis estimation parameter update unit 57 is notified that the estimated basis information is inappropriate, it updates the value of the basis estimation parameter stored in the basis estimation parameter memory unit 54, which serves as the basis for the estimation of the basis information causing the presented degradation of signal quality, so that it is less likely to be estimated as the basis for the degradation of signal quality from similar biological signals or contexts.

[0071] <Example of Estimation of Basis Estimation Parameters and Basis for Occurrence of Degradation of Signal Quality> Next, an example of estimation of the basis for occurrence of degradation of signal quality will be described with reference to the table of FIG.

[0072] The table in FIG. 3 shows examples of the basis estimation parameters stored in the basis estimation parameter storage unit 54.

[0073] In Figure 3, the horizontal axis shows the type of biological signal, and the vertical axis shows the reason for the deterioration of signal quality, and the value at each corresponding position in the table is the threshold value of the reason estimation parameter that may be the reason.

[0074] That is, in Figure 3, examples of types of biological signals are shown, from left to right in the figure, as brain waves, pulse waves, and electrodermal responses, and examples of reasons for the deterioration of signal quality are shown, from top to bottom in the figure, as ``the measuring unit is moving,'' ``the measuring unit is not in contact,'' and ``there is little signal component.''

[0075] In the case of electroencephalograms, when the reason for the deterioration in signal quality is that "the measuring unit is moving," a basis estimation parameter a1 is set as the threshold for body movement; when the reason is that "the measuring unit is not in contact," a basis estimation parameter b1 is set as the threshold for the contact state; and when the reason is that "there is little signal component," a basis estimation parameter c1 is set as the threshold for a predetermined signal component.

[0076] In the case of pulse waves, when the reason for the deterioration of signal quality is that the measuring unit is moving, a basis estimation parameter a2 is set as the threshold for body movement; when the reason is that the measuring unit is not in contact, a basis estimation parameter b2 is set as the threshold for the contact state; and when the reason is that the signal component is low, a basis estimation parameter c2 is set as the threshold for a predetermined signal component.

[0077] Furthermore, in the case of electrodermal response, when the reason for the deterioration in signal quality is that the measuring unit is moving, a basis estimation parameter a3 is set as the threshold for body movement; when the reason is that the measuring unit is not in contact, a basis estimation parameter b3 is set as the threshold for the contact state; and when the reason is that there is little signal component, a basis estimation parameter c3 is set as the threshold for a predetermined signal component.

[0078] A table of basis estimation parameters such as that shown in FIG. 3 is set for each context and is stored in the basis estimation parameter storage unit 54 .

[0079] Therefore, when the signal quality determination unit 52 determines that a deterioration in signal quality has occurred, the basis estimation unit 53 reads out a table of corresponding basis estimation parameters from the basis estimation parameter memory unit 54 based on the context supplied from the context acquisition unit 51.

[0080] Then, the basis estimation unit 53 compares the read table of basis estimation parameters for the corresponding context with the biological signal and reference signal supplied from the signal quality determination unit 52, and estimates the basis for the deterioration of signal quality.

[0081] For example, in the example of Figure 2, electroencephalograms are measured, and if it is determined that the signal quality of the biological signal consisting of electroencephalograms is deteriorating, when a table such as that shown in Figure 3 is read out as a table of basis estimation parameters corresponding to the current context, if the body movement signal as a reference signal is greater than the basis estimation parameter a1, which is a threshold value, the basis estimation unit 53 will infer that "the measuring unit is moving" is the basis for causing the deterioration in signal quality.

[0082] Similarly, when the contact signal as a reference signal is greater than the threshold value, which is the basis estimation parameter b1, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that the “measurement unit is not in contact” is the basis for the deterioration of signal quality.

[0083] Furthermore, when a predetermined signal component of the biological signal is smaller than the threshold value, which is the basis estimation parameter c1, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that "the number of signal components is small" as the basis for the deterioration of signal quality.

[0084] It is possible that multiple reasons for reducing signal quality may be estimated. In such cases, only the reason with the largest difference from the threshold basis estimation parameter may be used as the estimation result, or the reasons up to a predetermined rank with the highest difference may be used as the estimation result, or all of the reasons may be used as the estimation result.

[0085] Furthermore, when the basis information management unit 56 presents to the user interaction unit 55 the basis for causing a decline in signal quality that is the result of estimation by the basis estimation unit 53, if the user 30 inputs feedback to the effect that the basis for the estimation result is inappropriate, the basis information management unit 56 notifies the basis estimation parameter update unit 57 that the basis for the estimation result was inappropriate.

[0086] The basis estimation parameter update unit 57 accesses the basis estimation parameter memory unit 54 and updates the basis estimation parameter corresponding to the basis that causes a deterioration in signal quality, which is the estimation result of the basis estimation unit 53 and for which feedback has been given that the parameter is inappropriate, to a value that is more difficult to estimate.

[0087] For example, if the body movement signal is larger than the threshold value of the basis estimation parameter a1, and therefore "movement of the measuring unit" is estimated as the basis for causing the degradation of signal quality, and feedback is given to the effect that this is inappropriate, the basis estimation parameter update unit 57 updates the basis estimation parameter a1 to increase it by a predetermined value.

[0088] This makes it difficult to infer that "the measuring unit is moving" is the reason for the deterioration of signal quality due to the body movement signal, and makes it difficult to infer an inappropriate reason.

[0089] As a result, the basis estimation parameter is customized according to the feedback of the user 30, and the basis estimation parameter is gradually reset to an appropriate threshold value, so that the more times it is used, the more accurate it becomes to estimate the basis causing the degradation of signal quality.

[0090] Furthermore, as described above, the table of basis estimation parameters is set according to the context, and thus the basis estimation parameters according to the context are set, and thus the basis estimation parameters according to the usage conditions corresponding to the context are set as thresholds. As a result, it is possible to appropriately improve the accuracy of estimating the basis for causing degradation of signal quality according to the context.

[0091] <Processing for Presenting Reason for Deterioration of Signal Quality> Next, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4, a processing for presenting reason for deterioration of signal quality performed by the biological signal detection system 11 of FIG. 2 will be described.

[0092] In step S71 , the brain wave sensor 71 of the biological signal acquisition section 32 detects a brain wave as a biological signal and outputs it to the signal quality determination section 52 .

[0093] In step S72, the reference signal acquisition unit 50 acquires the moving image of the subject user 30 supplied from the imaging unit 33, the contact signal supplied from the contact sensor 72 of the biological signal acquisition unit 32, and the body movement signal supplied from the body movement sensor 73 as reference signals, and outputs the acquired reference signals to the context acquisition unit 51.

[0094] In step S73, the context acquisition unit 51 generates a context, which is information about the user's behavior and state when the biological signal is measured, based on the reference signal supplied from the reference signal acquisition unit 50 and the user attributes input in advance by the user 30 or the like, and outputs the generated context to the signal quality determination unit 52 and the basis estimation unit 53. At this time, the context acquisition unit 51 outputs not only the context information but also the reference information used to generate the context information to the signal quality determination unit 52 and the basis estimation unit 53.

[0095] In step S74, the signal quality determination unit 52 determines whether the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated compared to a predetermined signal quality based on the biological signal supplied from the biological signal acquisition unit 32 and the context supplied from the context acquisition unit 51, and outputs the biological signal to the basis information management unit 56.

[0096] If it is determined in step S74 that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated compared with the predetermined signal quality, the process proceeds to step S75.

[0097] In step S75, the signal quality determination unit 52 outputs the determination result that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated and the biological signal to the basis estimation unit 53. The basis estimation unit 53 executes a signal quality deterioration basis estimation process based on the determination result that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated, the biological signal, and the context supplied from the context acquisition unit 51, to estimate the basis for the deterioration of the signal quality, and outputs the estimation result to the basis information management unit 56.

[0098] The signal quality degradation reason estimation process will be described in detail later with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0099] In step S76, the basis information management unit 56 controls the user interaction unit 55 to present the fact that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated together with the basis for the estimation.

[0100] In step S77, the basis information management unit 56 determines, based on the basis information of the decline in signal quality supplied by the basis estimation unit 53, whether the basis information is the same as the basis information for the previous estimation result and whether the previous basis information has been indicated as inappropriate by feedback.

[0101] In step S77, if the basis information is not the same as the basis information for the immediately preceding estimation result, or if the immediately preceding basis information has not been indicated as inappropriate by feedback, the process proceeds to step S78.

[0102] In step S78, the basis information management unit 56 determines whether the user 30 has operated the user interaction unit 55 to input information that serves as feedback for the basis information indicating that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated.

[0103] If it is determined in step S78 that information serving as feedback for the basis information indicating that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated has been input, the process proceeds to step S79.

[0104] In step S79, the basis information management unit 56 receives information serving as feedback from the user 30.

[0105] In step S80, the basis information management unit 56 determines whether the received feedback information indicates that the basis information for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal is inappropriate.

[0106] If it is determined in step S80 that the received feedback information indicates that the basis information for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal is inappropriate, the process proceeds to step S81.

[0107] In step S81, the basis information management unit 56 notifies the basis estimation parameter update unit 57 that the current basis information is inappropriate, along with the current basis information. The basis estimation parameter update unit 57 accesses the basis estimation parameter storage unit 54, reads out a table of basis estimation parameters corresponding to the current context, and updates the basis estimation parameters corresponding to the current basis information so that the current basis information is less likely to be estimated as a basis.

[0108] In step S82, the basis information management unit 56 controls the user interaction unit 55 to store the measurement results consisting of the current biological signals.

[0109] In step S83, the signal quality determination unit 52 determines whether or not an instruction to end the process has been given. If an instruction to end the process has not been given, the process returns to step S71, and the subsequent processes are repeated.

[0110] If it is determined in step S74 that there is no degradation in signal quality, the process proceeds to step S84.

[0111] In step S84, the signal quality determining unit 52 determines whether the signal quality of the biological signal has improved since it was determined that the signal quality had deteriorated in the immediately preceding processing.

[0112] In the process of step S84, after it is determined in the immediately preceding process that the signal quality has deteriorated, whether or not the signal quality has improved is determined by, for example, performing a corresponding process based on the presented reason for the deterioration of the signal quality. Therefore, if it is determined in the immediately preceding process that the signal quality has deteriorated, it is determined that the signal quality has not improved, not only when there is no improvement in the signal quality, but also when it is not determined in the immediately preceding process that the signal quality has deteriorated.

[0113] In step S84, if it is determined that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated in the immediately preceding process and has since improved, the process proceeds to step S85.

[0114] In step S85, the signal quality determination unit 52 notifies the fact that the signal quality has improved to the basis information management unit 56. The basis information management unit 56 controls the user interaction unit 55 to present the fact that the signal quality of the biological signal has improved.

[0115] In step S84, if the signal quality of the biological signal in the immediately preceding process is not deemed to have deteriorated or there is no improvement in the signal quality, the process of step S85 is skipped.

[0116] Furthermore, in step S77, if the basis information is not the same as the basis information for the previous estimation result, or if the feedback does not indicate that the previous basis information is inappropriate, if there is no feedback in step S78, and if there is feedback in step S80 but there is no indication that the basis information for the decline in signal quality of the biological signal is inappropriate, processing proceeds to step S82.

[0117] In other words, through the above processing, when the signal quality of the biological signal deteriorates, the basis for this is estimated and presented, and when feedback from the user indicates that the basis is inappropriate, the basis estimation parameters are updated, making it more difficult to estimate the basis that has been indicated as inappropriate, and instead, other basis is estimated.

[0118] Furthermore, even if the next basis is also inappropriate, further basis will be inferred in the same way, and it is expected that the basis will gradually approach appropriate basis.

[0119] Furthermore, as described above, the basis estimation parameter used to estimate the basis for the degradation of the signal quality of the biological signal is set for each context, and therefore the basis estimation parameter is updated depending on the context. This allows the basis estimation parameter to be gradually adjusted to an appropriate value depending on the context, thereby improving the accuracy of the basis estimation.

[0120] Furthermore, if the presented reason is appropriate, simply taking action to resolve the reason will improve the signal quality of the biological signal and the improvement in signal quality will be presented.Therefore, the user 30 can improve the signal quality simply by resolving the presented reason without requiring feedback, and can further recognize the improvement in signal quality.

[0121] When the signal quality of the biological signal improves, the deterioration of the signal quality is no longer detected, and the biological signal is measured and the measurement result is simply stored.

[0122] <Processing for Estimating Reason for Deterioration of Signal Quality> Next, processing for estimating reason for deterioration of signal quality will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0123] In step S111, the basis estimation unit 53 reads out a table of basis estimation parameters corresponding to the context and reference information supplied by the context acquisition unit 51 from the basis estimation parameter memory unit 54, and determines whether or not a body movement greater than the threshold basis estimation parameter has been detected based on the measurement results of the body movement sensor 73.

[0124] If it is determined in step S111 that body movement greater than the threshold basis estimation parameter has been detected, then in step S112, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that the basis for the decline in signal quality of the biological signal is the influence of body movement.

[0125] If it is determined in step S111 that a body movement greater than the basis estimation parameter has not been detected, the process proceeds to step S113.

[0126] In step S113, the basis estimation unit 53 reads out a table of basis estimation parameters corresponding to the context and reference information supplied by the context acquisition unit 51 from the basis estimation parameter memory unit 54, and determines, based on the measurement results of the contact sensor 72, whether the impedance is greater than the threshold basis estimation parameter and whether there is insufficient contact.

[0127] In step S113, if it is determined based on the measurement results of the contact sensor 72 that the impedance is greater than the threshold basis estimation parameter and that there is insufficient contact, then in step S114 the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that the basis for the decline in signal quality of the biological signal is a decline in contact.

[0128] In step S113, if it is determined based on the measurement result of the contact sensor 72 that the contact impedance is smaller than the threshold value of the basis estimation parameter and that there is sufficient contact, the process proceeds to step S115.

[0129] In step S115, the basis estimation unit 53 reads out a table of basis estimation parameters corresponding to the context and reference information supplied by the context acquisition unit 51 from the basis estimation parameter storage unit 54, and determines, based on the biological signal, whether a specified signal component is less than the threshold basis estimation parameter.

[0130] In step S115, if it is determined based on the biological signal that the predetermined signal component is less than the threshold basis estimation parameter, the process proceeds to step S116.

[0131] In step S116, the basis estimation unit 53 determines whether or not a predetermined signal component is always less than a predetermined value based on the time-series biological signal.

[0132] If it is determined in step S116 that the predetermined signal component is always less than the predetermined value, in step S117, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that the basis for the decline in signal quality of the biological signal is a device failure or a personal characteristic.

[0133] Also, if it is determined in step S116 that the specified signal component is not always less than the specified value, in step S118, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that the basis for the decline in signal quality of the biological signal is dirt or trauma at the measurement site, etc.

[0134] In step S115, if it is determined based on the biological signal that the predetermined signal component is not less than the basis estimation parameter serving as the threshold, the process proceeds to step S119.

[0135] In step S119, the basis estimation unit 53 classifies the context and the biological signal, which is the measurement result, into a class associated with a known basis, and identifies the basis associated with the classified class.

[0136] In step S120, the basis estimation unit 53 determines whether or not the biological signal, which is the measurement result, can be classified into any of the classes associated with known basis, based on the context and the biological signal.

[0137] In step S120, if the biological signal can be classified into one of the classes associated with known grounds based on the context and the measurement result of the biological signal, in step S121, the grounds estimation unit 53 estimates the grounds for the decline in signal quality of the biological signal as the grounds identified in correspondence with the classified class.

[0138] In step S120, if the subject cannot be classified into any of the classes associated with known grounds based on the context and the biological signal that is the measurement result, the process proceeds to step S122.

[0139] In step S122, the basis estimation unit 53 registers the biological signal, which is the current measurement result, and the context as an unknown class.

[0140] In step S123, the basis estimation unit 53 determines whether the combination of the biosignal and context that is the current measurement result is similar to any combination of the biosignal and context that was previously registered as an unknown class.

[0141] In step S123, if the combination of the current measurement result, that is, the biosignal and context, is similar to any combination of the biosignal and context that was previously registered as an unknown class, in step S124, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that the current measurement result, that is, the biosignal, may be evidence that depends on the context.

[0142] In step S123, if there is a combination of the current measurement result, which is a biosignal and context, that is similar to any combination of the biosignal and context registered as an unknown class, in step S124, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that the current measurement result, which is a biosignal, may be a basis that depends on the context.

[0143] In step S123, if there is no combination of biosignal and context that is the current measurement result similar to any of the combinations of biosignal and context registered as unknown classes, in step S125, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates that the basis for the decline in signal quality of the biosignal is dirt or trauma at the measurement site, etc.

[0144] Through the above processing, the basis estimation unit 53 estimates the basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal based on the biological signal and the context.

[0145] In the signal quality degradation basis presentation process described with reference to the flowchart of Figure 4, if, after presenting the basis for the signal quality degradation, feedback indicates that the basis is inappropriate and that the signal quality will not improve, the presented basis is deemed to be inappropriate, and the basis estimation parameters are updated and adjusted to make the presented basis more difficult to estimate.

[0146] However, as described above, when the reason is a device failure, even if it is an appropriate reason for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal, it is highly likely that the signal quality cannot be improved immediately.

[0147] Therefore, if the reason for the degradation of signal quality is something that the user 30 cannot take any measures to expect improvement, such as a device failure, the update of the corresponding reason estimation parameter may be stopped.

[0148] <Specific Example of UI> Next, a specific example of a UI presented by the user interaction unit 55 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0149] In the process of step S76 in the flowchart of FIG. 4, for example, a presentation example such as the message DM1 shown at the top of FIG. 6 is conceivable.

[0150] The message DM1 in Figure 4 states, "The signal quality is degraded due to poor contact of the EEG sensor. Please check the sensor." It indicates that poor contact was recognized from the reference signal formed from the measurement results of the contact sensor 72, and therefore the contact state of the biological signal acquisition unit 32 is the reason for the degradation of signal quality.

[0151] The user 30 does not respond to this presentation by operating the user interaction unit 55, but if the signal quality improves as a result of adjusting the contact state of the biological signal acquisition unit 32, the basis information management unit 56 determines that the basis for the deterioration in signal quality is appropriate and correct, and presents message DM2, for example, by processing in step S85.

[0152] The message DM2 states, "The contact condition of the EEG sensor has improved, and the signal quality has also improved," and notifies the user 30 that the signal quality has improved.

[0153] After that, a deterioration in signal quality occurs again, and therefore, in step S76, a message DM3, for example, is presented. Note that the message DM3 is the same as the message DM1.

[0154] Here, for example, since the user 30 had just adjusted the contact state of the biosignal acquisition unit 32, the user interaction unit 55 was operated and feedback indicating that the basis was inappropriate, as shown in message YM1, was input.

[0155] In the message YM1, feedback such as "It's being done" is input, which indicates that the contact state of the biological signal acquisition unit 32 has already been adjusted.

[0156] As a result, the contact-related basis estimation parameter corresponding to the estimated basis for the degradation of signal quality is adjusted to a value that makes it difficult to estimate, thereby making it difficult to estimate a similar basis.

[0157] In this case, for example, it is assumed that the biosignal contains a high-frequency signal and that an artifact caused by straining is estimated as the basis. In this case, for example, the message DM4 may be presented by the process of step S76.

[0158] The message DM4 states, "The signal quality is deteriorating. Please try relaxing your body.", informing the user 30 that the artifacts caused by straining are the cause.

[0159] The user 30 does not respond to this presentation by operating the user interaction unit 55, but if the signal quality improves as a result of relaxing the force, the basis information management unit 56 determines that the basis for the deterioration in signal quality is appropriate and correct, and presents message DM5, for example, by processing in step S85.

[0160] The message DM5 states that "signal quality has improved," and notifies the user 30 that the signal quality has improved.

[0161] Here, as shown by message YM2, feedback such as "OK" is input, indicating that the signal quality has been recognized to have improved.

[0162] In this manner, in the present disclosure, when the signal quality of a biosignal deteriorates for a user, information that is the basis for the deterioration in signal quality is estimated and presented to the user, allowing the user to take action to resolve the presented underlying condition, thereby appropriately improving the signal quality of the biosignal.

[0163] In addition, when the information that serves as the basis for the estimated degradation of signal quality is inappropriate, the basis estimation parameters are appropriately adjusted according to the context and user so that the information that serves as the basis for the estimated degradation of signal quality becomes difficult to estimate. Therefore, by using the parameters repeatedly, it becomes possible to improve the accuracy of estimating the basis for the degradation of signal quality.

[0164] In addition, when creating messages DM1 to DM5 etc. described with reference to Figure 6, the basis information management unit 56 can be equipped with functions such as large-scale language models (LLM), making it possible to realize communication with the user 30 using natural messages.

[0165] <UI Application Example> Although an example of a text-only UI has been described above, changes in signal quality may be explicitly communicated using a graph or the like showing time-series changes in signal quality.

[0166] <Part 1> For example, as shown in Figure 7, a detailed supplementary button B11 labeled "Details / Supplementary Information" may be displayed in the lower right corner of a message DM11 that reads, "The signal quality has deteriorated due to poor contact of the EEG sensor. Please check the sensor." When the detailed supplementary information button B11 is pressed, a detailed supplementary information image G1 may be displayed that shows the change in the signal quality of the EEG sensor over time, as shown in the lower right corner of Figure 7.

[0167] In the detailed supplementary image G1 at the bottom right of Figure 7, from the bottom up, the location that serves as the context, the type of action, the time, and a graph of the signal quality of the electroencephalogram, which is a biological signal, are displayed, and furthermore, in the top right corner, there is displayed an end display button B12 that is operated to end the display of the detailed supplementary image G1.

[0168] More specifically, the user's context shows that between 10:00 and 11:10, the user watched television in the living room until 10:40, after which the user played games, and from 11:10 onwards the user read in the study.

[0169] It also shows that the signal quality is maintained at a relatively high level from 10:00 to 10:50, but gradually deteriorates from 10:50 to 11:10, reaching its lowest level from 11:10 to 11:30.

[0170] In other words, according to this detailed supplementary image G1, the signal quality of the biological signal is relatively high while watching television in the living room, but it gradually deteriorates when playing games, and reaches its lowest state when reading in the study.

[0171] This allows the user to recognize that the signal quality of the brain waves decreases when thinking or making decisions is required, such as when playing games or reading, and that the signal quality remains high when thinking or making decisions is not required, such as when watching television.

[0172] <Part 2> For example, as shown in Figure 8, a detailed supplement button B21 labeled "Details / Supplement" may be displayed in the lower right corner of a message DM21 column that reads, "Signal quality is deteriorating. Please try relaxing your body." When the detailed supplement button B21 is pressed, a detailed supplement image G11 may be displayed as shown in the lower right corner of Figure 8.

[0173] In the detailed supplementary image G11 at the bottom right of Figure 8, the top row is labeled "Contexts in which similar events occurred," and a bar graph is displayed showing the frequency of each context in which a deterioration in signal quality due to strain occurred.In addition, the top right corner is displayed with an end display button B22, which is operated to end the display of the detailed supplementary image G11.

[0174] More specifically, bar graphs showing the most frequent contexts are displayed from left to right in the figure, and the frequency with which degradation of signal quality due to strain occurred in each of the following contexts is shown from left to right: "Working," "Playing games," "Watching TV," and "Reading."

[0175] In other words, according to this detailed supplementary image G11, it can be recognized that a decrease in signal quality due to strain in the biological signal occurs with high frequency in the following order: "while working," "while playing games," "while watching TV," and "while reading."

[0176] Moreover, the data may be expressed by a graph other than a bar graph, for example, a pie chart as shown in FIG.

[0177] In the detailed supplementary image G12 in the lower right of Figure 9, a pie chart is displayed showing the frequency of degradation of signal quality due to strain for each context, and furthermore, in the upper right corner, an end display button B23 is displayed which is operated to end the display of the detailed supplementary image G12.

[0178] The pie chart in FIG. 9 and the bar graph in FIG. 8 present the same information, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0179] <Part 3> Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, switching buttons B31 and B32 may be provided in the upper left corner of each of the detailed supplementary images G11 and G12, so that each time they are pressed, the detailed supplementary images G11 and G12 are switched and displayed.

[0180] That is, when the switching button B31 of the detail supplemental image G11 shown in the upper part of Fig. 10 is operated, the image is switched to and displayed as the detail supplemental image G12, as shown in the lower part of Fig. 10. Conversely, when the switching button B32 of the detail supplemental image G12 shown in the lower part of Fig. 10 is operated, the image is switched to and displayed as the detail supplemental image G11, as shown in the upper part of Fig. 10.

[0181] <<2. Example of Execution by Software>> The above-described series of processes can be executed by hardware, but can also be executed by software. When the series of processes is executed by software, the program that constitutes the software is installed from a recording medium into a computer that is built into dedicated hardware, or into, for example, a general-purpose computer that can execute various functions by installing various programs.

[0182] 11 shows an example of the configuration of a general-purpose computer. This computer has a built-in CPU (Central Processing Unit) 1001. An input / output interface 1005 is connected to the CPU 1001 via a bus 1004. A ROM (Read Only Memory) 1002 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 1003 are connected to the bus 1004.

[0183] The input / output interface 1005 is connected to an input unit 1006 including input devices such as a keyboard and a mouse through which a user inputs operation commands, an output unit 1007 that outputs a processing operation screen and images of processing results to a display device, a storage unit 1008 including a hard disk drive or the like that stores programs and various data, and a communication unit 1009 including a LAN (Local Area Network) adapter or the like that executes communication processing via a network typified by the Internet. Also connected is a drive 1010 that reads and writes data from / to a removable storage medium 1011 such as a magnetic disk (including a flexible disk), an optical disk (including a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory) and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)), a magneto-optical disk (including an MD (Mini Disc)), or a semiconductor memory.

[0184] The CPU 1001 executes various processes in accordance with a program stored in a ROM 1002 or a program read from a removable storage medium 1011 such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, installed in a storage unit 1008, and loaded from the storage unit 1008 into a RAM 1003. The RAM 1003 also stores data necessary for the CPU 1001 to execute various processes as appropriate.

[0185] In a computer configured as described above, the CPU 1001 performs the above-described series of processes by, for example, loading a program stored in the memory unit 1008 into the RAM 1003 via the input / output interface 1005 and the bus 1004 and executing it.

[0186] The program executed by the computer (CPU 1001) can be provided by being recorded on a removable storage medium 1011 such as a package medium, for example. The program can also be provided via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, or digital satellite broadcasting.

[0187] In a computer, a program can be installed in the storage unit 1008 via the input / output interface 1005 by inserting a removable storage medium 1011 into the drive 1010. The program can also be received by the communication unit 1009 via a wired or wireless transmission medium and installed in the storage unit 1008. Alternatively, the program can be installed in advance in the ROM 1002 or the storage unit 1008.

[0188] The program executed by the computer may be a program that processes in chronological order according to the order described in this specification, or may be a program that processes in parallel or at the required timing, such as when called.

[0189] 11 realizes the functions of the electronic device 31 in FIG.

[0190] In this specification, a system refers to a collection of multiple components (devices, modules (components), etc.), regardless of whether all of the components are housed in the same housing. Therefore, multiple devices housed in separate housings and connected via a network, and a single device housed in a single housing with multiple modules, are both systems.

[0191] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure.

[0192] For example, the present disclosure can be configured as a cloud computing system in which a single function is shared and processed collaboratively by multiple devices via a network.

[0193] Furthermore, each step described in the above flowchart can be executed by one device, or can be shared and executed by a plurality of devices.

[0194] Furthermore, when one step includes multiple processes, the multiple processes included in that one step can be executed by one device or can be shared and executed by multiple devices.

[0195] The present disclosure may also have the following configurations. <1> An information processing device including: a biosignal acquisition unit that acquires a biosignal of a subject; a reference signal acquisition unit that acquires a reference signal related to the biosignal; a context acquisition unit that acquires a context; a basis estimation unit that, when the signal quality of the biosignal deteriorates, estimates a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biosignal based on the reference signal and the context; and a presentation unit that presents a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biosignal. <2> The information processing device described in <1>, wherein the basis estimation unit estimates a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality by comparing the reference signal with a basis estimation parameter that is associated with the context and set for each basis for the deterioration of the signal quality. <3> The information processing device described in <2>, further including a basis estimation parameter update unit that updates the basis estimation parameter when the basis for the deterioration of the signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit is inappropriate. <4> The information processing device described in <3>, wherein the basis estimation parameter update unit updates the basis estimation parameter so that an inappropriate basis for the deterioration of the signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit becomes less likely to be estimated. <5> The information processing device according to <4>, wherein the presentation unit accepts an operation input from the subject, and when the operation input indicating that a basis for the decline in signal quality of the presented biological signal is inappropriate is accepted, the basis estimation parameter update unit updates the basis estimation parameter so that an inappropriate basis for the decline in signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit becomes more difficult to estimate. <6> The information processing device according to <3>, wherein the basis estimation parameter update unit cancels updating of the basis estimation parameter when the basis for the decline in signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit is inappropriate and the basis is a malfunction. <7> The information processing device according to <2>, wherein, when the basis for the decline in signal quality of the biological signal cannot be estimated based on the basis estimation parameter, the basis estimation unit estimates a basis for the decline in signal quality by identifying, based on the biological signal and the reference signal, which class the signal belongs to, which is previously classified according to the basis for the decline in signal quality.<8> The information processing device according to any one of <1> to <7>, wherein the presentation unit presents that the signal quality of the biological signal has improved when a deterioration in the signal quality of the biological signal has improved. <9> The information processing device according to any one of <1> to <8>, further including a signal quality determination unit that determines the signal quality by comparing the biological signal with a threshold set in association with the context, wherein, when the signal quality determination unit determines that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated, the basis estimation unit estimates a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal based on the reference signal and the context. <10> The information processing device according to <9>, wherein the signal quality determination unit determines the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal by comparing the signal quality of the biological signal with a threshold set in association with the context through time domain analysis, frequency domain analysis, or statistical analysis of the biological signal. <11> The information processing device according to <9>, wherein the signal quality determination unit determines the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal through machine learning of a pattern of the biological signal and the context. <12> The information processing device according to <1>, wherein the presentation unit presents a basis for the degradation of signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit, and presents a time-series change in the signal quality in association with the context. <13> The information processing device according to <1>, wherein the presentation unit presents a basis for the degradation of signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit, and presents, in a graph, the frequency of the context in which a similar degradation of signal quality is likely to occur. <14> The information processing device according to <13>, wherein the presentation unit presents a basis for the degradation of signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit, and presents, by switching between a plurality of different types of graphs, the frequency of the context in which a similar degradation of signal quality is likely to occur. <15> The information processing device according to any of <1> to <14>, wherein the biological signal includes an electroencephalogram, an electrocardiogram, an electromyogram, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and electrodermal response. <16> The information processing device according to any one of <1> to <15>, wherein the reference signal includes a movement of the biosignal acquisition unit when the biosignal acquisition unit is attached to the subject and the biosignal is being acquired, a contact state with the subject, a moving image capturing the state of the subject, and environmental information of the subject.<17> The information processing device according to any one of <1> to <16>, wherein the context includes information obtained from the attributes and state of the subject, the measurement environment, the measurement conditions, the task the subject is performing during measurement, the posture and position of the subject during measurement, and the activity state of the subject, as well as the reference signal. <18> An information processing method comprising the steps of acquiring a biosignal of a subject, acquiring a reference signal related to the biosignal, acquiring a context, and, when signal quality of the biosignal has deteriorated, estimating a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biosignal based on the reference signal and the context, and presenting the basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biosignal. <19> A program causing a computer to function as: a biosignal acquisition unit that acquires the biosignal of a subject, a reference signal acquisition unit that acquires a reference signal related to the biosignal, a context acquisition unit that acquires a context, a basis estimation unit that, when the signal quality of the biosignal has deteriorated, estimates a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biosignal based on the reference signal and the context, and a presentation unit that presents a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biosignal. <20> An information processing system including: a biological signal acquisition unit that acquires a biological signal of a subject; a reference signal acquisition unit that acquires a reference signal related to the biological signal; a context acquisition unit that acquires a context; a basis estimation unit that, when signal quality of the biological signal deteriorates, estimates a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal based on the reference signal and the context; and a presentation unit that presents a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal.

[0196] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Biological signal detection system, 31 Electronic device, 32 Biological signal acquisition unit, 33 Imaging unit, 50 Reference signal acquisition unit, 51 Context acquisition unit, 52 Signal quality determination unit, 53 Basis estimation unit, 54 Basis estimation parameter storage unit, 55 User interaction unit, 56 Basis information management unit, 57 Basis estimation parameter update unit, 71 EEG sensor, 72 Contact sensor, 73 Body movement sensor

Claims

1. An information processing device including: a biosignal acquisition unit that acquires a biosignal of a subject; a reference signal acquisition unit that acquires a reference signal related to the biosignal; a context acquisition unit that acquires a context; a basis estimation unit that, when the signal quality of the biosignal deteriorates, estimates a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biosignal based on the reference signal and the context; and a presentation unit that presents a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biosignal.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the basis estimation unit estimates the basis for the degradation of the signal quality by comparing a basis estimation parameter set for each basis for the degradation of the signal quality in association with the context with the reference signal.

3. The information processing device according to claim 2, further comprising a basis estimation parameter update unit that updates the basis estimation parameter when the basis for the degradation of the signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit is inappropriate.

4. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein the basis estimation parameter update unit updates the basis estimation parameter so that an inappropriate basis for the degradation of the signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit becomes less likely to be estimated.

5. The information processing device according to claim 4, wherein the presentation unit receives an operational input from the subject, and when the operational input is received indicating that the basis for the degradation in signal quality of the presented biological signal is inappropriate, the basis estimation parameter update unit updates the basis estimation parameter so that the inappropriate basis for the degradation in signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit becomes more difficult to estimate.

6. The information processing device according to claim 3, wherein when the basis for the degradation in signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit is inappropriate, or when the basis is a malfunction, the basis estimation parameter update unit stops updating the basis estimation parameter.

7. The information processing device of claim 2, wherein when the basis estimation unit is unable to estimate the basis for the degradation in signal quality of the biological signal based on the basis estimation parameter, the basis estimation unit estimates the basis for the degradation in signal quality by identifying, based on the biological signal and the reference signal, which of the classes previously classified according to the basis for the degradation in signal quality.

8. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the presentation unit presents, when a deterioration in the signal quality of the biological signal is improved, that the signal quality of the biological signal has been improved.

9. The information processing device of claim 1, further comprising a signal quality determination unit that determines the signal quality by comparing the biological signal with a threshold value set in correspondence with the context, and when the signal quality determination unit determines that the signal quality of the biological signal has deteriorated, the basis estimation unit estimates the basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the biological signal based on the reference signal and the context.

10. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein the signal quality determination unit determines a deterioration in the signal quality of the biological signal by comparing the biological signal with a threshold value set in correspondence with the context through a time domain analysis, a frequency domain analysis, or a statistical analysis of the biological signal.

11. The information processing device according to claim 9, wherein the signal quality determination unit determines a deterioration in the signal quality of the biological signal by machine learning of the pattern of the biological signal and the context.

12. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the presentation unit presents the basis for the degradation of the signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit, and also presents a time-series change in the signal quality in association with the context.

13. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the presentation unit presents the basis for the degradation of the signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit, and presents in the form of a graph the frequency of the contexts in which a similar degradation of the signal quality is likely to occur.

14. The information processing device according to claim 13, wherein the presentation unit presents the basis for the degradation of the signal quality estimated by the basis estimation unit, and presents the frequency of the contexts in which a similar degradation of the signal quality is likely to occur by switching between multiple different types of graphs.

15. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the biological signals include electroencephalogram, electrocardiogram, electromyogram, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and skin electrical response.

16. The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the reference signal includes the movement of the biosignal acquisition unit when it is attached to the subject and the biosignal is being acquired, the contact state with the subject, a moving image capturing the condition of the subject, and environmental information of the subject.

17. The information processing device of claim 1, wherein the context includes attributes and condition of the subject, the measurement environment, measurement conditions, the task being performed by the subject at the time of measurement, the posture and position of the subject at the time of measurement, and the activity state of the subject, as well as information obtained from the reference signal.

18. An information processing method comprising the steps of acquiring a biosignal of a subject, acquiring a reference signal related to the biosignal, acquiring a context, and when signal quality of the biosignal deteriorates, estimating a reason for the deterioration in signal quality of the biosignal based on the reference signal and the context, and presenting the reason for the deterioration in signal quality of the biosignal.

19. A program that causes a computer to function as a bio-signal acquisition unit that acquires a bio-signal of a subject, a reference signal acquisition unit that acquires a reference signal related to the bio-signal, a context acquisition unit that acquires a context, a basis estimation unit that, when the signal quality of the bio-signal deteriorates, estimates the basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the bio-signal based on the reference signal and the context, and a presentation unit that presents the basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the bio-signal.

20. An information processing system comprising: a bio-signal acquisition unit that acquires a bio-signal of a subject; a reference signal acquisition unit that acquires a reference signal related to the bio-signal; a context acquisition unit that acquires a context; a basis estimation unit that, when the signal quality of the bio-signal deteriorates, estimates a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the bio-signal based on the reference signal and the context; and a presentation unit that presents a basis for the deterioration of the signal quality of the bio-signal.

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