Data acquisition assistance device, data acquisition assistance method, and program

Abstract

One aspect of the present invention is a data acquisition assistance device comprising a control unit which controls so that a character image, which is an image of a character, is displayed at a prescribed output destination. The control unit changes the appearance of the character in accordance with data obtained from an acquisition target.

Description

Data acquisition support device, data acquisition support method and program

[0001] The present invention relates to a data acquisition support device, a data acquisition support method, and a program.

[0002] For organizations such as companies, research institutes, and medical institutions, the construction of big data is important in many situations because it can lead to the development of various services and the advancement of research. For this reason, many organizations provide equipment, devices, or systems (see Non-Patent Document 1) for obtaining desired data to customers, experimental subjects, and other people, and collect the results obtained by these equipment, etc. with their consent.

[0003] From "Question and Answer" to "Natural Conversation" "Just speak and your smartphone will answer", Docomo Tsushin Vol.65<https: / / www.docomo.ne.jp / corporate / ir / library / docotsu / 65 / special.html>

[0004] However, humans tend to get bored. Furthermore, humans often tend to move on to less demanding tasks. As a result, the equipment provided may gradually become unused, resulting in a decrease in the amount of data collected. This situation is not limited to cases where data is collected from humans, but is also true for animals.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a technique for suppressing a decrease in the amount of collected data.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a data acquisition support device that includes a control unit that displays a character image, which is an image of a character, on a predetermined output destination, and the control unit changes the appearance of the character depending on the data obtained from the acquisition target.

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a data acquisition support method that includes a control step of displaying a character image, which is an image of a character, on a predetermined output destination, and the control step changes the appearance of the character depending on data obtained from an acquisition target.

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to function as the data acquisition support device described above.

[0009] The present invention makes it possible to suppress a decrease in the amount of collected data.

[0010] A diagram illustrating a data acquisition support system according to an embodiment. A first diagram illustrating an example of a character according to an embodiment. A second diagram illustrating an example of a character according to an embodiment. A third diagram illustrating an example of a character according to an embodiment. A flowchart illustrating an example of a processing flow executed by a data acquisition support device according to an embodiment.

[0011] 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a data acquisition support system 100 according to an embodiment. The data acquisition support system 100 includes a sensor 1 and a data acquisition support apparatus 2.

[0012] The sensor 1 is a sensor that acquires desired types of data, such as a pedometer, a pulse meter, or a blood oxygen concentration measurement sensor, from an acquisition target 9. The data acquired by the sensor 1 (i.e., the sensing results) is output to a data acquisition support device 2.

[0013] The data acquisition support device 2 includes a control unit 21 having a processor 91, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit), and a memory 92, all connected via a bus, and executes a program. The data acquisition support device 2 functions as a device including the control unit 21, an interface unit 22, and a storage unit 23 by executing the program.

[0014] More specifically, the processor 91 reads the program stored in the storage unit 23 and stores the read program in the memory 92. When the processor 91 executes the program stored in the memory 92, the data acquisition support device 2 functions as a device including the control unit 21, the interface unit 22, and the storage unit 23.

[0015] The control unit 21 controls the operation of a predetermined output destination to display a character image, which is an image of a character, on the predetermined output destination. The predetermined output destination is, for example, a display device provided in the interface unit 22, which will be described later.

[0016] The appearance of the character to be displayed changes depending on the data obtained from the acquisition target 9. In other words, the control unit 21 changes the appearance of the character to be displayed on a predetermined output destination depending on the data obtained from the acquisition target 9.

[0017] 1 are examples of character images. Image G1a is an example of an image of a character before change, and image G1b is an example of a character image showing the character shown in image G1a after it has changed in accordance with data obtained from the acquisition target 9.

[0018] <Effects of Changing Character Appearance> In this way, the data acquisition support device 2 displays a character. The appearance of the character changes depending on the data obtained from the acquisition target 9. Because the character's appearance changes depending on the acquisition target 9's own actions, the acquisition target 9 becomes interested in the change in the character's appearance and continues sensing using the sensor 1 in an attempt to observe further changes. Therefore, the data acquisition support device 2 can prevent a decrease in the amount of collected data.

[0019] The displayed character may have, for example, a head, a torso, hands, and legs. The displayed character may be a deformed human or animal. The displayed character may be an image of a pet animal such as a cat or a dog.

[0020] Fig. 2 is a first diagram showing an example of a character in an embodiment. The character 910 in Fig. 2 is an image of a four-legged animal such as a cat. The character in Fig. 2 has a head 911, ears 912, eyes 913, hands 914, feet 915, a body 916, and a tail 917.

[0021] Fig. 3 is a second diagram showing an example of a character in an embodiment. A character 920 in Fig. 3 is an image of an animal that can walk on two legs, such as a bear. The character in Fig. 3 has a head 921, ears 922, eyes 923, hands 924, feet 925, a body 926, and a tail 927.

[0022] 4 is a third diagram showing an example of a change in the appearance of a character in an embodiment. As an example, FIG. 4 shows an example of a change in the appearance of a character when the amount of walking of the acquisition target 9 within a predetermined time period is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. To convey to the user that the amount of walking is equal to or greater than the predetermined amount, it may be effective to change the legs, which are parts of the body that are closely related to walking.

[0023] In the example of Fig. 4, character 930a is the character before the change, and character 930b is the character after the change. As shown in Fig. 4, the character 930b is the character in which the legs of character 930a have been changed.

[0024] The change in the legs may be a change in length, width, depth, or a combination of these. For example, the change in the legs may be an increase in leg length by an amount proportional to the amount of walking within a certain period of time.

[0025] The relationship between the sensing result and the part and amount of change is predetermined. For example, if the sensing is sensing of the amount of walking, the part that changes depending on the sensing result is predetermined to be the legs, and further, the relationship between the amount of walking obtained by the sensing and the amount of change in the legs is also predetermined.

[0026] <Continuation of the Description of Hardware Configuration> Returning to the description of Fig. 1, the control unit 21 controls the operation of each functional unit included in the data acquisition support device 2. The control unit 21 acquires data acquired by the sensor 1 (hereinafter referred to as "sensing data") via, for example, the interface unit 22.

[0027] The control unit 21 executes, for example, an image data update process. The image data update process is a process of updating image data of a character image to be displayed on a predetermined output destination based on the sensing data. More specifically, the image data update process is a process of updating the image data of the character image based on the sensing data so that the character displayed on the predetermined output destination changes by the amount indicated by the change relationship information.

[0028] The change relationship information is information that indicates the relationship between the sensing data and the changing parts of the body parts of the character shown in the character image and the amount of change in those parts. The change relationship information is, for example, a function with the sensing data as the explanatory variable and the change in the character as the objective variable. The change relationship information may be a table that indicates the relationship between the sensing data and the changing parts of the body parts of the character shown in the character image and the amount of change in those parts.

[0029] The image data updated by the image data update process is sent to a predetermined output destination, and the predetermined output destination displays the character image indicated by the received updated image data. In other words, the control unit 21 controls the operation of the predetermined output destination to display the character image indicated by the updated image data.

[0030] The control unit 21 controls the operation of each functional unit included in the data acquisition support device 2. The control unit 21 controls, for example, the operation of the interface unit 22, and acquires the sensing results of the sensor 1. The control unit 21 acquires, for example, information stored in the memory unit 23. Specifically, the process of acquiring the information stored in the memory unit 23 is reading.

[0031] The interface unit 22 includes a communication interface for connecting the data acquisition support device 2 to an external device. The interface unit 22 communicates with the external device via wired or wireless communication. The external device is, for example, the sensor 1. The interface unit 22 communicates with the sensor 1 to acquire the sensing results (i.e., sensing data) of the sensor 1.

[0032] The external device may be, for example, a predetermined output destination for displaying a character. In such a case, the interface unit 22 transmits image data of the character image to the predetermined output destination via wired or wireless communication.

[0033] The interface unit 22 may be configured to include input devices such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, etc. The interface unit 22 may be configured as an interface that connects these input devices to the data acquisition support device 2. In this way, the input devices of the interface unit 22 accept input of various information to the data acquisition support device 2 via wired or wireless connections. Note that information does not necessarily have to be input to the communication interface of the interface unit 22, but may also be input to the input devices.

[0034] The interface unit 22 outputs, for example, various types of information. The interface unit 22 includes a display device such as a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, a liquid crystal display, or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. The interface unit 22 may be configured as an interface that connects these display devices to the data acquisition assistance device 2. The interface unit 22 outputs, for example, information input to an input device of the interface unit 22. The interface unit 22 displays, for example, a character image.

[0035] The storage unit 23 is configured using a computer-readable storage medium device (non-transitory computer-readable recording medium) such as a magnetic hard disk device or a semiconductor storage device. The storage unit 23 stores various information related to the data acquisition support device 2. The storage unit 23 stores various information generated by the operation of the control unit 21, for example. The storage unit 23 may exist on a cloud, for example.

[0036] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the data acquisition support device 2 in this embodiment. The control unit 21 acquires sensing data (step S101). Next, the control unit 21 executes image data update processing (step S102). Next, the control unit 21 controls the operation of a predetermined output destination to display a character image represented by the updated image data (step S103).

[0037] The data acquisition support device 2 configured in this manner displays a character, and the appearance of the character changes depending on the data obtained from the acquisition target 9. Therefore, for the reasons described in <Effects of changing the character's appearance>, the data acquisition support device 2 can suppress a decrease in the amount of collected data.

[0038] The data acquisition support system 100 configured in this manner also includes the data acquisition support device 2. Therefore, the data acquisition support system 100 can suppress a decrease in the amount of collected data.

[0039] (Modification) In the example of Fig. 4, the amount of walking is associated with the legs, and the legs change when the amount of walking is equal to or greater than a predetermined amount. In other words, there is a one-to-one relationship between the type of sensing and the part that changes. However, the correspondence between the type of sensing and the part that changes does not necessarily have to be one-to-one, and the change in the part may depend on multiple types of sensing. For example, the change in the legs may change depending on the heart rate and the amount of walking.

[0040] Furthermore, one type of sensing result does not need to be used for a change in only one part, and one type of sensing result may cause changes in multiple parts. For example, both changes in the legs and changes in the trunk may depend on at least the amount of walking.

[0041] <Regarding Changes in Character Appearance> Changes in appearance may include, for example, adding accessories such as hats, earrings, glasses, claws, wings, ribbons, etc., or changing the accessories.

[0042] Furthermore, the change in appearance may be a change to an appearance that is generally more likely to evoke positive feelings. By changing the appearance to an appearance that is generally more likely to evoke positive feelings, the data acquisition support device 2 can further attract interest in the character of the acquisition target 9. As a result, the data acquisition support device 2 can further suppress a decrease in the amount of data collected.

[0043] <Regarding Appearances That Generally Inspire Favorable Feelings> The above-mentioned appearances that generally inspire favorable feelings may be, for example, the appearance of a human-type character that generally inspires favorable feelings. The appearances that generally inspire favorable feelings may also be the appearance of a character other than a human-type character, such as an animal-type character, that generally inspires favorable feelings.

[0044] An appearance that is generally likely to evoke positive feelings is, for example, an appearance that is generally recognized as cute. Examples of an appearance that is generally recognized as cute include an appearance in which the limbs are small compared to the face, an appearance in which the eyes are large, a mouth with a duck-like lip, and an appearance in which the corners of the mouth are not turned down. An appearance that is generally likely to evoke positive feelings may be, for example, an appearance in terms of figure that is small, or an appearance in which the limbs are short and plump.

[0045] An appearance that is generally likely to evoke favorable feelings is, for example, an appearance that is generally recognized as cool, such as having long legs or being muscular yet slim.

[0046] An appearance that generally evokes favorable feelings is, for example, an appearance that is generally recognized as beautiful, such as having a well-proportioned face or having a high degree of symmetry on both sides of the body.

[0047] <Examples of conditions for changing a character's appearance to one that is generally more likely to evoke positive feelings, and the effects thereof> Furthermore, the change in a character's appearance may be such that, for example, when there are multiple types of data obtained from the acquisition target 9, the closer the ratio of the amount of each of the multiple types of data to the total amount of data is to a predetermined ratio for each type, the closer the character's appearance will be to an appearance that is generally more likely to evoke positive feelings.

[0048] In such cases, there is a high possibility that multiple types of data can be acquired in a balance close to the desired balance. Big data is not just about having a large amount of data; it is also important that the data is well balanced. Therefore, if data is acquired in this way, it is possible to collect data that is favorable for those who want to build big data.

[0049] The data acquisition support device 2 may be implemented using a plurality of information processing devices connected to each other via a network. In this case, the processes executed by the control unit 21 may be distributed among the plurality of information processing devices.

[0050] All or part of the functions of the data acquisition support system 100 may be realized using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). The program may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium. Examples of computer-readable recording media include portable media such as flexible disks, optical magnetic disks, ROMs, and CD-ROMs, and storage devices such as hard disks built into computer systems. The program may be transmitted via a telecommunications line.

[0051] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and includes designs within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0052] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100... data acquisition support system, 1... sensor, 2... data acquisition support device, 21... control unit, 22... interface unit, 23... storage unit, 91... processor, 92... memory

Claims

1. A data acquisition support device comprising a control unit that causes a character image, which is an image of a character, to be displayed at a predetermined output destination, wherein the control unit changes the appearance of the character according to data obtained from an acquisition target.

2. The data acquisition support device according to claim 1, wherein the change in the appearance of the character is a change to an appearance that is generally likely to evoke favorable emotions.

3. The data acquisition support device according to claim 2, wherein when there are multiple types of data obtained from the acquisition target, the change in the appearance of the character is such that the closer the ratio of the amount of each of the multiple types of data to the total amount of the data as a whole is to a predetermined ratio for each type, the closer the appearance is to an appearance that is generally likely to evoke favorable emotions.

4. The data acquisition support device according to claim 2, wherein an appearance that is generally likely to evoke favorable emotions is an appearance that is generally recognized as cute, an appearance that is generally recognized as cool, or an appearance that is generally recognized as beautiful.

5. A data acquisition support method having a control step of causing a character image, which is an image of a character, to be displayed at a predetermined output destination, wherein the control step changes the appearance of the character according to data obtained from an acquisition target.

6. A program for causing a computer to function as the data acquisition support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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