Information provision device and information provision method

Abstract

An acquisition unit acquires brain wave information relating to the respective brain waves of a plurality of first users when the same stimulus is applied to the plurality of first users. An estimation unit estimates the behavior of a brain with respect to the stimulus on the basis of the brain wave information acquired by the acquisition unit, and estimates the degree of similarity in the behavior of the brain among the plurality of fist users. A grouping unit creates a group from the plurality of first users on the basis of the degree of similarity estimated by the estimation unit. A recommendation unit recommends communication between grouped users belonging to the group created by the grouping unit among the plurality of first users.

Description

Information providing device and information providing method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information providing device and an information providing method.

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a technology for recommending actions to a user to slow the progression of dementia or other diseases. For example, in Patent Document 1 below, an information processing device includes an acquisition unit, a machine learning unit, and a communication unit. The acquisition unit acquires information related to the health of a first user and information related to the behavior of the first user. The machine learning unit has a function of performing machine learning to determine the relationship between the information related to the user's health and the information related to the user's behavior and information related to recommendations, and applies this to the information related to the health of the first user and the information related to the behavior of the first user to generate information related to recommendations for the first user. The communication unit uses the information related to recommendations for the first user to communicate information related to a message to a mobile device related to the first user.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-144212

[0004] As an example of a preventive measure against dementia, users may be encouraged to communicate (mainly through conversation) with others. However, some users may not have anyone to communicate with regularly. Furthermore, even if people with similar attributes (for example, people of the same age, sex, or hobbies) are simply gathered together and encouraged to communicate, it is not necessarily the case that they will be able to have a pleasant conversation.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide information on communication partners suitable for each user.

[0006] The information providing device according to the present disclosure includes an acquisition unit that acquires electroencephalogram information regarding the electroencephalograms of each of a plurality of first users when the same stimulus is given to the plurality of first users; an estimation unit that estimates brain behavior in response to the stimulus based on the electroencephalogram information acquired by the acquisition unit and estimates a similarity in the brain behavior among the plurality of first users; a grouping unit that creates groups from the plurality of first users based on the similarity estimated by the estimation unit; and a recommendation unit that recommends communication among grouped users among the plurality of first users that belong to the groups created by the grouping unit.

[0007] The information provision method according to the present disclosure acquires electroencephalogram information regarding the electroencephalograms of each of a plurality of first users when the same stimulus is given to the plurality of first users, estimates brain behavior in response to the stimulus based on the electroencephalogram information, estimates a similarity in the brain behavior among the plurality of first users, creates a group from the plurality of first users based on the similarity, and recommends communication among grouped users among the plurality of first users who belong to the group.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide information about communication partners that are suitable for each user.

[0009] It is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an information providing system 1. It is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal T. It is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information providing device 10. It is a flowchart showing the operation of a processing device 103 of the information providing device 10.

[0010] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an information provision system 1. The information provision system 1 according to the embodiment includes an information provision device 10 and a plurality of user terminals T. In this embodiment, the information provision system 1 realizes an information provision service that provides information on health maintenance to a user U who uses the user terminal T.

[0011] The user terminal T is an information processing terminal. More specifically, the user terminal T may be a smartphone, a personal computer, a tablet terminal, or a wearable terminal (e.g., a smart watch, smart glasses, or a smart ring). The user terminals T are held by different users U. The users U are subscribers to the information provision service described above.

[0012] The information providing system 1 provides information on maintaining health to users U. More specifically, the information providing device 10 identifies, for example, multiple first users U1 from multiple users U. As will be described in detail later, the first users U1 are users U who are estimated to be at high risk of dementia and for whom communication with others is suitable for preventing dementia. Furthermore, the information providing device 10 recommends other users U to each first user U1 as communication partners.

[0013] The information providing device 10 and each user terminal T are connected to each other via a network N. The network N may be a WAN (Wide Area Network) or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0014] [User Terminal T] Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a user terminal T. Fig. 2 illustrates the configuration when the user terminal T is a smartphone. The user terminal T includes a display 201, an input device 202, a microphone 203, a speaker 204, a camera 205, a communication device 206, a GPS device 207, a storage device 208, a processing device 209, and a bus 220 that interconnects these devices.

[0015] The display 201 is a device that displays information to the outside (for example, various display panels such as a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL display panel). The input device 202 is a device that accepts input from the outside (for example, a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, a switch, a button, or a sensor). The display 201 and the input device 202 may be integrated into one device (for example, a touch panel).

[0016] The microphone 203 picks up surrounding sounds and generates audio data. The audio picked up by the microphone 203 may be, for example, the speech of the user U when talking to another user U using a voice call application, or the speech of the user U when operating the user terminal T using a voice recognition function. The speaker 204 plays back audio data and outputs audio corresponding to the audio data. The audio data played back by the speaker 204 may be, for example, the speech of the other party when the user U talks to another user U using a voice call application, or the sound played back when the user U watches a video or listens to music. The microphone 203 and the speaker 204 may not be included in the user terminal T and may be separate from the user terminal T. In this case, the user terminal T is connected to the microphone 203 and the speaker 204 by an interface (not shown).

[0017] The camera 205 generates an image of the space around the user terminal T. The camera 205 has an imaging optical system and an imaging element. The imaging optical system is an optical system including at least one imaging lens. The imaging optical system may have various optical elements such as a prism, or may have a zoom lens or a focus lens. The imaging element is, for example, a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) image sensor or a CMOS (Complementary MOS) image sensor.

[0018] The communication device 206 has an interface connectable to the network N and communicates, by wireless or wired communication, with other devices connected to the network N. The communication device 206 may also be an interface that performs short-range wireless communication with, for example, another user terminal T (such as a wearable terminal) owned by the user U.

[0019] The GPS device 207 receives radio waves from multiple satellites and generates location information indicating the location of the user terminal T from the received radio waves. The location information may be in any format as long as it can uniquely identify the location of the user terminal T. In this embodiment, latitude and longitude are used as the location information. Note that the location information may be obtained using means other than the GPS device 207. For example, information specifying the name of the facility where the user terminal T is located and its location within the facility may be received from a beacon or the like installed in the facility.

[0020] The storage device 208 is a recording medium readable by the processing device 209. The storage device 208 includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory and a volatile memory. The nonvolatile memory is, for example, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). The volatile memory is, for example, a random access memory (RAM). The storage device 208 stores a program PG2. The program PG2 is a program for operating the user terminal T.

[0021] The processing device 209 includes one or more central processing units (CPUs). The one or more CPUs are examples of one or more processors. Each of the processor and the CPU is an example of a computer.

[0022] The processing device 209 reads the program PG2 from the storage device 208. By executing the program PG2, the processing device 209 functions as an activity information transmitting unit 211 and an information output unit 212. At least one of the activity information transmitting unit 211 and the information output unit 212 may be configured by a circuit such as a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a PLD (Programmable Logic Device), or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0023] The activity information sending unit 211 sends activity information indicating a history of activities of the user U using the user terminal T to the information providing device 10. The activity information includes, for example, at least one of application usage history information on the user terminal T, movement history information of the user U, and biological information of the user U. The activity information also includes date and time information indicating the date and time when the activity was performed.

[0024] The application usage history information includes, for example, the following information: Titles, creator names, and viewing times of videos viewed by the user U using a video viewing application; Titles, artist names, and listening times of songs listened to by the user U using a music distribution application; Usage time and posting frequency of a SNS (social networking service) application; Usage time of a calling application.

[0025] The movement history information of the user U is generated based on, for example, location information obtained by the GPS device 207. The movement history information includes, for example, statistical information on the time the user U spent traveling on foot or the like, statistical information on the time the user U spent in places other than their home, and information on places the user U visited.

[0026] The biometric information of the user U includes, for example, information such as the heart rate, pulse rate, body temperature, number of steps walked, weight, body fat percentage, and eye movement of the user U. The biometric information may be acquired from, for example, a wearable device or a body composition monitor connected to the user terminal T.

[0027] The information output unit 212 outputs information (hereinafter referred to as "transmission information") transmitted from the information providing device 10. The information output unit 212 displays an image indicating the transmission information on the display 201, for example. The information output unit 212 also outputs sound indicating the transmission information from the speaker 204, for example. The transmission information will be described in detail later.

[0028] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information providing device 10. The information providing device 10 includes a communication device 101, a storage device 102, a processing device 103, and a bus 120 that interconnects these devices.

[0029] The communication device 101 has an interface that can be connected to a network N, and communicates with other devices connected to the network N using wireless or wired communication.

[0030] The storage device 102 is a recording medium readable by the processing device 103. The storage device 102 includes, for example, a nonvolatile memory and a volatile memory. The nonvolatile memory is, for example, a ROM, an EPROM, and an EEPROM. The volatile memory is, for example, a RAM. The storage device 102 stores a program PG1, a user database DB1, an activity information database DB2, and an electroencephalogram information database DB3.

[0031] The program PG1 is a program for operating the information providing device 10. The user database DB1 stores user information acquired by the user information acquiring unit 110, which will be described later. The activity information database DB2 stores activity information acquired by the activity information acquiring unit 111, which will be described later. The brain wave information database DB3 stores brain wave information acquired by the brain wave information acquiring unit 113, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the user database DB1, the activity information database DB2, and the brain wave information database DB3 are separate, but at least two of the user database DB1, the activity information database DB2, and the brain wave information database DB3 may be integrated into a single database.

[0032] The processing device 103 includes one or more CPUs. The one or more CPUs are examples of one or more processors. Each of the processors and CPUs is an example of a computer. By executing the program PG1, the processing device 103 functions as a user information acquisition unit 110, an activity information acquisition unit 111, a user identification unit 112, an electroencephalogram information acquisition unit 113, an estimation unit 114, a grouping unit 115, a recommendation unit 116, a first generation unit 117, and a second generation unit 118. At least some of the functions of these components may be configured by circuits such as a DSP, an ASIC, a PLD, and an FPGA.

[0033] The user information acquisition unit 110 acquires user information about each user U. For example, when each user U subscribes to an information provision service, the user information acquisition unit 110 requests the user U to input user information and acquires the input information. The user information includes, for example, at least one of a user ID that uniquely identifies the user U, and information indicating the user U's age (date of birth), gender, occupation, medical history, place of residence, place of origin, hobbies, and interests. The user information acquired by the user information acquisition unit 110 is stored in a user database DB1.

[0034] The activity information acquisition unit 111 acquires activity information of each user U. The activity information acquisition unit 111 acquires, for example, activity information transmitted from the activity information transmission unit 211 of the user terminal T. The activity information acquisition unit 111 may acquire the activity information sequentially from the user terminal T, or may acquire the activity information from the user terminal T at a predetermined cycle (for example, once a day or once a week). As described above, the activity information includes, for example, at least any of application usage history information in the user terminal T, movement history information of the user U, and biological information of the user U. The activity information acquired by the activity information acquisition unit 111 is stored in the activity information database DB2.

[0035] The user identification unit 112 identifies a user U who meets a predetermined condition from among the multiple users U. The user identification unit 112 identifies, for example, multiple first users U1 from among the multiple users U. In this embodiment, the multiple first users U1 are users U whose risk of developing dementia is equal to or greater than a first reference value H1 and for whom communication with others is estimated to be effective in preventing dementia. The first reference value H1 is determined arbitrarily, but is, for example, a value that can be determined as indicating a "high risk of developing dementia." More specifically, the first reference value H1 is set to, for example, "80%."

[0036] The dementia risk of each user U is estimated by, for example, the information providing device 10. For example, the information providing device 10 may present each user U with a mission for estimating their dementia risk and estimate their dementia risk based on, for example, their reaction time when completing the mission. More specifically, the information providing device 10 may display a test image on, for example, the user terminal T and acquire a captured image of the user U's face (or eyes) when viewing the image. The test image is a changing image that encourages the user U to concentrate. When the user U's dementia risk is very low (determined to be a healthy individual), the user U's pupil diameter expands as the user concentrates. When the user U's dementia risk is somewhat high (determined to be in the early stages of dementia), the user U's pupil diameter expands more than that of a healthy individual and then contracts to the average. This is because a user U in the early stages of dementia is more strained than a healthy individual in order to concentrate. When the user U's dementia risk is high (determined to be a dementia individual), the user U's pupil diameter does not expand but contracts. This is because a user U with dementia is unable to concentrate.

[0037] Furthermore, for example, the information providing device 10 may estimate the dementia risk of each user U by using, for example, activity information of each user U. In general, for example, a user U with a low activity level can be estimated to have a high dementia risk.

[0038] Furthermore, the risk of developing dementia of each user U may be reported by, for example, each user U himself / herself. In this case, each user U reports the risk of developing dementia as determined by, for example, his / her own doctor to the information providing device 10. Furthermore, the risk of developing dementia may be provided directly to the information providing device 10 by, for example, the doctor of each user U.

[0039] Furthermore, for each user U, the information providing device 10, for example, uses activity information to estimate whether communication with others is effective in preventing dementia. In this case, the information providing device 10 estimates whether communication with others is effective in preventing dementia based on, for example, the frequency with which each user U communicates with others (such as the frequency of calls, message exchanges, or outings) and biometric information obtained when communicating with others.

[0040] Furthermore, for each user U, whether communication with others is effective in preventing dementia may be requested by the user U himself / herself. In this case, each user U requests whether communication with others is effective in preventing dementia (or more accurately, whether he / she thinks it is effective) by, for example, answering a questionnaire presented by the information providing device 10. Furthermore, for each user U, whether communication with others is effective in preventing dementia may be provided to the information providing device 10 by, for example, the user U's doctor.

[0041] The electroencephalogram information acquiring unit 113 acquires electroencephalogram information relating to the electroencephalograms of each of the first users U1 when the same stimulus is applied to the first users U1. The electroencephalogram information acquiring unit 113 is an example of an acquiring unit.

[0042] As an example of a method for acquiring electroencephalogram information, for example, a plurality of first users U1 are gathered at a venue, and after having them wear electroencephalogram measuring terminals (not shown), the same stimuli are applied to each of the first users U1. Alternatively, for example, a plurality of first users U1 are invited to participate in a web seminar, and after having them wear electroencephalogram measuring terminals (for example, mailed to their homes in advance), the same stimuli are applied to each of the first users U1.

[0043] Providing the same stimulus means, for example, having participants listen to a lecture by a speaker on stage or watch a video. It is desirable that the content of the stimulus is not limited to one thing. For example, it is preferable to have multiple speakers talk about different topics or to have participants watch multiple videos with different content.

[0044] The EEG measurement terminal measures electrical activity generated by the brain using electrodes placed on the scalp, for example. The EEG information includes, for example, information on the location where EEG waves are detected and information on the frequency band of EEG waves when the above-mentioned stimulation is applied. The EEG detection location information is, for example, information indicating the position of the electrode at which the EEG measurement terminal detects EEG waves. The EEG frequency band information is, for example, information indicating whether the detected EEG is alpha waves, beta waves, delta waves, or theta waves.

[0045] The brain wave information measured by the brain wave measuring terminal is transmitted to the information providing device 10 via, for example, a network N, and acquired by the brain wave information acquiring unit 113. The brain wave measuring terminal and a user terminal T may be paired, and the brain wave information may be transmitted to the information providing device 10 via the communication device 206 of the user terminal 20. The brain wave information acquired by the brain wave information acquiring unit 113 is stored in a brain wave information database DB3.

[0046] The estimation unit 114 estimates brain behavior in response to stimuli based on the electroencephalogram information acquired by the electroencephalogram information acquisition unit 113, and estimates the similarity of brain behavior between multiple first users U1. For example, the estimation unit 114 compares graphs of electroencephalogram information of each first user U1 that changes over time, and estimates the degree of agreement between the graphs as the similarity of brain behavior. The higher the degree of agreement between the graphs, the higher the estimated similarity of brain behavior. The estimation unit 114 estimates the similarity of brain behavior between the first users U1, for example, using AI (artificial intelligence). Hereinafter, the "similarity of brain behavior" may be simply referred to as "similarity." In this embodiment, the similarity is expressed as a numerical value, and the larger the numerical value, the more similar the users are.

[0047] To estimate the similarity of brain behavior among a plurality of first users U1, for example, the following two methods can be used.

[0048] Method 1: Estimate the similarity for all pairs of multiple first users U1. Two people (pairs) are extracted from the multiple first users U1, and the similarity between these two people is calculated. For example, assume that the multiple first users U1 are four people: first user U1-1, first user U1-2, first user U1-3, and first user U1-4. In this case, a total of six similarities are calculated: the similarity between first user U1-1 and first user U1-2, the similarity between first user U1-1 and first user U1-3, the similarity between first user U1-1 and first user U1-4, the similarity between first user U1-2 and first user U1-3, the similarity between first user U1-2 and first user U1-4, and the similarity between first user U1-3 and first user U1-4.

[0049] Method 2: Estimating the similarity between typical EEG information. One or more model EEG information items that show typical brain behavior when a certain stimulus is received are prepared, and the similarity between each of the EEG information items of the multiple first users U1 and the model EEG information items is calculated. For example, if the multiple first users U1 are the four people mentioned above and there are two sets of model EEG information items, a total of eight similarities are calculated (two models x four people).

[0050] The grouping unit 115 creates a group from the multiple first users U1 based on the similarity estimated by the estimation unit 114. The grouping unit 115 creates a group from the multiple first users U1 who have a high similarity to each other. The first users U1 who become members of the group are referred to as "grouped users Ug."

[0051] When the similarity is estimated by method 1, the grouping unit 115 creates a group, for example, by including one first user U1-x selected from the plurality of first users U1 and other first users U1 whose similarity to the first user U1-x among the plurality of first users U1 is equal to or greater than a fifth reference value H5. The first user U1-x may be, for example, the first user U1 whose total similarity to the other first users U1 is the largest. In this case, the first user U1-x is considered to be the person with the highest typicality among the first users U1.

[0052] When the similarity is estimated by Method 2, the grouping unit 115 creates a group by, for example, first users U1 whose similarity to the model electroencephalogram information is equal to or greater than a seventh reference value H7. Note that the seventh reference value H7 and the fifth reference value H5 may be equal. In this case, the members of the group are first users U1 whose brain behavior is relatively typical (similar to the model electroencephalogram information).

[0053] The grouping unit 115 may create multiple groups. For example, when similarity is estimated using method 1, a second group is created by first users U1 (hereinafter referred to as "non-grouped users Un") whose similarity to first user U1-x is less than the fifth reference value H5 and whose similarity to first user U1-x is equal to or greater than the eighth reference value H8 (<the fifth reference value H5). In other words, the second group is created by first users U1 whose similarity to first user U1-x is equal to or greater than the eighth reference value H8 and less than the fifth reference value H5. Furthermore, another reference value less than the eighth reference value H8 may be set, and three or more groups may be created.

[0054] Alternatively, for example, a new first user U1-y is selected from the non-grouped users Un. The first user U1-y is the first user U1 among the non-grouped users Un who has the greatest total degree of similarity with the other first users U1. Then, a second group is created from the non-grouped users Un whose degree of similarity with the first user U1-y is equal to or greater than the ninth reference value H9. The ninth reference value H9 may be equal to the fifth reference value H5 or may be a value different from the fifth reference value H5. Furthermore, the above process may be repeated for the first users U1 who are not included in the second group, creating three or more groups.

[0055] Furthermore, for example, when the similarity is estimated using Method 2, a second group is created by first users U1 whose similarity to the model electroencephalogram information is less than the seventh reference value H7 and whose similarity to the model electroencephalogram information is equal to or greater than the tenth reference value H10 (<the seventh reference value H7). In other words, the second group is created by first users U1 whose similarity to the model electroencephalogram information is equal to or greater than the tenth reference value H10 and less than the seventh reference value H7. Furthermore, another reference value less than the tenth reference value H10 may be set, and three or more groups may be created.

[0056] In the following, for the sake of convenience, it is assumed that the similarity is estimated using the above method 1, and one group is created by one of the multiple first users U1 whose similarity to another first user U1-x is equal to or greater than the fifth reference value H5.

[0057] The recommendation unit 116 recommends communication between grouped users Ug, who belong to a group created by the grouping unit 115, among multiple first users U1. When the first users U1 are gathered at a venue, the recommendation unit 116, for example, displays a meeting place at the venue on the display 201 of the user terminal T of the grouped users Ug, generates information (transmission information) encouraging the grouped users Ug to gather in one place and communicate, and transmits the information to the user terminal T of the grouped users Ug. Alternatively, the recommendation unit 116 may display the user IDs of the grouped users Ug and the meeting place at the venue on a display installed at the venue, and display information encouraging the grouped users Ug to gather in one place and communicate. Furthermore, when the first user U1 is participating in a web seminar, the recommendation unit 116, for example, creates a room for only the grouped users Ug, generates information (transmission information) encouraging communication between the grouped users Ug in the room, and transmits the information to the user terminal T of the grouped users Ug.

[0058] It is believed that the brains of grouped users Ug behave similarly when exposed to the same stimuli, making it easier for brain synchronization to occur between members. Therefore, when grouped users Ug communicate with each other, they are likely to empathize with each other's words or behavior and feel comfortable. As described above, the first user U1 is a user U who is estimated to be at high risk of dementia and for whom communication with others is effective in preventing dementia. It is believed that by encouraging communication between members of grouped users Ug, the dementia risk of each grouped user Ug can be efficiently reduced.

[0059] The first generation unit 117 generates information to be provided to the grouped user Ug and transmits it to the user terminal T of the grouped user Ug. In this embodiment, the first generation unit 117 generates information that is useful for reducing the dementia risk of the grouped user Ug. More specifically, the first generation unit 117 generates information indicating what kind of behavior a user U who once had a high dementia risk but whose dementia risk has since decreased is engaging in.

[0060] Prior to the generation of information by the first generation unit 117, the user identification unit 112 identifies a plurality of second users U2 from among a plurality of users U. The plurality of second users U2 are users U whose dementia onset risk became equal to or greater than a third reference value H3 and then became a fourth reference value H4 that is lower than the third reference value H3. In other words, the second users U2 are users U whose dementia risk was once high but whose dementia risk has since decreased. The third reference value H3 may be the same value as the first reference value H1, or may be a value different from the first reference value H1.

[0061] The first generation unit 117 selects a first similar user Ur1 from among the multiple second users U2, the first similar user Ur1 having a similarity to any of the grouped users Ug that is equal to or greater than a second reference value H2. The first generation unit 117 then generates information to be provided to the grouped users Ug based on information about the activities of the first similar user Ur1. The second reference value H2 may be the same as or different from the fifth reference value H5.

[0062] Similar to the first user U1, the second users U2 undergo brain wave measurements when their dementia risk increases. The brain wave information database DB3 stores brain wave information of the second users U2. Therefore, the first generation unit 117 can estimate the degree of similarity in brain behavior between the second users U2 and the grouped user Ug based on the brain wave information of the second users U2 and the brain wave information of the grouped user Ug.

[0063] Since the grouped users Ug have high similarity in brain behavior, it is estimated that a second user U2 (first similar user Ur1) who has high similarity to any one of the multiple grouped users Ug also has high similarity to the other grouped users Ug. Any one of the multiple grouped users Ug may be, for example, a first user U1-x.

[0064] Furthermore, the activity information database DB2 records activity information of multiple second users U2, including the first similar user Ur1. The activity information includes date and time information. Therefore, the content of the activities of the first similar user Ur1 during the period when the first similar user Ur1's dementia risk was reduced can be identified. The first generation unit 117 includes, for example, the content of the activities of the first similar user Ur1 during the period when the first similar user Ur1's dementia risk was reduced, in the information to be provided to the grouped user Ug. The content of the activities of the first similar user Ur1 includes, for example, information such as the titles of videos watched by the first similar user Ur1, the titles of music listened to, the frequency and content of exercise, and places visited by the first similar user Ur1.

[0065] By receiving the information generated by the first generation unit 117, the grouped user Ug can obtain hints about what activities are effective in reducing the risk of dementia. Because the grouped user Ug and the first similar user Ur1 have a high degree of similarity in brain behavior, they are likely to have similar interests or activities that they are likely to continue. Therefore, more useful information can be provided than simply providing information about the activities of the second user U2.

[0066] Regardless of the degree of similarity, providing the first user U1 with information about the activities of the second user U2 at a time when the second user U2's dementia risk had decreased is also believed to have a certain effect in reducing the first user U1's dementia risk.

[0067] The second generation unit 118 generates information to be provided to the non-grouped user Un and transmits the information to the non-grouped user Un's user terminal T. In the present embodiment, the second generation unit 118 generates information that is useful for reducing the dementia risk of the non-grouped user Un. More specifically, the second generation unit 118 generates information indicating what kind of behavior a user U similar to the non-grouped user Un (second similar user Ur2) is engaging in.

[0068] Prior to the generation of information by the first generation unit 117, the grouping unit 115 identifies, among the multiple first users U1, a non-grouped user Un who does not have another first user U1 with a similarity degree equal to or greater than a sixth reference value H6. The sixth reference value H6 may be the same value as the fifth reference value H5, or may be a value different from the fifth reference value H5. The non-grouped user Un is a first user U who does not belong to any group among the multiple first users U1.

[0069] The second generation unit 118 selects a second similar user Ur2 from among multiple third users U3 different from the multiple first users U1, the second similar user Ur2 having a similarity to the non-grouped user Un that is equal to or greater than a sixth reference value H6. The second generation unit 118 then generates information to be provided to the non-grouped user Un based on information about the characteristics of the second similar user Ur2. The information about the characteristics of the second similar user Ur2 is an example of user information about the second similar user Ur2.

[0070] The plurality of third users U3 are, for example, all or some of the users U whose brain waves were measured before the first user U1. The brain wave information database DB3 stores brain wave information of the plurality of third users U3. Therefore, the second generation unit 118 can estimate the similarity in brain behavior between the plurality of third users U3 and the non-grouped user Un based on the brain wave information of the plurality of third users U3 and the brain wave information of the non-grouped user Un.

[0071] The user database DB1 also stores user information for multiple third users U3, including the second similar user Ur2. The user information includes at least one of information indicating the third user U3's age (date of birth), gender, occupation, medical history, place of residence, place of origin, hobbies, and interests. Thus, the second generation unit 118 can profile the characteristics of the second similar user Ur2.

[0072] For the non-grouped user Un, there is no one to encourage communication with by the recommendation unit 116. Therefore, the second generation unit 118 profiles the characteristics of a person (second similar user Ur2) whose brain behavior is highly similar to that of the non-grouped user Un, based on the user information of the second similar user Ur2, and provides information about the characteristics to the non-grouped user Un.

[0073] It is believed that the brains of the non-grouped user Un and the second similar user Ur2 behave similarly when exposed to the same stimulus, and that they are likely to synchronize with each other. Therefore, when the non-grouped user Un communicates with another user U who has characteristics similar to the second similar user Ur2, it is believed that the non-grouped user Un is likely to empathize with each other's statements or behavior and feel comfortable. As described above, the first user U1, including the non-grouped user Un, is a user U who is estimated to be at high risk of dementia and for whom communication with others is effective in preventing dementia. It is believed that the dementia risk of the non-grouped user Un can be efficiently reduced by encouraging the non-grouped user Un to communicate with other users U who have characteristics similar to the second similar user Ur2.

[0074] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the processing device 103 of the information providing device 10. The processing device 103 functions as the user information acquisition unit 110 and acquires user information from each user U (step S100). The acquisition of user information may be performed once, for example, when the user U starts using the information providing service.

[0075] The processing device 103 functions as the activity information acquisition unit 111 and acquires the activity information of each user U (step S102). The activity information is acquired continuously, for example, while the user U is using the information providing service.

[0076] The processing device 103 functions as the user identification unit 112 and identifies a plurality of first users U1 from the plurality of users U (step S104). As described above, the first users U1 are users U whose risk of developing dementia is equal to or greater than the first reference value H1 and for whom communication with others is estimated to be effective in preventing dementia. The processing device 103 also invites the first users U1 to an EEG measurement session or a web seminar to be held at a venue.

[0077] During the EEG measurement session or web seminar, the processing device 103 functions as an EEG information acquisition unit 113 and acquires EEG information from each of the first users U1 (step S106). The processing device 103 functions as an estimation unit 114 and estimates the similarity of brain behaviors among the first users U1 based on the EEG information (step S108).

[0078] The processing device 103 functions as a grouping unit 115 and creates a group of users U with high similarity among multiple first users U1 (step S110). The processing device 103 functions as a recommendation unit 116 and recommends communication between grouped users Ug belonging to the group (step S112). The processing device 103 also functions as a first generation unit 117 and provides information on the activities of first similar users Ur1, who are second users U2 and have high similarity to one of the grouped users Ug, to the grouped users Ug (step S114, denoted as "providing information on the activities of first similar users").

[0079] If there is a non-grouped user Un who does not belong to any group among the multiple first users U1 (step S116: YES), the processing device 103 functions as a second generation unit 118 and provides information about the characteristics of a second similar user Ur2 who is a third user U3 and has a high similarity to the non-grouped user Un to the non-grouped user Un (step S118, denoted as "providing information about the characteristics of the second similar user"). On the other hand, if there is no non-grouped user Un (step S116: NO), the processing device 103 ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0080] [Summary of the embodiment] As described above, the information providing device 10 according to the embodiment estimates the similarity of the brain behaviors of multiple first users U1, creates a group from the multiple first users U1 based on the similarity, and recommends communication between grouped users Ug belonging to the group. It is considered that the grouped users Ug have similar brain behaviors when exposed to the same stimulus, and brain synchronization between members is likely to occur. Therefore, when grouped users Ug communicate with each other, they are likely to empathize with each other's statements or behaviors and feel comfortable. In other words, the information providing device 10 can match users U with whom they can communicate comfortably.

[0081] Furthermore, the information providing device 10 matches first users U1 whose risk of developing dementia is equal to or greater than a first reference value H1 and whose communication with others is estimated to be effective in preventing dementia with each other as grouped users Ug. By encouraging communication between members of the grouped users Ug, the dementia risk of each grouped user Ug can be efficiently reduced.

[0082] Furthermore, the information providing device 10 provides the grouped user Ug with information about the activities of a first similar user Ur1, who is among the multiple second users U2 and has a high similarity to one of the grouped users Ug. The multiple second users U2 are users U whose risk of developing dementia has increased and then decreased. By receiving information about the activities of the first similar user Ur1, the grouped user Ug can obtain hints about what activities are effective in reducing the risk of dementia. Because the grouped user Ug and the first similar user Ur1 have a high degree of similarity in brain behavior, they are likely to have similar interests and activities that they are likely to continue. Therefore, more useful information can be provided compared to simply providing information about the activities of the second user U2.

[0083] Furthermore, the information providing device 10 provides the non-grouped user Un with information about the characteristics of a second similar user Ur2, who is highly similar to the non-grouped user Un, among the multiple third users U3. The multiple third users U3 are users U who are not included in the first user U1 and who have participated in electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements. The non-grouped user Un and the second similar user Ur2 have similar brain behaviors when exposed to the same stimuli, and are therefore likely to experience brain synchronization with each other. Therefore, when the non-grouped user Un communicates with another user U who has characteristics similar to the second similar user Ur2, it is likely that the non-grouped user Un will empathize with each other's statements or behavior and feel comfortable. By encouraging the non-grouped user Un to communicate with other users U who have characteristics similar to the second similar user Ur2, comfortable communication can be achieved for the non-grouped user Un.

[0084] [Modifications] Modifications of the above-described embodiment are shown below. Two or more of the following modifications may be arbitrarily selected and combined as long as they are not mutually contradictory.

[0085] [First Modification] In the above-described embodiment, the first user U1 is a user U whose risk of developing dementia is equal to or greater than a first reference value and for whom communication with others is estimated to be effective in preventing dementia. This is not a limitation, and the first user U1 may be, for example, a user U who is looking for a communication partner that suits him or her. Furthermore, the first user U1 may also be a user U who has a disease other than dementia.

[0086] According to the first modification, the range of application of the information providing device 10 can be expanded.

[0087] [Second Modification] In the above-described embodiment, users U belonging to the same group are users U with a high degree of similarity in brain behavior. This is not limiting, and a group of users U may be created taking into consideration user information in addition to the degree of similarity in brain behavior. Specifically, for example, a group may be created of multiple users U with a high degree of similarity in brain behavior and who share the same or similar at least one of age (date of birth), gender, occupation, medical history, place of residence, place of origin, hobbies, and interests.

[0088] According to the second modification, it is possible to match each user U with a communication partner that is more suitable for that user. Furthermore, when the number of first users U1 is large, it is possible to adjust the number of people in the group to a number that makes communication easy.

[0089] [Other] (1) In the above-described embodiment, ROM and RAM are given as examples of storage devices 102 and 208, but storage devices 102 and 208 may be flexible disks, magneto-optical disks (e.g., compact disks, digital versatile disks, Blu-ray (registered trademark) disks), smart cards, flash memory devices (e.g., cards, sticks, key drives), CD-ROMs (Compact Disc-ROMs), registers, removable disks, hard disks, floppy (registered trademark) disks, magnetic strips, databases, servers, or other suitable storage media.

[0090] (2) In the above-described embodiments, the described information, signals, etc. may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, chips, etc. that may be referred to throughout the above description may be represented by voltages, currents, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or photons, or any combination thereof.

[0091] (3) In the above-described embodiment, input and output information may be stored in a specific location (for example, a memory) or may be managed using a management table. Input and output information may be overwritten, updated, or added to. Output information may be deleted. Input information may be transmitted to another device.

[0092] (4) In the above-described embodiment, the determination may be made based on a value represented by one bit (0 or 1), a Boolean value (true or false), or a comparison of numerical values ​​(e.g., comparison with a predetermined value).

[0093] (5) The order of the process procedures, sequences, flowcharts, etc. illustrated in the above-described embodiments may be rearranged unless it is consistent. For example, the methods described in this disclosure present elements of various steps using an example order, and are not limited to the particular order presented.

[0094] (6) Each function illustrated in Figures 2 and 3 is realized by any combination of hardware and / or software. Furthermore, the method for realizing each functional block is not particularly limited. That is, each functional block may be realized using a single device that is physically or logically coupled, or may be realized using two or more physically or logically separated devices that are connected directly or indirectly (e.g., via wire, wirelessly, etc.) and these multiple devices. A functional block may be realized by combining software with the single device or the multiple devices.

[0095] (7) The programs exemplified in the above-described embodiments should be broadly construed to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executable files, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., regardless of whether they are called software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or by other names.

[0096] Software, instructions, information, etc. may also be transmitted or received over a transmission medium. For example, if software is transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using wired technologies (such as coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)), and / or wireless technologies (such as infrared, microwave), then these wired and / or wireless technologies are included within the definition of transmission media.

[0097] (8) In each of the foregoing embodiments, the terms "system" and "network" are used interchangeably.

[0098] (9) The information, parameters, etc. described in this disclosure may be expressed using absolute values, relative values ​​from a predetermined value, or corresponding other information.

[0099] (10) In the above-described embodiments, the portable device may be a mobile station (MS). Those skilled in the art may also refer to a mobile station as a subscriber station, mobile unit, subscriber unit, wireless unit, remote unit, mobile device, wireless device, wireless communication device, remote device, mobile subscriber station, access terminal, mobile terminal, wireless terminal, remote terminal, handset, user agent, mobile client, client, or some other appropriate term. In this disclosure, the terms "mobile station," "user terminal," "user equipment (UE)," "terminal," etc. may be used interchangeably.

[0100] (11) In the above-described embodiments, the terms "connected," "coupled," or any variation thereof refers to any direct or indirect connection or coupling between two or more elements, and may include the presence of one or more intermediate elements between two elements that are "connected" or "coupled" to each other. The coupling or connection between elements may be physical, logical, or a combination thereof. For example, "connected" may be read as "access." As used in this disclosure, two elements may be considered to be "connected" or "coupled" to each other using at least one of one or more wires, cables, and printed electrical connections, as well as electromagnetic energy having wavelengths in the radio frequency range, microwave range, and optical (both visible and invisible) range, as some non-limiting and non-exhaustive examples.

[0101] (12) In the above embodiments, the phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless otherwise specified. In other words, the phrase "based on" means both "based only on" and "based at least on."

[0102] (13) As used in this disclosure, the terms "determining" and "determining" may encompass a wide variety of actions. "Determining" and "determining" may include, for example, judging, calculating, computing, processing, deriving, investigating, looking up, searching, inquiring (e.g., searching in a table, database, or other data structure), ascertaining something as "determining" or "determining," and the like. Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" may include regarding receiving (e.g., receiving information), transmitting (e.g., sending information), input, output, and accessing (e.g., accessing data in memory) as having been "judgment" or "decision." Furthermore, "judgment" and "decision" may include regarding resolving, selecting, choosing, establishing, comparing, etc. as having been "judgment" or "decision." In other words, "judgment" and "decision" may include regarding some action as having been "judgment" or "decision." Furthermore, "judgment" may be interpreted as "assuming," "expecting," "considering," etc.

[0103] (14) In the above embodiments, when "include," "including," and variations thereof are used, these terms are intended to be inclusive, similar to the term "comprising." Furthermore, the term "or," as used in this disclosure, is not intended to be an exclusive or.

[0104] (15) In this disclosure, when articles are added by translation, such as a, an, and the in English, the disclosure may include the nouns following these articles being plural.

[0105] (16) In this disclosure, the term "A and B are different" may mean "A and B are different from each other." The term may also mean "A and B are each different from C." Terms such as "separate" and "combined" may also be interpreted in the same way as "different."

[0106] (17) The aspects / embodiments described in this disclosure may be used alone, in combination, or switched depending on the implementation. Notification of predetermined information (e.g., notification that "X is true") is not limited to being explicit, but may be implicit (e.g., not notifying the predetermined information).

[0107] 1...information providing system, 10...information providing device, 20...user terminal, 103...processing device, 110...user information acquisition unit, 111...activity information acquisition unit, 112...user identification unit, 113...brain wave information acquisition unit, 114...estimation unit, 115...grouping unit, 116...recommendation unit, 117...first generation unit, 118...second generation unit, 209...processing device, 211...activity information transmission unit, 212...information output unit, DB1...user database, DB2...activity information database, DB3...brain wave information database, N...network, T...user terminal, U...user, U1 (U1-1 to U1-4, U1-x, U1-y)...first user, U2...second user, U3...third user, Ug...grouped user, Un...non-grouped user, Ur1...first similar user, Ur2...second similar user.

Claims

1. An information providing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires brain wave information regarding the brain waves of each of a plurality of first users when the same stimulus is given to the plurality of first users; an estimation unit that estimates brain behavior in response to the stimulus based on the brain wave information acquired by the acquisition unit and estimates a similarity in the brain behavior among the plurality of first users; a grouping unit that creates groups from the plurality of first users based on the similarity estimated by the estimation unit; and a recommendation unit that recommends communication between grouped users of the plurality of first users that belong to the groups created by the grouping unit.

2. The information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of first users are users whose risk of developing dementia is equal to or greater than a first reference value and whose communication with others is estimated to be effective in preventing said dementia.

3. The information providing device of claim 2, further comprising a first generation unit that selects, from among a plurality of second users, a first similar user whose similarity to any of the grouped users is equal to or greater than a second reference value, and generates information to be provided to the grouped users based on information regarding the activities of the first similar user, wherein the plurality of second users are users whose risk of developing dementia becomes equal to or greater than a third reference value and then becomes equal to a fourth reference value lower than the third reference value.

4. The information providing device of claim 1, wherein the grouping unit creates the group by one first user selected from the plurality of first users and other first users among the plurality of first users whose similarity to the one first user is equal to or greater than a fifth reference value.

5. The information providing device of claim 1, further comprising a second generation unit that identifies, from among the plurality of first users, a non-grouped user who does not have any other first users among the plurality of first users whose similarity is equal to or greater than a sixth reference value, selects, from among a plurality of third users different from the plurality of first users, a second similar user whose similarity to the non-grouped user is equal to or greater than the sixth reference value, and generates information to be provided to the non-grouped user based on information regarding the characteristics of the second similar user.

6. An information providing device according to claim 1, wherein the electroencephalogram information includes information on the location where the electroencephalogram was detected and information on the frequency band of the electroencephalogram when the stimulus was applied.

7. An information provision method comprising: acquiring brain wave information regarding the brain waves of each of a plurality of first users when the same stimulus is given to the plurality of first users; estimating brain behavior in response to the stimulus based on the brain wave information; estimating the similarity of the brain behavior among the plurality of first users; creating groups from the plurality of first users based on the similarity; and recommending communication among grouped users belonging to the group among the plurality of first users.

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