JP7668759B2 - Program, device and method for limiting application use based on stress information - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for controlling a user's use of application programs on a terminal.

In devices, particularly smartphones, where a wide variety of application programs (hereafter referred to as applications) are available, users' excessive reliance on applications has become an issue. In extreme cases, users are using applications for over 10 hours a day, making appropriate measures urgently necessary.

As an example of a technology for taking such measures, Patent Document 1 discloses a notification device that notifies the user of notification information, including usage-dependent types, based on the usage history and application transition status of a mobile device.

For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that generates and notifies a user of optimization promotion information regarding usage based on the results of comparing the user's usage record with a reference value. This technology, for example, notifies the user of the extent to which the amount of time the user spends using a smartphone deviates from the general usage time, evoking the user's desire to "not stray from the average," thereby optimizing usage.

JP 2019-045939 A JP 2015-150781 A

However, the conventional technologies described above focus on usage time and usage history, and only notify users of information to encourage them to optimize their application usage. Therefore, they do not take into account the extent to which application usage actually has a negative impact on users.

As a result, for example, while using some applications for a relatively long period of time may have a positive effect on the user, with conventional technology, the user may be prompted to stop using the application depending on the duration of use and usage history.

Furthermore, when actually restricting the use of an application, it is desirable to restrict usage in accordance with the content of that usage, rather than simply considering the duration of use. For example, depending on the type of application, it is possible that suddenly restricting usage could actually increase stress for the user. However, up until now, there has been no consideration given to implementing such usage restrictions according to the content of use.

The present invention aims to provide a usage restriction program, device, and method that can restrict the use of an application while taking into account the impact of that use on the user and the content of that use.

According to the present invention, there is provided a usage restriction program for causing a computer to function to restrict the usage of an application on a terminal by a user, the program comprising:
a usage restriction determination means for acquiring or determining stress information determined from a measurement result of the physiological state of the user, judging a level of stress of the user from the stress information, identifying an active application being used when it is determined that the stress is higher than a predetermined level, or an active application whose stress is determined to be higher than a predetermined level from history information of stress information during the use of the application, and determining a restriction on use of the identified active application while it is active;
a restriction content determination means for determining the content of restrictions on use during startup of an application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined based on the content of usage restrictions preset for each application or each type of application, and/or based on history information on the content of usage of the application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined or a group of applications of the same type (including this application);
A usage restriction program is provided that causes a computer to function as usage restriction instruction means for generating usage restriction instruction information including information relating to an application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined, and information relating to the content of the determined restriction on usage while running, and which is directed to a control means that controls the operation of applications on the terminal.

In addition, as an embodiment of the usage restriction program according to the present invention,
The usage restriction determination means is
(a1) determining whether a first predetermined condition is satisfied, including a condition that a stress value related to the stress information exceeds a predetermined threshold, and determining whether a running application being used when it is determined that a first predetermined condition is satisfied is an excessively stressful application, and determining a restriction on use of the excessively stressful application while it is running ;
(b 1 ) determining whether a second predetermined condition is satisfied, including a condition that the usage time of the application on the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold and the stress value has increased, and determining whether the second predetermined condition is satisfied, the application being used when it is determined that the second predetermined condition is satisfied, as an excessively used application, and determining a limit on the usage of the excessively used application while it is being used ;
The restriction content determination means includes:
(a2) if the application for which the restriction on use during startup has been determined is an excessively stressful application, determining the content of the restriction on use during startup to lengthen the time it takes for the application to transition to a target restricted use state;
(b2) In the case where an application for which a restriction on usage during startup has been determined is an over-used application, it is also preferable to determine the content of the restriction on usage during startup to shorten the time it takes to transition to the target usage restriction state.

In another embodiment of the use restriction program according to the present invention, the contents of the preset use restriction are:
(a) limiting at least the communication speed of the terminal for an application belonging to a first application type that mainly presents video, images, or audio acquired through communication; and/or
(b) It is also preferable that the method includes limiting at least the operational sensitivity of the terminal for applications belonging to a second application type that mainly displays operable text, images, or videos.

In still another embodiment of the usage restriction program according to the present invention, the restriction content determination means
(a) if the past communication volume of an application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined, or a group of applications of the same type as this application (including this application) is large enough to satisfy a predetermined condition, determining that the application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined is an excessive communication volume application, and determining the content of the restriction on use during startup to limit the communication speed of the terminal;
(b) If the number of past specified operations for an application for which a restriction on use while running has been determined, or for a group of applications of the same type as this application (including this application), is large enough to satisfy specified conditions, it is also preferable to determine that the application for which a restriction on use while running has been determined is an excessively operated application, and to determine the content of the restriction on use while running to limit the operating sensitivity of the terminal.

In addition, in the usage restriction program of the present invention, it is also preferable that the restriction content determination means determines the content of the restriction on usage while running to lift the restriction on usage while running when: use of an application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined is stopped; when the stress information indicates that the user's stress is low enough to satisfy a predetermined condition while using an application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined; or when none of the applications are being used after a predetermined time has elapsed since the restriction on usage while running was initiated .

Furthermore, in the usage restriction program according to the present invention, it is also preferable that the restriction content determination means determines the content of the usage restriction including reducing the brightness and/or saturation of the screen of the terminal displaying the application for which usage restriction during startup has been determined.

According to the present invention, there is also provided a usage restriction device for restricting a user's use of an application, the device comprising:
a usage restriction determination means for acquiring or determining stress information determined from a measurement result of the physiological state of the user, judging a level of stress of the user from the stress information, identifying an active application being used when it is determined that the stress is higher than a predetermined level, or an active application whose stress is determined to be higher than a predetermined level from history information of stress information during the use of the application, and determining a restriction on use of the identified active application while it is active;
a restriction content determination means for determining the content of restrictions on use during startup of an application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined based on the content of usage restrictions preset for each application or each type of application, and/or based on history information on the content of usage of the application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined or a group of applications of the same type (including this application);
a usage restriction instruction means for generating usage restriction instruction information including information on an application for which a restriction on usage during activation has been determined and information on the content of the determined restriction on usage during activation ;
A usage restriction device is provided that has a control means for receiving the usage restriction instruction information and restricting the use of the application for which a restriction on usage during startup has been decided, according to the decided content of the restriction on usage during startup .

According to the present invention, there is further provided a computer-implemented use restriction method for restricting use of an application by a user on a terminal, the method comprising the steps of:
a step of acquiring or determining stress information determined from a measurement result of the physiological state of the user, judging the level of stress of the user from the stress information, identifying an active application being used when it was determined that the stress was higher than a predetermined level, or an active application which was determined to have a stress higher than a predetermined level based on history information of stress information during the use of the application, and deciding to impose restrictions on use of the identified active application while it is active;
determining the content of usage restrictions during startup for an application for which a restriction on usage during startup has been determined based on the content of usage restrictions preset for each application or each type of application, and/or based on history information of usage of the application for which a restriction on usage during startup has been determined or a group of applications of the same type (including this application);
A usage restriction method is provided which includes a step of generating usage restriction instruction information for a control means which controls the operation of applications on the terminal , the usage restriction instruction information including information relating to an application for which a restriction on usage while running has been decided, and information relating to the content of the decided restriction on usage while running.

The usage restriction program, device, and method of the present invention can restrict application usage while taking into account the impact of that usage on the user and the content of that usage.

1 is a functional block diagram showing a functional configuration of an embodiment of a usage restriction device according to the present invention; 1 is a flowchart outlining a specific example of a usage restriction method according to the present invention. 13 is a flowchart outlining another example of a usage restriction method according to the present invention.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings.

[Usage restriction device]
FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the functional configuration of an embodiment of a usage restriction device according to the present invention.

The smartphone 1 shown in FIG. 1 is one embodiment of a usage restriction device according to the present invention, which is a device capable of restricting a user's use (viewing, operation, etc.) of his/her own application program (hereafter abbreviated as application) based on "stress information" determined from the measurement results of the user's "physiological state." The applications used here include those that exchange data with an application (AP) server 3 (which distributes applications and performs data communication related to applications) during their startup and use.

In this embodiment, the user wears a smartwatch 2 on his or her wrist, which is a physiological condition measuring device capable of measuring the above-mentioned "physiological condition." The smartphone 1 acquires the measurement results of the "physiological condition" from the smartwatch 2 and determines "stress information" based on the results. As a modification, the smartwatch 2 may determine the "stress information" and the smartphone 1 may acquire (receive) it.

Specifically, the smartphone 1 (usage restriction device) has the following features:
(A) a use restriction determination unit 111 that, when the determined or acquired “stress information” indicates that the user's stress is higher than a predetermined level, determines a restriction on the use of an application related to the “stress information”;
(B) a restriction content determination unit 112 that determines the content of usage restriction (usage restriction content) for an application for which a usage restriction has been determined based on (b1) the content of usage restriction preset for each application or each type of application, and/or (b2) history information on the content of usage of the application for which a usage restriction has been determined or a group of applications of the same type (including this application);
(C) A use restriction instruction unit 113 that generates use restriction instruction information including information on the application for which restriction of use has been decided and information on the decided content of the use restriction.

In this embodiment, the use restriction instruction information (C) is instruction information that is output to the control units (communication speed control unit 121a, screen sensitivity control unit 122a, screen brightness/saturation control unit 122b) that control the operation of applications in the smartphone 1. That is, the smartphone 1 of this embodiment
(D) A control unit (121a, 122a, 122b) that receives use restriction instruction information from the use restriction instruction unit 113 and restricts the use of the application for which the use restriction has been determined, according to the determined use restriction content.
It further has the following.

In this way, the smartphone 1 can determine which applications are to be restricted from the user's "stress information" as shown in (A) above, and can also determine the content of the usage restriction according to the application (type) to be restricted and its usage history as shown in (B) above, and can implement usage restrictions that reflect these decisions. In other words, it is possible to implement restrictions on application usage that take into account the impact of that usage on the user and the content of that usage.

Therefore, for example, even if a certain application is used for a long period of time, if it is determined that there is no problem from the perspective of stress, appropriate measures can be taken, such as not restricting the use of this application.

Here, the "stress information" in (A) is information determined from the measurement results of the "physiological state" as described above, and specifically,
(a) information related to the user's heart rate (e.g., measured by the smart watch 2), such as a stress value calculated using the Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) related to Heart Rate Variability (HRV);
(b) a stress value calculated from information related to the movement of the user's pupils (e.g., measured by a built-in camera of the smartphone 1);
(c) a stress value calculated from information related to the brightness of the skin (e.g., measured by the smart watch 2 or measured, for example, on the user's finger held up against the built-in camera of the smartphone 1);
(d) A stress value calculated from information related to the user's brain waves (e.g., measured by a head mounted display (HMD) worn by the user). A plurality of these may be combined (e.g., added or multiplied) to determine the stress value.

The stress value (a) above can be calculated using, for example, the technology disclosed in JP 2021-137438 A. In this technology, a first index is calculated by dividing LF (Low Frequency), which is the power spectrum of the low frequency band included in the time series data of the subject's heartbeat interval, by HF (High Frequency), which is the power spectrum of the high frequency band included in this time series data, and a second index is calculated by dividing SDNN (Standard deviation of NN interval), which is the standard deviation of the heartbeat interval included in this time series data, by RMSSD, which is the square root of the average value of the squares of the differences between two consecutive heartbeat intervals included in this time series data, and a value indicating the user's stress state is calculated by multiplying the calculated first index and second index.

The stress value in (a) may also be calculated using, for example, the technology disclosed in International Publication No. WO 2018/100719. In this technology, the ratio (SDn/RMn) of the standard deviation (SDn) of the heartbeat interval (RRIn) to the root mean square (RMn) of the difference (RDn) between temporally adjacent heartbeat intervals (RRIn) is calculated, and the product-moment correlation coefficient (rn), which is the correlation between the root mean square (RMn) and this ratio (SDn/RMn) and corresponds to time, is calculated. Here, this product-moment correlation coefficient (rn) is a value indicating the degree of mental stress, and specifically, when the product-moment correlation coefficient (rn) is equal to or greater than a judgment threshold (-0.2), it is judged that mental stress is high.

Furthermore, the stress value in (a) above can also be calculated using the technology disclosed in, for example, JP 2007-167091 A. In this technology, the integral value (HF power) of a high frequency band higher than a specific frequency and the integral value (LF power) of a low frequency band lower than a specific frequency are calculated from the power spectrum obtained by Fourier transforming the fluctuation of the heartbeat interval, and HF power and LF power/HF power are each converted into a stress index using a specified table. Furthermore, the stress index converted from HF power and the stress index converted from LF power/HF power are added together, and the stress level is determined from this sum. Here, the conversion table is set so that the smaller the HF power, the higher the stress index that is determined, and the larger the LF power/HF powerF, the higher the stress index that is determined.

Furthermore, the stress value (a) above can also be determined using the technology disclosed in the non-patent literature: "Garmin's Stress Monitoring Function", [online], [searched on March 7, 2022], on the Internet <URL: https://www.garmin.co.jp/minisite/health/guide/stress/>, and the non-patent literature: "Evaluating Autonomic Nervous System Function with a Smartphone (Mobile Phone)", [online], [searched on March 7, 2022], on the Internet <URL: https://www.fmcc.co.jp/const.html>.

The stress value in (b) above can be calculated using, for example, the technology disclosed in JP 2021-049367 A. In this technology, the video capture function of the mobile device is turned on, a light provided on the capture side of the mobile device is turned on, and the pupils of the eyes of animals, including humans, are recognized from the image being captured. The illuminance of the light is then lowered until the pupils are recognized, and when the recognition of the pupils is completed, the illuminance of the light is increased from the level before recognition. When the pupil contraction speed falls below a certain speed, the illuminance of the light is lowered, thereby calculating the pupil change, which is the change over time in the degree of pupil opening that has been recognized. Here, it is said that this pupil change has a correlation with stress.

The stress value in (c) above can be calculated using, for example, the technology disclosed in JP 2014-140587 A. In this technology, brightness data of the skin, which changes according to blood flow, is acquired by a camera, and RR interval time series data is detected from this brightness data. The high-frequency and low-frequency components of the RR interval time series data that has been Fourier transformed are separated, and the parasympathetic nerve activity corresponding to the high-frequency components and the sympathetic nerve activity corresponding to the low-frequency components are displayed. Here, the ratio of sympathetic nerve activity to parasympathetic nerve activity is considered to be a value indicating the degree of stress.

The stress value in (d) above can be calculated using, for example, the technology disclosed in JP 2021-118908 A. In this technology, the subject's brain potential signals are acquired using sensors attached to three different positions on the surface of the subject's frontal or temporal region, time series data in a specific frequency band resulting from activity in the deep brain is extracted from each of the acquired brain potential signals, a correlation value indicating the correlation between the acquired brain potential signals is calculated based on the phase relationship of the extracted time series data, and the subject's stress state is determined based on this correlation value. Here, this correlation value is a value indicating the subject's stress state.

Furthermore, it is also possible to calculate the stress value using techniques other than the above (a) to (d). For example, the stress value can be calculated using a predetermined conversion formula from information related to skin temperature (measured by smartwatch 2 or by holding that part against the built-in camera of smartphone 1), such as information on the temperature difference between the wrist or palm and the fingers. It is also known that there is a correlation between the amount of sweat on the palm, heart rate waveform, blood pressure, body temperature, and blood oxygen saturation and the degree of stress, and it is also possible to calculate the stress value by substituting these measured amounts into a predetermined conversion formula.

In this embodiment, the stress value is normalized to a value between 0 (minimum stress or relaxed state) and 1 (maximum stress). As a modification, the measurement results of the "physiological state" required to calculate the stress value described above may be stored and managed sequentially as personal information in an external management server, and the smartphone 1 may acquire the measurement results of the "physiological state" from this management server as appropriate.

Furthermore, the use restriction device according to the present invention can be a device separate from the terminal (e.g., a smartphone) on which the user is actually using the application. In other words, the use restriction device has the functional components (A) to (C) described above, and can be a device, such as a use restriction instruction server, that transmits appropriate use restriction instruction information to the terminal (e.g., a smartphone) on which the user is using the application, and restricts the use of the application on that terminal. In this case, the device acquires and collects the measurement results of the "physiological state" or "stress information" from an external device (e.g., the physiological state measuring device 2 or the above-mentioned management server, etc.), and acquires and collects the usage details and usage history of the application from the instructed terminal (e.g., a smartphone) or a separately provided usage history management server.

[Device functional configuration, usage restriction program]
The functional configuration of the smartphone 1 as an embodiment of the usage restriction device according to the present invention will be described in more detail below. In the functional block diagram of Fig. 1, the smartphone 1 has a communication interface unit 101, a physiological information storage unit 102, an application (AP) usage history storage unit 103, a touch panel display 104, and a processor memory (a calculation processing system with a memory function).

Here, this processor memory stores one embodiment of the usage restriction program according to the present invention, and also has computer functions, and performs application usage restriction processing by executing this usage restriction program. For this reason, the usage restriction device according to the present invention may be a smartphone (mobile terminal) as in this embodiment, but it may also be, for example, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a personal computer (PC), or even a wearable device such as an HMD (Head Mounted Display), smart glasses, or a smart watch, equipped with the usage restriction program according to the present invention. Also, as described above, it is possible for it to be a non-cloud server or a cloud server.

The processor memory also includes a usage restriction determination unit 111 having a stress value determination unit 111a, a restriction content determination unit 112, a usage restriction instruction unit 113, a communication control unit 121 having a communication speed control unit 121a, an input/output control unit 122 having a screen sensitivity control unit 122a and a screen brightness/saturation control unit 122b, and an application (AP) unit 123. These functional components can be considered as functions realized by executing a usage restriction program according to the present invention stored in the processor memory. The process flow shown by connecting the functional components of the smartphone 1 in the functional block diagram of FIG. 1 with arrows can also be understood as one embodiment of a usage restriction method according to the present invention.

Also in the functional block diagram of FIG. 1, the AP unit 123 stores a large number of applications installed on the smartphone 1, and accepts start/stop instruction inputs and various operation inputs from the user via the touch panel display 104 and the input/output control unit 122 to start/stop or operate a specific application, and also displays videos, images, etc. as the output of the started application on the touch panel display 104 via the input/output control unit 122. Furthermore, it controls and executes the exchange of communication data between the started application and the AP server 3 (via the communication control unit 121 and the communication interface unit 101).

Also in the functional block diagram of FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the usage restriction determination unit 111 includes a stress value determination unit 111a. This stress value determination unit 111a acquires the measurement results of the user's physiological state received from the smartwatch 2 via the communication interface unit 101 and the communication control unit 121 and stored and managed in the physiological information storage unit 102, and determines the above-mentioned stress value (stress information) periodically or appropriately upon instruction.

The usage restriction determination unit 111 determines whether the user's stress is higher than a predetermined level from the stress value determined in this manner, and if it determines that the stress is high, it determines that the application for the stress value related to the determination, in this embodiment, the application being used at the time of the determination, is the application to be restricted in use. As a modification, it is also possible to make the determination from the stress value history information of the application, and when the application related to this determination is launched, this application is subject to usage restriction. The usage restriction determination unit 111 may obtain information on the application being used at the time of the determination from the AP unit 123 or the input/output control unit 122.

In addition, in this embodiment, two conditions, a first use limiting condition and a second use limiting condition, are set for determining whether or not the user's stress level is higher than a predetermined level. The first use limiting condition includes a condition that the stress level exceeds a predetermined threshold value, and is specifically as follows:
<First usage restriction condition> The stress value (while using the application) can be set to exceed a "stress threshold" (e.g., 0.9). When this first usage restriction condition is met, it is determined that the user's stress is higher than a predetermined level, and the application being used at that time is determined to be subject to usage restriction. Note that hereinafter, the application may also be referred to as an "excessively stressful application."

Here, it is also preferable to change the "stress threshold" of the first usage restriction condition according to the degree of the subsequent impact on stress of the application (or a group of applications of the same type (e.g., the first/second type described below)) that has been determined to be subject to usage restriction. For example, if an application (or a group of applications of the same type) that has been determined to be subject to usage restriction is also determined to be subject to usage restriction on the day after this determination and the day after that, the "stress threshold" on the following day (the third day) may be changed to, for example, 0.9 times the initial value, and the use of the application may be managed more strictly.

On the other hand, the second usage restriction condition is a condition including a condition that the usage time of the application exceeds a predetermined threshold and the stress value has increased, and specifically,
<Second use restriction condition> The usage time of an application on the smartphone 1 exceeds a predetermined time threshold (e.g., 3.5 hours), and the stress value (during the use of the application) exceeds the value at the most recent time point when the screen (of the smartphone 1) was turned on or exceeds a predetermined value (e.g., 0.1) (has increased (by a predetermined amount or more) since the time of turning on the screen).
When the second usage restriction condition is met, it is determined that the user's stress is higher than a predetermined level, and the application being used at that time is determined to be subject to usage restriction. Note that hereinafter, the application in question may also be referred to as an "excessively used application."

Incidentally, the use restriction determination unit 111 appropriately acquires necessary information from the AP use history storage unit 103 and performs the above-mentioned judgment. Here, the AP use history storage unit 103 appropriately collects information on the history of use of each application and information on the determined stress value from the communication control unit 121, the input/output control unit 122, and the stress value determination unit 111a, and stores and manages information on (a) the start date and time of use and the end date and time of use (usage time) for each application, (b) the amount of data communication (with the AP server 3), (c) the type of operation performed, the date and time of operation and the number of times (for example, the number of taps, the number of scrolls, etc.), (d) the type of the application, and (e) the stress value history including time-series data on the stress value while the smartphone 1 is running (or while the screen is turned on).

Similarly, in the functional block diagram of FIG. 1, the restriction content determination unit 112
(α) The content of the usage restriction for the application for which the usage restriction has been determined may be determined based on the content of the usage restriction preset for each application or for each “type” of application,
(β) The content of usage restrictions for an application for which usage restrictions have been determined may be determined based on historical information (obtained from the AP usage history storage unit 103) of usage of the application for which usage restrictions have been determined, or of a group of applications of the same “type” as this application (including this application).

In this embodiment, the “type” of (α) (and (β)) may be a type that is classified in advance. For example,
(A) Applications related to SNS (Social Networking Service), applications related to video provision, applications related to camera images (photos) and videos, game applications, applications related to music provision, web browsing applications (browsers), etc.
(a) Applications related to e-books, calendar and schedule management applications, applications related to e-mail, etc.
However, in this embodiment, the types of applications are broadly categorized from the viewpoint of the degree of stress increase, specifically,
The above type (A) (hereinafter referred to as the first application type), and the above type (B) (hereinafter referred to as the second application type).
These two are considered to be the "types" of (α) (and (β)).

The first application type (type (A) above) is a type that includes applications that primarily present video, images, or audio acquired through communication. On the other hand, the second application type (type (B) above) is a type that includes applications that primarily display operable text, images, or video.

Here, in the case of (α) above, the restriction content determination unit 112 of this embodiment determines the usage restriction content for the first application type (type (a) above) to at least limit (reduce) the communication speed of the smartphone 1 while the application of that type is being used. This is because it has been determined that limiting the communication speed is effective in reducing stress for the user for the first application type, which is primarily used to present video, images, or audio acquired through communication.

On the other hand, for the second application type (type (i) above), the usage restriction content is determined to at least limit the operation sensitivity of the smartphone 1 while using the application of that type, i.e., to limit the screen sensitivity of the touch panel display 104 (to reduce the screen sensitivity). This is because it has been determined that limiting the operation sensitivity (screen sensitivity) is effective in reducing stress for the user for the second application type, which is primarily for displaying operable text, images, or videos.

In addition, in the case of (β) above, if the data communication volume during a specified period of time for the application for which a usage restriction has been determined, or for a group of applications of the same type as this application (including this application), is large enough to satisfy a specified condition, the restriction content determination unit 112 of this embodiment determines that the application for which a usage restriction has been determined is an "excessive communication volume application," and determines the usage restriction content to limit (reduce) the communication speed of the smartphone 1 while the application is being used. This is the setting made because it has been determined that limiting the data communication volume for use of an "excessive communication volume application" is effective in reducing stress for the user.

On the other hand, if the number of specified operations (e.g., the number of taps or scrolls) during a specified period in the past for an application for which a usage restriction has been determined, or for a group of applications of the same type as this application (including this application), is large enough to satisfy a specified condition, the application for which a usage restriction has been determined is deemed to be an "excessively-operated application," and a usage restriction is determined to limit the operation sensitivity of the smartphone 1 while the application is being used, i.e., to limit the screen sensitivity of the touch panel display 104 (reduce the screen sensitivity). This is the setting made because it has been determined that limiting the operation sensitivity when using an "excessively-operated application" is effective in reducing stress for the user.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the restriction content determination unit 112
(I) If the application for which the restriction of use has been determined is an "excessively stressful application" determined when the above-mentioned <First Use Restriction Condition> is satisfied, the content of the restriction of use is determined to be such that the time required to transition to the target use restriction state is longer (for example, 1 hour);
(II) If the application for which usage restriction has been determined is an “overused application” which is determined when the above-mentioned “second usage restriction condition” is satisfied, the content of the usage restriction is determined to shorten the time it takes to transition to the target usage restriction state (for example, to one second).

Of these, (I) above is a setting based on the consideration that in many cases, suddenly restricting the use of an excessively stressful application can actually increase the user's stress. For example, if a user who is playing an online game suddenly experiences a drastic drop in communication speed and is effectively unable to continue playing the game, the user is likely to feel extremely dissatisfied and their stress will increase. On the other hand, (II) above is a setting that prioritizes eliminating the negative effects of long-term use for users who use excessive applications. For example, if a user who has been using a mailer (email application) for a long time suddenly experiences a drop in sensitivity (screen sensitivity) for operations such as tapping and scrolling, it is entirely conceivable that they would take a break in response.

In addition, in this embodiment, in a situation where the use restriction is activated for an application for which the use restriction is determined, the restriction content determination unit 112
(a) If you stop using the Application,
(b) when the user's stress is deemed low enough to satisfy a predetermined condition based on the stress information while using the application (e.g., when the stress value falls below a predetermined threshold (e.g., 0.7)), or (c) when none of the applications are used after a predetermined time (e.g., 3 hours) has elapsed since the start of the restriction on use;
It is also preferable to determine the content of the usage restriction to lift the restriction on usage. Incidentally, in a specific example of the usage restriction method of the present invention which will be described later with reference to Figures 2 and 3, the above (c) is adopted.

Furthermore, the restriction content determination unit 112 may adopt the brightness and/or saturation of the screen of the smartphone 1 (touch panel display 104) as the item to be restricted. In other words, it is also preferable to determine the usage restriction content including reducing the brightness and/or saturation of the screen displaying the application for which the usage restriction has been determined.

The above describes the process of determining application usage restrictions in the restriction content determination unit 112, but a specific example of the above case (α) (where usage restrictions are determined based on usage restrictions preset for each application type) will be described later using FIG. 2. Also, a specific example of the above case (β) (where usage restrictions are determined based on usage history information acquired from the AP usage history storage unit 103) will be described later using FIG. 3. Incidentally, as mentioned in the explanations of these specific examples (FIGS. 2 and 3), it is also possible to perform a process of determining usage restrictions that employs both the above (α) and (β).

1, the usage restriction instruction unit 113 generates usage restriction instruction information including information on the application for which usage restriction has been decided and information on the decided usage restriction content. The generated usage restriction instruction information is then transmitted to a control unit that controls the operation of the application in the smartphone 1.
(a) A communication speed control unit 121 a of the communication control unit 121 (which exchanges information with the AP unit 123);
(b) a screen sensitivity control unit 122a of the input/output control unit 122 (which exchanges information with the AP unit 123), and (c) a screen brightness/saturation control unit 122b of the input/output control unit 122 (which exchanges information with the AP unit 123).
The control means outputs the usage restriction contents to the control means corresponding to the usage restriction contents.

Here, the communication speed control unit 121a is originally a functional component that controls and manages the communication speed (amount of data received and/or data transmitted per unit time) of data communication via the communication interface unit 101 (with the AP server 3). In this embodiment, when use restriction instruction information including content for restricting the communication speed is received from the use restriction instruction unit 113, a restriction on the communication speed according to the content is implemented. Note that the setting of the communication speed by the communication speed control unit 121 is a publicly known technology, and is disclosed, for example, in the non-patent document: "Switching between "High-speed mode (turbo ON)" and "Save mode (turbo OFF)", [online], [searched on March 7, 2022], <https://www.uqwimax.jp/mobile/support/faq/pages/000001359/>.

The screen sensitivity control unit 122a is originally a functional component that controls and manages the sensitivity when converting the result of a user's input operation on the touch panel display 104 into input instruction data. For example, it controls and manages the screen sensitivity by adjusting the threshold value of the degree of contact of the user's finger with the screen (contact area, capacitance/resistance change or pressure change due to contact, etc.) used to determine whether or not to convert the contact into input instruction data, and by setting the scrolling speed. In this embodiment, when the screen sensitivity control unit 122a receives usage restriction instruction information including contents for restricting the screen sensitivity from the usage restriction instruction unit 113, it restricts the screen sensitivity according to the contents.

Note that the setting of the screen sensitivity by the screen sensitivity control unit 122a is a publicly known technology, and is disclosed, for example, in the non-patent document: "How to set and operate Scroll Auto?", [online], [searched on March 7, 2022], <https://sharpmobile.zendesk.com/hc/ja/articles/115000519972--AQUOS-R-%E3%82%B9%E3%82%AF%E3%83%AD%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%83%88%E3%81%AE%E8%A8%AD%E5%AE%9A%E3%81%A8%E6%93%8D%E4%BD%9C%E6%96%B9%E6%B3%95%E3%81%AF->.

Furthermore, the screen brightness/saturation control unit 122b is originally a functional component that controls and manages the brightness and saturation of all pixels that make up the screen of the touch panel display 104. In this embodiment, when usage restriction instruction information including content restricting the brightness/saturation of the screen is received from the usage restriction instruction unit 113, the brightness/saturation is restricted according to the content. For example, the brightness/saturation of the entire screen (each pixel) may be reduced to a predetermined percentage (e.g., 30%) or uniformly reduced to a predetermined value.

[How to restrict use]
2 is a flow chart showing an outline of one embodiment of the use restriction method according to the present invention, which corresponds to the above-mentioned case (α).

(S101) (In a situation where a user is using a certain application) It is confirmed and determined which application is currently being used.
(S102) The current stress value is determined from the measurement results of heart rate variability by the smart watch 2.
(S103) The current usage time of the smartphone 1 is confirmed and determined.

(S104) It is determined from the determined stress value (and the determined usage time and stress value history information) whether or not the application determined in step S101 is to be subject to usage restriction.
Here, in step S104,
Determine whether the above-mentioned <first use restriction condition> is satisfied, i.e., whether the application determined in step S101 is an "excessively stressful application" (subject to use restriction), and
It is also determined whether the above-mentioned <second usage restriction condition> is satisfied, that is, whether the application determined in step S101 is an "excessively used application" (subject to usage restriction).
If it is determined that the application is neither an "excessively stressful application" nor an "excessively used application," no usage restriction is implemented.

(S105) If it is determined in step S104 that the application is an "excessively stressful application" (subject to usage restriction), then it is determined whether the application subject to usage restriction is a "first application type" (type (a) above) or a "second application type" (type (b) above).

(S106) If it is determined in step S105 that the application is the "first application type," a usage restriction is implemented on the currently used application that is subject to usage restriction by "gradually lowering" the communication speed, and the screen brightness and/or screen saturation.
Here, "gradually decreasing" means decreasing the communication speed continuously (e.g., linearly) or stepwise from the time of the determination in step S104, for example, to 125 kbps (bits/second) over one hour. Also, decreasing the screen brightness and/or screen saturation continuously (e.g., linearly) or stepwise from the time of the determination in step S104, for example, to a set minimum value over one hour.

(S107) On the other hand, if it is determined in step S105 that the application is of the second application type, a usage restriction is implemented on the currently used application that is subject to usage restriction by "gradually lowering" the screen sensitivity, and the screen brightness and/or screen saturation.
Here, "gradually lowering" the screen sensitivity means lowering the screen sensitivity continuously (e.g., linearly) or stepwise from the point of judgment in step S104, for example, to 1/10 (0.1 times) of the initial setting value over the course of one hour.

(S108) If it is determined in step S104 that the application is an "overused application" (subject to usage restrictions), then it is determined whether the application type subject to usage restrictions is the "first application type" (type (a) above) or the "second application type" (type (b) above).

(S109) If it is determined in step S108 that the application is the "first application type," a usage restriction is implemented on the currently used application that is subject to usage restriction by "rapidly lowering" the communication speed, and the screen brightness and/or screen saturation.
Here, "rapidly lowering" means that the communication speed is reduced to, for example, 125 kbps after, for example, one second from the time of the determination in step S104. Also, the screen brightness and/or screen saturation is reduced to, for example, the minimum setting value after, for example, one second from the time of the determination in step S104.

(S110) On the other hand, if it is determined in step S108 that the application is the "second application type," a usage restriction is implemented on the currently used application that is subject to usage restriction by "rapidly lowering" the screen sensitivity, as well as the screen brightness and/or screen saturation.
Here, "rapidly lowering" the screen sensitivity means that the screen sensitivity is reduced to, for example, 1/10 (0.1 times) the initial setting value, for example, one second after the determination in step S104.

Next, if it is determined in step S104 that the application is neither an "excessively stressful application" nor an "excessively used application", or if the processing in step S106, S107, S109, or S110 is started, the process proceeds to the next step S111 after a predetermined time (e.g., 3 hours) has elapsed. However, if the application being used has been changed during that time (e.g., if a different application is launched and data communication or operation is started), the process returns to step S101 and the above-described processing is carried out again.

(S111) It is determined whether the user is using (any) application. If it is determined that the application is being used, the process returns to step S101 and the above-described process is carried out again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the application is not being used, this application usage restriction process (for this one time) is terminated.

Figure 3 is a flowchart outlining another specific example of the usage restriction method according to the present invention. The usage restriction method shown in this flowchart corresponds to the above-mentioned case (β). Furthermore, steps S201 to S203 in this flowchart are steps that perform the same processing as steps S101 to S103 in Figure 1, and so further explanation will be omitted.

(S204) It is determined from the determined stress value (and the determined usage time and stress value history information) whether or not the application determined in step S201 is to be subject to usage restriction.
In step S204, it is determined whether the above-mentioned <first usage limit condition> is satisfied (whether the application is an excessively stressful application (subject to usage limit)). However, it is also possible to determine whether the above-mentioned <second usage limit condition> is satisfied (whether the application is an excessively used application (subject to usage limit)) instead.

(S205) If it is determined in step S204 that the application determined in step S201 is to be subject to usage restriction, then it is determined whether the application type subject to usage restriction is an "excessive communication volume application" and whether it is an "excessive operation application."

Here, if the data traffic volume per hour for the group of applications (including this application) of the same type as the application to be restricted on the day of this processing is, for example, 50 MB (Mega Bytes) or more, it is determined to be an "excessive traffic volume application." Also, if the number of taps and scrolls (total number of taps and scrolls) per hour for the group of applications (including this application) of the same type as the application to be restricted on the day of this processing is, for example, 500 or more, it is determined to be an "excessive operation application."

(S206) If it is determined in step S205 that the application is an "excessive communication volume application," a usage restriction is implemented for the currently used application that is subject to the usage restriction, in which the communication speed is "reduced according to the data communication volume." In addition, the screen brightness and/or screen saturation is reduced, for example, linearly, to the set minimum value over, for example, one hour.

Here, "reducing the communication speed according to the amount of data traffic" means that if the amount of data traffic per hour for the application type subject to usage restrictions on the day of this process is, for example, 100 MB or more, the communication speed is reduced continuously (for example, linearly) or in stages, for example to 125 kbps over one hour, while if the amount of data traffic is Cd MB (<100 MB), the time during which the communication speed is reduced to 125 kbps is extended. In the latter case, the communication speed may be reduced to 125 kbps over, for example, 100/Cd hours (>1 hour).

(S207) If it is determined in step S205 that the application is an "excessively operated application," a usage restriction is implemented for the currently used application that is subject to usage restriction, in which the screen sensitivity is "decreased according to the number of operations." In addition, the screen brightness and/or screen saturation is reduced, for example, linearly, to the set minimum value over, for example, one hour.

Here, "reducing the screen sensitivity according to the number of operations" means that if the number of taps/scrolls per hour on the day of this processing for the application type subject to usage restriction is, for example, 1000 or more, the screen sensitivity is reduced continuously (for example, linearly) or stepwise, for example to 1/10 (0.1 times) of the initial setting value over the course of 1 hour, while if the number of taps/scrolls is Cd (<1000), the time during which the screen sensitivity is reduced to 1/10 (0.1 times) of the initial setting value is extended. In the latter case, it may be reduced to 1/10 (0.1 times) of the initial setting value over, for example, 1000/Cd hours (>1 hour).

(S208) Furthermore, if it is determined in step S205 that the application is an "excessive communication volume application" or an "excessive operation application," the above-mentioned communication speed is "reduced according to the data communication volume" and the above-mentioned screen sensitivity is "reduced according to the number of operations" are both restricted for the currently used application. Also, the screen brightness and/or screen saturation is reduced linearly, for example, over one hour, to the set minimum value.
(S209) Furthermore, if it is determined in step S205 that the application is neither an "excessive communication volume application" nor an "excessive operation application," a usage restriction is implemented for the currently used application that is subject to usage restriction, for example by linearly reducing the screen brightness and/or screen saturation to a set minimum value over, for example, one hour.

Next, if it is determined in step S204 that the application determined in step S201 is not subject to usage restriction (if usage restriction is not to be implemented), or if the processing in step S206, S207, S208, or S209 is started, the process proceeds to the next step S210 after a predetermined time (e.g., 3 hours) has elapsed. However, if the application being used has been changed during that time (e.g., if a different application is launched and data communication or operation is started), the process returns to step S201 and the above-described processing is carried out again.

(S210) It is determined whether the user is using (any) application. If it is determined that the application is being used, the process returns to step S201 and the above-described process is carried out again. On the other hand, if it is determined that the application is not being used, this application usage restriction process (for this one time) is terminated.

A specific example of the usage restriction method according to the present invention has been described above using FIG. 2 (case (α) above) and FIG. 3 (case (β) above). As a modification, in step S106 of FIG. 2, it may be further determined whether or not the application (to be restricted) is an excessive communication volume application, and if it is determined that it is an excessive communication volume application, the usage restriction may be performed by "gradually lowering" the communication speed over, for example, one hour, whereas if it is determined that it is not an excessive communication volume application, the usage restriction may be performed by "gradually lowering" the communication speed over, for example, two hours.

As a modification, in step S107 of FIG. 2, a further determination may be made as to whether or not the application (to be restricted) is an excessively operated application, and if it is determined that it is an excessively operated application, the screen sensitivity may be "gradually lowered" over, for example, one hour as a restriction on usage, whereas if it is determined that it is not an excessively operated application, the screen sensitivity may be "gradually lowered" over, for example, two hours as a restriction on usage.

As a further modification, in steps S206 and S208 of FIG. 3, it is further determined whether the application to be restricted is the second application type, and if it is determined that the application is the second application type, it is possible to set the time period for reducing the communication speed in these steps (e.g., 1 hour) shorter (e.g., 0.5 hours). Furthermore, in steps S207 and S208 of FIG. 3, it is further determined whether the application to be restricted is the first application type, and if it is determined that the application is the first application type, it is possible to set the time period for reducing the screen sensitivity in these steps (e.g., 1 hour) longer (e.g., 2 hours).

As explained in detail above, according to the present invention, it is possible to determine the applications for which usage restrictions are to be applied based on the user's stress information, and also to determine the content of usage restrictions according to the application (type) and its usage history, and to implement usage restrictions that reflect these decisions. In other words, it is possible to implement restrictions on application usage that take into account the impact of that usage on the user and the content of that usage.

In addition, online education using terminals such as PCs equipped with educational applications is a very effective method for providing high-quality education suited to the individual personalities and abilities of children around the world. However, when providing such online education, care must be taken not to cause excessive stress to children. In this regard, if the use restriction program of the present invention is installed on terminals such as PCs used for online education, children can enjoy online education without being subjected to excessive stress. In other words, the present invention can contribute to Goal 4 of the United Nations-led Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which states, "Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all."

Furthermore, it is expected that work using terminals such as PCs equipped with specific business applications will continue to increase in the future in countries around the world. However, when performing work using such terminals such as PCs, care must be taken not to cause excessive stress to the worker. In this regard, if the use restriction program of the present invention is installed in the terminals such as PCs used for such work, the worker can perform the work efficiently without being subjected to excessive stress. In other words, according to the present invention, it is also possible to contribute to Goal 8 of the United Nations-led SDGs, "Promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, employment and decent work for all."

With regard to the various embodiments of the present invention described above, various changes, modifications, and omissions within the scope of the technical ideas and viewpoints of the present invention can be easily made by a person skilled in the art. The above description is merely an example and is not intended to be restrictive in any way. The present invention is limited only by the scope of the claims and their equivalents.

1. Smartphone (usage restriction device)
101 Communication interface unit 102 Physiological information storage unit 103 Application (AP) usage history storage unit 104 Touch panel display 111 Usage restriction determination unit 111a Stress value determination unit 112 Restriction content determination unit 113 Usage restriction instruction unit 121 Communication control unit 121a Communication speed control unit 122 Input/output control unit 122a Screen sensitivity control unit 122b Screen brightness/saturation control unit 2 Smart watch (physiological condition measurement device)
3. Application (AP) Server

Claims (8)

A usage restriction program that causes a computer to function to restrict a user's use of an application on a terminal, comprising:
a usage restriction determination means for acquiring or determining stress information determined from a measurement result of the physiological state of the user, judging a level of stress of the user from the stress information, identifying an active application being used when it is determined that the stress is higher than a predetermined level, or an active application whose stress is determined to be higher than a predetermined level based on history information of stress information during the use of the application, and determining a restriction on use of the identified active application while it is active;
a restriction content determination means for determining the content of restrictions on use during startup of an application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined based on the content of usage restrictions preset for each application or each type of application and/or based on history information on the content of usage of the application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined or a group of applications including the application of the same type as the application;
A usage restriction program characterized by causing a computer to function as usage restriction instruction means for generating usage restriction instruction information including information relating to an application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined, and information relating to the content of the determined restriction on usage while running, and the usage restriction instruction information is for a control means that controls the operation of applications on the terminal. the usage restriction determination means determines whether a first predetermined condition is satisfied, including a condition that a stress value related to the stress information exceeds a predetermined threshold, and when it is determined that the first predetermined condition is satisfied, determines an application currently being used as an excessively stressful application and determines a restriction on use of the excessively stressful application while it is running ; determines whether a second predetermined condition is satisfied, including a condition that a usage time of an application on the terminal exceeds a predetermined threshold and the stress value has increased, and when it is determined that the second predetermined condition is satisfied, determines an application currently being used as an excessively used application and determines a restriction on use of the excessively used application while it is running ;
The usage restriction program of claim 1, characterized in that the restriction content determination means determines the content of the usage restriction during startup to be such that, if the application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined is an excessively stressful application, the time required to transition to a target usage restriction state is made longer , and if the application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined is an excessively used application, the content of the usage restriction during startup to be such that the time required to transition to a target usage restriction state is made shorter. The usage restriction program of claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the contents of the pre-set usage restrictions include limiting at least the communication speed of the terminal for applications belonging to a first application type that mainly presents video, images or audio obtained through communication, and/or limiting at least the operating sensitivity of the terminal for applications belonging to a second application type that mainly displays operable text, images or videos. The restriction content determination means
If the past communication volume of an application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined, or a group of applications including the application of the same type as the application, is large enough to satisfy a predetermined condition, the application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined is an excessive communication volume application, and the content of the restriction on use during startup is determined to limit the communication speed of the terminal;
The usage restriction program described in claim 1, characterized in that if the number of past specified operations for an application for which a restriction on use while running has been determined, or for a group of applications including the application of the same type as the application, is large enough to satisfy a specified condition, the application for which a restriction on use while running has been determined is an excessively operated application, and the content of the restriction on use while running is determined to be to limit the operating sensitivity of the terminal. The usage restriction program of any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the restriction content determination means determines the content of the restriction on usage while running to lift the restriction on usage while running when: use of an application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined is stopped; when the stress information indicates that the user's stress is low enough to satisfy a predetermined condition while using an application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined; or when none of the applications are being used after a predetermined time has elapsed since the restriction on usage while running was initiated . The usage restriction program according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the restriction content determination means determines the content of the usage restriction including reducing the brightness and/or saturation of the screen of the terminal displaying the application for which the restriction of use during startup has been determined. A usage restriction device for restricting a user's use of an application, comprising:
a usage restriction determination means for acquiring or determining stress information determined from a measurement result of the physiological state of the user, judging a level of stress of the user from the stress information, identifying an active application being used when it is determined that the stress is higher than a predetermined level, or an active application whose stress is determined to be higher than a predetermined level based on history information of stress information during the use of the application, and determining a restriction on use of the identified active application while it is active;
a restriction content determination means for determining the content of restrictions on use during startup of an application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined based on the content of usage restrictions preset for each application or each type of application and/or based on history information on the content of usage of the application for which a restriction on use during startup has been determined or a group of applications including the application of the same type as the application;
a usage restriction instruction means for generating usage restriction instruction information including information on an application for which a restriction on usage during activation has been determined and information on the content of the determined restriction on usage during activation ;
and a control means for receiving the usage restriction instruction information and restricting the use of the application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined, in accordance with the determined content of the restriction on usage while running . 1. A computer-implemented use restriction method for restricting use of an application by a user on a terminal, comprising:
a step of acquiring or determining stress information determined from a measurement result of the physiological state of the user, judging the level of stress of the user from the stress information, identifying an active application being used when it was determined that the stress was higher than a predetermined level, or an active application which was determined to have a stress higher than a predetermined level based on history information of stress information during the use of the application, and deciding to impose restrictions on use of the identified active application while it is active;
determining the content of usage restrictions during startup for an application for which a restriction on usage during startup has been determined based on the content of usage restrictions preset for each application or each type of application and/or based on history information of usage of the application for which a restriction on usage during startup has been determined or a group of applications including the application of the same type as the application ;
a step of generating usage restriction instruction information for a control means that controls the operation of applications on the terminal , the usage restriction instruction information including information relating to an application for which a restriction on usage while running has been determined, and information relating to the content of the determined restriction on usage while running.

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