JP7685705B2 - Evaluation method and evaluation system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an evaluation method and an evaluation system.

Patent Document 1 discloses a psychological state evaluation device that can accurately evaluate the psychological state of a target person. In addition, Patent Document 2 discloses an air conditioner that can further improve the effect of improving the sensation of heating and cooling.

Patent No. 5828111 Patent No. 4986670

The present invention provides an evaluation method and the like that can evaluate whether a composite stimulus of a first stimulus and a second stimulus has a synergistic effect.

The evaluation method according to one aspect of the present invention includes a first stimulation step of providing a first stimulus to a subject, a first acquisition step of acquiring a result of a first subjective evaluation of the subject to which the first stimulus has been provided, a second stimulation step of providing a second stimulus to the subject, a second acquisition step of acquiring a result of a second subjective evaluation of the subject to which the second stimulus has been provided, a third stimulation step of providing a composite stimulus of the first stimulus and the second stimulus to the subject, a third acquisition step of acquiring a result of a third subjective evaluation of the subject to which the composite stimulus has been provided, an evaluation step of evaluating whether the composite stimulus has a synergistic effect based on a comparison of at least one of a first vector indicating the result of the first subjective evaluation, a second vector indicating the result of the second subjective evaluation, and a composite vector of the first and second vectors with a third vector indicating the result of the third subjective evaluation, and an output step of outputting the result of the evaluation.

The evaluation system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a stimulus control unit that provides a subject with a first stimulus, a second stimulus, and a composite stimulus of the first stimulus and the second stimulus; an acquisition unit that acquires the result of a first subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the first stimulus has been given, the result of a second subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the second stimulus has been given, and the result of a third subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the composite stimulus has been given; an evaluation unit that evaluates whether the composite stimulus has a synergistic effect based on a comparison of at least one of a first vector indicating the result of the first subjective evaluation, a second vector indicating the result of the second subjective evaluation, and a composite vector of the first and second vectors with a third vector indicating the result of the third subjective evaluation; and an output unit that outputs the result of the evaluation.

The evaluation method of the present invention can evaluate whether a combined stimulus of a first stimulus and a second stimulus has a synergistic effect.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an evaluation system according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an example of the operation of the evaluation system according to the embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for subjective evaluation. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the evaluation process. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an affective map. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a first example of a first vector, a second vector, a third vector, and a composite vector displayed on an affective map. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a second example of the first vector, the second vector, the third vector, and the composite vector displayed on the affective map. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a third example of the first vector, the second vector, the third vector, and the composite vector displayed on the affective map.

(Findings on which the present invention is based)
Improving employee productivity has become an issue due to factors such as a decline in the working population and work style reforms. Increasing employee motivation and improving office space are also important factors in improving productivity. A comfortable office space helps reduce stress, maintain health, and maintain motivation, which is thought to lead to increased productivity.

On the other hand, creating a comfortable space requires more than just using air conditioning to control the temperature and lighting to ensure the brightness required for work. There are many factors related to air conditioning alone that affect the environment. To create a good space, it is necessary to comprehensively control stimuli for employees' five senses, including hearing, touch, and smell.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' Health and Productivity Management Office Report (2015) lists touch, air quality, light, sound, and scent as factors that influence comfort, and the WELL certification also specifies that the adoption of biophilia can speed up fatigue recovery. Regarding such comfortable environments, research has shown that when it comes to thermal and light comfort, in semi-outdoor locations, comfort does not decrease even if it deviates from the theoretical comfort range (the tolerance range becomes wider).

There are also known technologies that provide richer experiences by utilizing multiple stimuli. For example, there are known technologies that use seats that vibrate in time with a movie, that use scents or lighting colors to liven up a meeting, and that combine taste, smell, and sight to make the same food taste different or to make a particular flavor more pronounced. Such technologies are particularly popular in the field of virtual reality (VR).

Using these technologies and knowledge, comfortable (highly productive) office spaces are being created. However, no method has been proposed for easily evaluating complex stimuli to assess the office space that has been created. The mainstream methods involve measuring physical values or conducting subjective evaluations of single stimuli, and measuring employees' mood ratings, task performance, and fatigue levels in an environment with complex stimuli. These evaluation methods do not measure the quality of the environment, the effects of each stimulus, or the interactions between stimuli, making it difficult to understand how to control the environment to create a comfortable office space.

Below, embodiments based on such knowledge will be specifically described with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments described below are all comprehensive or specific examples. The numerical values, shapes, materials, components, component placement and connection forms, steps, and order of steps shown in the following embodiments are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. Furthermore, among the components in the following embodiments, components that are not described in an independent claim will be described as optional components.

Note that each figure is a schematic diagram and is not necessarily a precise illustration. In addition, in each figure, the same reference numerals are used for substantially the same configurations, and duplicate explanations may be omitted or simplified.

(Embodiment)
[composition]
First, the configuration of the evaluation system according to the embodiment will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the evaluation system according to the embodiment. The evaluation system 10 according to the embodiment is a system for evaluating a user's impression of an evaluation object. The evaluation result by the evaluation system 10 can be utilized in the design of the evaluation object. The evaluation object is, for example, an indoor space such as an office, but may be something other than space. In the following, a person who performs evaluation using the evaluation system 10 will be referred to as an evaluator, and a person who performs subjective evaluation in response to the presentation of a stimulus will be referred to as a subject.

The evaluation system 10 obtains the results of a subject's subjective evaluation of a space when the subject is presented with a five-sensory stimulus. In other words, the evaluation system 10 obtains the effect obtained by the five-sensory stimulus as the goodness of the space. This allows the evaluation system 10 to evaluate the space using a common scale even when different five-sensory stimuli are presented to the subject, realizing a simple evaluation that does not require physiological measurements of the subject.

Specifically, the evaluation system 10 can evaluate whether a synergistic effect is obtained when multiple types of stimuli are given simultaneously, based on the results of the subject's subjective evaluation of the space when multiple types of stimuli are given individually, and the results of the subject's subjective evaluation of the space when multiple types of stimuli are given simultaneously. The synergistic effect here is, for example, a cross-modal effect (interaction effect).

A space has many components. For example, components that can be recognized visually include the color (in the case of lighting devices, the emitted color), shape, material, size, etc. of the ceiling, walls, floor, furniture, lighting devices, etc. There are cases where the atmosphere changes when changing the furniture placed on the floor even if the floor color is the same, and visually recognized components have a significant impact on comfort.

Cross-modal effects are already being applied to VR technology and other areas. One example is the effect of improving the sense of realism. It is thought that cross-modal effects can also be achieved in real spaces, but consideration is needed as to how the components of a space should be combined to achieve a cross-modal effect. As mentioned above, there are a wide variety of components that make up a space, so in reality it is difficult to repeat detailed evaluations until a good effect is achieved.

The evaluation system 10 can assist the evaluator in analyzing and comparing so that the evaluator can efficiently explore cross-modal effects. The specific configuration of such an evaluation system 10 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 1, the evaluation system 10 includes a stimulus presentation unit 20, a reception unit 30, a display unit 40, an information processing unit 50, and a storage unit 60.

First, the stimulus presentation unit 20 will be described. The stimulus presentation unit 20 presents five-sensory stimuli to a subject located in a space (hereinafter, also simply described as "giving a stimulus"). The stimulus presentation unit 20 has a visual stimulus presentation unit 21, an auditory stimulus presentation unit 22, a tactile stimulus presentation unit 23, a thermal/cold stimulus presentation unit 24, and an olfactory stimulus presentation unit 25. In other words, the five-sensory stimuli here include visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, tactile stimuli, thermal/cold stimuli, and olfactory stimuli. Note that it is not essential that the stimulus presentation unit 20 includes all of these five types of stimulus presentation units, and some of the five types of stimulus presentation units may be omitted.

The visual stimulus presentation unit 21 is a device that presents visual stimuli to the subject. Specifically, the visual stimulus presentation unit 21 is a device that emits light, such as a lighting device.

The auditory stimulus presentation unit 22 is a device that presents an auditory stimulus to the subject. Specifically, the auditory stimulus presentation unit 22 is a device that emits sound, such as a speaker device.

The tactile stimulus presentation unit 23 is a device that presents a tactile stimulus to the subject. Specifically, the tactile stimulus presentation unit 23 is a device that generates an airflow, such as a circulator or an electric fan.

The hot and cold stimulus presentation unit 24 is a device that presents a hot and cold stimulus to the subject. Specifically, the hot and cold stimulus presentation unit 24 is a device that adjusts the temperature of an air conditioner or the like.

The olfactory stimulation presentation unit 25 is a device that presents an olfactory stimulation to the subject. Specifically, the olfactory stimulation presentation unit 25 is a device that emits a scent, such as an aroma diffuser.

For convenience, the stimulus presentation unit 20 is classified into five parts: a visual stimulus presentation unit 21, an auditory stimulus presentation unit 22, a tactile stimulus presentation unit 23, a warm/cold stimulus presentation unit 24, and an olfactory stimulus presentation unit 25; however, this classification is not strict. For example, a device such as a circulator or an electric fan has been described as an example of the tactile stimulus presentation unit 23, but may also be used as the warm/cold stimulus presentation unit 24.

The reception unit 30 receives input from the evaluator or the subject of the evaluation (hereinafter also referred to as the subject, etc.). For example, the reception unit 30 receives input from the evaluator to operate the stimulus presentation unit 20 (input instructing the type of stimulus (stimulus presentation unit) and the presentation method, etc.), and input instructing the display of past evaluation results. The reception unit 30 also receives input from the subject who received the five-sensory stimulation indicating the result of the subject's subjective evaluation of the space when the five-sensory stimulation was presented. The reception unit 30 may also receive input of attribute information of the subject from the subject or evaluator as necessary. The reception unit 30 is realized by, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch panel.

The display unit 40 displays information necessary for the subject, information necessary to notify the user of the results of the subject's operations, and evaluation results. The display unit 40 is realized by a display panel such as a liquid crystal panel or an organic EL panel.

The information processing unit 50 processes information related to the control of the stimulus presentation unit 20, and information related to the evaluation of whether a synergistic effect is obtained by multiple types of stimuli. The information processing unit 50 is realized by, for example, a microcomputer or a processor. The information processing unit 50 has, as functional components, a stimulus control unit 51, an acquisition unit 52, an evaluation unit 53, and an output unit 54. The functions of these components are realized, for example, by the microcomputer or processor constituting the information processing unit 50 executing a computer program stored in the storage unit 60. The detailed functions of the stimulus control unit 51, the acquisition unit 52, the evaluation unit 53, and the output unit 54 will be described later.

The memory unit 60 is a storage device that stores the computer program executed by the information processing unit 50 and information necessary for evaluating whether a synergistic effect can be obtained by multiple types of stimuli. This information is, for example, an affective map, parameters for evaluation calculations, necessary lists, evaluation result data, and screen data to be displayed on the display unit 40. The affective map is information that associates the value of a space (expressed in affective words) with the evaluation results of stimuli. The memory unit 60 is realized by a semiconductor memory or a hard disk drive (HDD), etc.

Although not shown in FIG. 1, a seat is provided within the space for the subject to sit on. The seat is provided to align the positional conditions for the evaluation, and the subject receives stimuli from the stimulus presentation unit 20 while sitting on this seat. In order to prevent the subject from moving frequently during the evaluation, the reception unit 30 and the display unit 40 are installed, for example, on a desk close to the seat, but the reception unit 30 and the display unit 40 may be realized as a movable device (such as a tablet terminal). In addition, the seat may be configured so that the distance between the stimulus presentation unit 20 and the subject can be changed and fixed. The evaluation system 10 may include such a seat as a component.

The evaluation system 10 described above may be realized as a single device, or may be realized by multiple devices. For example, the evaluation system 10 may be realized as a single evaluation device including a stimulus presentation unit 20, a reception unit 30, a display unit 40, an information processing unit 50, and a memory unit 60. The evaluation system 10 may also be realized as an information terminal including the reception unit 30, the display unit 40, the information processing unit 50, and the memory unit 60, and such an information terminal is specifically a mobile terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal.

In addition, when the evaluation system 10 is realized by multiple devices, each component may be arranged in any manner on the web. For example, the evaluation system 10 may be realized as a client-server system in which the stimulus presentation unit 20, the reception unit 30, and the display unit 40 are installed near a space, and the information processing unit 50 and the memory unit 60 are installed as a cloud server.

When the evaluation system 10 is realized by multiple devices, the multiple components (particularly the functional components) may be distributed in any manner among the multiple devices. For example, when the evaluation system 10 is realized as a client-server system as described above, some or all of the functions of the information processing unit 50 may be provided by a device other than the cloud server.

[Example of operation]
Next, a description will be given of an example of the operation of the evaluation system 10. FIG.

First, the reception unit 30 receives input of setting information from the evaluator (S10). The setting information is information indicating in what manner each of the first and second stimuli described below is to be presented to the subject, and is stored in the storage unit 60. The content of the setting information stored in the storage unit 60 is updated each time the settings are changed.

The parameters set in the setting information vary depending on the type of stimulus. For example, in the case of an olfactory stimulus (scent), parameters such as the type of scent, concentration, and spray pattern (spray time, time to stop spraying, amount of spray when spraying, etc.) are set.

In the case of tactile stimuli (air currents), the wind speed, wind direction, wind speed and direction pattern, and the range in which the air currents occur are set. The range in which the air currents occur is, specifically, whether the air currents occur over a relatively wide range or in a pinpointed narrow range. In the case of visual stimuli (light), the brightness, light color, brightness and light color patterns, light distribution, and light distribution characteristics are set. Brightness and light color patterns include various patterns such as a gradual change in brightness, a gradual change in light color, and fading like sunlight. The light distribution is, specifically, the position and height at which the light is irradiated.

Possible patterns of stimulus change include stationary (no change), periodic fluctuation, and irregular fluctuation. When the stimulus changes periodically, the stimulus may be switched on and off over time, or the stimulus may be always on but the intensity etc. may change periodically, or a combination of both may be used. Similarly, when the stimulus changes irregularly, the stimulus may be turned on non-periodically, or the stimulus may be always on but the intensity etc. may change non-periodically.

Since it is cumbersome for the evaluator to set all the details, several patterns may be prepared in advance as options for each type of stimulus. In addition, options such as strong, medium, and weak may be prepared in advance for the range of setting values (for example, strong, medium, and weak for the fragrance concentration). Options for combinations of the first and second stimuli (lighting and fragrance, airflow and lighting, airflow and temperature, etc.) may also be prepared in advance. These pattern options, setting value options, and combination options are stored in the memory unit 60 in advance and are read out as needed.

Next, the stimulus control unit 51 provides a first stimulus to the subject located in the space (sitting in the above-mentioned seat) based on the setting information stored in the memory unit 60 (S11). Specifically, the stimulus control unit 51 provides the subject with the first stimulus by transmitting a control signal based on the setting information to the stimulus presentation unit 20. The stimulus presentation unit 20 may immediately start presenting the first stimulus upon receiving the control signal, or may start presenting the first stimulus after receiving the control signal, triggered by the reception unit 30 receiving an input instructing the start of control.

The presentation time of the stimulus varies depending on the type, purpose, and use of the stimulus. Therefore, while the stimulus is being presented, the display unit 40 may display a display screen to notify the subject that the stimulus is being presented (that it is time for the subject to experience the stimulus).

Next, the subject performs a first subjective evaluation of the space when the first stimulus is presented. The reception unit 30 receives an input indicating the first subjective evaluation from the subject, and the acquisition unit 52 acquires the result of the subject's first subjective evaluation via the reception unit 30 (S12). Note that the first subjective evaluation may be performed while the first stimulus is being presented. At this time, a display screen for subjective evaluation as shown in FIG. 3 is displayed on the display unit 40. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen for subjective evaluation.

As shown in Figure 3, subjects are asked to select the degree to which multiple affective words, including affective words that indicate the impression of the space or affective words that indicate the subject's own mood in the space (e.g., refreshing, relaxing, etc.), apply to them.

Normally, when evaluating a stimulus, affective words that match that stimulus are used, but when evaluating multiple types of stimuli in a composite manner, if affective words that match the stimuli are used, there is a possibility that a composite evaluation cannot be made because the affective words are not common. For example, in a composite evaluation of taste and smell, common affective words such as sweet and fragrant can be used, but in a composite evaluation of smell and hearing, it is difficult to find common affective words. Therefore, in the evaluation system 10, the subject performs a subjective evaluation of the space regardless of the stimulus, and words that refer to the space are used as affective words.

Note that affective words that indicate a person's mood or state (relaxed, tense, sleepy, etc.) can be used as common indicators that are independent of stimuli, so it is possible to use only such affective words for evaluation. In this case, it is necessary to evaluate multiple affective words related to a person's mood or state. It is desirable to also include affective words that indicate the impression or properties of the space itself among the affective words used in the evaluation.

The affective words are generally rated on a scale of 5 or 7. The number of scales is not particularly limited. The subject may assign scores within the range of 0 to 100 points. The more affective words used in the evaluation, the more diverse spatial values can be evaluated. However, if there are too many affective words, the evaluation becomes cumbersome. Conversely, if there are too few affective words, an accurate evaluation cannot be performed.

For example, if only the affective word "comfortable" is used, then for spaces that are perceived to be equally comfortable when completely different stimuli are applied, the only information obtained is that they are equally comfortable. In contrast, if the evaluation is done using multiple affective words such as refreshing, relaxing, open, etc., it is possible to find differences, such as one space being refreshing and comfortable and the other being open and comfortable.

In addition, cross-modal effects do not necessarily produce the same effect as the original stimulus (for example, the taste of white wine + the color red changes to the taste of red wine). For this reason, a comprehensive sensory evaluation is necessary to understand the mechanism of cross-modal effects and to understand what effects can be obtained when applying them to spaces.

For this reason, the number of sensitivity words needs to be the minimum number that can cover the spatial value and has no overlaps. Various research results are known about how to specifically select sensitivity words. Sensitivity words can be selected appropriately based on such research results. For example, when evaluation is performed using six sensitivity words as shown in Figure 3, an evaluation value is given to each sensitivity word, and a six-dimensional evaluation value vector is input for one stimulus. Note that the number of sensitivity words is not limited to six, and may be, for example, three or more.

Next, the stimulus control unit 51 applies a second stimulus to the subject located in the space (sitting in the above-mentioned seat) based on the setting information stored in the memory unit 60 (S13). The process of step S13 is similar to step S11 except that the first stimulus is changed to the second stimulus. Note that the second stimulus is, for example, a five-sensory stimulus different from the first stimulus. In other words, when the first stimulus is a stimulus corresponding to one of the five-sensory stimuli, the second stimulus is a stimulus corresponding to the other one of the five-sensory stimuli. However, the second stimulus may be the same type of five-sensory stimulus as the first stimulus.

Next, the subject performs a second subjective evaluation of the space when the second stimulus is given. The reception unit 30 receives an input indicating the second subjective evaluation from the subject, and the acquisition unit 52 acquires the result of the subject's second subjective evaluation via the reception unit 30 (S14). The process of step S14 is similar to step S12, except that the first subjective evaluation is changed to the second subjective evaluation.

Next, the stimulus control unit 51 applies a compound stimulus of the first stimulus and the second stimulus to the subject (S15). That is, the stimulus control unit 51 applies the first stimulus and the second stimulus simultaneously in parallel to the subject. The process of step S15 is similar to step S11, except that the first stimulus is applied together with the second stimulus.

Next, the subject performs a third subjective evaluation of the space when the compound stimulus is applied. The reception unit 30 receives an input indicating the third subjective evaluation from the subject, and the acquisition unit 52 acquires the result of the subject's third subjective evaluation via the reception unit 30 (S16). The process of step S16 is similar to step S12, except that the first subjective evaluation is changed to the third subjective evaluation.

Next, the evaluation unit 53 evaluates whether the composite stimulus of the first stimulus and the second stimulus has a synergistic effect based on the results of the first subjective evaluation, the second subjective evaluation, and the third subjective evaluation (S17), and the output unit 54 outputs the evaluation result (S18). Details of steps S17 and S18 will be described later.

In the above operation example, the first stimulus, the second stimulus, and the compound stimulus are presented in this order, but the presentation order of the stimuli may be changed arbitrarily or randomly. However, some stimuli may cause adaptation, so a stop time is required to reset the adaptation between the end of the presentation of one stimulus and the start of the presentation of the next stimulus. The stimulus control unit 51 may perform control to automatically set such a stop time, or the evaluator may set the stop time (the stop time may be included in the parameters set in the above setting information). When options for combinations of the first stimulus and the second stimulus are provided as described above, the stop time may be predetermined for the combination of the first stimulus and the second stimulus.

The time required for adaptation varies depending on the stimulus. When a visual stimulus (light) is presented, light adaptation takes several tens of seconds, while complete dark adaptation requires several tens of minutes. When a hot and cold stimulus (temperature) is presented, adaptation can occur in the short term in about ten to several tens of minutes, but in some cases, such as seasonal adaptation, one to two weeks may be required. Adaptation to olfactory stimuli (scents) disappears within a few minutes.

The stimulus control unit 51 may also present another stimulus that resets the adaptation to the stimulus. For example, in order to reset the olfactory stimulus (aroma), the smell of coffee beans (which is not similar to other smells and therefore resets the influence of the previous stimulus and does not affect the next stimulus) is smelled. The stimulus control unit 51 may present such a reset stimulus. The stimulus control unit 51 may automatically present such a reset stimulus, or the evaluator may set the reset stimulus (parameters related to the reset stimulus may be included in the parameters set in the setting information). When options for the combination of the first stimulus and the second stimulus are provided as described above, the reset stimulus may be predefined for the combination of the first stimulus and the second stimulus.

Note that while visual stimuli (light) can be instantly eliminated, olfactory stimuli (scents) and thermal stimuli (temperature changes) may require processing to remove the presented stimuli (spraying deodorant, heating to return the temperature to normal in the case of cooling, ventilation, etc.). The stimulus control unit 51 may perform processing to remove the stimuli. The stimulus control unit 51 may automatically perform processing to remove such stimuli, or the evaluator may set the processing to remove the stimuli (parameters related to the processing to remove the stimuli may be included in the parameters set in the setting information). When options for combinations of the first and second stimuli are provided as described above, processing to remove the stimuli may be predefined for combinations of the first and second stimuli.

[Evaluation process]
Next, the evaluation process in step S17 will be specifically described with reference to a flowchart of FIG.

First, the evaluation unit 53 compresses the six-dimensional evaluation value vector obtained in steps S12, S14, and S16 into a two-dimensional vector (S17a). The evaluation unit 53 may compress the evaluation value vector into a three-dimensional vector, or may compress the evaluation value vector into four or more dimensions depending on the number of dimensions of the evaluation value vector (e.g., compressing a ten-dimensional evaluation value vector into four dimensions).

Specifically, the evaluation unit 53 reduces the dimensions of the evaluation value vector using factor analysis (compression using the essential evaluation axis behind the affective words) or principal component analysis (compression using an evaluation axis that integrates affective words).

For example, in factor analysis, factor scores (coordinate values in factor space = vectors in factor space) can be obtained using factor weights (weight parameters) assigned to each affective word. Note that a certain amount of data is required to obtain these weight parameters from factor analysis or principal component analysis, and for this, it is necessary to accumulate a large amount of evaluation value data in advance and perform factor analysis or principal component analysis. The evaluation value data used to calculate the weight parameters does not necessarily have to be evaluation value data based on the presentation of a compound stimulus, but it is desirable to obtain evaluation value data under various conditions, such as when a single stimulus is presented, when no stimulus is presented, and when a compound stimulus is presented.

What is needed for dimensionality reduction are weight parameters and parameters for normalizing or standardizing the evaluation values. Once the evaluation unit 53 has performed the factor analysis calculations, it need only store these parameters and the calculation formula in the storage unit 60. When periodically reviewing the low-dimensional space, the evaluation unit 53 can keep the original evaluation value data used to calculate the weight parameters and perform the calculation again after integrating the newly obtained evaluation value data. In this case, the weight parameters etc. change according to the calculation results, and as a result, the sensitivity map described below may also change.

It is not essential that factor analysis or principal component analysis be used for dimensionality reduction; other methods may be used as long as they can reduce multiple dimensions to a few dimensions and can calculate coordinates using newly added data.

In the following, a vector obtained by compressing a dimensionality of a vector whose elements are the six evaluation values included in the result of the first subjective evaluation is referred to as a first vector. A vector obtained by compressing a dimensionality of a vector whose elements are the six evaluation values included in the result of the second subjective evaluation is referred to as a second vector, and a vector obtained by compressing a dimensionality of a vector whose elements are the six evaluation values included in the result of the third subjective evaluation is referred to as a third vector. Each of the first vector, second vector, and third vector is a two-dimensional vector, and can be plotted on a two-dimensional affective map. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of an affective map.

An affective map is a two-dimensional coordinate plane that specifies what affective effect will be obtained. In the example of Figure 5, points indicating affective effects such as "calming" (points indicating affective words) are plotted on a two-dimensional coordinate plane. Note that Russell's affective circle model is known as an example that is very similar to this type of affective map. In Russell's affective circle model, human emotions are expressed in two dimensions, and the type of emotion varies depending on the angle of the vector.

Next, the evaluation unit 53 calculates a resultant vector of the first vector and the second vector (S17b). Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the first vector, the second vector, the third vector, and the resultant vector displayed on the sensitivity map.

Next, the evaluation unit 53 calculates the similarity between the third vector and each of the first vector, the second vector, and the composite vector (S17c). Specifically, the evaluation unit 53 calculates the cosine similarity between the vectors. If the angle between the vectors is closer to 0, the cosine similarity is closer to 1, and if the angle is closer to 90°, the cosine similarity is closer to 0. Note that a method other than the method of calculating cosine similarity may be used to calculate the similarity.

Next, the evaluation unit 53 determines whether the similarity of the third vector to any of the first vector, the second vector, and the composite vector is equal to or greater than a first threshold (S17d). The first threshold is a positive value such as 0.8, which is determined empirically or experimentally and is stored in advance in the storage unit 60.

If the evaluation unit 53 determines that the similarity between the third vector and the first vector, the similarity between the third vector and the second vector, and the similarity between the third vector and the composite vector are all less than the first threshold value (No in S17d), that is, if it determines that the third vector is not similar to any of the first vector, the second vector, and the composite vector, it determines that a synergistic effect (cross-modal effect) is obtained by combining the first stimulus and the second stimulus, and that the quality of the effect of improving the value of the space has changed (S17f).

On the other hand, when the evaluation unit 53 determines that the similarity of the third vector to any of the first vector, the second vector, and the composite vector is equal to or greater than the first threshold value (Yes in S17d), it determines whether the length of the third vector is longer than the length of the vector similar to it by equal to or greater than the second threshold value (S17e). The second threshold value is a positive threshold value that is empirically or experimentally determined and is stored in advance in the storage unit 60.

When the evaluation unit 53 determines that the length of the third vector is longer than the length of a vector similar thereto by at least the second threshold value (Yes in S17e), it determines that a synergistic effect (cross-modal effect) is obtained by combining the first and second stimuli, and that the effect of improving the value of the space is enhanced (S17g). Figures 7 and 8 are diagrams showing the vectors displayed on the sensitivity map when the effect of improving the value of the space is obtained. Figure 7 is a diagram showing that a higher effect than expected (composite vector) is obtained by combining the first and second stimuli. Figure 8 is a diagram showing that the effect obtained by the first stimulus is enhanced by combining the first and second stimuli. Although not shown, there are also cases where the effect obtained by the second stimulus is enhanced by combining the first and second stimuli.

On the other hand, if the evaluation unit 53 determines that the length of the third vector is not longer than the length of the similar vector by at least the second threshold value (No in S17e), it determines that there is no synergistic effect (S17h).

When the cosine similarity is close to -1, the opposite effect is obtained. For example, a single stimulation has an awakening effect, but when combined, a calming effect is obtained. In this way, when the cosine similarity is a negative value, it is possible to determine in step S17d that the quality of the value of the space has changed if the cosine similarity is equal to or less than a first threshold value that is a negative value.

The evaluation unit 53 also determines that a synergistic effect has been obtained when the length of the third vector is long, i.e., when the effect is increased by the compound stimulation. Here, if the effect obtained is a good effect, there is no value in reducing the effect, but if the effect obtained is a bad effect (unpleasant effect), there is value in reducing the bad effect. In other words, there is value in shortening the length of the third vector. In such a case, the evaluation unit 53 may determine that a synergistic effect has been obtained when the length of the third vector is shorter than the length of a vector similar to it by more than a second threshold value.

The synthesis process of the first and second vectors in step S17b and the calculation process of the similarity in step S17c can be performed before the dimensional compression process in step S17a, and the order of these steps is not particularly limited. Although it is not essential to perform the dimensional compression process, when outputting (displaying) the evaluation results in step S18, the evaluation results are displayed on the dimensionally compressed affective map, thereby realizing information presentation that is easy for the evaluator to understand. In other words, the evaluation system 10 can support the evaluator in analyzing and considering synergistic effects by displaying the evaluation results on the affective map after dimensional compression. The evaluation system 10 can evaluate the value of the space without missing anything based on multidimensional (multiple affective words) evaluation value data, and can provide the results in an easy-to-understand manner by compressing the dimensions of the evaluation value data and displaying them.

[Evaluation result output processing]
Next, the output process of the evaluation result in step S18 will be specifically described. In step S18, the output unit 54 outputs the evaluation result by displaying the first vector, the second vector, the composite vector, and the third vector on the affective map. That is, the output unit 54 outputs the evaluation result by displaying an image such as that shown in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8 on the display unit 40. The image may also include the judgment results (information indicating the presence or absence of a synergistic effect) in steps S17d and S17e. The evaluation result is accumulated in the storage unit 60 every time an evaluation is performed.

In step S18, the output unit 54 may call up the results of a past evaluation in response to an input from the evaluator to the reception unit 30, and add them to the sensitivity map. For example, assume that the first and second stimuli were evaluated last time, and the first and third stimuli are evaluated this time. When it is desired to compare the results of the evaluation, the evaluator can easily compare and consider the results of the evaluation by calling up the results of the previous evaluation and adding them to the results of the current evaluation.

This type of addition is also effective when comparing combinations of the same first and second stimuli but with different patterns of stimulus change. Additionally, addition is also effective when comparing a combination of a first stimulus, a second stimulus, and a third stimulus with a combination of a first stimulus, a fourth stimulus, and a fifth stimulus.

On the other hand, if too many elements are displayed on one sensitivity map, comparison and consideration may become cumbersome. In this case, the output unit 54 may display multiple sensitivity maps on the display unit 40 on the same screen or on separate screens.

The evaluator compares and considers the evaluation results, and if necessary, performs a specified input to the reception unit 30, whereby the subjective evaluation results (evaluation value vector), the final evaluation results, the sensitivity map, etc. can be stored in the storage unit 60. At the very least, as long as there is data showing the correspondence between the subjective evaluation results and the settings regarding what stimuli were presented, the final evaluation results and the data obtained during the process (such as vector similarity) can be recalculated, but convenience is improved by storing the final evaluation results and the sensitivity map, etc. in the storage unit 60.

In addition, if the data stored in the storage unit 60 includes the subject's ID and attribute information, the evaluator can specify and call up the evaluation results of the same subject or subjects with the same attributes. For example, an ID is assigned to the affective map, and the image file name, image ID, ID of the data used, etc. are listed.

[supplement]
In the above embodiment, a combination of two stimuli, a first stimulus and a second stimulus, is evaluated, but a combination of three or more stimuli may be evaluated. When a combination of three or more stimuli is evaluated, not only a single stimulus (a first stimulus, a second stimulus, a third stimulus, etc.) and a compound stimulus (presented all at the same time) but also a combination of two stimuli and a combination of three stimuli, etc. are possible. For example, there are 15 combinations of four stimuli in total, so evaluating all of them places a heavy burden on the evaluator. For this reason, the evaluation system 10 targets single stimuli and compound stimuli. However, the evaluation system 10 may evaluate all patterns of stimulus combinations as specified by the evaluator.

The evaluator may also perform the evaluation in multiple rounds, such as evaluating only the first stimulus in the first round, evaluating the combination of the first stimulus and the second stimulus in the next round, and so on. The evaluator may perform the evaluation of the first stimulus, the second stimulus, and the combination of the first stimulus and the second stimulus in the first round, evaluating the third stimulus in the second round, and evaluating the combination of the first stimulus, the second stimulus, and the third stimulus in the third round. In this way, when the evaluation is performed in multiple rounds, the evaluation results are stored in the storage unit 60 with a user ID assigned to them, thereby improving convenience. Specifically, if the evaluator specifies a user ID, the output unit 54 can display the results of multiple evaluations of the same person together on the display unit 40. When it is not necessary to distinguish the results of the evaluations for each individual, such as when only the average data of multiple people is required, the assignment of the user ID may be omitted as appropriate.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the first stimulus and the second stimulus are different types of stimuli (stimuli belonging to different senses), but the first stimulus and the second stimulus may be the same type of stimuli. For example, the first stimulus and the second stimulus may both be visual stimuli, such as the color of the illumination light and the color of the wall. Cases can be envisioned in which the value of space obtained when the illumination light and the color of the wall are significantly different, or when the illumination light and the color of the wall are similar, etc. are investigated.

However, when it comes to stimuli of the same type, evaluators often know to some extent what combinations will harmonize or repel each other. For this reason, the above embodiment has been described with a focus on combinations of different types of stimuli. When the types of stimuli are different, the cross-modal effect may enhance the effect obtained by the stimuli, or an effect may be obtained that would not be obtained with a single stimulus. A known example of an effect enhanced by a stimulus is when a cookie is drawn larger than it actually is, which makes a person feel fuller. A known example of an effect not obtainable with a single stimulus is when the tactile sensation of a corner is combined with visual manipulation to make walking on a flat surface feel like climbing stairs.

In the VR field, cross-modal effects are being adopted to increase the sense of realism in the virtual world. Various benefits can be expected from the effective use of cross-modal effects outside the VR field as well. The cross-modal effect is considered to be a necessary element for improving the comfort of a space, but there are many unknowns regarding what combinations of stimuli will produce what effects. In response to this, the evaluation system 10 can assist evaluators in easily and accurately exploring cross-modal effects.

[Effects, etc.]
As described above, the evaluation method executed by a computer such as the evaluation system 10 includes a first stimulus step S11 of giving a first stimulus to a subject, a first acquisition step S12 of acquiring a result of a first subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the first stimulus has been given, a second stimulus step S13 of giving a second stimulus to the subject, a second acquisition step S14 of acquiring a result of a second subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the second stimulus has been given, a third stimulus step S15 of giving a composite stimulus of the first stimulus and the second stimulus to the subject, a third acquisition step S16 of acquiring a result of a third subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the composite stimulus has been given, an evaluation step S17 of evaluating whether or not the composite stimulus has a synergistic effect based on a comparison of at least one of a first vector indicating the result of the first subjective evaluation, a second vector indicating the result of the second subjective evaluation, and a composite vector of the first and second vectors with a third vector indicating the result of the third subjective evaluation, and an output step S18 of outputting the result of the evaluation.

Such an evaluation method can evaluate whether a combined stimulus of a first stimulus and a second stimulus has a synergistic effect.

Also, for example, the first stimulus is a stimulus that corresponds to one of the five sensory stimuli, and the second stimulus is a stimulus that corresponds to the other one of the five sensory stimuli.

This type of evaluation method can evaluate whether a compound stimulus consisting of a stimulus corresponding to one of the five senses and a stimulus corresponding to another one of the five senses has a synergistic effect.

Furthermore, for example, the five senses stimuli include visual stimuli, auditory stimuli, tactile stimuli, thermal stimuli, and olfactory stimuli.

This type of evaluation method can evaluate whether a compound stimulus consisting of one of the visual, auditory, tactile, thermal, and olfactory stimuli and another corresponding to the other has a synergistic effect.

For example, in the first stimulus step S11, a first stimulus is given to a subject located in the space, and the first subjective evaluation is the subject's subjective evaluation of the space when the first stimulus is given, in the second stimulus step S13, a second stimulus is given to a subject located in the space, and the second subjective evaluation is the subject's subjective evaluation of the space when the second stimulus is given, and in the third stimulus step S15, a compound stimulus is given to a subject located in the space, and the third subjective evaluation is the subject's subjective evaluation of the space when the compound stimulus is given.

This type of evaluation method allows for subjective evaluation of different sensory stimuli by using a common scale for evaluating space.

Furthermore, for example, each of the first subjective evaluation, the second subjective evaluation, and the third subjective evaluation is performed using affective words.

This type of evaluation method can evaluate whether a compound stimulus consisting of a first stimulus and a second stimulus has a synergistic effect based on the results of a subjective evaluation using affective words.

Furthermore, for example, each of the first subjective evaluation result, the second subjective evaluation result, and the third subjective evaluation result includes an evaluation value indicating how close each of the three or more affective words is to the impression or mood indicated by the affective word. The first vector is a dimensionally compressed vector having elements of three or more evaluation values included in the result of the first subjective evaluation, the second vector is a dimensionally compressed vector having elements of three or more evaluation values included in the result of the second subjective evaluation, and the third vector is a dimensionally compressed vector having elements of three or more evaluation values included in the result of the third subjective evaluation.

This type of evaluation method can evaluate whether a compound stimulus consisting of a first stimulus and a second stimulus has a synergistic effect by compressing the dimensions of the results of a subjective evaluation using three or more affective words.

Also, for example, in the output step S18, the evaluation result is output by displaying the first vector, the second vector, the composite vector, and the third vector on an affective map that defines what affective effect is obtained.

This type of evaluation method can provide the evaluator with the results of the evaluation in an easy-to-understand manner.

The evaluation system 10 also includes a stimulus control unit 51 that provides the subject with a first stimulus, a second stimulus, and a composite stimulus of the first and second stimuli; an acquisition unit 52 that acquires the results of the first subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the first stimulus was given, the results of the second subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the second stimulus was given, and the results of the third subjective evaluation of the subject to whom the composite stimulus was given; an evaluation unit 53 that evaluates whether the composite stimulus has a synergistic effect based on a comparison of at least one of a first vector indicating the results of the first subjective evaluation, a second vector indicating the results of the second subjective evaluation, and a composite vector of the first and second vectors with a third vector indicating the results of the third subjective evaluation; and an output unit 54 that outputs the results of the evaluation.

Such an evaluation system 10 can evaluate whether a composite stimulus of a first stimulus and a second stimulus has a synergistic effect.

Other Embodiments
Although the embodiment has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

For example, in the above embodiment, the environment of the space in which the subject is located is controlled to present the subject with a stimulus, but it is also possible to construct an environmentally controlled space in advance and present the subject with a stimulus by having the subject enter this space.

Furthermore, the communication method between the components in the above embodiment is not particularly limited. Furthermore, a relay device (not shown) may be involved in the communication between the components.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the process performed by a specific processing unit may be executed by another processing unit. For example, the process performed by the selection unit may be executed by the control unit. Also, the order of multiple processes may be changed, and multiple processes may be executed in parallel.

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

Furthermore, each component may be realized by hardware. For example, each component may be a circuit (or an integrated circuit). These circuits may form a single circuit as a whole, or each may be a separate circuit. Furthermore, each of these circuits may be a general-purpose circuit, or a dedicated circuit.

The general or specific aspects of the present invention may be realized as a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, or a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM. The present invention may also be realized as any combination of a system, an apparatus, a method, an integrated circuit, a computer program, and a recording medium.

For example, the present invention may be realized as an evaluation method executed by a computer such as an evaluation system, or as a program for causing a computer to execute such an evaluation method. The present invention may also be realized as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium on which such a program is recorded.

In addition, the present invention also includes forms obtained by applying various modifications to each embodiment that a person skilled in the art may conceive, or forms realized by arbitrarily combining the components and functions of each embodiment within the scope of the spirit of the present invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Evaluation system 20 Stimulus presentation unit 21 Visual stimulus presentation unit 22 Auditory stimulus presentation unit 23 Tactile stimulus presentation unit 24 Thermal/cold stimulus presentation unit 25 Olfactory stimulus presentation unit 30 Reception unit 40 Display unit 50 Information processing unit 51 Stimulus control unit 52 Acquisition unit 53 Evaluation unit 54 Output unit 60 Storage unit

Claims (8)

1. A computer-implemented evaluation method comprising:
The computer can access a storage unit in which setting information indicating how a stimulus is to be applied to a subject is stored,
The evaluation method includes:
a first stimulation step of providing a first stimulation to the subject based on the setting information;
a first acquisition step of acquiring a result of a first subjective evaluation of the subject to which the first stimulus has been given;
a second stimulation step of providing a second stimulation to the subject based on the setting information;
A second acquisition step of acquiring a result of a second subjective evaluation of the subject to which the second stimulus has been applied;
a third stimulation step of providing a composite stimulation of the first stimulation and the second stimulation to the subject based on the setting information;
A third acquisition step of acquiring a result of a third subjective evaluation of the subject to which the composite stimulus has been applied;
an evaluation step of evaluating whether the composite stimulation has a synergistic effect based on a comparison between a first vector indicating a result of the first subjective evaluation, a second vector indicating a result of the second subjective evaluation, and a composite vector of the first and second vectors, and a third vector indicating a result of the third subjective evaluation;
and outputting a result of the evaluation;
each of the first subjective evaluation result, the second subjective evaluation result, and the third subjective evaluation result includes an evaluation value indicating, for each of three or more affective words, how close the result is to an impression or mood indicated by the affective word;
the first vector is a vector whose elements are three or more evaluation values included in the result of the first subjective evaluation,
the second vector is a vector whose elements are three or more evaluation values included in the result of the second subjective evaluation,
the third vector is a vector whose elements are three or more evaluation values included in the result of the third subjective evaluation,
The evaluation method includes, in the evaluation step, evaluating that the composite stimulus has a synergistic effect if it is determined that the first vector, the second vector, and the composite vector include a similar vector whose similarity to the third vector is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, and the length of the third vector is longer than the length of the similar vector by equal to or greater than a second threshold value. The first stimulus corresponds to one of five sensory stimuli;
The evaluation method according to claim 1 , wherein the second stimulus is a stimulus corresponding to another one of the five sensory stimuli. The evaluation method according to claim 2 , wherein the stimulation of the five senses includes a visual stimulation, an auditory stimulation, a tactile stimulation, a thermal stimulation, and an olfactory stimulation. In the first stimulus step, the first stimulus is given to the subject positioned in a space;
the first subjective evaluation is a subjective evaluation of the subject with respect to the space when the first stimulus is given;
In the second stimulus step, the second stimulus is given to the subject positioned in the space;
the second subjective evaluation is a subjective evaluation of the space by the subject when the second stimulus is provided;
In the third stimulation step, the composite stimulation is given to the subject positioned in the space;
The evaluation method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the third subjective evaluation is a subjective evaluation of the space by the subject when the composite stimulus is provided. 5. The evaluation method according to claim 1, wherein in the output step, a result of the evaluation is output by displaying the first vector, the second vector, the resultant vector, and the third vector on an affective map that specifies what affective effect is obtained. the first vector is a dimensionally compressed vector having three or more evaluation values included in the result of the first subjective evaluation as elements,
the second vector is a dimensionally compressed vector having three or more evaluation values included in the result of the second subjective evaluation as elements,
The evaluation method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the third vector is a dimensionally compressed vector having three or more evaluation values included in the result of the third subjective evaluation as elements. each of the first vector, the second vector, and the third vector is a vector that has been dimension-reduced by factor analysis or principal component analysis so as to be evaluatable on an evaluation axis corresponding to a sensitivity word;
7. The evaluation method according to claim 6, wherein in the output step, a result of the evaluation is output by displaying the first vector, the second vector, the resultant vector, and the third vector on an affective map that defines what affective effect is obtained. A storage unit that stores setting information indicating how a stimulus is to be applied to a subject;
a stimulus control unit that applies a first stimulus, a second stimulus, and a composite stimulus of the first stimulus and the second stimulus to the subject based on the setting information;
an acquisition unit that acquires a result of a first subjective assessment of the subject to which the first stimulus has been applied, a result of a second subjective assessment of the subject to which the second stimulus has been applied, and a result of a third subjective assessment of the subject to which the composite stimulus has been applied;
an evaluation unit that evaluates whether the composite stimulation has a synergistic effect based on a comparison between a first vector indicating a result of the first subjective evaluation, a second vector indicating a result of the second subjective evaluation, and a composite vector of the first and second vectors, and a third vector indicating a result of the third subjective evaluation;
an output unit that outputs a result of the evaluation,
each of the first subjective evaluation result, the second subjective evaluation result, and the third subjective evaluation result includes an evaluation value indicating, for each of three or more affective words, how close the result is to an impression or mood indicated by the affective word;
the first vector is a vector whose elements are three or more evaluation values included in the result of the first subjective evaluation,
the second vector is a vector whose elements are three or more evaluation values included in the result of the second subjective evaluation,
the third vector is a vector whose elements are three or more evaluation values included in the result of the third subjective evaluation,
The evaluation system evaluates that the composite stimulus has a synergistic effect when the evaluation unit determines that the first vector, the second vector, and the composite vector include a similar vector whose similarity to the third vector is equal to or greater than a first threshold value, and that the length of the third vector is longer than the length of the similar vector by equal to or greater than a second threshold value.

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