JP7701192B2 - Communication support device, program and storage medium - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a communication support technology for transmitting some information to a target, including an information recipient. In particular, the present invention relates to support for non-face-to-face communication in remote locations.

In order to reduce manpower, increase efficiency, and prevent infection, there is a growing demand to limit the number of people gathering in companies and workplaces and to conduct work remotely. As a result, there are more opportunities to give work instructions and reports using non-face-to-face communication systems that use text, voice, or voice and video, as well as opportunities to convey work-related techniques remotely.

However, in non-face-to-face communication, non-verbal communication elements (gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, etc.) are often missing or difficult to convey accurately, making it less efficient at conveying emotions than face-to-face communication. As a result, there is a risk that information will be transmitted unilaterally without noticing a decline in interest in the information being presented on the part of the information recipient (hereafter referred to as the information recipient).

In response to this, technology has been disclosed that uses biometric information to acquire the state of the information recipient, and changes the content to be transmitted depending on the state of the information recipient. For example, Patent Document 1 shows a method of measuring the level of alertness from biometric information, and when the level of alertness is low, changing the information presented in a display format that reflects the preferred state.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-78743

Here, in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to prepare content that specifies display methods with different tastes in advance. For this reason, Patent Document 1 can be applied in situations where a large number of people study the same content, such as in cram schools.

However, when communicating with a small number of people or individually, such as when explaining work, the preferences of the information recipients (target people) will vary widely. In such cases, it will be necessary to prepare in advance a number of display methods that correspond to different preference states. However, preparing content in this way is difficult due to the significant time and effort constraints.

In view of the above, the present invention aims to support communication by providing more appropriate presentation information to information recipients.

In order to solve the above problem , the present invention provides a communication support device for presenting content to an information recipient, the communication support device having an information recipient information acquisition unit that acquires information recipient information generated from the information recipient, an interest concentration level estimation unit that estimates a level of interest concentration in the information recipient based on a time-series change in the information recipient information, a presentation specification identification unit that identifies the presentation specifications of the content being presented to the information recipient, and a presentation information change instruction unit that creates a change instruction to change the presentation specifications of the content in accordance with a change in the interest concentration level, the presentation specification identification unit having a content classification estimation unit that estimates a content classification of the content, an information amount calculation unit that calculates an information amount of the content, and a presentation speed calculation unit that calculates the presentation speed of the content based on the information amount, the presentation information change instruction unit also includes a communication support device that creates a change instruction to change at least one of the content classification and the presentation speed.

The present invention also includes a program for operating a communication support device, which is a computer, a storage medium on which the program is stored, and a program product.

Furthermore, the present invention also includes systems that include communication support devices and communication support methods that use these.

The present invention makes it possible to provide more appropriate information to information recipients, preventing a decline in interest and concentration.

FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a non-face-to-face communication support system according to a first embodiment. 11 is a flowchart relating to a change of presentation specifications in the first embodiment. 11 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the change of presentation specifications in the first embodiment. 13 is a flowchart relating to a change of presentation specifications in the second embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic configuration diagram of a non-face-to-face communication support system according to a third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart relating to a change of presentation specifications in the third embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing interest concentration level related data used in the first embodiment. 1A to 1C are diagrams for explaining implementation examples in which each embodiment is implemented in a distance education system.

Below, examples 1 and 2 are described with reference to the drawings. In examples 1 and 2, a lecture from a lecturer who is an information sender in a remote location to students who are information recipients is described as an example of non-face-to-face communication. However, these are merely examples, and mechanical presentation of information such as e-learning is also included.

Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a non-face-to-face communication support system in this embodiment. The main devices that make up this system are a communication support device 100, an information presentation device 200, and an information receiving device (not shown). These devices are connected via a network or the like. Note that in this embodiment, the communication support device 100, the information presentation device 200, and the information receiving device are described as independent devices, but are not limited to this form. In other words, the communication support device 100 and the information presentation device 200 may be configured as a single device. Also, the communication support device 100 and the information receiving device may be configured as a single device.

In this embodiment, a lecture is given by a lecturer 201 in a remote location to a student 303. To achieve this, in this embodiment, the lecture content is transmitted from the information presentation device 200 to the information reception device in accordance with the operation of the lecturer 201. This lecture content is an example of the content (presented information) of the present invention. Note that the content in the present invention may be any kind of information, and there is no restriction on how it is expressed.

The information receiving device outputs the lecture content via a screen 301 and a speaker 302 that are connected to the device or are part of the device. As a result, the student 303 can confirm the content.

The communication support device 100 also estimates the degree of interest concentration based on information receiver information such as the behavior of the student 303. Then, the communication support device 100 creates a change instruction to change the presentation specifications based on the degree of interest concentration and the corresponding presentation specifications of the lecture content. As a more specific example, the communication support device 100 changes the presentation specifications when the degree of interest concentration falls below a predetermined standard. As a result, the lecture content with the changed presentation specifications is transmitted from the information presentation device 200 to the information receiving device.

Next, the details of the configuration for performing such processing will be described. First, a biometric information detection device 304 and a motion detection device 305 are used to detect information recipient information. These can be realized by so-called sensors and cameras installed at the place where the student 303 takes classes. Note that in this embodiment, biometric information and motion are used as information recipient information, but this is not limited to these, and either one of these may be used.

The communication support device 100 then changes the presentation specifications using information from the biometric information detection device 304, the motion detection device 305, the screen 301, and the speaker 302. For this purpose, the communication support device 100 has a biometric information acquisition unit 101, a presentation information acquisition unit 102, an interest concentration level estimation unit 103, a content category estimation unit 104, an information amount analysis unit 105, a presentation speed calculation unit 106, an interest concentration level database 107, a presentation information change instruction unit 108, and a motion information acquisition unit 109.

The bioinformation acquisition unit 101 accepts input of bioinformation detected by the bioinformation detection device 304. Here, the bioinformation detection device 304 can be realized by a biosensor. The biosensor includes, for example, an electroencephalograph, a cerebral blood flow meter, a heart rate meter, a pulse meter, a gaze meter, an electromyograph, a sweat meter, a thermosensor, and a motion sensor. In addition to these, a camera that captures the student 303, a microphone that collects sound, and the like may also be used. This bioinformation is various physiological and anatomical information emitted by the student 303. Examples of this include brain waves, cerebral blood flow, heart rate, pulse rate, gaze position, eye movement, pupil diameter, eyelid opening, muscle stiffness, sweat amount, body temperature, body movement, posture, facial expression, voice pitch, speaking speed, breathing speed, and the like obtained from the bioinformation detection device 304. The bioinformation detection device 304 may be worn by the student 303, or may be installed in the vicinity to measure bioinformation non-contact.

Next, the motion information acquisition unit 109 accepts input of the motion detected by the motion detection device 305. Here, the motion detection device 305 includes a camera and a sensor that detects the motion of the student 303. Note that the biometric information detection device 304 and the motion detection device 305 may be realized by a single device. In this case, the function of the motion information acquisition unit 109 may be provided in the biometric information acquisition unit 101. This motion is information indicating the movement of the body, such as the arms or head.

The presentation information acquisition unit 102 also receives presentation information from the screen 301 and the speaker 302. From the screen 301, the presentation information acquisition unit 102 receives the display content displayed on the screen and the voice uttered by the speaker 302 as presentation information (lecture content). Note that in this embodiment, the screen 301 and the speaker 302 are separate, but a device in which the screen and the speaker are integrated may also be used. Furthermore, the lecture content may be only one of the display content and the voice.

The interest concentration level estimation unit 103 estimates the student's 303 level of interest in the lecture content using the biometric information and motion information acquired by the biometric information acquisition unit 101 and motion information acquisition unit 109. Here, the level of interest is an index showing the degree of interest the student 303 has in the lecture content. For example, when the parasympathetic nervous activity estimated from the biometric information is dominant, the higher the brain activity, the higher the level of interest.

The strength of parasympathetic activity can be estimated, for example, by the pNNx index, which is an analysis of heart rate fluctuations in the time domain, or by an index such as LF/HF, which is an analysis in the frequency domain. Other bioindicators that reflect the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, regardless of the heart rate, may be used. The threshold for determining that the parasympathetic nerve is dominant for each index is calculated in advance for each individual using a questionnaire and the evaluation results of bioinformation. Brain activity may be estimated from the value of electroencephalograms or cerebral blood flow, which measure brain activity, or the frequency or speed of eye movements or body movements, which are affected by the activity of thinking, may be used as an alternative index of brain activity. The lower the brain activity, the lower the degree of interest concentration is determined to be. When the sympathetic nerve is dominant, the degree of interest concentration is determined to be low regardless of the level of brain activity.

Furthermore, the interest concentration level estimation unit 103 determines that the interest concentration level has decreased when the student 303 becomes restless due to movement. In this case, it can be determined that the interest concentration level has decreased when there are more movements compared to the standard or when a specified movement is detected. Note that the interest concentration level estimation unit 103 may use at least one of the biometric information and the movement, or may use other information.

The content category estimation unit 104 estimates the category of the presented content using the lecture content, which is the presentation information acquired by the presentation information acquisition unit 102. Here, the content category is a type of presentation specification for the lecture content, and indicates its classification. This classification indicates the characteristics of the presented information in the lecture content. Content categories include, for example, "goals/purposes," "background," "means/implementation," "results," and "schedule."

Here, each content classification is prepared in advance in association with multiple words, and the words in the presented information are analyzed to estimate the classification. For example, words such as "goal," "purpose," "aim," "intention," "aim for," and "vision" are prepared as words associated with "goal/purpose," and if these words are included in the presented information acquired in 102, the current content classification is determined to be "goal/purpose." Note that there may be cases where words related to multiple content classifications are included in the screen. In such cases, the content classification containing the largest number of words is set as the representative content classification of the information presented on the screen. If audio information is available, the analysis result of the words in the audio information per certain period of time is set as the current content classification. If gaze information can be acquired, the analysis result of the words near the gaze is set as the current content classification. Content classification may also be treated as chapters, sections, etc. For this reason, when changing the content classification, the presentation of any lecture content (presented information) will be changed.

The information amount analysis unit 105 also analyzes the amount of information of the presentation information acquired by the presentation information acquisition unit 102. Here, the amount of information refers to the number of words contained in the presented screen or audio, or the number of figures or symbols in the presented screen. In other words, the information amount analysis unit 105 identifies such an amount of information.

The presentation speed calculation unit 106 also calculates the presentation speed of the presentation information, which is the amount of information presented per fixed time, from the amount of information identified by the information amount analysis unit 105. Here, the presentation speed may be the scrolling speed of the presented screen or the playback speed of the audio.

The interest concentration level database 107 also stores, for each information receiver, the value and amount of change in interest concentration level, as well as the content classification and presentation speed at that time. In other words, the interest concentration level database 107 stores interest concentration level relationship data that indicates the relationship between the time-series change in interest concentration level and the presentation specifications for each information receiver. An example of interest concentration level relationship data is shown in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 shows interest concentration level related data for lecture A of Taro X, one of the students 303. In FIG. 7(a), Taro X's "interest concentration level", "content classification", and "presentation speed" are recorded for each "time" when the lecture content is presented. These respectively show the processing results of the interest concentration level estimation unit 103, the content classification estimation unit 104, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106. The example of FIG. 7(a) shows that the interest concentration level drops between 10:20 and 10:30. FIG. 7(b) shows the correspondence between the presentation specifications and the interest concentration level for Taro X, one of the students 303. In this example, the content classification and the presentation speed are used as the presentation specifications. These are then associated with a numerical value indicating the interest concentration level. In the example of FIG. 7(b), the interest concentration level for the content classification "purpose" is maximum at "30". Furthermore, when the presentation speed is "20-30", the interest concentration level is maximum at "80". In FIG. 7, an example of Taro X is shown as the student 303, but interest concentration level related data of the other students 303 is stored in the interest concentration level database 107.

Here, when creating the interest concentration level related data in the interest concentration level database 107, a calibration content may be used before presenting information. Also, data on the presented information and the interest concentration level may be collected for a certain period of time while the function of the presentation information change instruction unit 108 at the latter stage is disabled, and the data may be constructed. By referring to and analyzing this interest concentration level related data, the following combinations can be extracted.
-Content classification and presentation speed when interest concentration level increases -Content classification and presentation speed when interest concentration level is maintained high -Content classification and presentation speed when interest concentration level decreases -Content classification and presentation speed when interest concentration level is maintained low By using this information, for information recipients (students 303) for whom the content classification contributes greatly, control to change the content classification in order to maintain the interest concentration level can be selected. Therefore, for students 303 for whom the presentation speed contributes greatly, control to change the presentation speed in order to maintain the interest concentration level can be selected.

Alternatively, the weights of the content classification and presentation speed with respect to the increase, maintenance, and decrease in the level of interest concentration may be calculated, and each may be changed in accordance with the weights. The contribution or weights of the content classification and presentation speed with respect to the increase, maintenance, and decrease in the level of interest concentration may be calculated from the proportion of times interest concentration decreased, or may be calculated from the amount of decrease in interest concentration.

The presentation information change instruction unit 108 judges whether it is necessary to change the presentation specifications based on the interest concentration level of the interest concentration level estimation unit 103, the content classification of the content classification estimation unit 104, the presentation speed of the presentation speed calculation unit 106, and the interest concentration level relationship data. Specifically, it judges whether it is necessary to change one or more of the content classification or the presentation speed of the presentation information as the presentation specifications. Then, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction to change the presentation specifications of the lecture content, which is the presentation information, if it is judged to be necessary. As a result, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 outputs a change instruction to the information presentation device 200. As a result, the presentation specifications of the lecture content are changed from the information presentation device 200. For this purpose, the information presentation device 200 may change the presentation specifications on its own initiative, or the lecturer 201 may change the presentation specifications. Then, the lecture content with the changed presentation specifications is transmitted from the information presentation device 200 to the information receiving device.

Here, the communication support device 100, the information presentation device 200, and the information receiving device can be realized as a so-called computer. Examples include a PC, a smartphone, and a tablet. They may also be realized as a so-called server.

Next, FIG. 2 is a flowchart regarding changes in presentation specifications in this embodiment. Note that each step of this flowchart is repeated every predetermined time Δt1. Δt1 may be fixed regardless of the person, or may be a value inversely proportional to the presentation speed calculated by the presentation speed calculation unit 106. By setting the value inversely proportional to the presentation speed, it becomes easier to follow the change in content when, for example, the speed of explanation is fast.

First, in step S101, the presentation information acquisition unit 102 acquires screen and audio information of the lecture content presented from the screen 301 and the speaker 302, respectively. Note that either the screen or audio information may be acquired. These may also be acquired from an information receiving device.

Next, in step S102, the content category estimation unit 104, the information amount analysis unit 105, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106 identify the presentation specifications of the lecture content being presented based on the acquired screen and audio information. In this way, the content category estimation unit 104, the information amount analysis unit 105, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106 function as a presentation specification identification unit that identifies the presentation specifications of the lecture content.

Specifically, the content category estimation unit 104 estimates the content category of the lecture content. Furthermore, the information amount analysis unit 105 analyzes the information amount of the lecture content, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106 uses the information amount to calculate the presentation speed of the lecture content.

Furthermore, in step S103, the biometric information acquisition unit 101 and the motion information acquisition unit 109 acquire biometric information of the student 303 and motion information indicating the motion thereof. In other words, the biometric information acquisition unit 101 and the motion information acquisition unit 109 function as an information recipient information acquisition unit that acquires information recipient information including biometric information and motion information. Note that in this embodiment, the configuration may be such that only one of the biometric information and motion information is acquired.

Next, in step S104, the interest concentration level estimation unit 103 estimates the interest concentration level of the student 303 using the biometric information and motion information, i.e., the information recipient information.

Next, in step S105, the interest concentration level estimation unit 103 calculates the change over time (time series change) in the interest concentration level of the student 303. To this end, the interest concentration level estimation unit 103 calculates the difference between the interest concentration level of the student 303 estimated in the current loop and the interest concentration level of the student 303 estimated in the previous loop. In other words, the difference in interest concentration level for each Δt1 is calculated.

Next, in step S106, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 compares the difference calculated in step S105 with a pre-stored predetermined value Th1. Then, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether the interest concentration level has decreased to or below an allowable value.

As a result, if the level of interest concentration in the current loop is lower than the previous loop (Δt1 before) by the predetermined value Th1 or more (Y), the process transitions to step S107. If the level of interest concentration has not decreased by the predetermined value Th1 or more (N), the process ends.

Next, in step S107, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 refers to the interest concentration level database 107 to identify the interest concentration level related data for the relevant student 303. Then, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 acquires a content classification, presentation speed, or combination thereof that will increase the current interest concentration level from the interest concentration level related data (Figure 7 (b)). In other words, a content classification or presentation speed with an interest concentration level greater than the current interest concentration level is identified.

Next, in step S108, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction to change one or more of the content classification or presentation speed so as to contribute to the recovery or improvement of the interest concentration level of the students 303. That is, in this step, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction to change the presentation specifications to the content classification or presentation speed specified in step S107. Then, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 transmits this change instruction to the information presentation device 200. As a result, the information presentation device 200 can change the presentation specifications of the lecture content in accordance with the change instruction. In this case, the information presentation device 200 may display the contents of the change instruction and accept a change request from the lecturer 201 in response to this. In this way, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 outputs the change request to the lecturer 201, and the lecturer 201 can operate the specification change in response to this.

The above flow makes it possible to prevent communication in a non-face-to-face communication system from becoming difficult to notice when the information receiver's level of interest is reduced due to a lack of non-verbal communication elements or reduced accuracy. Furthermore, by modifying the explanation in accordance with the changing trends in the level of interest of each information receiver, the level of interest can be efficiently restored. As a result, work instructions, reports, or technical guidance can be given smoothly.

The flow for changing the content classification or presentation speed does not have to be performed for every time unit Δt1 for analyzing interest concentration level, content classification, and presentation speed, but may be performed for every Δt2 greater than Δt1. Figure 3 is a flowchart relating to a modified example of changing the presentation specifications in this embodiment. In Figure 3, steps S101 to S105 are the same as the flow shown in Figure 2, so their explanation will be omitted. These flows are performed every predetermined time Δt1.

Then, the determination in step S109 is performed for each Δt2 that is greater than Δt1. In step S109, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether any of the following conditions is satisfied.
- The number of times the degree of interest concentration calculated every Δt1 decreases (the difference from the degree of interest concentration before Δt1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th1) is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times - The number of times the degree of interest concentration falls below a predetermined value Th2 is equal to or greater than a predetermined number of times As a result, if any of the above conditions is met, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines that the degree of interest concentration of the student 303 has decreased. If it is determined that the degree of interest concentration has decreased (Y), the process proceeds to step S107. If it is determined that the degree of interest has not decreased (N), the process ends. Note that the processes in steps S107 and S108 are the same as those in the flow in FIG. 2, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

The above flow makes it possible to reduce the frequency of changes to content classification or presentation speed, and to prevent frequent changes in the explanation method that would result in explanations that are difficult to understand. This concludes the explanation of Example 1.

Next, as Example 2, an application example of the non-face-to-face communication support system of Example 1 will be described. In this example, when comprehension of the lecture content, which is the presented information, decreases, supplementary explanation is provided. In this example, this supplementary explanation is provided in a manner that maintains or increases the interest and concentration of the students 303, who are the recipients of the information. The system configuration of this example is the same as that of Example 1.

Figure 4 is a flowchart for changing the presentation specifications in Example 2. First, the processing from step S101 to step S103 is the same as the flow shown in Figure 2, so the explanation is omitted.

Next, in step S110, the interest concentration level estimation unit 103 estimates the confusion level of the student 303. To this end, the interest concentration level estimation unit 103 makes an estimation based on the biometric information and motion information of the biometric information acquisition unit 101 and the motion information acquisition unit 109.

Here, the degree of confusion refers to the degree of confusion when the sympathetic nervous activity estimated from the receiver's information such as biological information and motion information is dominant, and the higher the brain activity, the higher the degree of confusion. The strength of the sympathetic nervous activity can be estimated, for example, by the lowness of the pNNx index, which is an analysis of heart rate fluctuations in the time domain, or indices such as LF/HF, which is an analysis in the frequency domain.

In addition, bioindicators reflecting the activity of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves, regardless of heart rate, may be used. The threshold for determining that sympathetic activity is dominant for each indicator is calculated in advance for each individual using questionnaires and the results of bioinformation evaluation. Brain activity may be estimated from the high values of electroencephalograms and cerebral blood flow, which measure brain activity, or the frequency or speed of eye movements and body movements, which are affected by active thinking, may be used as alternative indices of brain activity. The more the sympathetic nerve activity is dominant and the lower the brain activity, the lower the level of confusion is determined to be. When parasympathetic nerve activity is dominant, the level of confusion is determined to be low regardless of the level of brain activity.

Next, in step S112, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 calculates the difference between the confusion level of the information recipient estimated in the current loop and the confusion level of the information recipient estimated in the previous loop. Then, in step S113, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether the difference calculated in step S112 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th3, and whether the confusion level in the current loop has increased by equal to or greater than the predetermined value Th3 compared to the previous loop (Δt1 before).

As a result, if both conditions are met (Y), it is determined that the confusion level has decreased to or below the allowable value, and the process proceeds to step S107. If both conditions are not met (N), the process ends. Next, in step S107, the same process as in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 is performed.

Next, in step S114, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a supplemental instruction to change the presentation specifications and provide a supplemental explanation. To this end, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 reads the supplemental explanation stored therein and creates a change instruction similar to that in Example 1.

This allows for supplementary explanations, when necessary, to be given in a manner that is easy for the student 303, who is the recipient of the information, to hear, thereby further facilitating the student's 303 understanding.

When implementing this embodiment, the information presenter does not need to be a person, and the information presenter may be an educational system that presents predetermined educational content.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, this control may execute a flow for changing the content classification or presentation speed every Δt2, which is greater than Δt1.

Next, as Example 3, another application example of the non-face-to-face communication support system of Example 1 will be described. In this example, when the student 303's level of interest and concentration decreases or his/her level of confusion increases, the amount of new information is changed as a presentation specification.

First, the configuration of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a non-face-to-face communication support system in the third embodiment. In the third embodiment, a new word extraction unit 110 is added in place of or in addition to the content category estimation unit 104, the information amount analysis unit 105, and the presentation speed calculation unit 106. That is, in this embodiment, the new word extraction unit 110 is used as a presentation specification specification unit. Note that in FIG. 5, the description of some elements common to FIG. 1 is omitted, and the differences will be mainly described. In particular, FIG. 5 shows a biometric information acquisition unit 101, but it is desirable to also provide a motion information acquisition unit 109.

The new word extraction unit 110 extracts newly appearing words from the lecture content acquired by the presentation information acquisition unit 102.

In this embodiment, the interest concentration level relationship data is a data set that corresponds to the number or percentage of new words and the interest concentration level, instead of or in addition to the content classification and presentation speed. That is, in the first to third embodiments, information indicating the correspondence between the interest concentration level and the presentation specifications is used as the interest concentration level relationship data. In addition, the value or the amount of change over time can be used for the interest concentration level here.

The presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether it is necessary to change the number or ratio of new words in the lecture content based on the interest concentration level estimated by the interest concentration level estimation unit 103, the number or ratio of new words extracted by the new word extraction unit 110, and the interest concentration level relationship data. If it is determined that it is necessary, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction to change the number or ratio of new words as the presentation specifications.

Next, the process flow of this embodiment will be described. Figure 6 is a flowchart for changing the presentation specifications in the third embodiment.

First, in step S115, the new word extraction unit 110 prepares an array for storing the words that are included in the lecture content and presented. In step S101, the same process as in Examples 1 and 2 is performed.

Next, in step S116, the new word extraction unit 110 extracts words that have newly appeared within a predetermined time period Δt1 from the information acquired in step S101. A new word refers to a word (such as a noun, verb, adjective, adjectival verb, or adverb) that has not been stored in the array prepared in step 115. In other words, a newly appeared word refers to a word that appears for the first time in the loop in the relevant lecture content. In addition, in step S103, the same processing as in Examples 1 and 2 is executed.

Next, in step S117, the interest concentration level estimation unit 103 estimates the interest concentration level or confusion level of the student 303 based on the biometric information and the movement information.

Next, in step S118, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 calculates the difference between the degree of interest or confusion of the information receiver estimated in the current loop and the degree of interest or confusion of the information receiver estimated in the previous loop.

Next, in step S119, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 determines whether the difference calculated in step S118 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th1, and whether the level of interest concentration in the current loop has decreased by the predetermined value Th1 or more compared to the previous loop (Δt1 before). As a result, if it has decreased (Y), it determines that the level of interest concentration has decreased by an allowable value or more, and transitions to step S107. Alternatively, it determines whether the difference calculated in step S118 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value Th3, and whether the level of confusion in the current loop has increased by an allowable value or more compared to the previous loop (Δt1 before). As a result, if it has increased (Y), it determines that the level of confusion has increased by an allowable value or more, and transitions to step S107.

Also, in step S119, if the level of interest concentration has not decreased to or above the allowable value, or the level of confusion has not increased to or above the allowable value (N), the process transitions to step S121.

Next, in step S107, as in the first and second embodiments, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 refers to the interest concentration level database 107. In this embodiment, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 obtains the number or percentage of new words that increase the interest concentration level of the student 303 from the interest concentration level related data.

Next, in step S120, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 creates a change instruction that contributes to restoring the interest and concentration of the information recipient or reducing the degree of confusion. In other words, a change instruction is created that includes a specification of the number or percentage of new words.

In addition, in step S121, the presentation information change instruction unit 108 stores the new words extracted within Δt1 in the word storage array created in step S115. By storing only new words presented while a high level of interest or low level of confusion is maintained, it is possible to prevent words that are not fully understood from being treated as previously presented words.

By using the above processing flow, if the cause of the information receiver's decreased level of interest or increased level of confusion is the amount of new information, the explanation of the amount of new information can be changed to one that maintains the receiver's interest and is easy to understand. As a result, work instructions, reports, or technical guidance can be given smoothly.

In addition, regarding the creation and use of word storage arrays, it is desirable to create one for each information receiver and add words through all information presentations received by that information receiver. Alternatively, it is desirable to create one for each combination of information provider and information receiver and add words as long as the combination of information provider and information receiver is the same. This makes it possible to avoid identifying words that the information receiver understands as new words. It is also desirable not to determine that words other than exact matches are new words, but to identify whether they are paraphrases and to process words used in paraphrases as having the same meaning as the original word and as information that the information receiver already understands.

When implementing this embodiment, the information presenter does not need to be a person, and the information presenter may be an educational system that presents predetermined educational content.

As shown in FIG. 2 of the first embodiment, this control may execute a flow for changing the number of new words every Δt2, which is greater than Δt1. Furthermore, the predetermined value shown in this specification may be determined in advance, or the duration of the decline in interest or confusion may be obtained for each information receiver, and a smaller value may be set for the information receiver with a longer duration. This is because a minor decline in interest or increase in confusion may be resolved as the explanation is listened to. By obtaining and using a threshold value for a decline in interest or increase in confusion that does not resolve even if the explanation is continued, the need to change the explanation can be determined more accurately.

Finally, an implementation example in which each embodiment is implemented in a distance education system will be described. FIG. 8 is a system configuration diagram showing an implementation example. In this system, a communication support device 100 provided at the headquarters of an educational institution is connected to information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2 used by a lecturer 201. In addition, the communication support device 100 is connected to information receiving devices 21 to 26 used by a student 303 via a wide area network 30 such as the Internet.

Here, the information receiving devices 21 to 26 are information receiving devices 21 to 24 installed in classrooms A and B of the educational institution, and information receiving devices 25 and 26 that can be used at home, etc. Here, classrooms A and B may be directly managed bases of the educational institution, or may be affiliated bases such as franchise bases.

In addition, the information receiving device 25 can be realized by a mobile terminal such as a smartphone. Furthermore, the information receiving device 26 can be realized by a desktop PC or the like. Note that the biometric information detection device 304, the motion detection device 305, the screen 301, and the speaker 302 are omitted in this diagram. Furthermore, the biometric information detection device 304, the motion detection device 305, and the screen 301 may be configured integrally with the information receiving device. Furthermore, various options are possible for the installation locations of the information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2, such as classroom A or B or the instructor's home.

The communication support device 100 can be realized by a so-called server device. For this reason, it has a processing device 11, a network I/F 12, a memory 13, and a storage 14, which are connected to each other via a bus or the like.

First, the processing device 11 can be realized by a processor such as a CPU, and executes the processing described in the above flowchart according to the communication support program 15 deployed in the memory 13. The network I/F 12 has a function of connecting to the wide area network 30.

The memory 13 expands the communication assistance program 15 and the data and information required for the above-mentioned processing. In addition, the communication assistance program 15 and other programs are stored in a storage medium such as the storage 14, and these are expanded into the memory 13 as necessary.

The storage 14 has a function of storing information, data, and programs. In each embodiment, an interest concentration database 107 and content 16, which is the lecture content, are stored. Although not shown, it is preferable to store a communication assistance program 15. Furthermore, the storage 14 may be realized in a separate housing from the communication assistance program 15. The storage 14 can be realized, for example, by a file server.

With the above configuration, the lecturer 201 can present the lecture contents to the information receiving devices 21 to 26 using the information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2. At this time, the communication support device 100 can change the presentation specifications of the lecture contents as appropriate. This makes it possible to give a more appropriate lecture to the information recipients, represented by the students 303.

In addition, the information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2 may be omitted or may be integrated with the communication support device 100. In this case, it is desirable for the communication support device 100 itself, rather than the lecturer 201, to present the lecture content to the information receiving devices 21 to 26. For this reason, the communication support device 100 will provide information mechanically using artificial intelligence or the like. However, it goes without saying that artificial intelligence can be used even when the information presentation devices 200-1 and 200-2 are realized as individual devices.

When providing the same lecture content to multiple people, i.e., multiple information recipients, at the same time, it is conceivable that each person's level of concentration or confusion will differ. In this case, the level of concentration or confusion used to determine changes to content classification, presentation speed, and the number or proportion of new words may be the minimum or maximum value among the information recipients, or a representative value such as the mode or average value. Here, providing the lecture content "simultaneously" also includes cases where the timing of reception is delayed due to communication capabilities, etc.

This system can also be applied to non-educational institutions for business-related education, know-how transmission, technology transfer, business support, etc.

100... communication support device, 101... biometric information acquisition unit, 102... presentation information acquisition unit, 103... interest concentration level estimation unit, 104... content classification estimation unit, 105... information amount analysis unit, 106... presentation speed calculation unit, 107... interest concentration level database, 108... presentation information change instruction unit, 109... motion information acquisition unit, 200... information presentation device, 201... lecturer, 301... screen, 302... speaker, 303... student, 304... biometric information detection device, 305... motion detection device

Claims (6)

A communication support device for presenting content to an information recipient, comprising:
an information receiver information acquisition unit that acquires information receiver information generated from the information receiver;
an interest concentration level estimation unit that estimates an interest concentration level of the information receiver based on a time-series change in the information receiver information;
a presentation format specification unit that specifies a presentation format of the content being presented to the information receiver;
a presentation information change instruction unit that generates an instruction to change a presentation specification of the content in response to a change in the degree of interest concentration;
The presentation specification specifying unit is
a content classification estimation unit for estimating a content classification of the content;
an information amount calculation unit for calculating an information amount of the content;
a presentation speed calculation unit that calculates a presentation speed of the content based on the amount of information;
The presentation information change instruction unit generates an instruction to change at least one of the content classification and the presentation speed. 2. The communication support device according to claim 1 ,
The presentation specification unit has a new word extraction unit that extracts new words within a unit period included in the content,
The presentation information change instruction unit generates an instruction to change at least one of the content classification, the presentation speed, and the new word. A communication support device for presenting content to an information recipient, which is a computer.
an information receiver information acquisition unit that acquires information receiver information generated from the information receiver;
an interest concentration level estimation unit that estimates an interest concentration level of the information receiver based on a time-series change in the information receiver information;
a presentation format specification unit that specifies a presentation format of the content being presented to the information receiver;
a communication support program for causing a user to function as a presentation information change instruction unit that generates a change instruction for changing a presentation specification of the content in response to a change in the interest concentration level,
The presentation specification specifying unit is
a content classification estimation unit for estimating a content classification of the content;
an information amount calculation unit for calculating an information amount of the content;
a presentation speed calculation unit that calculates a presentation speed of the content based on the amount of information;
The presentation information change instruction unit generates an instruction to change at least one of the content classification and the presentation speed. 4. The communication support program according to claim 3 ,
The presentation specification specifying unit functions as a new word extracting unit that extracts new words within a unit period included in the content,
The presentation information change instruction unit generates an instruction to change at least one of the content classification, the presentation speed, and the new word. A communication support device for presenting content to an information recipient, which is a computer.
an information receiver information acquisition unit that acquires information receiver information generated from the information receiver;
an interest concentration level estimation unit that estimates an interest concentration level of the information receiver based on a time-series change in the information receiver information;
a presentation format specification unit that specifies a presentation format of the content being presented to the information receiver;
a storage medium storing a communication support program for causing the storage medium to function as a presentation information change instruction unit that creates a change instruction for changing the presentation specifications of the content in response to a change in the interest concentration level,
The presentation specification specifying unit is
a content classification estimation unit for estimating a content classification of the content;
an information amount calculation unit for calculating an information amount of the content;
a presentation speed calculation unit that calculates a presentation speed of the content based on the amount of information;
The presentation information change instruction unit generates an instruction to change at least one of the content classification and the presentation speed. 6. The storage medium according to claim 5 ,
The presentation specification specifying unit functions as a new word extracting unit that extracts new words within a unit period included in the content,
The presentation information change instruction unit generates an instruction to change at least one of the content classification, the presentation speed, and the new word.

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