Patent Publication Number: US-2023154469-A1

Title: System to Change Image Based on Voice

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of Application No. 17/765,833, filed Mar. 31, 2022, which is the National Stage of International Application No. PCT/JP2021/005251, filed Feb. 12, 2021, which claims the benefit of Japanese Application No. 2020-133416, filed Aug. 5, 2020. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to a system to change an image based on a voice. To describe in more detail, the present invention relates to a system that changes a shared image in real time based on a conversation. 
     BACKGROUND ART 
     A general web conference system causes respective terminals to display a presentation material prepared by a speaker. Even when a participant makes a statement regarding the material, the material does not change. 
     JP 2020-089641 A discloses a system that performs a command operation based on a voice. Such a system that recognizes a voice and performs various operations has been publicly known. However, a system that changes a displayed image in real time based on a bidirectional conversation has not been known. 
     CITATION LIST 
     Patent Literature 
     Patent Document 1: JP 2020-089641 A 
     DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION 
     Problems to Be Solved by the Invention 
     An object of the present invention is to provide a system that changes a shared image in real time based on, for example, a conversation. 
     Solutions to the Problems 
     The present invention is basically based on knowledge that changes a position of content in an image representing the content using information on the content included in voice information and information on a change in the content to ensure changing a shared image in real time based on a conversation. 
     This system  1  includes a voice information input unit  3 , a voice analysis unit  5 , and an image change unit  7 . 
     The voice information input unit  3  is an element configured to input the voice information. 
     The voice analysis unit  5  is an element configured to analyze the voice information input by the voice information input unit  3 . The image change unit  7  is an element configured to use information on content included in the voice information analyzed by the voice analysis unit  5  and information on a change in the content included in the voice information analyzed by the voice analysis unit  5  to change a position of an image representing the content. 
     The image change unit  7  in this system  1  may be configured to change either or both of a shape and a color of the content whose position has been changed. 
     A preferred aspect of this system  1  further includes a first operation input unit 21 configured to input first operation information as operation information of a first participant and a second operation input unit 23 configured to input second operation information as operation information of a second participant. 
     The image change unit  7  is configured to change the position of the content in the image based on the information on the content included in the voice information analyzed by the voice analysis unit  5 , information on a variation of the content analyzed by the voice analysis unit, the first operation information, and the second operation information. The image change unit  7  may change either or both of the shape and the color of the content whose position has been changed. 
     This system  1  provides a method for changing an image based on a voice using a system including a computer. 
     This method includes a voice information inputting step of inputting voice information to the system  1 ; a voice analyzing step of analyzing the voice information input in the voice information inputting step by the system  1 ; and an image changing step of using information on content included in the voice information analyzed in the voice analyzing step and information on a change in the content to change a position of the content in an image representing the content by the system  1 . 
     This Description provides a program to cause the computer to function as the above-described system and an information recording medium that stores the program. 
     Effects of the Invention 
     The present invention allows providing the system or the like that can change the shared image in real time based on, for example, a conversation. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG.  1    is a block diagram to describe a system to change an image based on a voice. 
         FIG.  2    is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of a computer. 
         FIG.  3    is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system example of the present invention. 
         FIG.  4    is a drawing illustrating an example of a presentation material. 
         FIG.  5    is a conceptual diagram illustrating an image after a position of content changes in the image representing the content by an image change unit. 
         FIG.  6    is a conceptual diagram illustrating an image after the position, a shape, and a color of the content change in the image representing the content by the image change unit. 
         FIG.  7    is a conceptual diagram illustrating an image after a position of the content changes in the image representing the content based on operation information. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The following describes configurations to embody the present invention using the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the configurations described below, but includes those appropriately modified from the configurations below by a person skilled in the art within an obvious range. 
     The following describes a system  1  to change an image based on a voice. This system is a system based on a computer. 
       FIG.  1    is a block diagram to describe the system to change the image based on the voice. As illustrated in  FIG.  1   , this system  1  includes a voice information input unit  3 , a voice analysis unit  5 , and an image change unit  7 . This system  1  may further include a presentation material storage unit  11  that stores a presentation material or the like, a presentation output unit  13  that outputs the presentation material, an operation information input unit  15  to which various pieces of operation information is input, and a voice output unit  17  that outputs voice information. 
       FIG.  2    is a block diagram illustrating a basic configuration of the computer. As illustrated in this drawing, the computer includes an input unit  31 , an output unit  33 , a control unit  35 , a calculation unit  37 , and a storage unit  39 , and the respective elements are coupled by a bus  41  or the like so as to ensure transmitting or receiving information. For example, the storage unit may store a control program or may store various pieces of information. When predetermined information is input from the input unit, the control unit reads a control program stored in the storage unit. The control unit reads the information stored in the storage unit as necessary and transmits it to the calculation unit. Additionally, the control unit transmits the input information to the calculation unit as necessary. The calculation unit performs arithmetic processing using the received various pieces of information and causes the storage unit to store it. The control unit reads the arithmetic processing result stored in the storage unit and output it from the output unit. Thus, various kinds of processes are performed. Elements described below each may correspond to any of the elements in the computer. 
       FIG.  3    is a conceptual diagram illustrating a system example of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIG.  3   , the system of the present invention (the system including devices of the present invention) may include terminals  45  coupled to the Internet or an intranet  43  and a server  47  coupled to the Internet or the intranet  43 . Obviously, a single computer and mobile terminal may function as the device of the present invention or a plurality of servers may be present. 
     The voice information input unit  3  is an element (for example, a microphone) configured to input voice information. A description will be given of a system that includes a plurality of terminals and a server coupled to the plurality of terminals as an example. In this case, for example, the voice information is input from an input unit (for example, a microphone) as the voice information input unit  3  in each terminal to an input unit in the server. At this time, the input unit in the server may function as the voice information input unit  3 , or the input unit in each terminal may function as the voice information input unit  3 . In both cases, the voice information is input to the inside of the server. 
     A description will be given based on an example in which a medical representative (MR) and a medical practitioner have conversations in a web conference via respective computer terminals (terminals). Conference access information is input to the terminal of the MR and the terminal of the medical practitioner in advance. Examples of the conference access information include information (URL) identifying the conference and an ID for a conference and a password for the conference. 
     A terminal  45   a  of the MR and a terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner access a server for web conference using the conference access information. When the conference access information is input to the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner, these terminals access server for conference. Since the server includes the input unit and the output unit, respective images and the voice information are exchangeable via the server. In this example, the server includes the presentation material storage unit  11 . In this example, respective terminals of participants in the web conference access the server, conversations are performed based on image data stored in the server, and the conversations are reflected to the image data and thus the image data is updated. 
     For example, using an input device (a computer mouse), the MR reads a presentation material target for argument from the presentation material storage unit  11 . The read presentation material is output from the output unit in the server to the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner. The presentation material is input to the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner. Monitors as the output units of the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner display the presentation material. Note that conversation information of the MR or the medical practitioner may be input to the server, the conversation information may be analyzed, and the presentation material target for argument may be read from the presentation material storage unit  11  based on the analyzed conversation information. In this case, it is only necessary that the presentation material storage unit  11  stores a read word related to each presentation material, and when the analyzed conversation information includes the read word, the presentation material related to the read word is read. 
       FIG.  4    is a drawing illustrating an example of the presentation material. In the example of  FIG.  4   , the writing “Doctor, please teach me your images of effects and safety of antihypertensive drugs below.” is made. This drawing illustrates a graph indicating the effect of the medicine (medicinal effect) on the vertical axis and the safety on the horizontal axis. 
     Both parties have various conversations over the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner. For example, the MR speaks “The drawing shows the medicinal effects and the safety of the agents A to D. How do you think about them, doctor?” Then, the voice information is input from the microphone in the terminal  45   a  of the MR to the terminal  45   a  of the MR. The input voice information is temporarily stored in the storage unit in the terminal  45   a  of the MR. The voice information is output from the output unit in the terminal  45   a  of the MR to the server  47 . The server  47  receives the voice information, and the voice information is input to the server  47  from the input unit in the server and is stored in the storage unit in the server  47 . Thus, the voice information is input to the system  1  (a voice information inputting step). 
     For example, the medical practitioner spoke “I think the agent C has medicinal effect higher than that of the agent B and has safety slightly higher than that of the agent B.” Then, similarly to the above-described step, the voice information is input to the system  1  (the voice information inputting step). 
     The voice analysis unit  5  is an element (for example, the known voice recognition unit) configured to analyze the voice information input by the voice information input unit  3 . 
     For example, the storage unit in the server stores contents (for example, the agent A, the agent B, the agent C, and the agent D) and positions of the respective contents in an image (coordinates of the agent A, the agent B, the agent C, and the agent D) related to the presentation material. The voice analysis unit  5  obtains information on the contents, “agent C” and “agent B” as analysis results. The voice analysis unit  5  also obtains information on a change in the content “the agent C has medicinal effect higher than that of the agent B” as the analysis result. Further, the voice analysis unit  5  obtains information on the change in content “the agent C has safety slightly higher” as the analysis result. 
     Thus, the system  1  analyzes the voice information input in the voice information inputting step to obtain the analysis result (a voice analyzing step). The storage unit in the server stores the obtained analysis result as necessary. The analysis result may be output from the output unit in the server to the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner and stored in the storage units of these terminals. Hereinafter, this process is similar. 
     The image change unit  7  is configured to use the information on content included in the voice information analyzed by the voice analysis unit  5  and the information on the change in the content included in the voice information analyzed by the voice analysis unit  5  to change the position of the content in the image representing the content. For example, the image change unit  7  only need to identify the content to be changed by the information on the content and perform a process that changes the content based on the information on the change in the content. The display unit displays the changed image. For example, the server reads the information on the content “agent C” and “agent B” as the analysis results, the information on the change in the content, “the agent C has medicinal effect higher than that of the agent B” and the information on the change in the content, “ the agent C has safety slightly higher” from the storage unit in the server. Using the read analysis result, the position of the agent C of the content in the image is changed. The image in which the position of the content has been changed is stored in the storage unit in the server. The image may be output to the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner. Then, the output units (the monitors) in the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner display the image after change. The image change unit  7  may identify a person (a speaker) who has uttered a voice regarding the voice information, and an amount of change may be adjusted according to the identified speaker. The speaker only needs to be identified with the ID of the terminal and when the conference access information is input. For adjustment of the amount of change, a coefficient used for the adjustment may be stored associated with the ID of the speaker and may be read according to the ID of the speaker. Thus, the change according to individuality of the speaker can be performed automatically (without being noticed by the speaker). An aspect that does not change a position of content but changes a shape and a color of the content is different from the above-described aspect described in the Description. 
       FIG.  5    is a conceptual diagram illustrating an image after the position of the content changes in the image representing the content by the image change unit. Thus, based on the information on the content included in the voice information and the information on the change in the content analyzed in the voice analyzing step, the position of the content in the image representing the content is changed by the system  1  (the image changing step). 
     The doctor who viewed  FIG.  5    drags the agent C in the image using the input device (for example, a computer mouse and a touchscreen) in the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner. The doctor makes a statement that the agent C is “Around here.” This statement is input to the inside of the system similarly to the above-described description. The operation information by the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner is output from the output unit in the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner to the server  47 . The server  47  that has received the operation information inputs the operation information from the input unit in the server  47  to the inside of the server  47 . The server  47  changes the position of the agent C of the content in the image based on the operation information. 
       FIG.  6    is a conceptual diagram illustrating an image after a position, a shape, and a color of the content change in the image representing the content by the image change unit. As illustrated in  FIG.  6   , the image change unit  7  may change either or both of the shape and the color such that the content whose position has been changed is found. To change the shape, a size may be changed, the content may be vanished, an image may be set to be an image of another content, and a shape of a frame may be changed. As described later, either or both of the shape and the color of the content after change may be differentiated between the case where the position of the content is changed based on the operation information and the case where the position of the content is changed based on a voice. 
       FIG.  7    is a conceptual diagram illustrating an image after a position of the content changes in the image representing the content based on the operation information. Thus, this system may change the position of the content based on the operation information. The image in which the position of the content has been changed is stored in the storage unit in the server. The image may be output to the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner. Then, the output units (for example, the monitors) in the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner display the image after change. A preferred aspect of this system  1  further includes a first operation input unit 21 configured to input first operation information as operation information of a first participant and a second operation input unit 23 configured to input second operation information as operation information of a second participant. In the above-described example, for example, the input device in the terminal  45   a  of the MR functions as the first operation input unit 21. The input device in the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner functions as the second operation input unit 23. For example, the terminal  45   a  of the MR receives input information that the agent C has been dragged to the right with the computer mouse. The received input information is transmitted to the server as the operation information. The server that has received the operation information causes the image change unit  7  to change the image based on the operation information. The storage unit in the server stores the image after change. The stored image is output to the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner. Then, the terminal  45   a  of the MR and the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner display the received image in the respective display units. The same applies to the operation information by the terminal  45   b  of the medical practitioner. Thus, the image change unit  7  changes the position of the content in the image based on the information on the content included in the voice information analyzed by the voice analysis unit  5 , the information on a variation of the content analyzed by the voice analysis unit, the first operation information, and the second operation information. The example of the operation information that changes the position has been described above. In a case where the operation information is to change the shape and the color of the content, the image change unit  7  may change either or both of the shape and the color of the content whose position has been changed. 
     This description provides a program that causes the computer to function as the above-described system and an information recording medium that stores the program. This program is implemented in the computer. The program causes the computer to function as a system for changing an image based on a voice. The system includes voice information input means configured to input voice information; voice analysis means configured to analyze the voice information input by the voice information input unit; and image change means configured to use information on content included in the voice information analyzed by the voice analysis means and information on a change in the content to change a position of the content in an image representing the content. 
     INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
     Since the present invention is used for a voice recognition system, the present invention can be used for the information industry.  
     
       
         
           
               
               
             
               
                 DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE SIGNS 
               
             
            
               
                 
                   1 
                 
                 System 
               
               
                 
                   3 
                 
                 Voice information input unit 
               
               
                 
                   5 
                 
                 Voice analysis unit 
               
               
                 
                   7 
                 
                 Image change unit