JP4263473B2 - Service information provision system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a service information providing system that provides a dynamic service according to a user's behavior and environment.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Context-aware service technology that provides services according to the behavior and environment of people is intended to provide more detailed services according to the people, and provides life assistance for the elderly and persons with disabilities and child safety. It is a technology that is expected in a wide variety of services such as protection, and it will also be a keyword in the future ubiquitous society. The context here is all information that characterizes the behavioral situation of the person, and is information that is required for the exchange between the person and a computer application (hereinafter referred to as a service). For example, information on self such as current position, schedule, action, behavioral purpose, emotion, personal information, hobbies, etc., information on environment such as surrounding conditions, temperature, humidity, pressure, etc., information on time, and the like. Context definitions are not fully unified, but references to this include Thomas PM Paul Dourish and “Human-Computer Interaction” Lawrence Erlbaum associates 2001. Hereinafter, these pieces of information will be described as “context”.
[0003]
In order to use the context-aware service, the context must first be acquired. The simplest method is a method in which a person manually inputs context information. However, it is very troublesome to constantly input this by yourself. Therefore, attention is focused on a context information collecting means using a light and inexpensive storage device. This storage device is a system originally used for physical distribution. For example, ID tag information indicating an object (product) is written in the storage area of the barcode attached to the product, and is used for inventory management and marketing. Standard systems such as Auto ID Center and Ubiquitous ID Center have also been established for systems using wireless tags among storage devices, and all information on objects with storage devices can be managed via a network. it can.
[0004]
As a conventional technology at the present time, there is one that uses this wireless tag to record the location information of the place where the tag is affixed in its storage area and provides a location-dependent service that depends on the location of the detected person is there. Accordingly, by grasping the current position of the user, a service and a navigation service closely related to the area can be realized (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the future, this context-aware service technology will be further generalized to integrate not only numerical context values such as location information, but also the behavior, purpose, and emotion of the person as a context. Aware service platform is considered to be required.
[0005]
[Patent Document 1]
JP 2000-3420 (page 2-17, FIG. 2)
[0006]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, when considering using such a lightweight storage device to obtain context information other than position information, for example, information such as behavior, behavioral purpose, and emotion, from the storage device, The information to be acquired cannot be specified only from the pasted position information. Therefore, it is impossible to obtain such information only from conventional tag information. In addition, there is a problem that it is difficult to express the context at the semantic level because contexts such as behavior and action purpose are not uniform. Affects the flexibility of the services provided. Furthermore, it is difficult to uniformly define the context of human behavior, environment, emotion, etc., and there is still no uniform method for obtaining the context.
[0007]
However, on the other hand, assuming a future ubiquitous environment, an integrated method for acquiring context information including the person's behavior, purpose of action, personal information, etc. is indispensable. It is thought that there is a growing demand for service forms that can be used in the future.
[0008]
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and is integrated with information from storage devices provided in various articles, including human behavior, behavioral purpose, personal information, and the like. The purpose is to provide a service information provision system.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above problems, the present invention proposes the following means.
The invention according to claim 1 is a system that collects information related to daily activities of users and environmental information, and provides the user with an optimal service based on the information, and is provided in advance in personal items. A storage device storing information about the article, a database storing the article information, information on user behavior assumed from the article, general environment information, and service information in association with each other; and the storage device A management server that distributes information related to user behavior assumed from the article and service information corresponding to the information from the database, based on the stored article information and current environmental information acquired via the network Acquiring information on the article from the storage device, transmitting the article information to the management server, and receiving the information from the management server. Which receives a proposes a service information providing system and a portable terminal for displaying information thus received.
[0010]
According to this invention, the personal items are provided with the storage device in which the item information of each item is stored in advance. The mobile terminal owned by the user can acquire each item information from the storage device for the item. The acquired article information is transmitted from the mobile terminal to the management server. The management server stores information on items and user behavior assumed from the items, general environment information, and service information corresponding thereto. Based on the article information from the mobile terminal and the current environmental information acquired by the management server via the network, the management server searches for the optimum service information for the user and distributes the service information to the mobile terminal. . Since this information is displayed on the mobile terminal, the user can quickly obtain information optimal for his / her behavior and the environment at that time.
[0011]
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the service information providing system according to the first aspect, wherein the article information acquired by the portable terminal and information on user behavior assumed from the article received from the management server are stored. Among them, information selected by the user is accumulated for a certain period of time, user information generating means for generating user-specific information using the accumulated information, and the database stored in the database based on the generated user information A service information providing system including a user information update device having information update means for sequentially updating articles and information on user behavior is proposed.
[0012]
According to the present invention, by the operation of the user information update device, the information selected by the user is accumulated for a certain period of time among the article information acquired by the mobile terminal and the information regarding the user behavior assumed from the article received from the management server. The user-specific information is generated using the accumulated information. The user information update device sequentially updates information that associates articles stored in the database with user behavior using the generated user information. Therefore, since the short-term and long-term behaviors and hobbies and preferences of the user can be inferred from the accumulated information, it is possible to quickly provide optimum service information to the user.
[0013]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, a service information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.
As shown in FIG. 1, a service information providing system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage device 1, a reading portable terminal 2, an object management server 3, a context management server 4, and an object database provided in an article. 5, a context library database 6, a context list database 7, and a service definition database 8. Here, the object is a term indicating an article.
[0014]
The storage device 1 stores information on articles provided for each individual article around the user, specifically tag ID information. The portable terminal 2 has a function of reading tag ID information from the storage device 1 provided for each individual article, a function of transmitting the read information to the object management server 3, and a function of receiving service information from the context management server 4. And a function for displaying the received service information. The object management server 3 is a server that manages an object database 5 to be described later. The object management server 3 searches for an object based on tag ID information received from the mobile terminal 2 and outputs it to the context management server 4.
[0015]
The context management server 4 is a server that manages a context library database 6 to be described later, and based on information received from the mobile terminal 2 and current environment information received via the network, an optimal service from the context library database 6 Information is searched and transmitted to the portable terminal 2.
[0016]
The object database 5 is a database that stores tag ID information attached to each article and an object in association with each other. The context library database 6 is a data table that stores objects and contexts in association with each other. A plurality of contexts may exist for one object.
[0017]
The context list database 7 is a database that accumulates objects and contexts acquired by the mobile terminal 2 for a certain period of time, and describes time information in addition to the objects and contexts. Therefore, if this database is analyzed over a long period of time by, for example, a statistical technique, it is possible to grasp the short-term and long-term behavior patterns, hobbies, preferences, and the like of the user. The service definition database 8 is a database that stores objects, contexts, and service information in association with each other. Therefore, if the object and context are known, appropriate service information corresponding to the object and context can be provided.
[0018]
Next, a processing procedure for providing service information in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the person carrying the reading portable terminal 2 tries to take some action on a certain object, and at the same time obtains tag ID information from the storage device 1 provided for the object using the reading portable terminal 2. Read (step 101). When the reading portable terminal 2 reads the tag ID information, it makes an inquiry to the object management server 3 on the network. The object management server 3 searches for object information corresponding to the tag ID information received from the reading portable terminal 2 (step 102).
[0019]
Next, the object information retrieved by the object management server 3 is output to the context management server 4. The context management server 4 obtains a plurality of contexts predicted in relation to the object information from the context library database 6 (step 103). Here, the list of contexts associated with each object is collectively defined as a context library. The most appropriate context is selected and recognized by a certain inference from a plurality of acquired contexts (step 104).
[0020]
Here, the recognized context is registered in the context list database 7 (step 105). The data in the context list database 7 accumulated for a certain period of time is statistically processed by a user information update device (not shown) for each time zone, day of the week, and season, and based on the obtained data, the context in the context library database 6 is displayed. Information is updated. When the context is selected, the service definition corresponding to the associated object on the service definition database 8 is read out, and the service corresponding to the context is provided to the read portable terminal 2 to the user (step 106). The provided service content is displayed on the display unit of the reading portable terminal 2, and the user recognizes the service as character information.
[0021]
Next, description contents of the object database 5, the context library database 6, the context list database 7, and the service definition database 8 will be described with reference to FIG. The object is an article such as a toaster or a dining table illustrated in FIG. FIG. 3A shows a description example of the object database 5. As shown here, the object database 5 describes various objects and corresponding tag ID information. In the example of FIG. 3A, for example, the object “Toaster” is described as corresponding to the tag ID “209144”, and the “dining table” is described as corresponding to “802123”.
[0022]
FIG. 3B shows a description example of the context library database 6. As shown here, the context library database 6 describes various objects and corresponding context libraries.
In the example of FIG. 3B, for example, a context library “eating bread” for the object “toaster”, and “eating breakfast”, “eating lunch” and “eating lunch” for “dining table”. The context library "Eat dinner" is supported.
[0023]
FIG. 3C shows a description example of the context list database 7. As shown here, the context list database 7 describes various objects and corresponding context and time information. In the example of FIG. 3C, for example, at 6:55 am, “toasted” at “Toaster”, at 7 am, “eating breakfast” at “dining table”, at 7 am It is described that “I got on the △ □ Electric Railway” at “○ × Station ticket gate” in 30 minutes.
[0024]
FIG. 3D shows a description example of the service definition database 8. As shown here, the service definition database 8 describes various objects, contexts corresponding to the objects, and service contents. In the example of FIG. 3D, for example, contexts “eating breakfast”, “eating lunch”, and “eating dinner” are described for the object “dining table”. Service information such as “world staple food breakfast style display”, “fashionable lunch recipe display”, and “recommended dinner calorie calculation” are described in association with each other.
[0025]
As described above, for example, when the tag ID information of the object read by the reading portable terminal 2 recognizes that the object is “dining table”, the context library database 6 is inquired about the object “dining table”. In the context library database 6, context objects such as “eating breakfast”, “eating lunch”, and “eating dinner” correspond to the object “dining table”.
[0026]
Here, when the context library “eat breakfast” is selected corresponding to the inquiry time zone, the inquiry time, the object name, and the context are registered in the context list database 7. By creating such a database, not only can it be managed as a personal memorandum, but these lists can also be statistically processed by time of day, day of the week, or season, so that the person's short- and long-term behavior patterns and You can get your hobbies and preferences. Therefore, if there is a record of “eating toast” every morning in the context list database 7, it is possible to acquire personal information that it is customary to eat bread in the morning.
[0027]
In addition, since service information defined for each object is prepared in the service definition database 8, a dynamic service according to a context that matches the user's behavior pattern, hobbies, and preferences is possible. For example, as shown in FIG. 3D, if a service description is defined for a dining table, a “world staple food and breakfast style display” service can be provided in the context of “eating breakfast”.
[0028]
As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and includes design changes and the like within a scope not departing from the gist of the present invention. It is. For example, in this embodiment, an example in which a context library corresponding to an object has already been described in the context library database has been described. However, a setting input unit of a mobile terminal is provided, and a user can arbitrarily correspond to each object. You may make it register the performed context library.
[0029]
Further, in the present embodiment, it has been described that the user's behavior patterns, hobbies, and preferences are statistically obtained from the object information and context accumulated within a certain time. However, various types of information obtained within a certain time are described. A method for inferring user behavior from object information may also be used.
[0030]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, context information relating to human behavior and the purpose of behavior is prepared for each target object, and this is combined with environmental information such as date and time, weather information, and position information. By providing information to the user, there is an effect that a more accurate service can be provided. In addition, by accumulating the acquired context information sequentially and performing statistical processing of this information for each time zone, day of the week, or season, the person's short- and long-term behavior patterns, hobbies and preferences can be obtained. There is an effect that can be done. Further, since a context that can be assumed for each object is prepared, provision of services using the context can be managed in an integrated manner, and service information can be easily utilized.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a process flowchart of the system according to the embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a diagram showing description contents in each database according to the embodiment of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Storage device, 2 ... Reading portable terminal, 3 ... Object management server, 4 ... Context management server, 5 ... Object database, 6 ... Context library database, 7 ... Context list database, 8 ... service definition database,

Claims (1)

A system that collects information related to daily activities of users and environmental information, and provides users with optimal services based on the information,
A storage device in which ID information relating to the article provided in advance around the article is stored;
A first database that stores the ID information and the object in association in advance;
A second database that stores in advance the object and a context related to the user's behavior assumed from the article;
A third database for storing the object, the context, and time information in association with each other;
A fourth database for storing the object, the context, and service information in association with each other;
An object management server that receives the ID information from the mobile terminal, retrieves an object corresponding to the ID information from the first database, and outputs the object to a context management server;
The context corresponding to the object output from the object management server is acquired from the second database, the context is registered in the third database, and the service information corresponding to the object and the context is stored in the third database. The context management server for reading from a fourth database and transmitting the service information to the mobile terminal;
A user information update device that statistically processes information accumulated in the third database for a certain period of time and updates the context in the second database based on a processing result;
With acquiring the ID information from the storage device, and transmits the ID information to the object management server, receiving the service information from the context management server, and the portable terminal for displaying the service information,
Service information provision system with

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