JP2002236656A - Chatting system and server device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a server device capable of providing users an environment making chatting more enjoyable. SOLUTION: The server device is structured so that a chatting room window can be displayed which permits a computer for chatters to display not only the descriptions of opinions of chat mates (automatic conversational program; a dog 'pappy' in a chart) but also character images of which the contents change, depending upon the psychology of the chat mate.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a chat system capable of chatting, and a server device for constructing such a chat system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, in recent years, chat using the Internet (conversation by writing by a plurality of persons; also called online talk, real-time conference, etc.) has become popular. There are also chat rooms in which an automatic conversation program (also called "artificial incompetence") for letting a computer converse with a computer is a participant in a chat.

[0003]

A chat participant can enjoy a conversation with the automatic conversation program if it is a high-level (high-performance) automatic conversation program. However, it is uneconomical to install such an automatic conversation program in a system for chatting between humans.

[0004] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a chat system in which a technique that allows a computer to make a chat partner is used so that a participant can enjoy a chat more. A server device capable of constructing a simple chat system.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a server device according to the present invention comprises a computer which is selected from one or more computers used by users entering a chat room. Each time information in a predetermined format is transmitted from the computer, based on the information received by the chat room providing means and the chat room providing means for transmitting information corresponding to the information to each of the one or more computers, The content of a sentence to be made in a chat room by a virtual character having a plurality of appearances indicating different mental states and the mental state of the virtual character at the time of the sentence being determined are determined as needed. Virtual character behavior determining means to be executed, and a sentence whose contents have been determined by the virtual character behavior determining means. Of Rakuta, and a virtual character behavior control means for the information to be displayed together with the image showing the appearance in accordance with the psychological state determined by a virtual character behavior determining means, to the respective one or more computers.

In other words, the server device of the present invention allows not only the virtual character to speak but also an image (for example, the virtual character looks happy) according to the mental state of the virtual character on the computer of the person participating in the chat. (A whole image of a face and a happy posture) is displayed. Therefore, it is possible to provide an environment in which chat participants can enjoy chatting without making the contents of the virtual character itself special. Further, since the virtual character behavior determining means and the virtual character behavior controlling means can be realized by slightly changing the existing means, the use of the server device of the present invention makes it possible to efficiently use a computer to make a computer a chat partner. (In a cost-effective manner).

In realizing the server device of the present invention, the virtual character behavior control means is provided with an image (image data) showing an appearance according to the mental state determined by the virtual character behavior determination means of the virtual character.
May be provided to each computer, and various image data may be stored in the computer in advance, and the virtual character behavior control unit instructs which image data in the computer to use. Information may be transmitted.

[0008] In other words, the chat system using the server device is changed to one or more computers constituting the system by assuming that the virtual character is in a different psychological state. A computer having image data storage means for storing a plurality of image data having a virtual appearance. A server device receives information in a predetermined format from one of one or more computers. Each time, a chat room providing means for transmitting information corresponding to the information to each of the one or more computers, and a statement for causing the virtual character to speak in the chat room based on the information received by the chat room providing means. Of the virtual character and the psychological state of the virtual character at the time of the statement The sentence whose content is determined by the virtual character behavior determining means is stored in the image data storage means of the computer. A system (that is, a chat system of the present invention) which is a device including virtual character behavior control means for transmitting information to be displayed together with image data indicating an appearance corresponding to the mental state determined by the character behavior determination means. You can leave it.

In realizing the server device of the present invention, a plurality of appearances of the virtual character are respectively associated with psychological state information which is numerical information representing a psychological state, and the virtual character is provided in the chat room. A plurality of pieces of response content definition information including response sentence definition information that defines the content of the sentence to be said and transition amount information that defines the amount of change in the psychological state information defines conditions for using each response content definition information A motivational inference database stored in association with the condition information is added, and psychological state information storing means for storing psychological state information as virtual character behavior determining means, information received by the chat room providing means. Based on the condition information, the motivational inference database is searched based on the determined condition information, thereby obtaining one response content definition information. Response content definition information specifying means for specifying the content of a sentence which causes the virtual character to speak in the chat room is defined by the response text definition information included in the response content definition information specified by the response content definition information specifying means The content determining means and the psychological state information stored in the psychological state storage means are modified according to the displacement amount information included in the response content definition information specified by the response content definition information specifying means, and the content is changed. Means including a psychological state determining means for setting the mental state of the virtual character at the time of uttering the sentence whose content has been determined by the determining means to be the mental state represented by the changed mental state information can be adopted.

[0010] By adopting such a configuration, a server device with a quick response of the virtual character can be obtained relatively easily (without taking a long time to create a program).

Further, when the above configuration is adopted, the psychological state information stored in the psychological state information storage means is changed so as to approach a normal psychological state as time passes. Psychological state management means can be added. Further, when adopting a configuration in which a psychological state information storage unit is added, an on / off control unit for performing on / off control of the operation of the response content definition information specifying unit included in the virtual character behavior determination unit is added. At the same time, the psychological state management means can be operated only when the operation of the response content definition information specifying means is controlled to be off by the on / off control means.

By using a server device to which psychological state management means is added, it is possible to obtain a chat system in which the behavior of a virtual character (change in an image showing the appearance) is more human-like.

[0013]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

First, an outline of the configuration and operation of a chat system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 1, a chat system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a server 10 and a server 10 via the Internet 100 in order to use a chat room provided by the server 10. Some personal computers (PCs) 50 that are accessing
It is composed of Note that the PC 50 that can use the chat room provided by the server device 10 is limited to a PC that can use a Java-compatible Web browser.

In the chat system according to the present embodiment, as schematically shown in FIG. 2, a person who enters a certain chat room (chat participants; members A to C in the figure) can use their own automatic system. This is a system that allows chatmates (mates A to C in the figure) that are conversation programs to participate in the chat. Further, the present chat system is a system in which each chatmate functions as a virtual character (dog, cat, pig, etc.) having a virtual appearance. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, a chat room window (a window for chatting) provided to each chat participant in the present chat system is a chat mate (in FIG. 3, a dog "Pupy"). ), A text including a character image (an image of the face of the chat mate), a handle name of the chat mate, and the content of the comment (in FIG. 3, “(3.
Oh hey! The chat system changes the character image shown in the chat room window every time a chat mate has an emotion, as if the chat mate had an emotion. It has become.

Hereinafter, the configuration and operation of the chat system will be specifically described. First, the configuration of the server device 10 will be described.

In order to realize a service (hereinafter, referred to as a chat service) for providing an environment in which the above-mentioned chat can be performed to a user who wants to use the environment, the server device 10
(See FIG. 1), the chat information database 12,
A motivation inference database 14, a plurality of HTML source data, a plurality of Java applets, a server program, a chat management program, and a chat mate (automatic conversation program) are provided. In the server device 10, a plurality (121 in the present embodiment) of character images 16 and a character image management table (a CI management table in the figure) are provided for each character that can be a chat mate. It is prepared.

For a certain character, 121 character images 16 prepared in the server device 10
Is image data representing the appearance of the character created assuming various mental states.

More specifically, in the server device 10,
As schematically shown in FIG. 4, as the psychological state of the chat mate, both the joy axis value and the joy axis value on the two-dimensional coordinate system composed of the joy axis and the joy axis are from −5. It is assumed that there are 121 psychological states respectively associated with a total of 121 (= 11 × 11) coordinate values (points indicated by circles in the figure) which are any integers up to 5. ing.
A psychological state with a larger joy axis value is a psychological state with a better mood, and a psychological state with a larger sadness axis value is a mental state with a higher tension. A psychological state in which both the joy axis value and the sadness axis value are “0” is a standard psychological state.

As shown schematically in FIG. 5, 121 character images 16 prepared for a certain character in the server device 10 are respectively specified in these 121 kinds of mental states. The image data is created on the assumption that the character is in the psychological state, and shows the appearance of the character. The character image management table (CI management table in FIG. 5) prepared in the server device 10 for a certain character includes, for each of the 121 kinds of psychological state coordinate values, a psychological state represented by the psychological state coordinate value. Is a table storing information for associating the character image 16 created on the assumption that the character image 16 is present.

The server program (see FIG. 1) is a program for causing the server device 10 to function as a Web server device. Under the control of the server program, the HTML source data, Java applet, or the like prepared in the server device 10 requests the PC 50 (W
web browser), each PC 50
In addition, a web page for a user to perform a procedure for starting use of a chat service, and a window (an applet window) for selecting a chat room in which a user who has completed the procedure for starting use of a chat service (hereinafter, referred to as a member) enter. ) And a chat room window for the member to chat.

The chat information database 12 stores, for each member, a member ID, a password, a handle,
This is a database storing email addresses, chatmate management information, and the like.

The member ID and password stored in the chat information database 12 are information for personal authentication. The handle name is information used during chat as the name of the corresponding member, and the e-mail address is the e-mail address of the corresponding member.

The chat mate management information stored in the chat information database 12 includes character type information, handle name, e-mail address, psychological state coordinate value,
And log information. The character type information included in the chat mate management information is identification information of a character that the member has designated as a chat mate at the time of the use start procedure. The handle name is the name of the chat mate given by the member, and the e-mail address is the server device 1
0 (chat management program) is the email address of the chat mate generated by transforming the email address of the member. The chat information database 12
The reason why the member's e-mail address and the e-mail address of the chat mate are stored (set) in the network system is that, in this network system, the chat mate may send an e-mail to another chat mate or its own master. is there.

The psychological state coordinate values included in the chatmate management information are the values already described with reference to FIGS.
Although the details will be described later, the psychological state coordinate value is information given to the chat mate when the chat mate is activated, together with the character type information.

The motivation inference database 14 is a database that is referred to by chatmates in order to determine the content of a comment. As schematically shown in FIG. 6, the motivation inference database 14 has a configuration in which response sentence definition information, a selectivity level, and an emotion parameter can be searched from a character type and a use condition. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, information including response sentence definition information, a selectivity level, and an emotion parameter is referred to as response content definition information.

As described above, the character type and the use condition are information used as a search key for searching the response content definition information. Note that the motivation inference database 14 shown in FIG.
However, in the actual motivation inference database 14, words such as "good morning" are stored as use conditions. FIG. 6 shows only one piece of response content definition information in which the character type and the use condition are “dog” and “morning greeting”.
Reference numeral 4 denotes a database in which a plurality of pieces of response content definition information are usually searched by a search using a character type and a use condition as keys.

The response sentence defining information is information that defines the contents of the chat mate's remarks. In the figure, {END} included in the response sentence definition information related to cats is information indicating that the word to be included in the part is the ending (“cat” in the case of cats) according to the character type. ｛D included in the response statement definition information on cats and pigs.
name @ is information indicating that the phrase to be included in that part is the handle name of the talking partner.

The selectivity level is used when the chat mate determines one piece of response content definition information to be actually used from a plurality of pieces of response content definition information associated with the same combination of the character type and the use condition. Information used for There are three selectivity levels, “1”, “2” and “3”, and the chat mate is higher (larger value) when using the motivation inference database 14 (details will be described later). One response content definition information to be actually used is determined by a random algorithm in which the response content definition information for which the selectivity level is set is selected with a higher probability.

The emotion parameter is a parameter for managing the psychological state of the chat mate.
It consists of information indicating one of the comforts and a non-negative integer value. The emotion parameter is information (the details will be described later) that defines the amount of change in the psychological state coordinate value of the chat mate. The value of the emotion parameter depends on the condition under which the response content definition information including the emotion parameter is selected. When the condition is satisfied (when a certain remark is made), it is determined based on an assumed result of how the mental state of the chat mate changes.

Next, the operation of the server device 10 will be described.

The server device 10 constantly manages and operates some chat rooms under the control of the chat management program. Specifically, the server device 10 manages the member's entry / exit for each chat room based on the information transmitted from each PC 50, and based on the management result, the chat room window displayed on each PC 50 To update the contents of the participant list (transmitting information defining contents to be displayed in the participant list to each PC). In addition, the server device 10 transmits information indicating the contents of the utterance of the member transmitted by the PC 50 of the member in any of the chat rooms (an operation of inputting a text in the chat room window and instructing the transmission is performed). Is received (information transmitted as a result of this), a process for displaying the remarks indicated by the information in the chat room window of each member entering the chat room (information for that purpose) Is transmitted to the PC 50 of each member.

When a member in a chat room calls a chat mate, the server device 10 (chat management program) reads the chat mate management information for the member in the chat information database 12. The chat mate is activated by giving the character type and the psychological state coordinate value.

The activated chat mate monitors the contents of the conversation in the chat room in which the chat mate is entered, adds it to the log information relating to itself in the chat information database 12, and monitors the occurrence of a statement trigger event. To start the process. Here, the statement trigger event is
An event that is defined as an event in which a certain utterance is to be made, and a chat mate receives a predetermined kind of utterance (a utterance including a specific word) made by another person, For example, when no participant has made a comment over time, it is recognized that a statement trigger event has occurred.

Then, the chat mate who has detected the occurrence of the comment trigger event and decides to make a comment, makes a comment using log information relating to himself in the chat information database 12 or a comment referring to the motivation inference database 14. With the handle name given to itself.

The operation of the chat mate when making a comment with reference to the motivation inference database 14 will be described below with reference to FIG.

The chat mate remarks as a remark trigger event (usually remarks to himself / herself)
By performing the morphological analysis described above, the content of the remark is decomposed into several words (step S101). Then, based on some words obtained by the morphological analysis and the character type of the user, the motivation inference database 14 is searched, and response content definition information (response sentence definition information, emotion parameters) used for the current statement is made. Identify (Step
S102).

Next, the psychological state coordinate value at that time is changed by the value indicated by the specified emotion parameter (step S103). For example, the emotion parameter specified in step S102 is “Easy: 2”, and the psychological state coordinate value at that time (the psychological state coordinate value given at the time of activation or the psychological state coordinate value changed at the time of the previous utterance) Is (1,0) (the value written before the comma is the joy axis value), the chatmate changes the psychological state coordinate value to (1,2).

The chat mate transmits the character image 16 specified by the changed psychological state coordinate value and the character type of the user, the response message corresponding to the response message definition information specified in step S102, and the like. A process for displaying the message in the chat room window of the participant is executed (step S104). The processing performed by the chat mate in step S104 is as follows.
This is a process of passing the psychological state coordinate value, the response sentence, and the handle name to the chat management program, and displays the character image 1 in the chat room window of each chat participant.
6. Transmission of information (information including the character image 16) for displaying a response sentence or the like is performed by the chat management program.

Further, when the server 10 (chat management program) leaves the chat mate from the chat room, the server 10 (chat management program) uses the psychological state coordinate values held by the chat mate at that time to store the chat mate in the chat management database 12. Rewrite the corresponding psychological state coordinate value. In other words, the server device 10 rewrites the psychological state coordinate value of the chat mate in the chat management database 12 in order to store the mental state of the chat mate at the end of the chat.

The comment procedure using the log information of the chatmate is almost the same as that performed by a general automatic conversation program, and therefore, the description is omitted. However,
The chat mate is created so that even when making a comment using this log information, the psychological state coordinate value at that time is passed to the chat management program. That is, also in this case, the character image 16 is displayed in each chat room window.

Further, the server device 10 (chat management program) is also configured to periodically execute a psychological state management process whose procedure is shown in FIG.

That is, at the start of the mental state management process, the server device 10 first obtains the character type and the mental state coordinate value of the first chat mate who has not participated in the chat from the chat management database 12 (step S201). . If the joy axis value constituting the acquired psychological state coordinate value is not “0” (step S202; NO), the server apparatus 10 determines the joy axis value for the acquired character type. A process is performed to change in the "0" direction by the specified shift amount (step S).
203). That is, when the joy axis value is positive in this step S203, the server device 10 subtracts the change amount designation value corresponding to the character type from the joy axis value, and the joy axis value becomes If negative, the emotion axis value,
The specified displacement amount is added. If the positive / negative of the calculated emotion axis value is different from the original emotion axis value, the server device 10
Performs a process of setting the joy axis value to “0” in step S203.

After the completion of the processing in step S203 (if the joy axis value is "0", the processing is not performed), the server apparatus 10 sets the sadness axis value constituting the acquired psychological state coordinate value. Processing of the same contents for the value (step S
204 and S205). Then, the server device 10
Determines whether or not the processing for all chatmates who have not participated in the chat has been completed (step S2).
06), and if not completed (step S20)
6; NO), the process from step S201 is performed on the next chat mate not participating in the chat.

Then, when the processing for all the chatmates who have not participated in the chat is completed (step S206; YES), the server apparatus 10 ends the psychological state management processing and, when a predetermined time has elapsed (FIG. (Not shown), the mental state management process is started again.

As described in detail above, in the chat system according to the present embodiment, not only the contents of the chat mate's remark but also the character representing the mental state of the chat mate are displayed on the PC 50 of the person participating in the chat. Image 16 is displayed. Therefore, it is possible to provide an environment in which chat participants can enjoy a chat even if the content of the remark of the chat mate is not special. As a result, the chat can be more activated. Further, since the method used to manage the psychological state of the chatmate is to read the emotion parameters from the motivation inference database 14 and change the psychological state coordinate values accordingly,
The present chat system (server device 10) is also a device that can be easily realized (with high cost performance).

<Modifications> The chat system according to the embodiment can perform various modifications. For example, without preparing the character image 16 for each psychological state coordinate value,
The character image management table may be configured so that one character image 16 is associated with several psychological state coordinate values having similar values. Further, the character image 16 group is stored in each PC 50, and the server device 1
From 0 to each PC 50, any character image 16
The system may be configured so that information designating whether to display is transmitted.

The character image 16 at the time of a comment
However, the server apparatus 10 may be configured so that the psychological state coordinate value before the change by the emotion parameter is applied, and the psychological state coordinate value is changed after the utterance.

Further, the server device 10 according to the embodiment
Uses a Java applet to display a chat room window on each PC 50. However, it is natural that anything other than the Java applet may be used to display a screen equivalent to a chat room window. is there.

[0051]

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain a chat system in which a technique of making a computer allow a chat partner to enjoy a chat can be provided, and a server device capable of constructing such a chat system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a chat system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an operation of the chat system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a chat room window displayed on a personal computer included in the chat system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of psychological state coordinate values used to represent a mental state in the server device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a relationship between a character image and a psychological state coordinate value held by the server device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of a motivation inference database held by a server device included in the chat system according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of a process executed by a chat mate with reference to a motivation inference database in the server device according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a psychological state management process periodically executed by the server device according to the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 10 server device 12 chat information database 14 motivation inference database 16 character image 50 personal computer

Continued on the front page (72) Inventor Takeo Takeo 6-26-1, Minamioi, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Nifty Co., Ltd. F-term (reference) 5E501 AB19 BA15 CA02 DA02 DA16 EA32 FA14

Claims (5)

[Claims] Each time information of a predetermined format is transmitted from any one of one or more computers used by a user entering a chat room, information corresponding to the information is transmitted. To the 1
Chat room providing means for transmitting to each of the one or more computers, and based on the information received by the chat room providing means, each of the virtual characters having a plurality of appearances indicating different psychological states, Virtual character behavior determining means for determining at any time the content of a sentence to be remarked in the chat room and the psychological state of the virtual character at the time of remarking the sentence; and the content is determined by the virtual character behavior determining means. Virtual character behavior control for transmitting information to display each of the one or more computers with information for displaying a sentence together with an image showing an appearance according to the mental state determined by the virtual character behavior determination means of the virtual character; And a server device. 2. The plurality of appearances of the virtual character are respectively associated with psychological state information that is numerical information representing a mental state, and the contents of a sentence that causes the virtual character to speak in the chat room. A plurality of pieces of response content definition information including the response sentence definition information and the shift amount information that defines the amount of change in the psychological state information are associated with condition information that defines conditions for using each response content definition information. The virtual character behavior determining means further includes a stored motivation inference database, wherein the virtual character behavior determining means includes: psychological state information storing means for storing mental state information; and condition information based on information received by the chat room providing means. Is determined, and by searching the motivation inference database with the determined condition information, the response Content definition information specifying means for specifying the content of a sentence that causes the virtual character to make a comment in the chat room in response content definition information included in the response content definition information specified by the response content definition information specifying means And a change according to the displacement amount information included in the response content definition information specified by the response content definition information specifying unit, to the psychological state information stored in the psychological state storage unit, 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a psychological state determining unit that sets a mental state of the virtual character at the time of uttering the sentence whose content is determined by the content determining unit to be a mental state represented by the changed mental state information. The server device according to the above. 3. A psychological state management means for changing the psychological state information stored in the psychological state information storage means so as to approach a normal psychological state as time elapses. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein
The server device according to the above. 4. An on / off control unit for performing on / off control of an operation of the response content definition information specifying unit included in the virtual character behavior determining unit, wherein the psychological state management unit includes the on / off control unit. 4. The server device according to claim 3, wherein the server device operates only when the operation of the response content definition information specifying unit is controlled to be turned off by an off control unit. 5. A chat system including one or more computers and a server device, wherein the one or more computers each have a virtual character created in a different mental state. An image data storage unit that stores a plurality of image data indicating a virtual appearance of the virtual character, wherein the server device receives information in a predetermined format from any one of the one or more computers A chat room providing means for transmitting information corresponding to the information to each of the one or more computers each time the information is received, and providing the virtual character with the chat room based on the information received by the chat room providing means. Of the sentence to be said in the text and the psychology of the virtual character at the time of the sentence State, as needed, virtual character behavior determining means, and for each of the one or more computers, the sentence whose content has been determined by the virtual character behavior determining means is stored in the image data storage means of the computer. A chat system comprising: a virtual character behavior control unit that transmits information for displaying together with image data indicating an appearance corresponding to a mental state determined by the virtual character behavior determination unit stored therein.