JP2023181234A - Content distribution server, content creation device, educational terminal, content distribution program, and educational program - Google Patents

Abstract

To increase an interest of educational content provided by a remote education system and encourage a students' desire to attend courses.SOLUTION: A content distribution server according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a material data distribution unit, a received data acquisition unit, and a material data changing unit. The material data distribution unit distributes first specification data indicating specifications of a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space that constitutes educational content for remote learning and motion data indicating movements of a plurality of objects to an educational terminal. The received data acquisition unit acquires a request for changing at least part of the first specification data, which is received from an external device. The material data changing unit changes the first specification data into second specification data different from the first specification data in response to the request. The material data distribution unit distributes the second specification data to the educational terminal after the first specification data is changed to the second specification data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to distance education using ICT (Information and Communication Technology).

Distance education using ICT has been attempted in the past. For example, in a typical e-learning system, a server delivers recorded educational content to student terminals via the Internet. Therefore, students can study without being restricted by location or time compared to traditional face-to-face classes.

Further, Patent Document 1 discloses a lesson system that provides ongoing lesson data to student terminals in real time.

Patent No. 6227816

Simply distributing pre-recorded educational content makes it difficult for students to feel the presence of teachers and other students. In addition, students are unable to participate in class other than watching videos and listening to audio, and tend to have a passive attitude.

On the other hand, by distributing the educational content being recorded in real time, students can feel the teacher's presence in real time, and vice versa. Furthermore, by providing communication tools such as chat and comment functions, students can be encouraged to actively participate in class in anticipation of reactions from teachers and other students.

However, in both cases of providing recorded educational content and providing educational content that is currently being recorded in real time, the provided content itself will not change unless it is re-recorded. Therefore, even if students try to retake a class on the same theme, they are forced to play back exactly the same content that they watched in the past, creating a problem in which it is difficult to motivate them to review or re-study.

An object of the present invention is to increase the interest of educational content provided by a distance education system and to encourage students' desire to attend the course.

A content distribution server according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a material data distribution section, a received data acquisition section, and a material data modification section. The material data distribution unit sends first specification data indicating the specifications of a plurality of objects placed in a virtual space that constitutes educational content for distance learning and motion data indicating the movement of the plurality of objects to an educational terminal. To deliver. The received data acquisition unit acquires a request for changing at least a portion of the first specification data, which is received from an external device. The material data changing unit changes the first specification data into second specification data different from the first specification data in response to a request. The material data distribution unit distributes the second specification data to the educational terminal after the first specification data is changed to the second specification data.

A content creation device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes a playback section, an input data acquisition section, and a material data generation section. The reproduction unit reproduces reference content based on first specification data indicating specifications of an object related to presentation of lesson content and first motion data indicating movement of the object. The input data acquisition unit acquires second motion data based on the user's movement while the reference content is being played back, and audio data based on the user's utterances while the reference content is being played back. The material data generation unit generates data based on the first specification data, the second specification data indicating the specifications of the avatar corresponding to the user, the first motion data, the second motion data, and the audio data. Generate material data used to reproduce the virtual space that makes up the educational content for distance learning.

An educational terminal according to a third aspect of the present invention includes an input data acquisition section and a reproduction section. The input data acquisition unit receives input data corresponding to a request to change at least a portion of first specification data indicating specifications of a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space that constitutes educational content for distance learning. get. The playback unit reproduces lesson video data that captures a virtual space that is reproduced based on second specification data obtained by changing the first specification data based on a request and motion data indicating movements of a plurality of objects. Play along with the lesson audio data.

According to the present invention, it is possible to increase the interest of educational content provided by a distance education system and encourage students' desire to attend the course.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an educational terminal according to a first embodiment. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a distance education system including the education terminal of FIG. 1. FIG. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a content distribution server according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a playback screen of educational content on the educational terminal of FIG. 1; 5 is a diagram illustrating a playback screen of the educational content on the educational terminal of FIG. 1 after the teacher's avatar in the educational content of FIG. 4 has been changed based on a request from a user. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a playback screen of the educational content on the educational terminal of FIG. 1 after a student's avatar is added to the educational content of FIG. 5 based on a request from a user. FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the educational terminal in FIG. 1. 3 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the content distribution server of FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a content creation device according to a second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the content creation device of FIG. 9. FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an educational terminal according to a third embodiment. 12 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the educational terminal in FIG. 11.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that, hereinafter, elements that are the same or similar to elements that have already been explained will be given the same or similar numerals, and overlapping explanations will basically be omitted. For example, when there are multiple identical or similar elements, a common code may be used to explain each element without distinction, or a common code may be used to distinguish and explain each element. In addition, branch numbers may also be used.

(First embodiment)
The education terminal and content distribution server according to the first embodiment can be incorporated into the distance education system illustrated in FIG. 2. This system includes educational terminals 10-1, 10-2, 10-3, . . . according to the embodiment, and a content distribution server 20. The content distribution server 20 is connected to each educational terminal 10 via a network such as the Internet, and can exchange data with each other. The content distribution server 20 may also be connected to other servers (not shown), such as a web server, a comment server, etc. via a network, and may exchange data with each other.

The educational terminal 10 is an electronic device such as a computer, for example, a PC (Personal Computer), a mobile terminal (for example, a tablet, a smartphone, a laptop, a feature phone, a portable game console, etc.), an HMD (Head Mounted Display), or a game console. , a television receiver (including Internet television), etc., but is not limited to these.

Users of the educational terminal 10 are mainly students in the class, but may also include the teacher in the class. For example, a teacher may use the educational terminal 10 to record, transmit (upload) educational content for remote classes, add teaching material objects to the educational content, and the like. When the educational terminal 10 is used to record educational content, the educational terminal 10 has a built-in motion detection device and a microphone for capturing the teacher's movements, or is connected to these. The motion detection device can be, for example, an inertial sensor, a Doppler sensor, a 3D camera, etc.

The content distribution server 20 provides educational content in response to a distribution start request from the educational terminal 10. The content distribution server 20 may provide educational content in real time while the educational content is being recorded, or may provide recorded educational content. Further, the content distribution server 20 may also provide the educational content provided in real time after the educational content is recorded. The educational content may be recorded by the content distribution server 20 to which a motion detection device, a microphone, etc. are connected, or may be recorded by the teacher's educational terminal 10 or another terminal and sequentially transmitted to the content distribution server 20. .

Educational content typically uses VR (Virtual Reality), AR (Augmented Reality), MR (Mixed Reality), SR (Substitutional Reality), etc., which allow remote students to experience classes with a sense of realism. May include virtual content. The content distribution server 20 may distribute to the educational terminal 10 lesson video data captured from a certain viewpoint in a virtual space constituting the educational content, or may distribute material data including materials for rendering the lesson video data. It may also be distributed to the educational terminal 10.

The educational terminal 10 may receive comment data posted by students or teachers on educational content from a comment server (not shown), and display comments indicated by the comment data superimposed on the educational content. For example, a comment may be displayed moving over a predetermined period of time on the surface of a comment display object placed in a virtual space that constitutes educational content. On the other hand, the educational terminal 10 can generate comment data to be posted to the educational content based on text input from the user, and transmit it to the comment server. This allows teachers and students to communicate text-based, synchronously (in the case of real-time delivery) and/or asynchronously.

Furthermore, the educational terminal 10 further receives lesson audio data as part of the educational content from the content distribution server 20 and reproduces it. This lesson audio data includes the audio uttered by the teacher during recording, and may also include (part of) the audio uttered by the students. In this case, (a part of) the educational terminal 10 may generate audio data based on the student's voice detected by a microphone (not shown) and transmit it to the content distribution server 20. This allows students to have a more immersive class experience, and allows teachers and students to communicate synchronously (in the case of real-time delivery) and/or asynchronously based on voice. .

Note that the number of each device shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example. For example, the number of educational terminals 10 changes from moment to moment, so it may be zero, or it may be hundreds or thousands. Furthermore, a web server, a comment server, etc. not shown in FIG. 2 may be further provided.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the educational terminal 10 will be explained in detail using FIG. 1.
As illustrated in FIG. 1, the educational terminal 10 includes a communication I/F (interface) 101, an input/output I/F 102, a processor 110, and a memory 120.

The communication I/F 101 uses a communication technology such as mobile communication (e.g., 3G, 4G, 5G, mobile WiMAX), Wi-Fi, WiMAX, etc. to connect a content distribution server via a network, typically the Internet. Communicate with 20. Communication I/F 101 can receive various data from processor 110 and transmit it to content distribution server 20, and can receive various data from content distribution server 20 and transmit it to processor 110.

Specifically, the communication I/F 101 receives material data from the content distribution server 20 and sends it to the received data acquisition unit 111. Note that the material data may or may not be encoded. In the former case, the material data needs to be decoded by a decoder (not shown) before or after reading it into the material data storage section 121.

The input/output I/F 102 is an interface terminal (port) used for inputting and outputting data between the processor 110 and an external device, and can also be called an I/O (Input/Output) unit. The input/output I/F 102 may be used for exchanging data between the processor 110 and an input device such as a touch screen, keyboard, mouse, numeric keypad, microphone, motion detection device, or the like. Similarly, the input/output I/F 102 may be used to exchange data between the processor 110 and an output device such as a display (which may include a touch screen) or a speaker.

For example, the input/output I/F 102 receives reproduced lesson video data and lesson audio data from the processor 110, and outputs them to a display and a speaker, respectively. The input/output I/F 102 also receives input data (user input) corresponding to a request to change (at least part of) specification data of an object, which will be described later, from an input device, and sends this to the processor 110. . In addition, the input data may include audio data based on the user's utterances generated by a microphone, comment data generated by a keyboard (which may include an on-screen keyboard), and input data such as specifying playback time, rewinding, fast forwarding, and playback speed. This may include requests related to playback control of educational content, such as changes and skips.

The processor 110 is typically a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and/or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), but may also be a microcomputer, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or other general-purpose or dedicated It may be a processor such as

The memory 120 stores programs executed by the processor 110 to implement each process, such as an OS (Operating System), firmware, distance education applications, etc., and data used by the processor 110, such as , material data, lesson video data, etc., are stored temporarily. The memory may include a RAM (Random Access Memory) having a work area in which such programs/data are expanded.

The processor 110 can function as the received data acquisition section 111, the renderer 112, the content playback section 113, the input data acquisition section 114, and the input data reporting section 115 in FIG. 1 by executing a program stored in the memory 120. . Furthermore, the memory 120 may include a material data storage section 121.

The received data acquisition unit 111 acquires received data from the content distribution server 20 from the communication I/F 101 and stores it in the memory 120. For example, the received data acquisition unit 111 acquires material data from the communication I/F 101 and stores it in the material data storage unit 121.

The renderer 112 selects data that is used as material for reproducing the virtual space that constitutes the educational content among the material data stored in the material data storage unit 121, specifically, the data that is used as the material for reproducing the virtual space that constitutes the educational content. Specification data indicating specifications and motion data indicating movements of the plurality of objects are read. Then, the renderer 112 reproduces the virtual space (the appearance, movement, etc. of each object placed in it) based on these specification data and motion data, and creates a lesson video shot from a reference viewpoint (virtual camera). Generate data. The renderer 112 sends the generated lesson video data to the content playback unit 113.

The content playback section 113 receives lesson video data from the renderer 112 and reads lesson audio data from the material data storage section 121. Then, the content reproduction unit 113 reproduces the lesson audio data together with the lesson video data, and outputs the educational content to the output device via the input/output I/F 102.

The input data acquisition unit 114 acquires input data from the input/output I/F 102 and sends at least a portion of the input data to the input data reporting unit 115. The input data acquisition unit 114 sends the input data to be reported to the content distribution server 20 or the comment server to the input data reporting unit 115, and sends other input data, such as a request regarding playback control of educational content, to the renderer 112. and/or may be sent to the content reproduction section 113.

The input data reporting unit 115 receives input data from the input data acquisition unit 114 and reports this to the content distribution server 20 or comment distribution server via the communication I/F 101. For example, the input data reporting unit 115 may send a request to change the specification data of the object and audio data to the content distribution server 20, and may send comment data to the comment server. Here, a request to change the specification data of an object may include, for example, the appearance, voice character, sound effect, music, etc. of a specific object (which may include an avatar) included in multiple objects for which specification data is specified. This may include a request to replace the specified object with another one, a request to delete the specification data of the specific object, a request to add the specification data of a new object (which may include an avatar) that is not included in the plurality of objects, and the like.

The material data storage unit 121 stores material data. Here, the material data includes object specification data and motion data, and lesson audio data. The material data storage unit 121 can store material data for reproducing a virtual space constituting a certain educational content in association with, for example, an identifier that identifies the educational content. Further, the material data storage unit 121 can store the specification data and motion data of each object in association with an identifier for identifying the object.

The specification data may include, for example, appearance data of the object and sound effect data or music data representing sound effects or music to be generated when specific conditions are satisfied regarding the object. Furthermore, with respect to objects that can speak, such as avatars, voice character data indicating a voice character who is responsible for the voice of the object may also be included in the specification data of the object. Note that at least part of the object specification data may be preset in the material data storage unit 121, for example, before the start of reproduction of the educational content.

The motion data represents the movement, direction (posture), position coordinates, etc. of the whole body or each part of the object for each playback time of the educational content. When the object is an avatar of a teacher, student, or other person concerned, motion data of the object may be generated by a motion detection device based on the movement of the person's whole body or parts. To generate motion data based on the movement of the entire human body or each part, a known technique based on, for example, a sensing signal of an inertial sensor or a Doppler sensor, and/or imaging data of a 3D camera can be used.

The material data is written into the material data storage section 121 by the received data acquisition section 111. Among the material data stored in the material data storage section 121, object specification data and motion data are read out by the renderer 112. Of the material data stored in the material data storage section 121, the lesson audio data is read out by the content reproduction section 113.

When the input data reporting unit 115 reports input data corresponding to a request to change the specification data of an object to the content distribution server 20, the content distribution server 20 can change the specification data of the object in response to this request. Note that the content distribution server 20 does not necessarily have to respond to such requests from all educational terminals 10, and may respond with some conditions, such as billing, majority voting, lottery, first come, first served, etc.

When the content distribution server 20 changes the specification data of the object based on the request, the content distribution server 20 distributes the specification data obtained by changing the original specification data based on the request to each educational terminal 10 . This changed specification data is received by the communication I/F 101 along with the unreceived motion data, acquired by the received data acquisition unit 111, and stored in the material data storage unit 121. Note that the motion data received here may be the same regardless of whether or not the specification data has been changed. Furthermore, the specification data before the change that was stored in the material data storage section 121 is rewritten with the specification data after the change.

The changed specification data and motion data stored in the material data storage unit 121 are read out by the renderer 112 and rendered as lesson video data. This allows the student to, for example, change the appearance and/or voice character of the teacher's or student's avatar, or add new objects (which may include avatars) in the educational content subsequently distributed by the content distribution server 20. and/or change the sound effects and/or music that an object can generate.

For example, if a student does not like the appearance or voice tone of the teacher avatar 31 that appears in the educational content shown in FIG. Can receive.

Students can also add their own avatars to the virtual space that constitutes the educational content. As a result, as shown in FIG. 6, the student avatars 34 to 36 appear in the educational content in addition to the teacher avatar 33, so the student can feel the presence of other students and the student avatars 34 to 36 appear in the educational content. The number of student avatars can be one indicator of the popularity of the content. For example, a student can roughly understand whether the educational content is popular or not based on the number of student avatars displayed in the preview of the educational content. Furthermore, the size, appearance, etc. of classroom objects arranged in this virtual space may be automatically changed depending on the number of student avatars. In other words, the size and/or appearance of the classroom object indicated by the changed specification data may depend on the number of avatars for which this specification data is defined. For example, as the number of avatars increases, classroom objects whose size/appearance corresponds to the number of people accommodated may be selected, and objects such as desks and chairs may be added. Furthermore, as the size of the classroom object increases, the size of the blackboard object 32 may also increase.

In addition, in the examples of FIGS. 4 to 6, in addition to the teacher and student avatars, a blackboard object 32 is prepared as an object related to the presentation of lesson content, but such an object may be any arbitrary object such as a whiteboard or a projector. Object is available.

Teaching materials such as text, graphs, diagrams, photographs, videos, etc. displayed on the blackboard object 32 or other objects related to presentation of lesson content may be defined as a teaching material object separate from the object. For example, teachers can add, delete, or replace teaching materials objects, or change the font type, color, size, etc. of text based on the reactions of students, such as comments and audio during real-time distribution or post-recording distribution. You can change the size and layout of graphs, diagrams, photos, etc. Such revisions to educational content can motivate students to re-watch educational content that they have already viewed. On the blackboard object 32, objects with contents that would be written on a blackboard in a real classroom, such as the date, daily shifts, and graffiti, may be pasted to create a classroom-like appearance.

Furthermore, objects created by students, such as answers, grade lists, drawings, etc., may be pasted on the walls of the classroom object. The appearance of an answer object may be generated, for example, based on student responses to a survey or other type of test that is delivered during playback of the educational content. Further, the appearance of the grade table object may be generated based on the user's score on such a test, and may be updated every time a new student with a high score appears, or periodically. A teacher may add praising comments or voices to students who have obtained high scores after the fact, or such effects may be automatically performed within the student's educational terminal 10. Exposure of such postings to teachers and other students can motivate students to retake tests and work on more complete work in order to achieve even higher scores. .

The configuration of the content distribution server 20 will be described in detail below using FIG. 3.
As illustrated in FIG. 3, content distribution server 20 includes a communication I/F 201, a processor 210, and a memory 220.

The communication I/F 201 uses communication technology such as optical communication to communicate with the educational terminal 10 via a network, typically the Internet. The communication I/F 201 can receive various data from the processor 210 and transmit it to the educational terminal 10, and can receive various data from the educational terminal 10 and transmit it to the processor 210.

Specifically, the communication I/F 201 receives data, such as a request to change specification data, from the educational terminal 10 and sends it to the processor 210. Furthermore, the communication I/F 201 receives material data from the processor 210 and transmits it to the educational terminal 10. Note that the material data may or may not be encoded. In the former case, the content distribution server 20 may include an encoder that encodes the material data.

The lesson audio data and motion data of the material data may be uploaded to the content distribution server 20 from the teacher's educational terminal 10, for example, or may be generated by a microphone and motion detection device (not shown) connected to the content distribution server 20. may be done. In the latter case, the content distribution server 20 may include an input/output I/F for connecting to these microphones and motion detection devices, and an input data acquisition unit for acquiring motion data and lesson audio data from these. . The initial value of the specification data of the material data may be specified by a teacher or an administrator of the distance education system, for example, before recording the educational content.

Processor 210 is typically a CPU and/or GPU, but may also be a microcomputer, FPGA, DSP, or other general-purpose or dedicated processor.

The memory 220 stores programs executed by the processor 210 to implement each process, such as an OS, firmware, and distance education applications, and data used by the processor 210, such as material data, etc. Contains memory for temporarily storing lesson video data, etc. The memory may include RAM having a work area in which such programs/data are deployed.

The processor 210 can function as the received data acquisition section 211, material data modification section 212, and material data distribution section 213 in FIG. 3 by executing a program stored in the memory 220. Furthermore, the memory 220 may include a material data storage section 221.

The received data acquisition unit 211 acquires received data from the education terminal 10 or another external device, such as a terminal of an administrator of a distance education system, from the communication I/F 201 and sends it to the material data change unit 212 . The received data acquisition unit 211 sends received data (user input) corresponding to a request to change the specification data to the material data change unit 212. On the other hand, the received data acquisition unit 211 stores other received data such as motion data and class audio data uploaded from the educational terminal 10 for teachers, audio data uploaded from the educational terminal 10 for students, etc. as material data. It is possible to write to the section 221.

The material data change unit 212 receives received data corresponding to a request to change specification data from the received data acquisition unit 211, and changes the specification data stored in the material data storage unit 221 in accordance with the received data. For example, when the material data changing section 212 is requested to replace the specification data of a specific object, it can rewrite the target specification data in the material data storage section 221 with the specification data included in the request. Further, when the material data changing unit 212 is requested to add specification data of a new object, the material data changing unit 212 associates the specification data included in the request with the identifier of the target educational content and It can be written to the data storage section 221. Further, when the material data changing unit 212 is requested to delete the specification data of a specific object, the material data changing unit 212 can delete the specification data of the target object from the material data storage unit 221.

As described above, the material data changing unit 212 does not necessarily have to respond to all requests. That is, the material data changing unit 212 may change the specification data conditionally in response to the request.

The material data distribution section 213 reads material data from the material data storage section 221 and distributes it to the educational terminal 10 via the communication I/F 201. Note that after the material data is changed by the material data changing section 212, the material data distribution section 213 delivers the changed specification data to the educational terminal 10.

The material data storage unit 221 stores material data. The material data storage unit 221 can store material data for reproducing a virtual space constituting a certain educational content in association with, for example, an identifier that identifies the educational content. Further, the material data storage unit 221 can store the specification data and motion data of each object in association with an identifier that identifies the object.

The material data can be written into the material data storage section 221 by, for example, the received data acquisition section 211 or an input data acquisition section (not shown). Further, the material data can be rewritten by the material data changing unit 212. The material data stored in the material data storage section 221 is read out by the material data distribution section 213.

The operation of the educational terminal 10 will be explained below using FIG. 7. FIG. 7 shows an example of the operation of the educational terminal 10 from when the user of the educational terminal 10 starts viewing certain educational content until it ends.

When the operation in FIG. 7 starts, the process advances to step S301. In step S<b>301 , the received data acquisition unit 111 acquires the material data received by the communication I/F 101 and stores it in the material data storage unit 121 .

The material data received in step S301 may include, for example, motion data and lesson audio data associated with a predetermined period of playback time of the educational content that the educational terminal 10 will play from now on. Furthermore, this material data may include initial specification data or changed specification data.

Next, the renderer 112 renders lesson video data based on the specification data and motion data of the material data received in step S301 (step S302).

Then, the content reproduction unit 113 reproduces the lesson video data rendered in step S302 together with the lesson audio data of the material data received in step S301 (step S303).

On the other hand, when the input data acquisition unit 114 acquires input data corresponding to a request for changing the specification data via the input/output I/F 102, the process advances to step S305 (step S304). In step S305, the input data reporting unit 115 reports input data corresponding to a request to change the specification data to the content distribution server 20.

Note that in the example of FIG. 7, step S304 and step S305 are depicted as being executed after step S303, but this is not essential. That is, independent of the process from receiving material data to playing educational content (steps S301 to S303), which can be executed in a pipeline manner, the content distribution server 20 of the request is triggered by the acquisition of a request to change the specification data. Reports may be made to:

The operation of the content distribution server 20 will be described below using FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows an example of the operation of the content distribution server 20 from when the user of the educational terminal 10 starts viewing certain educational content until it ends.

When the operation in FIG. 8 starts, the process advances to step S401. In step S401, the material data distribution unit 213 reads material data from the material data storage unit 221 and delivers it to the educational terminal 10 via the communication I/F 201.

The material data distributed in step S401 may include, for example, motion data and lesson audio data associated with a predetermined period of playback time of the educational content that the educational terminal 10 will play from now on. Furthermore, this material data may include initial specification data or changed specification data.

The content distribution server 20 basically repeatedly executes this step S401. However, when the communication I/F 201 receives a request to change the specification data from the educational terminal 10, the process advances to step S403 (step S402).

In step S403, the received data acquisition unit 211 acquires a request to change the specification data received by the communication I/F 201. Next, the material data changing unit 212 changes the specification data stored in the material data storage unit 221 in response to the request acquired in step S403 (step S404).

Then, in step S401 executed after step S404, the material data distribution unit 213 distributes the material data including the changed specification data to the educational terminal 10.

As explained above, the educational terminal according to the first embodiment corresponds to a request to change at least a part of the specification data indicating the specifications of a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space that constitutes educational content. The input data is acquired and transmitted to the content distribution server according to the present embodiment. This content distribution server modifies the specification data in response to this request (conditionally) and distributes the modified specification data. Therefore, with these educational terminals and content distribution servers, students, teachers, or administrators of distance education systems can monitor events that occur during or after recording educational content, such as students' needs and reactions, and public opinion. You can make changes to suit trends, promotions, etc. to make them more interesting. In other words, it is possible to encourage students' desire to take the course.

Traditional pre-recorded educational content may be viewed by students as simply a recorded program. In this case, for students, viewing such educational content is no different from receiving education through video playback or television broadcasting, so it is difficult for students to feel a sense of realism, urgency, sense of participation, and desire to learn. On the other hand, according to the present embodiment, for example, answers and report cards of students who have viewed educational content may be posted in the classroom, the number of student avatars taking classes in a virtual classroom may increase, and teacher avatars may be displayed. It is possible to change the character to an avatar that students can relate to instead of a character they do not know, and it is also possible to watch interactions such as question-and-answer sessions between other students in the classroom and the teacher. Therefore, according to this embodiment, even when distributing not only educational content that is being recorded but also already recorded educational content, students can feel as if they are participating in a live class. It has the special effect of creating a sense of realism, a sense of urgency, a sense of participation, and a desire to learn.

(Second embodiment)
In the first embodiment described above, the interest of the educational content is increased by making it possible to modify the educational content. On the other hand, by reusing a part of the educational content, for example, the specification data and motion data of the teaching material object, it is possible to create new educational content on the same theme at low cost.

As illustrated in FIG. 9, the content creation device 50 according to the second embodiment includes an input/output I/F 501, a processor 510, and a memory 520.

The input/output I/F 501 is an interface terminal (port) used for data input/output between the processor 510 and an external device. The input/output I/F 501 may be used for exchanging data between the processor 510 and an input device such as a touch screen, keyboard, mouse, numeric keypad, microphone, motion detection device, or the like. Similarly, the input/output I/F 501 may be used to exchange data between the processor 510 and an output device such as a display (which may include a touch screen) or a speaker.

For example, the input/output I/F 501 receives reproduced reference content from the processor 510 and outputs them to the display (and speaker). In addition, the input/output I/F 501 receives motion data based on the user's movement during reproduction of the reference content from a motion detection device (not shown), and sends this to the processor 510. The input/output I/F 501 receives audio data based on the user's utterance during reproduction of the reference content from a microphone (not shown), and sends it to the processor 510.

Processor 510 is typically a CPU and/or GPU, but may also be a microcomputer, FPGA, DSP, or other general-purpose or dedicated processor.

The memory 520 stores programs executed by the processor 510 to implement each process, such as an OS, firmware, a content creation application, a distance education application, etc., and data used by the processor 510, such as , material data, etc., is included. The memory may include RAM having a work area in which such programs/data are deployed.

The processor 510 can function as the renderer 511, the content playback section 512, the input data acquisition section 513, and the material data generation section 514 in FIG. 9 by executing a program stored in the memory 520. Furthermore, the memory 520 may include a material data storage section 521.

The renderer 511 reads, from among the material data stored in the material data storage section 521, specification data indicating the specifications of an object related to presentation of lesson content, such as a teaching material object, and motion data indicating the movement of this object. Here, the specification data and motion data of this object may be, for example, part of the material data related to the existing educational content that serves as the base, or even if such existing educational content that serves as the base does not exist. It may also be created to be used among multiple educational contents on the same theme. Note that the reference content may be rendered in advance, and in this case, the content creation device 50 does not need the renderer 511.

Based on these specification data and motion data, the renderer 511 reproduces at least the appearance, movement, etc. of objects related to the presentation of lesson content, and uses this as reference content photographed from a reference viewpoint (virtual camera). (which can also be called reference video data) is generated. This reference content corresponds to a script that allows a user (typically a teacher) to grasp the development of the lesson content to be used in real time. The user will teach the lesson using gestures while checking this reference content. The renderer 511 sends the generated reference content to the content playback unit 512.

The content reproduction unit 512 receives reference content from the renderer 511. The content reproduction unit 512 then reproduces the reference content and outputs it to the output device via the input/output I/F 501. Note that the reference content may include audio. In this case, the content playback unit 512 may read the (lesson) audio data stored in the material data storage unit 521. Furthermore, the reference content may be the existing educational content itself that serves as the base.

The input data acquisition unit 513 acquires input data from the input/output I/F 501 and sends at least part of this to the material data generation unit 514. The input data acquisition unit 513 sends motion data and input data corresponding to the motion data to the material data generation unit 514.

The material data generation unit 514 receives motion data and audio data from the input data acquisition unit 513, and generates material data for new educational content being created based on these data. Specifically, the material data generation unit 514 assigns the playback time of the reference content at the time of generation, input, or reception to the motion data and audio data. Then, the material data generation section 514 stores these motion data and audio data in the material data storage section 521 in association with the identifier of this new educational content.

Furthermore, the material data generation unit 514 generates specification data indicating the specifications of the user's avatar and material data (for example, specification data and motion data of a teaching material object) that is the source of the reference content for the new educational content being created. is stored in the material data storage unit 521 in association with the identifier. Note that the specification data indicating the specifications of the user's avatar may be determined based on the user's own input, or may be designated by the administrator of the distance education system, for example.

In short, the material data generation unit 514 generates material data that is the source of the reference content, that is, diverted material data, motion data and audio data indicating the user's movements and sounds during playback of the reference content, and the user's Specification data indicating the specifications of the avatar are stored in the material data storage unit 521 as material data of new educational content. In the educational content created in this way, the development of the lesson content is the same as the reference content, but the teacher is able to express his or her individuality through the movements of the teacher avatar and the sound of the lesson.

The material data storage unit 521 stores material data. Here, the material data includes object specification data and motion data, and lesson audio data. The material data storage unit 521 can store material data for reproducing a virtual space constituting a certain educational content in association with, for example, an identifier that identifies the educational content. Further, the material data storage unit 521 can store the specification data and motion data of each object in association with an identifier that identifies the object.

Specifically, before new educational content is created, the material data storage unit 521 stores at least the specification data and motion data that are the basis of the reference content. These specification data and motion data are read by the renderer 511. During the creation of this educational content, the user's voice data and motion data are sequentially written into the material data storage unit 521. The user's voice data is used as the lesson voice data of this educational content, and the user's motion data is used as the motion data of the teacher avatar of this educational content.

The operation of the content creation device 50 will be described below using FIG. 10. FIG. 10 shows an example of the operation of the content creation device 50 from when the content creation device 50 starts creating new educational content by reusing a certain reference content until it ends.

When the operation in FIG. 10 starts, the process advances to step S601. In step S601, the renderer 511 reads specification data and motion data of objects related to the presentation of lesson content from the material data storage unit 521, and renders reference content based on these data.

The material data read in step S601 may include, for example, motion data associated with a predetermined period of playback time of the reference content that the content creation device 50 will play from now on. Furthermore, this material data may include specification data.

The content playback unit 512 then plays back the reference content rendered in step S601 (step S602).

On the other hand, the input data acquisition unit 513 acquires motion data and audio data based on the user's movements and utterances while the reference content is being reproduced (step S603). Then, the material data generation unit 514 generates new educational content material data based on the motion data and audio data acquired in step S603, and stores it in the material data storage unit 521 (step S604).

Note that in the example of FIG. 10, step S603 and step S604 are depicted as being executed after step S602, but this is not essential. That is, material data of new educational content is sequentially added based on the acquired motion data and audio data, independently of the rendering and playback of the reference content (steps S601 and S602), which may be executed in a pipeline manner. It's fine.

As explained above, the content creation device according to the second embodiment reproduces the reference content corresponding to a script for the teacher to refer to the development of the lesson content to be reused in real time, and Generate material data for new educational content based on utterances. Therefore, according to this content creation device, it is possible to easily provide educational content on the same theme, in which the development of the lesson content is the same, but the movements of the teacher avatar and the lesson audio data are different. Therefore, students can select and view educational content that stimulates their desire to take the course.

Note that when students select educational content for themselves to attend, they may place emphasis on sensory elements, such as visual and auditory elements, that they receive from the content. Therefore, even if the lesson content is the same, the popularity of educational content with different teacher appearances, movements, and speaking styles may be completely different. Therefore, as in this embodiment, it is meaningful to utilize the development of class content and easily provide educational content on the same theme.

This content creation device may upload new educational content to the content distribution server while creating the new educational content. This allows new educational content to be distributed in real time. On the other hand, the content creation device may upload the new educational content to the content distribution server after completing the creation of the new educational content. Alternatively, this content creation device may be incorporated into a content distribution server.

Note that the second embodiment can also be combined with the first embodiment described above or the third embodiment described below. That is, regarding the educational content created by the content creation device according to the present embodiment, it may be possible to change the specification data as described in the first embodiment or the third embodiment.

(Third embodiment)
In the first embodiment described above, the specification data stored in the material data storage unit 521 of the content distribution server 20 is changed in response to a request to change the specification data. In other words, changes in specification data affect all students viewing the same educational content. Therefore, when a change in specification data is reflected globally in this way, there is a possibility that the conditions for allowing the change must be made stricter.

On the other hand, it is also possible to allow only students who have requested a change in specification data to view educational content that reflects the change. If a change in specification data is reflected locally in this way, its influence is limited, so it is easy to relax the conditions for allowing the change. This allows students to freely customize objects, including avatars, according to their own preferences before attending class.

The educational terminal 70 according to the third embodiment includes a communication I/F 701, an input/output I/F 702, a processor 710, and a memory 720, as illustrated in FIG.

Communication I/F 701, input/output I/F 702, processor 710, and memory 720 are the same or similar hardware as communication I/F 101, input/output I/F 102, processor 110, and memory 120 in FIG. 1, respectively. could be.

The processor 710 can function as the received data acquisition unit 711, renderer 712, content playback unit 713, input data acquisition unit 714, and material data modification unit 715 in FIG. 11 by executing the program stored in the memory 720. . Furthermore, the memory 720 may include a material data storage section 721.

Here, the received data acquisition unit 711, the renderer 712, and the content playback unit 713 may be the same or similar to the received data acquisition unit 111, the renderer 112, and the content playback unit 113 of FIG. 1, respectively.

The input data acquisition unit 714 acquires input data from the input/output I/F 702 and sends at least a portion of the input data to the material data modification unit 715. The input data acquisition unit 714 sends input data corresponding to a request to change the specification data to the material data change unit 715. Further, the input data acquisition unit 714 can send, for example, a request regarding playback control of educational content to the renderer 712 and/or the content playback unit 713, for example. In addition, the input data acquisition unit 714 may send input data to be reported to the content distribution server or comment server, such as audio data or comment data, to an input data reporting unit (not shown). In this case, the input data reporting unit may report such data to the content distribution server or comment server via the communication I/F 701.

Here, since the content distribution server according to the third embodiment does not receive a request to change the specification data from the educational terminal 70, the content distribution server according to the third embodiment does not receive a request to change the specification data from the above-mentioned content distribution server 20. It may be a configuration in which the changing unit 212 is deleted.

The material data changing section 715 receives input data corresponding to a request to change specification data from the input data obtaining section 714, and changes the specification data stored in the material data storage section 721 in accordance with the input data. For example, when the material data changing section 715 is requested to replace the specification data of a specific object, it can rewrite the target specification data in the material data storage section 721 with the specification data included in the request. Further, when the material data changing unit 715 is requested to add specification data of a new object, the material data changing unit 715 associates the specification data included in the request with the identifier of the target educational content and It can be written to the data storage section 721. Further, when the material data changing unit 715 is requested to delete the specification data of a specific object, the material data changing unit 715 can delete the specification data of the target object from the material data storage unit 721.

The material data storage unit 721 stores material data. The material data storage unit 721 can store material data for reproducing a virtual space constituting a certain educational content in association with, for example, an identifier that identifies the educational content. Further, the material data storage unit 721 can store the specification data and motion data of each object in association with an identifier that identifies the object.

The material data is written into the material data storage section 721 by the received data acquisition section 711. Further, the material data can be rewritten by the material data changing unit 715. Among the material data stored in the material data storage section 721, object specification data and motion data are read out by the renderer 712. Of the material data stored in the material data storage section 721, the lesson audio data is read out by the content reproduction section 713.

The modification of the object specification data by the material data modification section 715 is applied only to the educational content played by the educational terminal 70 that includes the material data modification section 715. On the other hand, other educational terminals 70 can reproduce educational content based on material data distributed from the content distribution server, or educational content based on material data that is modified within the educational terminal 70.

The changed specification data is stored in the material data storage unit 721 together with the motion data received from the content distribution server. Note that the motion data received here may be the same regardless of whether or not the specification data has been changed. The modified specification data and motion data stored in the material data storage section 721 are read out by the renderer 712 and rendered as lesson video data. This allows students to freely change the appearance and/or voice character of the teacher's or student's avatar, or add new objects (which may include avatars) in the educational content played by their educational terminal 70, for example. You can add and/or change the sound effects and/or music that an object can generate.

The operation of the educational terminal 70 will be described below using FIG. 12. FIG. 12 shows an example of the operation of the educational terminal 70 from when the user of the educational terminal 70 starts viewing certain educational content until the user finishes viewing the educational content.

When the operation in FIG. 12 starts, the process advances to step S801. In step S<b>801 , the received data acquisition unit 711 acquires the material data received by the communication I/F 701 and stores it in the material data storage unit 721 .

The material data received in step S801 may include, for example, motion data and lesson audio data associated with a predetermined period of playback time of the educational content that the educational terminal 70 will play from now on. Furthermore, this material data may include initial specification data.

Next, the renderer 712 renders lesson video data based on the specification data and motion data of the material data received in step S801 (step S802).

The content reproduction unit 713 then reproduces the lesson video data rendered in step S802 together with the lesson audio data of the material data received in step S801 (step S803).

On the other hand, when the input data acquisition unit 714 acquires input data corresponding to a request for changing the specification data via the input/output I/F 702, the process advances to step S805 (step S804). In step S805, the material data changing unit 715 changes the specification data stored in the material data storage unit 721 in response to the request acquired in step S804. Then, in step S802 executed after step S805, the renderer 712 renders the lesson video data based on the material data including the changed specification data.

Note that in the example of FIG. 12, steps S804 and S805 are depicted as being executed after step S803, but this is not essential. That is, independent of the process from reception of material data to playback of educational content (steps S801 to S803), which can be executed in a pipeline manner, acquisition of a request to change specification data is a trigger, and specification data corresponding to the request is changed. changes may be made.

As explained above, the educational terminal according to the third embodiment corresponds to a request to change at least a part of the specification data indicating the specifications of a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space that constitutes educational content. The specification data stored in the educational terminal is changed accordingly. Therefore, according to this educational terminal, students can freely modify the educational content to suit their own tastes and increase the interest of the content. In other words, students can customize and view educational content in a way that increases their desire to attend the course.

Note that it is also possible to combine the first embodiment and the third embodiment. As an example, a request to replace or delete specification data for a particular object may be reflected locally, and a request to add specification data for a new object may be reflected globally.

(Modified example)
Note that in the first and third embodiments described above, the educational terminal renders the lesson video data. However, this is only an example. The content distribution server may render the lesson video data. In this case, the educational terminal receives lesson video data from the content distribution server and stores it instead of the specification data and motion data, so a renderer is not required. On the other hand, the content distribution server requires a renderer because it transmits lesson video data to the educational terminal instead of specification data and motion data.

The embodiments described above merely show specific examples to help understand the concept of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various components can be added, deleted, or converted to the embodiments without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Although several functional units have been described in the above-described embodiments, these are only examples of implementation of each functional unit. For example, multiple functional units described as being implemented in one device may be implemented across multiple separate devices, and conversely, multiple functional units described as being implemented across multiple separate devices may be implemented across multiple separate devices. It is also possible that the functional units described above are implemented in one device.

The various functional units described in each of the above embodiments may be implemented using circuits. The circuit may be a dedicated circuit that implements a specific function, or may be a general-purpose circuit such as a processor.

At least part of the processing in each of the embodiments described above can also be realized by using, for example, a processor installed in a general-purpose computer as the basic hardware. A program that implements the above processing may be provided while being stored in a computer-readable recording medium. The program is stored on a recording medium as an installable file or an executable file. Examples of recording media include magnetic disks, optical disks (CD-ROM, CD-R, DVD, etc.), magneto-optical disks (MO, etc.), semiconductor memories, and the like. The recording medium may be any medium as long as it can store the program and is readable by a computer. Further, a program for realizing the above processing may be stored on a computer (server) connected to a network such as the Internet, and may be downloaded to a computer (client) via the network.

10, 70... Educational terminal 20... Content distribution server 31, 33... Teacher avatar 32... Blackboard object 34, 35, 36... Student avatar 50... Content creation device 101, 201, 701...Communication I/F
102, 501, 702... Input/output I/F
110,210,510...Processor 111,211,711...Received data acquisition unit 112,511,712...Renderer 113,512,713...Content playback unit 114,513,714...Input Data acquisition section 115...Input data reporting section 120,220,520...Memory 121,221,521...Material data storage section 212,715...Material data changing section 213...Material data distribution section 514...Material data generation section

Claims (11)

Material data distribution for delivering first specification data indicating specifications of a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space constituting educational content for remote classes and motion data indicating movements of the plurality of objects to an educational terminal. Department and
a received data acquisition unit that acquires a request to change at least a part of the first specification data, which is received from an external device;
and a material data changing unit that changes the first specification data to second specification data different from the first specification data in response to the request,
The material data distribution unit distributes the second specification data to the educational terminal after the first specification data is changed to the second specification data.
Content distribution server. The content distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the request includes a request to replace the appearance of avatars included in the plurality of objects. 3. The content distribution server according to claim 1, wherein the request includes a request to add specification data of an object not included in the plurality of objects. The content distribution according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the size and appearance of the classroom object indicated by the second specification data depends on the number of avatars included in the plurality of objects for which the second specification data is defined. server. an input data acquisition unit that acquires input data corresponding to a request to change at least a part of first specification data indicating specifications of a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space that constitutes educational content for remote classes; and,
Class video data captured in the virtual space that is reproduced based on second specification data in which changes are made to the first specification data based on the request and motion data indicating movements of the plurality of objects. An educational terminal that is equipped with a playback unit that plays along with lesson audio data. an input data reporting unit that reports the input data to a content distribution server;
a received data acquisition unit that acquires the second specification data and the motion data received from the content distribution server;
The educational terminal according to claim 5, further comprising: a renderer that renders the lesson video data based on the second specification data and the motion data. an input data reporting unit that reports the input data to a content distribution server;
The educational terminal according to claim 5, further comprising: a received data acquisition unit that acquires the lesson video data based on the second specification data and the motion data received from the content distribution server. a material data changing unit that changes the first specification data to the second specification data in response to the request;
The educational terminal according to claim 5, further comprising: a renderer that renders the lesson video data based on the second specification data and the motion data. a reproduction unit that reproduces reference content based on first specification data indicating specifications of objects related to presentation of lesson content and first motion data indicating movements of the objects;
an input data acquisition unit that acquires second motion data based on the movement of the user while playing the reference content and audio data based on the user's utterance while playing the reference content;
Based on the first specification data, second specification data indicating specifications of an avatar corresponding to the user, the first motion data, the second motion data, and the audio data, A content creation device, comprising: a material data generation unit that generates material data used to reproduce a virtual space constituting educational content for classes. computer,
means for delivering first specification data indicating specifications of a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space constituting educational content for remote classes and motion data indicating movements of the plurality of objects to an educational terminal;
means for obtaining a request to change at least a portion of the first specification data, received from an external device;
functioning as means for changing the first specification data to second specification data different from the first specification data in response to the request;
The distributing means section distributes the second specification data to the educational terminal after the first specification data is changed to the second specification data.
Content distribution program. computer,
means for acquiring input data corresponding to a request to change at least a portion of first specification data indicating specifications of a plurality of objects arranged in a virtual space constituting educational content for distance learning;
Class video data captured in the virtual space that is reproduced based on second specification data in which changes are made to the first specification data based on the request and motion data indicating movements of the plurality of objects. An educational program that functions as a means of playing back class audio data.