JP2024046864A - Information processing device and phobia improvement support method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a technique that supports effective improvement of a phobia.SOLUTION: A subject wears AR (Augmented Reality) glasses 12. The AR glasses 12 cause a display unit to display AR images of a plurality of objects that are candidates for a target that the subject is afraid of. The AR glasses 12 detect the state of the subject who views the AR images of the plurality of objects. The AR glasses 12 detect the target that the subject is afraid of from among the plurality of objects, on the basis of the detected state of the subject.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device and a method for supporting improvement of phobias.

A mental illness treatment support device has been proposed that automatically changes the amount of information in training images according to the physical condition of a patient with a phobia such as panic disorder, and supports the treatment of the phobia by exposing the patient to training images with a changed amount of information (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2010-279737 A

To effectively alleviate a subject's phobia, it is necessary to correctly identify the object that the subject is afraid of, but until now, no technology has been proposed to help subjects correctly identify the object that they are afraid of.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and its purpose is to provide technology that helps effectively improve phobias.

In order to solve the above problem, an information processing device according to one aspect of the present invention includes a display control unit that causes a display unit to display images of a plurality of objects as candidates for objects that the subject may fear, a state detection unit that detects the state of the subject when viewing the images of each of the plurality of objects, and an object detection unit that detects the object that the subject may fear from among the plurality of objects based on the state of the subject detected by the state detection unit.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method for supporting improvement of phobias. In this method, a computer executes the steps of displaying images of a plurality of objects as candidates for objects that the subject is afraid of on a display unit, detecting the state of the subject who has viewed the images of each of the plurality of objects, and detecting the object that the subject is afraid of from among the plurality of objects based on the detected state of the subject.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and conversions of the present invention between a system, a computer program, a recording medium storing a computer program, etc. are also valid aspects of the present invention.

The present invention can help effectively improve phobias.

1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a phobia alleviation system according to a first embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing functional blocks of the AR glasses according to the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AR glasses of the first embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AR glasses of the first embodiment. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AR glasses of the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the configuration of a phobia alleviation system according to a third embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing functional blocks of AR glasses according to a third embodiment. 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AR glasses of the third embodiment.

An overview of an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the embodiment, a phobia improvement system that uses augmented reality (AR) technology to support the improvement of a subject's phobia is proposed. The phobia improvement system of the embodiment provides phobia improvement training in which an object that the subject is afraid of is virtually displayed using AR glasses at a random place and at a random time around the subject. The phobia improvement training is training that supports the improvement of a phobia held by the subject. The object that the subject is afraid of may include various objects including living things. In the phobia improvement training, an image of a specific vehicle (e.g., an aircraft body, a train, or an automobile) itself may be displayed as the object that the subject is afraid of, or an image showing the space of the vehicle as seen from the seat may be displayed. The phobia improvement system of the embodiment is useful for treating PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

First Embodiment
1 shows the configuration of a phobia amelioration system 10 according to a first embodiment. The phobia amelioration system 10 is an information processing system in which AR glasses 12 and a camera 14 are connected via a communication network 16. The communication network 16 includes known communication means such as a LAN, a WAN, and the Internet. The AR glasses 12 and the camera 14 are connected to the communication network 16 by wireless communication or wired communication.

The AR glasses 12 are glasses-type wearable devices that are worn on the subject's head. The AR glasses 12 can also be considered an optically transmissive head-mounted display, and display a virtual AR image superimposed on a real object visible to the subject. The AR glasses 12 include a computer, in other words, an information processing device.

The camera 14 is a photographing device that photographs the inside of the room in which the subject is present. The room in which the subject is present is the room in which phobia improvement training is conducted, and is typically a room in the subject's home. The camera 14 transmits the photographed image showing the space within the field of view to the AR glasses 12 via the communication network 16. The photographed image may be a moving image (video) or a still image.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the functional blocks of the AR glasses 12 of the first embodiment. Each block shown in the block diagram in this specification can be realized in hardware terms by elements such as a computer processor, CPU, and memory, electronic circuits, and mechanical devices, and in software terms by computer programs, etc., but here we depict functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways by combining hardware and software.

The AR glasses 12 include a sensor unit 20, a display unit 22, a communication unit 24, a data processing unit 26, and a memory unit 28.

The sensor unit 20 senses the state of the user wearing the AR glasses 12. The sensor unit 20 detects a predetermined physical quantity related to the subject's biometric information, and inputs a signal indicating the detected physical quantity to the data processing unit 26. For example, the sensor unit 20 may include a sensor that detects the subject's heart rate. The sensor unit 20 may also include a blood flow sensor that uses light to detect the subject's blood flow. The sensor unit 20 may also be a device separate from the AR glasses 12. For example, the sensor unit 20 may be a wristband-type device that is worn on the subject's wrist.

The sensor unit 20 also includes a camera (hereinafter referred to as the "built-in camera"). The built-in camera captures an image of the space in the subject's line of sight, and outputs the captured image (video, etc.) showing the space in the subject's line of sight to the data processing unit 26. The sensor unit 20 also includes a microphone. The microphone detects the sound made by the subject, and outputs data of the sound to the data processing unit 26.

The display unit 22 constitutes the portion equivalent to the lens of glasses, and transmits light entering from the direction of the subject's line of sight. The display unit 22 displays an AR image superimposed on the real space seen by the subject. The communication unit 24 communicates with an external device according to a predetermined communication protocol. The data processing unit 26 executes various data processing related to phobia improvement training. The data processing unit 26 transmits and receives data to and from the camera 14 via the communication unit 24.

The memory unit 28 stores data that is referenced or updated by the data processing unit 26. The memory unit 28 includes a marker memory unit 30, an object image memory unit 32, and a condition memory unit 34.

The marker memory unit 30 sets as markers locations in a room where an object that the subject is afraid of (hereinafter also referred to as a "fear object") or a candidate object for such an object (hereinafter also referred to as a "candidate object") appears, and stores information about a plurality of markers. The markers are set at specific locations in the room, such as on the ceiling, wall, or shelf. The information about the marker may include information about the appearance of the location in the room where the marker is set, and information indicating the location of the room where the marker is set (such as coordinate values in the AR space).

The object image memory unit 32 stores images showing the appearance of multiple candidate objects (including the subject's feared object). The condition memory unit 34 stores various conditions for the phobia improvement support process. The conditions stored in the condition memory unit 34 include conditions for detecting a feared object (hereinafter also referred to as "feared object detection conditions") and conditions for determining whether the fear of the feared object has been overcome (hereinafter also referred to as "fear overcoming conditions"). The conditions may include predetermined thresholds for multiple judgment items.

The feared object detection conditions may include at least one of the following: (1) the subject's physical movements and changes therein; (2) the subject's biometric information and changes therein; and (3) the subject's voice and changes therein. The subject's physical movements can be considered as reactive behavior to the feared object, and may include, for example, at least one of eye blinking, a change in line of sight, and neck movement. The subject's biometric information may include at least one of the subject's heart rate, blood pressure, blood flow, and sweat rate.

The fear overcoming conditions, like the fear object detection conditions, may include at least one of the following: (1) conditions for the subject's body movements and changes therein, (2) conditions for the subject's biometric information and changes therein, and (3) conditions for the subject's voice and changes therein. In addition, the phobia improvement training of the embodiment has multiple levels of intensity, and the fear overcoming conditions are set for each level of intensity.

The data processing unit 26 includes a marker registration unit 40, a display control unit 42, a state detection unit 44, a target detection unit 46, and a judgment unit 48. The functions of these multiple functional blocks may be implemented in a computer program. This computer program may be installed in the storage of the AR glasses 12 via a recording medium or a network. The processor (CPU, etc.) of the AR glasses 12 may perform the functions of the above multiple functional blocks by reading this computer program into main memory and executing it.

The marker registration unit 40 identifies multiple markers in the room based on a captured image of the room in which the subject is present, output from the built-in camera of the sensor unit 20, and on predetermined marker setting rules. The marker registration unit 40 stores information about the identified multiple markers in the marker storage unit 30. As a variant, the marker registration unit 40 may identify markers based on a captured image output from a camera 14 installed in the room.

The display control unit 42 causes the display unit 22 to display AR images of multiple candidate objects. The display control unit 42 also causes the display unit 22 to display AR images of the fear object detected by the target detection unit 46. The AR images of the candidate objects and the AR images of the fear object may be CG (Computer Graphics) images.

The state detection unit 44 detects the state of the subject who has viewed the AR image of each of the multiple candidate objects. The state detection unit 44 also detects the state of the subject who has viewed the AR image of the fear object. The subject who has viewed the AR image can also be said to be a subject to whom the AR image has been presented via the display unit 22.

The target detection unit 46 detects an object that is a fear target for the subject from among multiple candidate objects based on the state of the subject detected by the state detection unit 44. The judgment unit 48 executes various judgment processes in phobia improvement support.

The operation of the phobia alleviation system 10 having the above configuration will now be described.
Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AR glasses 12 according to the first embodiment. The flowchart in Fig. 3 shows the operation related to the registration of a fear object.

The subject wearing the AR glasses 12 sets the AR glasses 12 to a setting mode and looks around the room where the phobia improvement training will be conducted. The built-in camera included in the sensor unit 20 of the AR glasses 12 photographs the room where the phobia improvement training will be conducted and outputs the captured image showing furniture and other items placed in the room. The marker registration unit 40 of the AR glasses 12 identifies multiple markers (in other words, appearance points of AR objects) in the room where the phobia improvement training will be conducted based on the image captured by the built-in camera, and stores information about each marker in the marker memory unit 30 (step S10).

The display control unit 42 of the AR glasses 12 controls the display content of the display unit 22 to sequentially switch and display AR images of multiple candidate objects stored in the object image storage unit 32 at the positions determined by the marker information stored in the marker storage unit 30 (step S11).

The state detection unit 44 of the AR glasses 12 detects the state of the subject looking at each of the multiple candidate objects when they are displayed (step S12). Specifically, the state detection unit 44 detects the subject's body movements and changes therein based on the captured image input from the camera 14. The state detection unit 44 also detects the subject's biometric information and changes therein based on a signal input from the sensor unit 20 (e.g., a biometric information sensor). The state detection unit 44 detects the sound produced by the subject and changes therein based on a signal input from the sensor unit 20 (e.g., a microphone). Hereinafter, the subject's body movements and changes therein, the subject's biometric information and changes therein, and the subject's sound and changes therein are collectively referred to simply as the "state of the subject."

The object detection unit 46 of the AR glasses 12 compares the state of the subject when viewing each candidate object with the fear object detection conditions stored in the condition storage unit 34. If the state of the subject when viewing a certain candidate object satisfies the fear object detection conditions, the object detection unit 46 detects the candidate object as a fear object for the subject (step S13).

For example, if the subject's heart rate when viewing a candidate object is equal to or higher than a heart rate threshold defined by the fear object detection condition, the target detection unit 46 may detect the candidate object as a fear object for the subject. The target detection unit 46 may store information indicating the detected fear object in the memory unit 28 (e.g., the object image memory unit 32). The target detection unit 46 may also detect multiple fear objects. Note that the fear object detection condition may specify a condition on the volume of a scream instead of the heart rate, or may specify conditions related to the heart rate and the scream.

Figure 4 is also a flowchart showing the operation of the AR glasses 12 of the first embodiment. The flowchart in Figure 4 shows the operation related to phobia improvement training. When the subject inputs an instruction to start phobia improvement training into the AR glasses 12 (Yes in step S20), the process proceeds to step S21. If the subject has not input an instruction to start phobia improvement training (No in step S20), the process from step S21 onwards is skipped and the process in Figure 4 ends.

In step S21, the display control unit 42 of the AR glasses 12 displays the AR image of the fear object stored in the object image storage unit 32 at a position determined by the marker information stored in the marker storage unit 30. The training intensity at the start of training is set to a predetermined intensity, and the intensity is changed in the flow of steps S21 to S25 described later. The display control unit 42 may detect multiple marker positions shown in the image captured by the sensor unit 20 (built-in camera), randomly select a specific marker position from the multiple detected marker positions, and display the fear object at a random time. The display control unit 42 may control the display of the AR image of the fear object so that the fear object behaves in a manner appropriate for the object. For example, if the fear object is a flying creature, the display control unit 42 may control the display of the AR image of the fear object so that the fear object flies toward the subject. In addition, if the fear object is not a living thing such as a car, the display of the AR image may be controlled preferentially on a wall in a room that does not have furniture.

The state detection unit 44 of the AR glasses 12 detects the state of the subject when viewing the fearful object based on the captured image input from the camera 14 and the signal input from the sensor unit 20 (step S22). Specifically, in step S22, similar to step S12, the state detection unit 44 detects the subject's body movements and changes therein, the subject's biometric information and changes therein, and the sound made by the subject and changes therein.

The judgment unit 48 of the AR glasses 12 judges whether the state of the subject when viewing the fear object satisfies the fear overcoming condition. For example, the judgment unit 48 may judge that the fear overcoming condition is satisfied if the subject's heart rate when viewing the fear object is less than the heart rate threshold value set by the fear overcoming condition. If the fear overcoming condition is satisfied (Yes in step S23), the process proceeds to step S24. If the fear overcoming condition is not satisfied (No in step S23), the process returns to step S21, and the display control unit 42 continues to display the fear object at the current training intensity. Note that the fear overcoming condition may specify a condition on the volume of the scream instead of the heart rate, or may specify conditions related to the heart rate and the scream.

In step S24, the display control unit 42 increases the training intensity and causes the display unit 22 to display content cheering on the subject (e.g., a cheering video or a cheering message). The judgment unit 48 judges whether the training intensity has reached an upper limit, and whether the training intensity has reached a predetermined target. If the training intensity has reached the upper limit or the target (Yes in step S25), the display control unit 42 ends the phobia improvement training (step S26). Note that the display unit 22 may be configured to have an operation button or the like that accepts an operation to end the training so that the phobia improvement training can be ended midway at the subject's will.

If the training intensity has not reached the upper limit and has not reached the target (No in step S25), the process returns to step S21, and the display control unit 42 continues to display the fear object at the current training intensity. If the training intensity is increased, the display control unit 42 may display the fear object in a manner that further incites the sense of fear. For example, the display control unit 42 may increase the number of fear objects to be displayed, or may increase the frequency of appearance, display contrast, or brightness of the fear object.

The phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the first embodiment can assist the subject in correctly understanding the object of his or her fear, and can assist the subject in carrying out effective phobia improvement training. Furthermore, the phobia improvement system 10 of the first embodiment can provide the subject with effective phobia improvement training relating to the object of his or her fear. Furthermore, the phobia improvement system 10 of the first embodiment can be easily constructed in the subject's home environment.

The AR glasses 12 of the first embodiment detect the subject's fear object and conduct phobia improvement training using the fear object. As a modified example, the AR glasses 12 may be equipped with a fear object information output unit (not shown). When the subject's fear object is detected by the object detection unit 46, the fear object information output unit may transmit information about the fear object, the subject's behavior upon viewing the fear object, biometric information, generated voice, etc. to an external device. This external device may be a device of an expert such as a psychological counselor. In addition, the fear object information output unit may store the information about the fear object and the subject's condition in an external storage device, or may display it on an external display device.

Second Embodiment
In the second embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the description of the common points will be omitted. It goes without saying that the features of the second embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the features of the first embodiment and the features of the modification.

The configuration of the phobia improvement system 10 of the second embodiment is the same as the configuration of the phobia improvement system 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1. In addition, the AR glasses 12 of the second embodiment have the same functional blocks as the AR glasses 12 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 2.

The state detection unit 44 of the AR glasses 12 detects the subject's behavior with respect to the feared object. The subject's behavior with respect to the feared object is specifically the subject's body movement or the subject's limb movement. The display control unit 42 changes the display mode of the image of the feared object based on the subject's behavior detected by the state detection unit 44.

For example, the subject's behavior is an attempt to repel a feared object. When the subject's behavior of attempting to repel a feared object is detected, the display control unit 42 controls the AR image of the feared object to move the feared object, or erases the AR image of the feared object, in other words, makes it invisible.

Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AR glasses 12 of the second embodiment. Figure 5 is a flowchart corresponding to Figure 4, and shows the operation related to phobia improvement training. The processing of steps S30 to S32 in Figure 5 is the same as the processing of steps S20 to S22 in Figure 4. In step S32, similar to step S22, the state detection unit 44 of the AR glasses 12 detects the subject's physical movements and changes therein, the subject's biometric information and changes therein, and the voice uttered by the subject and changes therein.

The condition storage unit 34 stores data on the subject's behavior that is predetermined as a condition for changing the display mode of the image of the feared object (hereinafter also referred to as "display change condition"). For example, the condition storage unit 34 stores data indicating the characteristics (image characteristics) of the subject's behavior that satisfies the condition. In the second embodiment, the subject's behavior that changes the display mode of the image of the feared object is an action to repel the feared object (also referred to as a repelling action). The repelling action may be, for example, an action of spraying insecticide on the feared object, or an action of chasing the feared object with a broom. Note that the subject's behavior as a condition for changing the display of the feared object is not limited to a repelling action, and may be various actions that are assumed to be appropriate responses to the feared object.

The determination unit 48 of the AR glasses 12 determines whether or not the subject's body movement detected in step S32 satisfies the display change conditions of the feared object stored in the object image storage unit 32. In the second embodiment, the determination unit 48 determines whether or not the subject's body movement corresponds to a repelling behavior, and if so, determines that the subject's body movement satisfies the display change conditions of the feared object.

When it is determined in step S32 that the body movement of the subject detected satisfies the display change condition, and in the second embodiment, when a body movement of the subject corresponding to a repelling behavior is detected in step S22 (Yes in step S33), the process proceeds to step S34. In step S34, the display control unit 42 of the AR glasses 12 controls the display of the AR image of the fear object so as to move the fear object to a position different from before, or switches the displayed AR image of the fear object to hidden.

When the body movement of the subject detected in step S32 is not determined to satisfy the display change condition, in the second embodiment, if the body movement of the subject corresponding to a repelling behavior is not detected in step S22 (No in step S33), the process of step S34 is skipped. The processes of steps S35 to S38 in FIG. 5 are the same as the processes of steps S23 to S26 in FIG. 4, and therefore will not be described.

The phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the second embodiment has the following effects in addition to the effects of the phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the first embodiment, that is, the phobia improvement system 10 of the second embodiment can realize highly realistic training by changing the display mode of the feared object according to the subject's behavior during phobia improvement training, and can also realize coping behavior training that supports the subject to properly deal with the feared object.

A first modified example of the second embodiment will be described. The phobia improvement system 10 of the second embodiment changes the display target of the feared object based on the behavior (e.g., movement of the body or limbs) of the subject who views the feared object, but in this modified example, the phobia improvement system 10 changes the display target of the feared object based on the line of sight of the subject who views the feared object.

Specifically, the state detection unit 44 of the AR glasses 12 detects the subject's line of sight (or gaze direction) when the AR image of the fearful object is displayed by the display control unit 42. The sensor unit 20 may be equipped with an eye camera that captures the subject's pupils. The state detection unit 44 may detect the subject's line of sight based on the image captured by the camera 14 or the image captured by the eye camera using known eye tracking technology, etc.

The display control unit 42 changes the display mode of the AR image of the feared object based on the subject's line of sight when the AR image of the feared object is displayed. For example, the display control unit 42 changes the display mode of the AR image of the feared object when the subject's line of sight remains on the AR image of the feared object, that is, when the subject continues to stare at the feared object. The subject's line of sight remaining on the AR image of the feared object may be when the subject's line of sight is maintained directed toward the AR image of the feared object for a predetermined period of time or more (e.g., 5 seconds or more).

Changing the display mode of the AR image of the fear object may involve moving or erasing the AR image of the fear object. Changing the display mode of the AR image of the fear object may involve increasing the number of fear objects displayed, or increasing the frequency of appearance, display contrast, or brightness of the fear object, thereby increasing the training intensity.

The phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the first modified example has the same effect as the phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the second embodiment. For example, the phobia improvement system 10 of the first modified example can realize highly realistic training and effectively support overcoming a phobia by changing the display mode of a feared object according to the subject's line of sight during phobia improvement training.

A second variant of the second embodiment will be described. The phobia improvement system 10 of the second embodiment changes the display of the feared object based on the behavior (e.g., movement of the body or limbs) of the subject who views the feared object, but in this variant, the phobia improvement system 10 changes the display of the feared object based on the facial expression of the subject who views the feared object.

Specifically, the state detection unit 44 of the AR glasses 12 detects the facial expression (or type of facial expression) of the subject when the AR image of the fear object is displayed by the display control unit 42. The subject's facial expressions include multiple types of expressions, such as a glaring expression, a calm expression, and a frightened expression (in other words, a terrified expression). The state detection unit 44 may store template images of multiple types of expressions that are determined in advance. The state detection unit 44 may detect the facial expression of the subject by comparing the subject's face shown in the image captured by the camera 14 with the template images of multiple types of expressions. Alternatively, the state detection unit 44 may detect the facial expression of the subject using a known facial expression recognition technology.

The display control unit 42 changes the display mode of the AR image of the fear object based on the facial expression (which can also be considered the type of facial expression) of the subject when the AR image of the fear object is displayed. For example, the display control unit 42 changes the display mode of the AR image of the fear object when the subject's facial expression does not correspond to a frightened expression, in other words, when the subject's facial expression is detected to be an expression other than a frightened expression. Alternatively, the display control unit 42 may change the display mode of the AR image of the fear object when the subject's facial expression is detected to be a glaring expression or a calm expression.

Changing the display mode of the AR image of the fear object may involve moving or erasing the AR image of the fear object. Changing the display mode of the AR image of the fear object may involve increasing the number of fear objects displayed, or increasing the frequency of appearance, display contrast, or brightness of the fear object, thereby increasing the training intensity.

The phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the second modified example has the same effect as the phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the second embodiment. For example, the phobia improvement system 10 of the second modified example can realize highly realistic training by changing the display mode of the feared object according to the facial expression of the subject during phobia improvement training, and can also effectively support overcoming the phobia.

A third variant of the second embodiment will be described. The phobia improvement system 10 of the second embodiment changes the display target of the feared object based on the behavior (e.g., body or limb movement) of the subject who sees the feared object, but in this variant, the phobia improvement system 10 changes the display target of the feared object based on the sound (in other words, vocalization) made by the subject who sees the feared object.

Specifically, the state detection unit 44 of the AR glasses 12 detects the voice (specifically, the type of voice content) made by the subject when the AR image of the fear object is displayed by the display control unit 42. The voice made by the subject includes multiple types of voices, such as aggressive voices, voices indicating surprise, and voices indicating fear. The aggressive voice may be a voice containing threatening content, or may be a voice containing abusive language. The state detection unit 44 may store template data of multiple types of voices that are determined in advance. The state detection unit 44 may detect the type of voice made by the subject by comparing the voice made by the subject, acquired by the microphone of the sensor unit 20, with the template data of multiple types of voices. Alternatively, the state detection unit 44 may detect the type of voice made by the subject using a known voice recognition technology.

The display control unit 42 changes the display mode of the AR image of the fear object based on the sound (which can also be considered the type of sound) made by the subject when the AR image of the fear object is displayed. For example, the display control unit 42 changes the display mode of the AR image of the fear object when the sound made by the subject corresponds to an aggressive sound.

Changing the display mode of the AR image of the fear object may involve moving or erasing the AR image of the fear object. Changing the display mode of the AR image of the fear object may involve increasing the number of fear objects displayed, or increasing the frequency of appearance, display contrast, or brightness of the fear object, thereby increasing the training intensity.

The phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the third modified example has the same effect as the phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the second embodiment. For example, the phobia improvement system 10 of the third modified example can realize highly realistic training and effectively support overcoming a phobia by changing the display mode of a feared object in response to a voice uttered by a subject during phobia improvement training.

As a fourth modified example, the display change condition of the feared object stored in the condition storage unit 34 may include a change in the subject's biometric information in addition to the subject's behavior. For example, the determination unit 48 may determine that the display change condition of the feared object is met when the subject's body movement corresponds to a repelling behavior and the change in the subject's biometric information satisfies the condition (for example, when the subject's heart rate is below a threshold value set by the condition). This can also be combined with the first modified example. The display change condition of the feared object stored in the condition storage unit 34 may include a change in the subject's biometric information in addition to the subject's line of sight. For example, the determination unit 48 may determine that the display change condition of the feared object is met when the subject's line of sight remains on the feared object and the change in the subject's biometric information satisfies the condition.

It can also be combined with the second modified example. The display change condition of the fear object stored in the condition storage unit 34 may include a change in the subject's biometric information in addition to the subject's facial expression. For example, the determination unit 48 may determine that the display change condition of the fear object is met when the subject's facial expression does not correspond to a frightened expression and the change in the subject's biometric information satisfies the condition. It can also be combined with the third modified example. The display change condition of the fear object stored in the condition storage unit 34 may include a change in the subject's biometric information in addition to the voice uttered by the subject. For example, the determination unit 48 may determine that the display change condition of the fear object is met when the voice uttered by the subject corresponds to an aggressive voice and the change in the subject's biometric information satisfies the condition.

As a fifth modified example, the display control unit 42 of the AR glasses 12 may display an AR image of a fire on the AR glasses 12 instead of displaying an AR image of a fearful object on the AR glasses 12. The determination unit 48 of the AR glasses 12 may determine whether the subject's physical behavior detected in step S22 corresponds to a fire-extinguishing behavior. The display control unit 42 may erase the AR image of the fire if the subject's physical behavior corresponds to a fire-extinguishing behavior. According to this modified example, the AR glasses 12 can be used for fire-extinguishing training.

Third Embodiment
In the third embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the description of the common points will be omitted. It goes without saying that the features of the third embodiment can be arbitrarily combined with the features of the first embodiment, the features of the second embodiment, and the features of the modified example.

Figure 6 shows the configuration of a phobia improvement system 10 according to a third embodiment. In addition to the AR glasses 12 and the camera 14, the phobia improvement system 10 according to the third embodiment further includes an expert device 18. The AR glasses 12 communicate with the expert device 18 via a communication network 16.

The expert device 18 is an information processing device operated by an expert in phobia improvement training or an expert who diagnoses the results of the phobia improvement training. The expert may be, for example, a psychological counselor or a clinical psychologist. The expert device 18 may be a computer, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone.

Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the functional blocks of the AR glasses 12 of the third embodiment. The AR glasses 12 of the third embodiment have the same functional blocks as the AR glasses 12 of the first embodiment, and further have a training result storage unit 36, a training result transmission unit 50, a diagnosis result reception unit 52, and an anonymization unit 54.

The training result memory unit 36 stores training result data, which is data related to the results of phobia improvement training. The training result data includes information (images, etc.) about the feared object. The training result data also includes information about the subject's state detected during the phobia improvement training (physical behavior, biometric information, etc.). The state of the subject detected during the phobia improvement training can also be said to be the state of the subject who saw the feared object, as detected by the state detection unit 44. Furthermore, the training result data is an image captured by the camera 14, and includes an image in which the subject appears.

The training result transmission unit 50 transmits training result data including data on the state of the subject who viewed the AR image of the feared object detected by the state detection unit 44 to the expert device 18. The data on the state of the subject may include, for example, at least one of the following: the movement of the subject's body and limbs described in the second embodiment, the subject's line of sight (line of sight direction) described in the first modified example of the second embodiment, the subject's facial expression described in the second modified example of the second embodiment, and the voice uttered by the subject described in the third modified example of the second embodiment. The diagnosis result reception unit 52 receives diagnosis result data indicating the result of the diagnosis on the state of the subject who viewed the AR image of the feared object. The diagnosis result includes, for example, advice for overcoming a phobia and introduction of a treatment method.

The anonymization unit 54 performs an anonymization process on the training result data to convert the training result data so that the individual subject cannot be identified. For example, the anonymization unit 54 may use a known method to automatically recognize the subject's face from a captured image included in the training result data and blur or pixelate the subject's face. In the third embodiment, the training result transmission unit 50 transmits the training result data anonymized by the anonymization unit 54 to the expert device 18.

Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the operation of the AR glasses 12 of the third embodiment. Figure 8 shows the operation of supporting the analysis of the results of phobia improvement training. Note that the processing of the phobia improvement training performed by the AR glasses 12 of the third embodiment may be similar to the processing of the AR glasses 12 of the first embodiment shown in Figure 4, or may be similar to the processing of the AR glasses 12 of the second embodiment shown in Figure 5.

The training result storage unit 36 of the AR glasses 12 sequentially stores training result data including data regarding the state of the subject who viewed the AR image of the feared object detected by the state detection unit 44 (step S40). The anonymization unit 54 anonymizes the training result data stored in the training result storage unit 36 (step S41). The training result transmission unit 50 transmits the anonymized training result data to the expert device 18 (step S42).

An expert such as a psychological counselor diagnoses the subject's phobia based on the anonymized training result data transmitted from the AR glasses 12. The expert device 18 transmits diagnosis result data to the AR glasses 12 in response to the operation of the expert. The diagnosis result receiving unit 52 of the AR glasses 12 receives the diagnosis result data transmitted from the expert device 18 (step S43). The display control unit 42 causes the display unit 22 to display the diagnosis result by the expert indicated by the diagnosis result data (step S44).

As a variant, the expert device 18 may transmit the diagnosis result data to an information terminal (e.g., a smartphone) of the subject that is different from the AR glasses 12 and that has been registered in advance by the subject. The information terminal may display the diagnosis result on a screen in response to an operation by the subject.

The phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the third embodiment has the following effect in addition to the effect of the phobia improvement system 10 (AR glasses 12) of the first embodiment, that is, the phobia improvement system 10 of the third embodiment can provide the subject with the diagnosis results by an expert on the results of the phobia improvement training by the subject, and can more effectively support the improvement of the subject's phobia.

The present invention has been described above based on the first to third embodiments. The contents described in each embodiment are merely examples, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of components and processing steps of each embodiment, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

Modifications applicable to each embodiment will be described. In each embodiment of the phobia improvement system 10, AR glasses 12 are used as a means for presenting the feared object to the subject, but other devices may be used instead of the AR glasses 12. For example, instead of the AR glasses 12, the phobia improvement system 10 may include a head-mounted display, a computer and display device, a tablet terminal, or a smartphone. The head-mounted display may be a fully immersive type or a video see-through type.

Another modified example that can be applied to each embodiment will be described. In each embodiment, multiple functional blocks provided in the AR glasses 12 may be distributed and implemented in the AR glasses 12 and an information processing device different from the AR glasses 12. In this case, the AR glasses 12 and the information processing device may communicate with each other and work together as a system to execute processing similar to that of the AR glasses 12 in each embodiment.

For example, the phobia improvement system 10 may include AR glasses 12 and an information processing device different from the AR glasses 12. The display control unit of the information processing device may cause the display unit of the AR glasses 12 to display images of multiple objects as candidates for objects that the subject is afraid of. The state detection unit 44 of the information processing device may detect the state of the subject who has viewed the images of each of the multiple objects. The object detection unit of the information processing device may detect the object that the subject is afraid of from among the multiple objects based on the detected state of the subject.

Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from the combination will have the combined effects of each of the combined embodiments and modifications. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be performed by each of the constituent elements recited in the claims can be realized by each of the constituent elements shown in the embodiments and modifications alone or in combination with each other.

This disclosure includes matters that contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of "Good health and well-being for all," and contribute to value creation through healthcare products and services.

10 Phobia improvement system, 12 AR glasses, 14 Camera, 18 Expert device, 22 Display unit, 42 Display control unit, 44 Status detection unit, 46 Object detection unit, 50 Training result transmission unit, 52 Diagnosis result reception unit.

Claims (5)

a display control unit that causes a display unit to display images of a plurality of objects as candidates for objects that the subject is afraid of;
a state detection unit that detects a state of the subject when viewing the images of the plurality of objects;
an object detection unit that detects an object that the subject is afraid of from among the plurality of objects based on the state of the subject detected by the state detection unit;
An information processing device comprising: the display control unit causes an image of the object detected by the object detection unit to be displayed on the display unit;
The state detection unit detects a behavior of the subject with respect to the object,
The display control unit changes a display mode of the image of the target based on the behavior of the subject.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The subject's behavior is an attempt to repel the target,
The display control unit moves or erases the target when a behavior of the subject attempting to repel the target is detected.
The information processing device according to claim 2 . a training result transmission unit that transmits data regarding the state of the test subject who viewed the image of the target, detected by the state detection unit, to an external device;
and a diagnosis result receiving unit that receives a diagnosis result regarding a state of the subject who viewed the image of the object, the diagnosis result being transmitted from an external device.
4. The information processing device according to claim 1. A step of displaying images of a plurality of objects as candidates for objects that the subject is afraid of on a display unit;
detecting a state of the subject when viewing an image of each of the plurality of objects;
detecting an object that the subject is afraid of from among the plurality of objects based on the detected state of the subject;
A phobia improvement support method implemented by a computer.

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