Emotion calculating apparatus and method and mobile communication apparatus

• US 20050114142A1
• Filed: 11/16/2004
• Published: 05/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Makino, Kenichi, Takai, Motoyuki, Inoue, Makoto, Sako, Yoichiro, Terauchi, Toshiro, Miyajima, Yasushi, Shirai, Katsuya, Asukai, Masamichi
• Application Number:
  US10/990,186
• Publication Number:
  US 20050114142A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/22 Ergometry; Measuring muscular strength or the force of a muscular blow exercising apparatus A63B21/00 ; measuring of work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6887 mounted on external non-worn devices, e.g. non-medical devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72427 for supporting games or graphical animations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72439 for image or video messaging
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion

Abstract

In a method and an apparatus for calculating the emotion of a human being, the emotion of a user of the apparatus is calculated from the pressure acting on an object. A pressure sensor is provided in a mobile phone and detects the pressure with which the user grips the mobile phone and the pressure exerted by the user in key inputting. An emotion calculating unit calculates emotional data of the user based on the pressures detected by the pressure sensor. The emotion data is a value pertinent to affect-induction as one dimension of an emotional model. The mobile phone feeds the emotion calculated to a user or to a counterpart party of the user or to a counterpart party of a communication with the user.

Claims

1. An emotion calculating apparatus comprising

pressure detection means for detecting a pressure exerted by a user;

and

emotional data calculating means for calculating emotional data, indicating a level of an affect-induction, based on the pressure detected by said pressure detection means.

2. The emotion calculating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said pressure detection means detects a pressure with which a user grips the emotion calculating apparatus.

3. The emotion calculating apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising

inputting means for operation by the user to input an operating signal, wherein

said pressure detection means detects a pressure with which a user operates said inputting means.

4. The emotion calculating apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising

emotional data outputting means for converting the emotional data calculated by said emotional data calculating means into at least one of a sound, light, an image, a picture or vibrations, and for outputting converted data.

5. The emotion calculating apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising

emotional data storage means for storing the emotional data calculated by said emotional data calculating means.

6. A mobile communication apparatus comprising

inputting means for operation by a user to input an operating signal;

pressure detection means for detecting a pressure exerted by a user;

emotional data calculating means for calculating emotional data indicating a level of an affect-induction, based on the pressure exerted by said user; and

outputting means for outputting said emotional data.

7. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 6 wherein

said pressure detection means detects the pressure with which the user grips the mobile communication apparatus.

8. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 6 wherein

said pressure detection means detects the pressure with which the user operates said inputting means.

9. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising

electronic mail transmitting means for transmitting a sentence entered from said inputting means as electronic mail to external communication means;

and

document changing means for changing fonts of letters/characters and/or a layout of the sentence stated in said electronic mail, based on the emotional data of the user.

10. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising

emotional data storage means for storing the emotional data during communication and identification information of a communication apparatus of a destination of communication.

11. The mobile communication apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising

emotional data retrieving means for retrieving the emotional data on receipt of an electrical wave from another communication apparatus and the emotional data at a time of past communication with said other communication apparatus, from said emotional data storage means;

and communication counterpart notifying means for notifying the emotion data at the time of past communication by a ring tone and/or an incoming display image surface.

12. An emotion calculating method comprising

a pressure detection step for detecting a pressure exerted by a user on an object;

and

an emotional data calculating step of calculating emotional data, indicating a level of an affect-induction, based on the pressure exerted by the user on said object.

13. The emotion calculating method according to claim 12 further comprising an emotional data outputting step of converting the emotional data, calculated in said emotional data calculating step, into at least one of a sound, light, an image, a picture and vibrations, and outputting converted data.

14. The emotion calculating method according to claim 12 further comprising

an emotional data storage step of storing the emotional data, calculated in said emotional data calculating step, in emotional data storage means.