Estimation Apparatus and Its Control Method

• US 20070270664A1
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Published: 11/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Canon Kabushiki Kaisha (Canon Inc.)
• Inventors: Mitarai, Yusuke, Matsugu, Masakazu, Mori, Katsuhiko, Ishii, Mie
• Granted Patent: US 7,766,828 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/167 Personality evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/70 relating to mental therapies, e.g. psychological therapy or autogenous training
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 30/40 for processing medical images, e.g. editing
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A condition analysis unit (1302) estimates a surrounding environment and psychological state of the user on the basis of image data, voice data, and living body information. When the estimated psychological state is a predetermined state, a cause estimation unit (1303) estimates based on the living body information whether or not the physical condition of the user is bad. When the estimated psychological state is the predetermined state, the cause estimation unit estimates a cause of the psychological state on the basis of the surrounding environment.

Claims

1. An estimation apparatus characterized by comprising:

image input means for inputting image data of a user;

voice input means for inputting voice data of the user;

living body information input means for inputting living body information of the user;

first estimation means for estimating a surrounding environment of the user on the basis of the image data, voice data, and living body information;

holding means for holding reference data serving as a reference used upon estimating a psychological state of the user;

second estimation means for estimating the psychological state of the user by comparing at least one of the image data, voice data, and living body information with the reference data; and

third estimation means for, when the psychological state of the user estimated by said second estimation means is a predetermined state, estimating a cause of the psychological state of the user on the basis of the surrounding environment estimated by said first estimation means.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the predetermined state is a state in which at least one of an emotion estimated by said second estimation means based on the image data, an emotion estimated by said second estimation means based on the voice data, and an emotion estimated by said second estimation means based on the living body information are negative emotions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising informing means for informing a result estimated by said third estimation means.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by further comprising fourth estimation means for, when the psychological state of the user estimated by said second estimation means is the predetermined state, estimating based on the living body information whether or not a physical condition of the user is bad.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by further comprising informing means for informing a result estimated by said fourth estimation means.

6. A method of controlling an estimation apparatus, characterized by comprising:

an image input step of inputting image data of a user;

a voice input step of inputting voice data of the user;

a living body information input step of inputting living body information of the user;

a first estimation step of estimating a surrounding environment of the user on the basis of the image data, voice data, and living body information;

a holding step of holding reference data serving as a reference used upon estimating a psychological state of the user;

a second estimation step of estimating the psychological state of the user by comparing at least one of the image data, voice data, and living body information with the reference data; and

a third estimation step of estimating, when the psychological state of the user estimated in the second estimation step is a predetermined state, a cause of the psychological state of the user on the basis of the surrounding environment estimated in the first estimation step.

7. A program characterized by making a computer execute a control method of claim 6.

8. A computer-readable storage medium characterized by storing a program of claim 7.