US 12,461,592 B2
Communication assistance system, communication assistance method, and communication assistance program
Akihiko Koizuka, Tokyo (JP)
Assigned to Dwango Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/292,222
Filed by DWANGO Co., Ltd., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Aug. 22, 2022, PCT No. PCT/JP2022/031587
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jan. 25, 2024,
PCT Pub. No. WO2023/032736, PCT Pub. Date Mar. 9, 2023.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-143002 (JP), filed on Sep. 2, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2024/0361831 A1, Oct. 31, 2024
Int. Cl. G06F 3/01 (2006.01); G06F 3/16 (2006.01); G10L 17/02 (2013.01); G10L 21/034 (2013.01); G10L 21/0364 (2013.01)
CPC G06F 3/013 (2013.01) [G06F 3/165 (2013.01); G10L 17/02 (2013.01); G10L 21/034 (2013.01); G10L 21/0364 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A communication assistance system that assists audio communication among a plurality of users, the communication assistance system comprising at least one processor configured to:
detect a line of sight of a first user with respect to a screen in a real space, the screen showing a virtual space in which a plurality of user objects corresponding to the plurality of users are arranged, the virtual space being two-dimensional or three-dimensional;
detect a speech of the first user;
specify the second user as a conversation partner of the first user when the detected line of sight of the first user with respect to the screen in the real space overlaps with a user object corresponding to the second user in the virtual space and when the speech of the first user is detected;
set a group including the first user and the second user if the second user is specified as the conversation partner of the first user; and
output, to the first user, a speech voice of the second user if the second user is specified as the conversation partner of the first user and belongs to the group with a larger volume than a speech voice of the second user in a case if the second user is not specified as the conversation partner of the first user and does not belong to the group.
 
11. A communication assistance method executed by a communication assistance system including at least one processor, the communication assistance method comprising:
detecting a line of sight of a first user with respect to a screen in a real space, the screen showing a virtual space in which a plurality of user objects corresponding to a plurality of users are arranged, the virtual space being two-dimensional or three-dimensional;
detecting a speech of the first user;
specifying the second user as a conversation partner of the first user when the detected line of sight of the first user with respect to the screen in the real space overlaps with a user object corresponding to the second user in the virtual space and when the speech of the first user is detected;
setting a group including the first user and the second user if the second user is specified as the conversation partner of the first user; and
outputting, to the first user, a speech voice of the second user if the second user is specified as the conversation partner of the first user and belongs to the group with a larger volume than a speech voice of the second user in a case if the second user is not specified as the conversation partner of the first user and does not belong to the group.
 
19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing thereon a communication assistance program that, when executed, causes a computer to:
detect a line of sight of a first user with respect to a screen in a real space, the screen showing a virtual space in which a plurality of user objects corresponding to a plurality of users are arranged, the virtual space being two-dimensional or three-dimensional;
detect a speech of the first user;
specify the second user as a conversation partner of the first user when the detected line of sight of the first user with respect to the screen in the real space overlaps with a user object corresponding to the second user in the virtual space and when the speech of the first user is detected;
set a group including the first user and the second user if the second user is specified as the conversation partner of the first user; and
output, to the first user, a speech voice of the second user if the second user is specified as the conversation partner of the first user and belongs to the group with a larger volume than a speech voice of the second user in a case if the second user is not specified as the conversation partner of the first user and does not belong to the group.