JP7737302B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

Technology has been disclosed for a location detection system that determines the positional relationship between a terminal and a communication device through UWB (Ultra Wide Band) communication between them.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-139845

However, the above-mentioned conventional technology merely transmits data via UWB communication and determines the relative positions of the terminal and communication device. UWB radio waves are not sine waves like those used in wireless LANs (Local Area Networks) or Bluetooth (registered trademark), but rather pulsed waveforms with an extremely wide bandwidth, and the pulse shape can be freely changed to a certain extent. Therefore, we propose a method for transmitting information via pulse shape in UWB communication by intentionally changing the pulse shape, separate from data transmission.

This application was made in light of the above, and aims to transmit information in a UWB pulse shape separately from data transmission.

The information processing device according to the present application is an information processing device used as a terminal device capable of UWB communication, and is characterized by comprising: an estimation unit that estimates the context of a user of the terminal device using a model for estimating a context related to the user's behavior, situation, or surrounding environment from the user's history information or sensor information; an identification unit that identifies a UWB pulse frequency according to the estimated context of the user using a table that associates combinations of context and pulse frequency; and an output unit that transmits information at the pulse frequency separately from data transmission by changing the pulse frequency in UWB communication and outputting UWB pulses at the identified pulse frequency.

According to one aspect of the embodiment, information can be transmitted in the form of UWB pulses, separate from data transmission.

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of an information processing method according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse intensity. FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse frequency. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse frequency and the number of pulses. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a context-pulse correspondence table. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an external server according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of the user information database. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of the history information database. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing procedure according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration.

Below, detailed explanations will be given of the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") according to the present application, with reference to the drawings. Note that the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application are not limited to these embodiments. Furthermore, identical components in the following embodiments will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted.

[1. Overview of information processing method]
First, an overview of an information processing method performed by an information processing device according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overview of the information processing method according to an embodiment. Note that Fig. 1 describes an example in which information is transmitted in the form of a UWB (Ultra Wide Band) pulse.

As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing system 1 includes a terminal device 10 and an external server 100. The terminal device 10 and the external server 100 are connected to each other via a network N (see FIG. 6) so that they can communicate with each other via a wired or wireless connection. In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 works in conjunction with the external server 100.

The terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet used by a user U, and is a portable terminal device capable of communicating with any server device via a wireless communication network such as 4G (Generation (4G)) or LTE (Long Term Evolution). The terminal device 10 also has a screen such as an LCD display with touch panel functionality, and accepts various operations on displayed data such as content, such as tapping, sliding, and scrolling, performed by the user U's finger or stylus. Operations performed on the area of the screen where content is displayed may be considered operations on the content. The terminal device 10 may not only be a smart device, but also an information processing device such as a desktop PC (Personal Computer) or laptop PC.

The external server 100 is an information processing device that works in conjunction with each user U's terminal device 10 and provides each user U's terminal device 10 with API (Application Programming Interface) services for various applications (hereinafter referred to as apps), as well as various data, and is realized by a server device, a cloud system, etc.

The external server 100 may also be an information processing device that provides some kind of online web service to the terminal device 10 of each user U. For example, the external server 100 may provide such web services as internet connection, search services, SNS (Social Networking Service), electronic commerce (EC), electronic payments, online games, online banking, online trading, accommodation and ticket reservations, video and music distribution, news, maps, route searches, route guidance, line information, operation information, and weather forecasts. In practice, the external server 100 may cooperate with various servers that provide the above-mentioned web services, and may act as an intermediary for the web services or be responsible for processing the web services.

The external server 100 is capable of acquiring user information about the user U. For example, the external server 100 acquires information about the attributes of the user U, such as the gender, age, and area of residence of the user U. The external server 100 then stores and manages the information about the attributes of the user U together with identification information (such as a user ID) that identifies the user U.

The external server 100 also acquires various historical information (log data) indicating user U's behavior from user U's terminal device 10 or from various servers based on the user ID, etc. For example, the external server 100 acquires user U's location history, which is a history of user U's location and date and time, from the terminal device 10. The external server 100 also acquires search history, which is a history of search queries entered by user U, from a search server (search engine). The external server 100 also acquires browsing history, which is a history of content viewed by user U, from a content server. The external server 100 also acquires user U's purchase history (payment history), which is a history of product purchases and payment processes, from an e-commerce server or a payment processing server. The external server 100 may also acquire user U's listing history and sales history, which are a history of user U's listings on the marketplace, from the e-commerce server or the payment processing server. The external server 100 also acquires user U's posting history, which is a history of user U's posts, from a posting server or SNS server that provides a word-of-mouth posting service.

Currently, radio waves transmitted by commonly used wireless communication standards such as wireless LAN (Local Area Network) and Bluetooth (registered trademark) are sinusoidal waveforms with narrow bandwidths (frequency bands), making it impossible to deform the waveform and encode information into the waveform itself.

However, UWB (Ultra Wide Band) radio waves are not sine waves, but rather pulsed waveforms with an extremely wide bandwidth, which means that the pulse shape (strength, frequency, etc.) can be changed to a certain degree of freedom, making it possible to encode information into the pulse shape (various information can be expressed in the pulse shape).

In other words, UWB can emit pulses because they do not need to be sine waves. With UWB, the shape of the pulse (strength, frequency) can change considerably. Also, with UWB, strong and weak waves can be emitted as appropriate.

In this embodiment, user U's terminal device 10 supports UWB and transmits user U's context (situation) to surrounding terminal devices 10 using the UWB pulse shape. For example, user U's terminal device 10 transmits user U's context to surrounding terminal devices 10 using the UWB pulse strength (radio wave strength). Here, peak power is used as the pulse strength. Alternatively, user U's terminal device 10 transmits user U's context to surrounding terminal devices 10 using the UWB pulse frequency (pulse width). User U's terminal device 10 may also transmit user U's context to surrounding terminal devices 10 using a combination of UWB pulse strength and frequency patterns.

As shown in FIG. 1, user U's terminal device 10 acquires a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) user U's context from an external server 100 via a network N (see FIG. 6) (step S1). For example, user U's terminal device 10 acquires a model for estimating (inferring) context from the external server 100 based on browsing history, purchase history, email/message history, sensor information, etc.

The terminal device 10 of user U may also perform on-device machine learning to reconstruct the model and improve the accuracy of estimation. In this case, the terminal device 10 may manage a local model (terminal-side model) unique to the terminal, and the external server 100 may manage a global model (server-side model) common to all terminals. The terminal device 10 and the external server 100 may also perform machine learning in a distributed manner without aggregating data using federated learning.

User U's terminal device 10 estimates user U's context (step S2). For example, user U's terminal device 10 estimates user U's context using the acquired model (context estimation model). At this time, user U's terminal device 10 may estimate user U's context when there is a change in various information (history information, sensor information, etc.) due to user U's behavior or a change in the environment, or at a predetermined time interval (every minute, every 10 minutes, every hour, at a predetermined time every day, etc.).

User U's terminal device 10 identifies the pulse shape corresponding to the estimated context (step S3). User U's terminal device 10 has a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse shapes, and uses this table to determine the pulse shape corresponding to user U's context.

For example, user U's terminal device 10 identifies the pulse intensity according to the estimated context. At this time, user U's terminal device 10 has a table that associates combinations of context and pulse intensity, and uses this table to determine the pulse intensity according to user U's context.

User U's terminal device 10 also identifies the pulse frequency corresponding to the estimated context. At this time, user U's terminal device 10 has a table that associates contexts with combinations of pulse frequency (and pulse count) patterns, and uses this table to determine the pulse frequency (and pulse count) pattern corresponding to user U's context.

User U's terminal device 10 outputs UWB pulses with the specified pulse shape (strength, frequency) to indicate the estimated context (step S4). For example, user U's terminal device 10 outputs UWB pulses at a specified strength (radio wave strength) while keeping the frequency of the UWB pulses constant. Alternatively, user U's terminal device 10 outputs UWB pulses at a specified frequency (pulse width) while keeping the strength of the UWB pulses constant. Note that user U's terminal device 10 may also output UWB pulses at a specified strength and frequency. In other words, both the strength and frequency may be changed.

User U's terminal device 10 collects surrounding context from UWB pulses of surrounding terminal devices 10 (step S5). For example, user U's terminal device 10 estimates surrounding context based on the shape of UWB pulses received from surrounding terminal devices 10. At this time, user U's terminal device 10 may estimate surrounding context from the shape of UWB pulses received from surrounding terminal devices 10 using a model for estimating (inferring) context from UWB pulse shapes.

User U's terminal device 10 transmits information about the context to the external server 100 via the network N (see FIG. 6) (step S6). For example, user U's terminal device 10 transmits information about user U's context and the collected surrounding context to the external server 100 via the network N (see FIG. 6).

1-1. Encoding context into pulse intensity
The terminal device 10 of user U converts the user U's context into UWB pulse strength (radio wave strength) and transmits it. That is, the terminal device 10 of user U encodes the user U's context into pulse strength. Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse strength. Note that, for simplicity of explanation, the attenuation portion is omitted from the illustration.

For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 2, when user U is "outside (outdoors)," the terminal device 10 encodes user U's context into the pulse intensity by keeping the UWB pulse frequency (pulse width) constant and changing the intensity of multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "strong, weak, weak." Note that even "weak" (weak waves) are assumed to be strong enough to be recognized as pulse waves.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2(b), when user U is "indoors," the terminal device 10 encodes user U's context into the pulse intensity by keeping the UWB pulse frequency constant and changing the intensity of multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "strong, strong, weak."

At this time, the terminal device 10 of user U and the surrounding terminal devices 10 set the pulse intensity to a predetermined intensity (reference value). The surrounding terminal devices 10 can then recognize user U's context by determining how much the intensity of the first pulse from user U's terminal device 10 has changed (become stronger or weaker) relative to the predetermined intensity.

In addition, when user U is "running," the terminal device 10 may encode user U's context into the pulse intensity by keeping the UWB pulse frequency constant and changing the intensity of multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "strong, weak, weak, weak."

Furthermore, when user U is "not running," terminal device 10 may encode user U's context into the pulse intensity by keeping the UWB pulse frequency constant and changing the intensity of multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "strong, weak, strong, strong."

For example, the terminal device 10 of user U and the surrounding terminal devices 10 set the pulse strength to a predetermined strength (reference value). Then, the terminal device 10 of user U can determine how much the strength of the first pulse from the surrounding terminal devices 10 has changed (become stronger or weaker) compared to the predetermined strength, thereby recognizing, for example, that there are many people running nearby.

The first pulse of multiple consecutive pulse waves may have a predetermined intensity. Furthermore, the pulse intensity is not limited to "strong" > "weak," but may be "strong" > "medium" > "low," or may be "5" > "4" > "3" > "2" > "1." In other words, the pulse intensity is not limited to two levels, but may be multi-level. Furthermore, in order to distinguish from other terminal devices, user U's terminal device 10 may select a frequency that is different from the pulse most recently received from other terminal devices. A distant frequency may also be selected. Furthermore, user U's terminal device 10 may select a frequency randomly.

1-2. Encoding context into pulse frequency
The terminal device 10 of the user U converts the user U's context into a UWB pulse frequency (pulse width) and transmits it. That is, the terminal device 10 of the user U encodes the user U's context into the frequency of the pulse radio wave. In this embodiment, the UWB pulse waveform is represented by a pattern that combines multiple frequencies (pulse widths). FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse frequency. Note that, for simplicity of explanation, the attenuation portion is omitted from the illustration.

For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 3, when user U is "outside," the terminal device 10 encodes user U's context into the pulse frequency by keeping the UWB pulse intensity constant and changing the multiple consecutive pulse waves into a pattern such as "frequency X, frequency Y, frequency Z."

Furthermore, as shown in (b) of Figure 3, when user U is "inside," the terminal device 10 encodes user U's context into the pulse frequency by keeping the UWB pulse intensity constant and changing the multiple consecutive pulse waves into a pattern such as "frequency Y, frequency X, frequency Z."

1-3. Encoding context into pulse frequency and pulse number
The terminal device 10 of the user U may change not only the frequency (pulse width) of the UWB pulses but also the number of pulses (frequency). Furthermore, the terminal device 10 of the user U may change the combination of multiple frequencies. Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse frequency and number of pulses. For simplicity of explanation, the attenuation portion is omitted from the illustration.

For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 4, when user U is "outside," the terminal device 10 keeps the intensity of the UWB pulse constant and changes the consecutive multiple pulse waves to a pattern such as "two pulses of frequency X, one pulse of frequency Y, and one pulse of frequency Z," thereby encoding user U's context into the pulse frequency.

Furthermore, as shown in (b) of Figure 4, when user U is "inside," the terminal device 10 encodes user U's context into the pulse frequency by keeping the UWB pulse intensity constant and changing the multiple consecutive pulse waves into a pattern such as "one pulse of frequency X, two pulses of frequency Y, and one pulse of frequency Z."

Furthermore, as shown in (c) of Figure 4, when user U is "eating," the terminal device 10 encodes user U's context into the pulse frequency by keeping the UWB pulse intensity constant and changing the consecutive multiple pulse waves into a pattern such as "two pulses of frequency X and three pulses of frequency Y."

[1-4. Combinations of pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number]
Furthermore, the terminal device 10 of the user U may change the combination of the UWB pulse strength, frequency, and number of pulses. Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of changing the pulse strength, pulse frequency, and number of pulses. Note that for simplicity of explanation, the attenuation portion is not shown.

For example, as shown in (a) of Figure 5, when user U is "outside," the terminal device 10 encodes user U's context into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses) by changing the UWB pulse wave to a pattern such as "one strong pulse, one weak pulse at frequency X, three strong pulses at frequency Y, etc."

Furthermore, as shown in (b) of Figure 5, when user U is "inside," the terminal device 10 encodes user U's context into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses) by changing the UWB pulse wave to a pattern such as "two strong pulses, two weak pulses at frequency X, one strong pulse at frequency Y, etc."

Note that the pulse strength is not limited to "strong" > "weak", but may be "strong" > "medium" > "low", or "5" > "4" > "3" > "2" > "1". In other words, the pulse strength is not limited to two levels, but may be multi-level.

Furthermore, "outside" and "inside" are merely examples. In reality, the terminal device 10 may encode contexts related to various situations and actions of the user U or their surroundings into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses). Furthermore, the terminal device 10 may encode the context of "outside" or "inside" "home," "workplace," or "specific facility" into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses).

[1-5. Change only the first pulse (leading pulse)]
In UWB, multiple short and sharp pulse waves are generated. For example, if there are four pulses, four pulse waves are generated, from the first to the fourth pulse.

For example, of four pulse waves, the first pulse wave is called the first pulse (1st pulse), the second pulse wave is called the second pulse (2nd pulse), the third pulse wave is called the third pulse (3rd pulse), and the fourth pulse wave is called the fourth pulse (4th pulse). Currently, the first through fourth pulses are generally each a single pulse wave, but it is also possible to represent each pulse as a group (set) of multiple consecutive pulse waves. The number of consecutive multiple pulse waves is arbitrary.

In this embodiment, user U's terminal device 10 represents the first pulse (leading pulse) of each of the first to fourth UWB pulses as a series of multiple pulse waves, and encodes various information into the pulse shape by changing the shape pattern (intensity, frequency, etc.) of these multiple consecutive pulse waves. It is also possible to encode various information by changing the intensity of a single pulse wave, rather than using multiple consecutive pulse waves. Furthermore, this is not limited to the first pulse, and can also be the second pulse and subsequent pulses. In other words, it is possible to encode various information from the second pulse and subsequent pulses, just like the first pulse.

For example, when user U is "outside," the terminal device 10 represents the first pulse as multiple consecutive pulse waves, and changes the multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "one strong pulse at frequency X, one weak pulse, three strong pulses at frequency Y, etc.", thereby encoding user U's context into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses).

Furthermore, when user U is "inside," terminal device 10 represents the first pulse as multiple consecutive pulse waves, and changes the multiple consecutive pulse waves to a pattern such as "two strong pulses at frequency X, two weak pulses, one strong pulse at frequency Y, etc.", thereby encoding user U's context into the pulse shape (a combination of intensity, frequency, and number of pulses).

[1-6. Transmitters other than terminal devices]
As shown in FIG. 1 , the information processing system 1 may further include a transmitter 200 in addition to the terminal device 10 and the external server 100 .

The transmitter 200 supports UWB (Ultra Wide Band) and transmits information in the form of UWB pulses. In this embodiment, the transmitter 200 transmits the context of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 of the user U in the form of UWB pulses. At this time, the terminal device 10 of the user U may notify the external server 100 of the context of the transmitter 200 via the network N (see Figure 6).

For example, the transmitter 200 communicates the context of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 using the strength of the UWB pulse. Alternatively, the transmitter 200 communicates the context of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 using the frequency pattern of the UWB pulse. Furthermore, the transmitter 200 may communicate the context of the transmitter 200 to the terminal device 10 using a combination of the strength and frequency pattern of the UWB pulse.

Transmitter 200 may be an anti-loss tag such as AirTag (registered trademark), a home/building, car, home appliance, electronic device, etc. that is compatible with the Internet of Things (IOT), a terminal device owned by user U other than terminal device 10, or a terminal device owned by another user. For example, transmitter 200 may infer its current state from the measurement results of a sensor (such as an acceleration sensor) installed/connected to it, and transmit the current state to user U's terminal device 10 in the form of a UWB pulse. In practice, transmitter 200 may transmit the measurement results of the sensor itself to user U's terminal device 10 in the form of a UWB pulse. User U's terminal device 10 may then infer the current state of transmitter 200 from the shape of the UWB pulse indicating the sensor measurement results. Additionally, the terminal device 10 of the user U may notify the external server 100 via the network N (see FIG. 6) of the shape of the UWB pulse indicating the sensor measurement results or the estimated state (current state) of the transmitter 200.

When the transmitter 200 is located within a predetermined range of the user U's terminal device 10, or when the transmitter 200 is moving together with the user U's terminal device 10, the context of the transmitter 200 represents the context of the user U. In this embodiment, the transmitter 200 and the terminal device 10 are located within a distance where UWB radio waves can reach each other. In this case, the user U's terminal device 10 may infer the context of the user U based on the shape of the UWB pulse from the transmitter 200 and notify the external server 100 of the context of the user U via the network N (see Figure 6).

Furthermore, when user U's terminal device 10 itself serves as the transmitter 200, the terminal device 10 infers user U's context using various sensors installed/connected to it, and transmits user U's context to the external server 100 in the form of UWB pulses. Note that in practice, the terminal device 10 may transmit the measurement results of the various sensors to the external server 100 in the form of UWB pulses. The external server 100 may infer user U's context from the shape of the UWB pulses indicating the measurement results of the various sensors.

[2. Example of information processing system configuration]
Next, the configuration of an information processing system 1 including an external server 100 according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment includes a terminal device 10 and the external server 100. These various devices are connected to each other via a network N so as to be able to communicate with each other via a wired or wireless connection. The network N is, for example, a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet.

Furthermore, the number of devices included in the information processing system 1 shown in Figure 6 is not limited to that shown. For example, in Figure 6, only one terminal device 10 is shown to simplify the illustration, but this is merely an example and is not limiting; two or more devices may be included.

The terminal device 10 is an information processing device used by the user U. For example, the terminal device 10 may be a smart device such as a smartphone or tablet, a feature phone, a PC (Personal Computer), a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), a game console or AV equipment with communication functions, a car navigation system, a wearable device such as a smart watch or a head-mounted display, or smart glasses.

Furthermore, the terminal device 10 can connect to a network N via a wireless communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G (4th Generation), or 5G (5th Generation: fifth generation mobile communication system), or via short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or wireless LAN (Local Area Network), and communicate with the external server 100. In this embodiment, the terminal device 10 also supports UWB (Ultra Wide Band: ultra-wideband wireless communication).

The external server 100 is, for example, a PC, a server device, a mainframe, or a workstation. The external server 100 may also be implemented using cloud computing.

3. Example of terminal device configuration
Next, the configuration of the terminal device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example configuration of the terminal device 10. As shown in Fig. 7, the terminal device 10 includes a communication unit 11, a display unit 12, an input unit 13, a positioning unit 14, a sensor unit 20, a control unit 30 (controller), and a storage unit 40.

(Communication unit 11)
The communication unit 11 is connected to a network N (see FIG. 6 ) by wire or wirelessly, and transmits and receives information to and from the external server 100 via the network N. For example, the communication unit 11 is realized by a network interface card (NIC), an antenna, or the like.

(Display section 12)
The display unit 12 is a display device that displays various information such as position information. For example, the display unit 12 is a liquid crystal display (LCD) or an organic electroluminescent display (OLED). The display unit 12 is also a touch panel display, but is not limited to this.

(Input unit 13)
The input unit 13 is an input device that accepts various operations from the user U. For example, the input unit 13 has buttons for inputting letters, numbers, etc. The input unit 13 may be an input/output port (I/O port), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port, etc. In addition, when the display unit 12 is a touch panel display, a part of the display unit 12 functions as the input unit 13. In addition, the input unit 13 may be a microphone that accepts voice input from the user U. The microphone may be wireless.

(Positioning unit 14)
The positioning unit 14 receives signals (radio waves) transmitted from satellites of the GPS (Global Positioning System), and acquires, based on the received signals, location information (e.g., latitude and longitude) indicating the current location of the terminal device 10. That is, the positioning unit 14 measures the location of the terminal device 10. Note that the GPS is merely an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System).

In addition, the positioning unit 14 can determine the position using various methods other than GPS. For example, the positioning unit 14 may determine the position using various communication functions of the terminal device 10 as an auxiliary positioning means for position correction, etc., as described below.

(Wi-Fi positioning)
For example, the positioning unit 14 uses the Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication function of the terminal device 10 or the communication networks of each communication company to determine the position of the terminal device 10. Specifically, the positioning unit 14 performs Wi-Fi communication or the like to determine the distance to a nearby base station or access point, thereby determining the position of the terminal device 10.

(Beacon positioning)
Furthermore, the positioning unit 14 may measure the position by using a Bluetooth (registered trademark) function of the terminal device 10. For example, the positioning unit 14 measures the position of the terminal device 10 by connecting to a beacon transmitter connected by the Bluetooth (registered trademark) function.

(geomagnetic positioning)
The positioning unit 14 also measures the position of the terminal device 10 based on the geomagnetic pattern of the structure measured in advance and a geomagnetic sensor included in the terminal device 10 .

(RFID positioning)
Furthermore, for example, if the terminal device 10 has the functionality of an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag equivalent to a contactless IC card used at station ticket gates, in stores, etc., or has the functionality to read an RFID tag, the location of use is recorded together with information on payments, etc., made by the terminal device 10. The positioning unit 14 may obtain such information to determine the location of the terminal device 10. Alternatively, the location may be determined by an optical sensor, an infrared sensor, or the like provided in the terminal device 10.

If necessary, the positioning unit 14 may use one or a combination of the positioning methods described above to determine the position of the terminal device 10.

(Sensor unit 20)
The sensor unit 20 includes various sensors mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10. The connection may be wired or wireless. For example, the sensors may be detection devices other than the terminal device 10, such as wearable devices or wireless devices. In the example shown in FIG. 7 , the sensor unit 20 includes an acceleration sensor 21, a gyro sensor 22, a barometric pressure sensor 23, a temperature sensor 24, a sound sensor 25, a light sensor 26, a magnetic sensor 27, and an image sensor (camera) 28.

Note that the sensors 21-28 described above are merely examples and are not intended to be limiting. That is, the sensor unit 20 may be configured to include some of the sensors 21-28, or may include other sensors, such as a humidity sensor, in addition to or instead of the sensors 21-28.

The acceleration sensor 21 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor that detects the physical movement of the terminal device 10, such as the direction of movement, speed, and acceleration of the terminal device 10. The gyro sensor 22 detects the physical movement of the terminal device 10, such as tilt in three axial directions, based on the angular velocity of the terminal device 10. The air pressure sensor 23 detects, for example, the air pressure around the terminal device 10.

The terminal device 10 is equipped with the acceleration sensor 21, gyro sensor 22, barometric pressure sensor 23, etc. described above, and is therefore able to determine the position of the terminal device 10 using techniques such as pedestrian dead-reckoning (PDR) that utilize these sensors 21-23. This makes it possible to obtain location information in situations where it is difficult to obtain using positioning systems such as GPS.

For example, a pedometer using the acceleration sensor 21 can calculate the number of steps, walking speed, and distance walked. Furthermore, the gyro sensor 22 can be used to determine the user U's direction of travel, line of sight, and body tilt. Furthermore, the atmospheric pressure detected by the atmospheric pressure sensor 23 can be used to determine the altitude and floor on which the user U's terminal device 10 is located.

The temperature sensor 24 detects, for example, the temperature around the terminal device 10. The sound sensor 25 detects, for example, sound around the terminal device 10. The light sensor 26 detects the illuminance around the terminal device 10. The magnetic sensor 27 detects, for example, the geomagnetism around the terminal device 10. The image sensor 28 captures images of the area around the terminal device 10.

The above-mentioned air pressure sensor 23, temperature sensor 24, sound sensor 25, light sensor 26, and image sensor 28 can detect the environment and situation surrounding the terminal device 10 by detecting air pressure, temperature, sound, and illuminance, and capturing images of the surroundings. Furthermore, the accuracy of the location information of the terminal device 10 can be improved based on the environment and situation surrounding the terminal device 10.

(Control unit 30)
The control unit 30 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a central processing unit (CPU), read-only memory (ROM), RAM, input/output ports, and various other circuits. The control unit 30 may also be configured with hardware such as an integrated circuit, for example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA). The control unit 30 includes a transmitter 31, a receiver 32, a processor 33, an estimation unit 34, an identification unit 35, and an output unit 36.

(Transmitter 31)
The transmission unit 31 can transmit, for example, various pieces of information input by the user U using the input unit 13, various pieces of information detected by the sensors 21 to 28 mounted on or connected to the terminal device 10, and location information of the terminal device 10 measured by the positioning unit 14 to the external server 100 via the communication unit 11. In this embodiment, the transmission unit 31 requests a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11. Furthermore, the transmission unit 31 may request attribute information, history information, etc. of the user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11, as necessary.

(Receiving unit 32)
The receiving unit 32 can receive various types of information provided by the external server 100 and requests for various types of information from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11. In this embodiment, the receiving unit 32 receives a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11. Furthermore, the receiving unit 32 may receive attribute information, history information, etc. of the user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11 as necessary.

(Processing unit 33)
The processing unit 33 controls the entire terminal device 10, including the display unit 12. For example, the processing unit 33 can output various information transmitted by the transmission unit 31 and various information received by the reception unit 32 from the external server 100 to the display unit 12 for display.

Furthermore, the processing unit 33 may function as the estimation unit 34, identification unit 35, and output unit 36 described below by launching an app or executing a program.

(Estimation unit 34)
The estimation unit 34 estimates the context of the user U. For example, the estimation unit 34 estimates the context of the user U based on history information or sensor information.

In this embodiment, the estimation unit 34 estimates the context of user U using a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of user U. For example, the estimation unit 34 estimates the context of user U using a model for estimating the context of user U from user U's browsing history, purchase history, email/message history, sensor information, etc.

The estimation unit 34 also estimates the surrounding context based on the shape of the UWB pulses received from the surrounding area. For example, the estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the intensity of the UWB pulses received from the surrounding area. Alternatively, the estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the frequency of the UWB pulses received from the surrounding area.

The estimation unit 34 may estimate the surrounding context from the pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength and pulse frequency. Alternatively, the estimation unit 34 may estimate the surrounding context from the pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequency and pulse number. Alternatively, the estimation unit 34 may estimate the surrounding context from the pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse number.

(Specific part 35)
The identification unit 35 identifies the shape of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U. For example, the identification unit 35 identifies the intensity of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U. Alternatively, the identification unit 35 identifies the frequency of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U.

At this time, the identification unit 35 may identify the UWB pulse shape corresponding to the context of user U using a table that associates contexts with pulse shapes stored in the storage unit 40.

For example, the identification unit 35 identifies the UWB pulse strength according to the context of user U using a table that associates contexts with pulse strengths stored in the storage unit 40.

Alternatively, the identification unit 35 identifies the UWB pulse frequency corresponding to the context of user U using a table stored in the storage unit 40 that associates contexts with pulse frequencies.

For example, the identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of combinations of the intensities of multiple UWB pulses according to the context of user U. The identification unit 35 also identifies a pattern of combinations of multiple frequencies of UWB pulses according to the context of user U.

The identification unit 35 may identify a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength and pulse frequency according to the context of user U. Alternatively, the identification unit 35 may identify a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequency and pulse count according to the context of user U. Alternatively, the identification unit 35 may identify a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count according to the context of user U.

(Output unit 36)
The output unit 36 outputs UWB pulses with the specified pulse shape via the transmitter 31 and the communication unit 11. For example, the output unit 36 changes the intensity of the UWB pulses to the specified UWB pulses and outputs them. The output unit 36 also changes the frequency of the UWB pulses to the specified UWB pulses and outputs them.

For example, the output unit 36 modifies the UWB pulses into a pattern that combines the intensities of a specified number of pulses and outputs the modified pulses. Alternatively, the output unit 36 modifies the UWB pulses into a pattern that combines the frequencies of a specified number of pulses and outputs the modified pulses.

The output unit 36 converts the first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a series of multiple pulse waves, and then converts the series of multiple pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning into a specified pulse shape and outputs it.

For example, the output unit 36 converts the first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a series of multiple pulse waves, and changes the strength of the first pulse at the beginning of the series of multiple pulse waves to a specified pulse intensity before outputting it.

Alternatively, the output unit 36 converts the first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a series of multiple pulse waves, and converts the series of multiple pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning into a specified pulse frequency and outputs it.

The output unit 36 may change the UWB pulses to a pattern that combines a specified UWB pulse intensity and pulse frequency and output the changed pulses. Alternatively, the output unit 36 may change the UWB pulses to a pattern that combines a specified UWB pulse frequency and pulse count and output the changed pulses. Alternatively, the output unit 36 may change the UWB pulses to a pattern that combines a specified UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse count and output the changed pulses.

(Storage unit 40)
The storage unit 40 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), an optical disk, etc. The storage unit 40 stores various programs, various data, etc.

Furthermore, the storage unit 40 stores a table that associates contexts with pulse shapes. For example, the storage unit 40 stores a table that associates contexts with pulse intensities. Alternatively, the storage unit 40 stores a table that associates contexts with pulse frequencies.

The storage unit 40 may store a table associating contexts with patterns of combinations of UWB pulse strength and pulse frequency. Alternatively, the storage unit 40 may store a table associating contexts with patterns of combinations of UWB pulse frequency and pulse count. Alternatively, the storage unit 40 may store a table associating contexts with patterns of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the storage unit 40 has a context estimation model 40A and a context-pulse correspondence table 40B. The context estimation model 40A is a model for estimating (inferring) the context of user U.

(Context-Pulse Correspondence Table 40B)
The context-pulse correspondence table 40B is a table that associates contexts with patterns of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the context-pulse correspondence table 40B. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the context-pulse correspondence table 40B has items such as "context,""strength,""frequency," and "pulse count."

"Context" refers to the context obtained from user U's browsing history, purchase history, email/message history, sensor information, etc., and the context estimation model 40A. "Intensity" refers to the intensity of the UWB pulse according to the context. Note that the intensity may be a pattern that combines the intensities of multiple UWB pulses. "Frequency" refers to the frequency of the UWB pulse according to the context. Note that the frequency may be a pattern that combines the frequencies of multiple UWB pulses. "Number of pulses" refers to the number of UWB pulses according to the context. For example, the number of pulses refers to the number of times pulses are output at the above intensity and frequency.

For example, in the example shown in Figure 8, to represent the context "Working from home", it is indicated that the following combination patterns are output: "2" pulses of frequency "X" at "strong" intensity, "1" pulse of frequency "Y" at "weak" intensity, and "1" pulse of frequency "Z" at "strong" intensity.

In the example shown in Figure 8, abstract values such as "X", "Y", and "Z" are used for illustration, but "X", "Y", and "Z" are assumed to store specific information such as character strings or numerical values.

The context-pulse correspondence table 40B is not limited to the above, and may store various types of information depending on the purpose. For example, the context-pulse correspondence table 40B may store not only the context of user U, but also the surrounding context. The context-pulse correspondence table 40B may also store information regarding the location of user U. The context-pulse correspondence table 40B may also store browsing history, purchase history, email/message history, sensor information, etc., which are used as the basis for estimating the context.

[4. Example of external server configuration]
Next, the configuration of the external server 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the external server 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Fig. 9, the external server 100 includes a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130.

(Communication unit 110)
The communication unit 110 is realized by, for example, a network interface card (NIC), etc. The communication unit 110 is also connected to a network N (see FIG. 6) by wire or wirelessly.

(Storage unit 120)
The storage unit 120 is realized by, for example, a semiconductor memory element such as a random access memory (RAM) or a flash memory, or a storage device such as an HDD, an SSD, an optical disk, etc. As shown in FIG. 9 , the storage unit 120 has a user information database 121 and a history information database 122.

(User information database 121)
The user information database 121 stores user information about the user U. For example, the user information database 121 stores various information such as the attributes of the user U. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the user information database 121. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the user information database 121 has items such as "User ID (Identifier),""Age,""Gender,""Home,""Workplace," and "Interests."

"User ID" refers to identification information for identifying user U. Note that "user ID" may be user U's contact information (telephone number, email address, etc.), or may be identification information for identifying user U's terminal device 10.

Furthermore, "age" indicates the age of user U identified by the user ID. Note that "age" may be information indicating user U's specific age (e.g., 35 years old), or may be information indicating user U's generation (e.g., 30s). Alternatively, "age" may be information indicating user U's date of birth, or may be information indicating user U's generation (e.g., born in the 1980s). Furthermore, "gender" indicates the gender of user U identified by the user ID.

"Home" indicates the location information of the home of user U, who is identified by the user ID. In the example shown in Figure 10, "Home" is illustrated as an abstract code such as "LC11," but it may also be latitude and longitude information, etc. Also, for example, "Home" may be the name of an area or an address.

"Workplace" indicates the location information of the workplace (or school in the case of a student) of user U, who is identified by the user ID. In the example shown in Figure 10, "workplace" is illustrated as an abstract code such as "LC12," but it may also be latitude and longitude information, etc. Also, for example, "workplace" may be the name of a region or an address.

Furthermore, "Interests" indicate the interests of user U, who is identified by the user ID. In other words, "Interests" indicate subjects in which user U, who is identified by the user ID, is highly interested. For example, "Interests" may be search queries (keywords) that user U enters into a search engine. Note that in the example shown in Figure 10, each user U is shown with one "Interest," but there may be multiple "Interests."

For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, the age of user U identified by user ID "U1" is "20s" and the gender is "male." Furthermore, for example, the user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that his home address is "LC11." Furthermore, for example, the user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that his workplace is "LC12." Furthermore, for example, the user U identified by user ID "U1" indicates that he is interested in "sports."

In the example shown in Figure 10, abstract values such as "U1", "LC11", and "LC12" are used to illustrate the data, but "U1", "LC11", and "LC12" are assumed to store specific information such as character strings and numerical values. Below, abstract values may also be illustrated in diagrams relating to other information.

The user information database 121 is not limited to the above and may store various types of information depending on the purpose. For example, the user information database 121 may store various types of information related to the terminal device 10 of user U. The user information database 121 may also store information related to user U's demographic attributes, psychographic attributes, geographic attributes, behavioral attributes, and other attributes. For example, the user information database 121 may store information such as name, family composition, hometown (local area), occupation, job position, income, qualifications, type of residence (detached house, apartment, etc.), whether or not the user has a car, commuting time, commuting route, commuter pass area (station, line, etc.), frequently used stations (other than the station nearest to home or workplace), extracurricular activities (location, time of day, etc.), hobbies, interests, lifestyle, and the like.

(History information database 122)
The history information database 122 stores various information related to history information (log data) that indicates the behavior of the user U. Fig. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the history information database 122. In the example shown in Fig. 11, the history information database 122 has items such as "user ID,""locationhistory,""searchhistory,""browsinghistory,""purchasehistory," and "posting history."

"User ID" indicates identification information for identifying user U. "Location history" indicates the location history, which is the history of user U's locations and movements. "Search history" indicates the search history, which is the history of search queries entered by user U. "Browsing history" indicates the browsing history, which is the history of content viewed by user U. "Purchase history" indicates the purchase history, which is the history of purchases made by user U. "Posting history" indicates the posting history, which is the history of posts made by user U. "Posting history" may also include questions about user U's possessions.

For example, in the example shown in Figure 11, user U, identified by user ID "U1," moved as shown in "Location History #1," searched as shown in "Search History #1," viewed content as shown in "Viewing History #1," purchased specific products at specific stores as shown in "Purchase History #1," and posted as shown in "Posting History."

In the example shown in Figure 11, abstract values such as "U1", "Location History #1", "Search History #1", "Browse History #1", "Purchase History #1", and "Post History #1" are used for the illustration, but it is assumed that specific information such as character strings and numbers is stored in "U1", "Location History #1", "Search History #1", "Browse History #1", "Purchase History #1", and "Post History #1".

The history information database 122 is not limited to the above and may store various types of information depending on the purpose. For example, the history information database 122 may store user U's usage history of a specific service. The history information database 122 may also store user U's store visit history or facility visit history. The history information database 122 may also store user U's payment history (electronic payment) using the terminal device 10.

(Control unit 130)
9, the explanation will be continued. The control unit 130 is a controller, and is realized by, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), or the like, by executing various programs (corresponding to examples of information processing programs) stored in a storage device inside the external server 100 using a storage area such as a RAM as a working area. In the example shown in FIG. 9, the control unit 130 has an acquisition unit 131, a collection unit 132, a learning unit 133, and a provision unit 134.

(Acquisition unit 131)
The acquisition unit 131 acquires a search query input by the user U. For example, when the user U inputs a search query into a search engine or the like to perform a keyword search, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the search query via the communication unit 110. In other words, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the keywords input by the user U into the search box of a search engine, website, or app via the communication unit 110.

The acquisition unit 131 also acquires user information about user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires identification information (such as a user ID) identifying user U, location information about user U, attribute information about user U, etc. from user U's terminal device 10. The acquisition unit 131 may also acquire identification information identifying user U, attribute information about user U, etc. when registering user U. The acquisition unit 131 then registers the user information in the user information database 121 of the storage unit 120.

The acquisition unit 131 also acquires various types of history information (log data) indicating the behavior of user U via the communication unit 110. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires various types of history information indicating the behavior of user U from user U's terminal device 10 or from various servers based on the user ID, etc. Then, the acquisition unit 131 registers the various types of history information in the history information database 122 of the storage unit 120.

(Collection unit 132)
The collection unit 132 collects information about the user U and the surrounding context from the terminal device 10 of each user U via the communication unit 110.

The collection unit 132 may also aggregate information about the user U and the surrounding context and store the aggregation results in the storage unit 120.

(Learning unit 133)
The learning unit 133 performs machine learning to construct a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of the user U. For example, the learning unit 133 may perform machine learning to construct a model for estimating the context of the user U from the browsing history, purchase history, email/message history, sensor information, etc. of the user U. Furthermore, the learning unit 133 may perform machine learning to construct a model for estimating the context of a sender from the shape (intensity, frequency, etc.) of a UWB pulse received from the surrounding area.

(Providing unit 134)
The providing unit 134 provides a model (context estimation model) for estimating (inferring) the context of each user U to the terminal device 10 of each user U via the communication unit 110.

The providing unit 134 may also provide a table associating combinations of contexts and pulse shapes (intensity, frequency, etc.) to the terminal device 10 of each user U via the communication unit 110.

5. Processing Procedure
Next, a processing procedure performed by the terminal device 10 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure according to the embodiment. Note that the processing procedure shown below is repeatedly executed by the control unit 30 of the terminal device 10.

As shown in FIG. 12, the receiving unit 32 of the terminal device 10 receives a context estimation model for estimating (inferring) the context of user U from the external server 100 via the communication unit 11 (step S101).

Next, the estimation unit 34 of the terminal device 10 uses the context estimation model to estimate user U's context from user U's browsing history, purchase history, email/message history, sensor information, etc. (step S102).

Next, the identification unit 35 of the terminal device 10 identifies the shape of the UWB pulse according to the user's context (step S103). For example, the identification unit 35 may identify a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse count according to the user's context.

Then, the output unit 36 of the terminal device 10 modifies the UWB pulse to the specified pulse shape and outputs it (step S104). For example, the output unit 36 may modify the UWB pulse to a specified pattern that combines UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse count, and output it.

Next, the receiver 32 of the terminal device 10 receives UWB pulses from other terminal devices 10 and transmitters 200 in the vicinity (step S105). For example, the receiver 32 receives UWB pulses from a terminal device 10 that is within range of UWB radio waves and supports the present invention (changing and outputting UWB pulse shapes according to context).

Next, the estimation unit 34 of the terminal device 10 estimates the surrounding context from the shape of the received UWB pulse (step S106). For example, the estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context from the pattern of combinations of the intensity, frequency, and number of pulses of the received UWB pulse.

Next, the transmission unit 31 of the terminal device 10 transmits information about the user U and the surrounding context to the external server 100 via the communication unit 11 (step S107).

6. Modifications
The terminal device 10 and the external server 100 described above may be implemented in various different forms other than the above embodiment. Therefore, modifications of the embodiment will be described below.

In the above embodiment, some or all of the processing performed by the external server 100 may actually be performed by the terminal device 10. For example, processing may be completed in a stand-alone manner (by the terminal device 10 alone). In this case, the terminal device 10 is assumed to have the functions of the external server 100 in the above embodiment. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the terminal device 10 is linked to the external server 100, so from the perspective of the user U, it appears that the processing of the external server 100 is also being performed by the terminal device 10. In other words, from another perspective, the terminal device 10 can also be said to be equipped with the external server 100.

Furthermore, while the above embodiment has been described using UWB (Ultra Wide Band) as an example, in reality it is not limited to UWB. For example, other communication standards that, like UWB, can be used in a pulse format, change the pulse shape, and transmit information using the pulse shape.

7. Effects
As described above, the information processing device (terminal device 10 and external server 100) according to the present application includes an estimation unit 34 that estimates the context of user U, an identification unit 35 that identifies the shape of a UWB pulse according to the context of user U, and an output unit 36 that outputs a UWB pulse with the identified pulse shape.

The estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the shape of the UWB pulses received from the surrounding area.

The estimation unit 34 estimates the context of user U based on history information or sensor information.

For example, the identification unit 35 identifies the intensity of the UWB pulse according to the context of user U. The output unit 36 changes the UWB pulse to the identified UWB pulse intensity and outputs it.

The estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the strength of UWB pulses received from the surrounding area.

The identification unit 35 also identifies the frequency of the UWB pulse according to the context of the user U. The output unit 36 converts the UWB pulse to the identified UWB pulse frequency and outputs it.

The estimation unit 34 estimates the surrounding context based on the frequency of UWB pulses received from the surrounding area.

The information processing device according to the present application further includes a storage unit that stores a table that associates contexts with pulse shapes. The identification unit 35 uses the table to identify the UWB pulse shape corresponding to the context of user U.

The storage unit stores a table that associates contexts with pulse strengths. The identification unit 35 uses the table to identify the UWB pulse strength according to the user U's context.

The storage unit stores a table that associates contexts with pulse frequencies. The identification unit 35 uses the table to identify the UWB pulse frequency according to the user U's context.

The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of combinations of the intensities of multiple UWB pulses according to the context of user U. The output unit 36 converts the UWB pulses into the identified pattern of combinations of the intensities of multiple pulses and outputs the converted pulses.

The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of a combination of multiple UWB pulse frequencies according to the context of user U. The output unit 36 converts the UWB pulses into the identified pattern of a combination of multiple pulse frequencies and outputs it.

The output unit 36 converts the first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a series of multiple pulse waves, and then converts the series of multiple pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning into a specified pulse shape and outputs it.

The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength and pulse frequency according to the context of user U. The output unit 36 converts the UWB pulses into the identified pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength and pulse frequency and outputs the converted UWB pulses.

The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequencies and pulse counts according to the context of user U. The output unit 36 converts the UWB pulses into the identified pattern of combinations of UWB pulse frequencies and pulse counts and outputs the converted UWB pulses.

The identification unit 35 identifies a pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count according to the context of user U. The output unit 36 converts the UWB pulses into the identified pattern of combinations of UWB pulse strength, pulse frequency, and pulse count, and outputs the converted UWB pulses.

By using any one or a combination of the above processes, the information processing device according to the present application can transmit information in the form of UWB pulses, separate from data transmission.

8. Hardware Configuration
The terminal device 10 and the external server 100 according to the above-described embodiments are realized by a computer 1000 having a configuration as shown in Fig. 13, for example. The external server 100 will be described below as an example. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration. The computer 1000 is connected to an output device 1010 and an input device 1020, and has a configuration in which a calculation device 1030, a primary storage device 1040, a secondary storage device 1050, an output I/F (Interface) 1060, an input I/F 1070, and a network I/F 1080 are connected via a bus 1090.

The arithmetic unit 1030 operates based on programs stored in the primary storage device 1040 and secondary storage device 1050, programs read from the input device 1020, and the like, and executes various processes. The arithmetic unit 1030 is realized, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), MPU (Micro Processing Unit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), etc.

The primary storage device 1040 is a memory device, such as RAM (Random Access Memory), that primarily stores data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations. The secondary storage device 1050 is a storage device in which data used by the arithmetic device 1030 for various calculations and various databases are registered, and is realized by a ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), SSD (Solid State Drive), flash memory, etc. The secondary storage device 1050 may be internal storage or external storage. The secondary storage device 1050 may also be a removable storage medium such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SD (Secure Digital) memory card. The secondary storage device 1050 may also be cloud storage (online storage), NAS (Network Attached Storage), a file server, etc.

The output I/F 1060 is an interface for transmitting information to be output to an output device 1010 that outputs various types of information, such as a display, projector, printer, etc., and is realized by a connector conforming to a standard such as USB (Universal Serial Bus), DVI (Digital Visual Interface), or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface, registered trademark). The input I/F 1070 is an interface for receiving information from various input devices 1020, such as a mouse, keyboard, keypad, buttons, scanner, etc., and is realized by USB, for example.

Furthermore, the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070 may be wirelessly connected to the output device 1010 and the input device 1020, respectively. In other words, the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be wireless devices.

Furthermore, the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 may be integrated, such as a touch panel. In this case, the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070 may also be integrated as an input/output I/F.

The input device 1020 may be a device that reads information from, for example, optical recording media such as CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), and PDs (Phase Change Rewritable Disks), magneto-optical recording media such as MOs (Magneto-Optical Disks), tape media, magnetic recording media, or semiconductor memories.

The network I/F 1080 receives data from other devices via the network N and sends it to the computing device 1030, and also transmits data generated by the computing device 1030 to other devices via the network N.

The arithmetic unit 1030 controls the output device 1010 and the input device 1020 via the output I/F 1060 and the input I/F 1070. For example, the arithmetic unit 1030 loads a program from the input device 1020 or the secondary storage device 1050 onto the primary storage device 1040 and executes the loaded program.

For example, when the computer 1000 functions as the external server 100, the arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 realizes the functions of the control unit 130 by executing a program loaded onto the primary storage device 1040. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also load a program acquired from another device via the network I/F 1080 onto the primary storage device 1040 and execute the loaded program. The arithmetic unit 1030 of the computer 1000 may also link with other devices via the network I/F 1080 and call and use program functions, data, etc. from other programs on the other devices.

[9. Other]
Although the embodiments of the present application have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the contents of these embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described components include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art, those that are substantially the same, and those that are within the scope of so-called equivalents. Furthermore, the above-described components can be combined as appropriate. Furthermore, various omissions, substitutions, or modifications of the components can be made without departing from the spirit of the above-described embodiments.

Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically using known methods. In addition, the information including the processing procedures, specific names, various data, and parameters shown in the above documents and drawings can be changed as desired unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each drawing is not limited to the information shown.

Furthermore, the components of each device shown in the figure are functional concepts and do not necessarily have to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific form of distribution and integration of each device is not limited to that shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit depending on various loads, usage conditions, etc.

For example, the external server 100 described above may be implemented using multiple server computers, and depending on the function, the configuration can be flexibly changed, such as by calling an external platform using an API (Application Programming Interface) or network computing.

Furthermore, the above-described embodiments and variations can be combined as appropriate to the extent that the processing content is not contradictory.

Furthermore, the "section, module, unit" mentioned above can be read as "means" or "circuit." For example, an acquisition unit can be read as an acquisition means or an acquisition circuit.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing system 10 Terminal device 34 Estimation unit 35 Identification unit 36 Output unit 40A Context estimation model 40B Context-pulse correspondence table 100 External server 110 Communication unit 120 Storage unit 121 User information database 122 History information database 130 Control unit 131 Acquisition unit 132 Collection unit 133 Learning unit 134 Provision unit 200 Transmitter

Claims (10)

An information processing device used as a terminal device capable of UWB communication,
an estimation unit that estimates a context of the user using a model for estimating a context related to the user's behavior, situation, or surrounding environment from history information or sensor information of the user of the terminal device;
an identification unit that identifies a UWB pulse frequency according to the estimated context of the user using a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse frequencies;
an output unit that, in UWB communication, changes the pulse frequency and outputs UWB pulses at the specified pulse frequency, thereby transmitting information at the pulse frequency separately from data transmission;
An information processing device comprising: the estimation unit estimates a context around the user based on frequencies of UWB pulses received from terminal devices around the user;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a transmission unit that transmits information about the user's context and the context around the user to an external server. the identification unit identifies a pattern of a combination of a plurality of frequencies of UWB pulses according to a context of the user;
3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit converts UWB pulses into a pattern that is a combination of a specified number of pulse frequencies and outputs the converted pulses. The device further includes a receiving unit that is compatible with UWB and can transmit, from a transmitter that transmits information at a UWB pulse frequency, a context relating to the status of the transmitter or a surrounding environment at the UWB pulse frequency;
4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the estimation unit estimates the context of the transmitter based on a frequency of a UWB pulse received from the transmitter. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the output unit converts a first pulse at the beginning of the UWB pulses into a plurality of consecutive pulse waves, and converts the plurality of consecutive pulse waves that are the first pulse at the beginning into a specified pulse frequency and outputs the converted pulse frequency. the identification unit identifies a pattern of a combination of UWB pulse intensity and pulse frequency according to the user's context;
6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit changes the UWB pulses into a pattern that is a combination of a specified UWB pulse intensity and pulse frequency and outputs the changed pulses. the identification unit identifies a pattern of a combination of a frequency and a number of pulses of UWB pulses according to a context of the user;
7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the output unit converts the UWB pulses into a pattern that is a combination of a specified UWB pulse frequency and pulse number and outputs the converted UWB pulses. the identifying unit identifies a pattern of a combination of UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number according to the user's context;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the output unit changes the UWB pulses to a pattern that is a combination of a specified UWB pulse intensity, pulse frequency, and pulse number, and outputs the changed pattern. An information processing method executed by an information processing device used as a terminal device capable of UWB communication,
an estimation step of estimating a context of the user using a model for estimating a context related to the user's behavior, situation, or surrounding environment from history information or sensor information of the user of the terminal device;
a step of identifying a UWB pulse frequency corresponding to the estimated user context using a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse frequencies;
an output step of outputting UWB pulses at the specified pulse frequency by changing the pulse frequency in UWB communication, thereby transmitting information at the pulse frequency separately from data transmission;
An information processing method comprising: an estimation procedure for estimating a context of a user using a model for estimating a context related to the user's behavior, situation, or surrounding environment from history information or sensor information of the user of a terminal device capable of UWB communication;
a step of identifying a UWB pulse frequency corresponding to the estimated user context using a table that associates combinations of contexts with pulse frequencies;
an output procedure for transmitting information at a pulse frequency separately from data transmission by changing a pulse frequency and outputting UWB pulses at a specified pulse frequency in UWB communication;
An information processing program for causing a computer used as a terminal device capable of UWB communication to execute the above.