JPH0314036A - State transition table evaluating device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To facilitate evaluation of the convenience for the use of a system and to perform objective evaluation by discriminating whether the number of inputs of each state is smaller than a reference value or not based on a state transition table. CONSTITUTION:A state transition table storage means 101 where the state transition table is stored, a state set generating means 102 which generates a set of all states appearing in the state transition table, and a state-classified input number counting means 103 which receives the output of the means 102 to count the number of inputs which each state as an element of the state set can receive are included. A reference value storage means 105 where the reference value with which the number of inputs should be compared is stored and an input number evaluating means 104 which outputs the result of comparison between the reference value and the number of inputs are included also. Thus, it is automatically discriminated whether the number of inputs of each state of the system, whose operation is described with the state transition table, exceeds the reference value or not to automatically discriminate the part due to the number of inputs, which the state can receive, at the time of evaluating the convenience for the use of the system.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to a device for evaluating whether a system that performs control based on a state transition table is easy for humans to use.

(Conventional technology) Conventionally, in order to evaluate whether or not a system that operates through human-machine interaction is easy for humans to use, we have conducted surveys of humans who have used the system, and A method used was to record on video the utterances and actions of the person during the process. Regarding the method of taking questionnaires and analyzing the results, there is a discussion in the Information Processing Society of Japan's 38th (first half of 1989) National Conference 2L, 3 [Study of Menu Screen Evaluation Methods] by Yonemura et al. Regarding the method of recording and analyzing motion on video, see the Proceedings of the 3rd Human Interface Symposium of the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers (1988).
7) [Usability evaluation of Japanese WP using protocol analysis method (Asahi et al.) J].

(Problem to be solved by the invention) However, the conventional methods of analyzing whether a system is easy for humans to use by taking a questionnaire or using videos are very time-consuming and However, this method had the disadvantage that the results differed depending on the subjectivity of the analyst.

The present invention provides a system whose operation is described by a state transition table.
By automatically determining whether the number of inputs for each state exceeds the standard value, it is possible to automatically evaluate the usability of a system, which has been difficult in the past, due to the number of inputs that can be accepted for each state. It is intended to determine the This means that when the number of human forces from a certain state exceeds a standard value in the operation of a system, the people using that system will
This is because the system is often difficult to use because it becomes difficult to remember the possible inputs in each state.

(Means for Solving the Problems) A state transition table evaluation device of the present invention is a state transition table evaluation device that evaluates the usability of a system from a state transition table and outputs the evaluation result. Referring to a state transition table storage means for storing a table, and the state transition table storage means,
a state set creation means for creating a set of all states that appear in the state transition table; and a state-by-state system that receives the output of the state set creation means and counts the number of inputs that each state that is an element of the state set can accept. Input number counting means, reference value storage means for storing a reference value for comparison with the input number, and receiving the output of the state-specific input number counting means, and comparing the reference value with reference to the reference value storage means. It is characterized by comprising an input number evaluation means for outputting a result of comparison with the input number.

(Operation) The operation of the present invention will be explained using FIGS. 3 and 4. Third
The figure is a diagram showing an example of a state transition table. This figure shows that when in state 1, if there is an input, the state shifts to state 2. If state 1 and state 2 are the same, this indicates that even if there is an input, the internal state of the system does not change at all, for example, only by displaying something. When such a state transition table exists, the state transition table evaluation device of the present invention first creates a set of all states that appear in state 1 and state 2. In the case of FIG. 3, they are Sl, S2, S3, and S4. Next, for every state, count the number of inputs that the state can accept, ie, the number of inputs to that state. Figure 4 shows this in a table.

For example, state S1 can accept 1 and k2 manually, so the number of inputs is 2. Next, the number of inputs for each state is compared with a pre-stored reference value. For example, if 3 is stored as the reference value, in the example of FIG. 4, the number of inputs is 4 in state S2, which exceeds the reference value. In the evaluation column of FIG. 4, cases where the number of manpower is below the reference value are indicated by ○, and cases where the number of manpower exceeds the reference value are indicated by ×. As a result, a system that operates as shown in the state transition table in Figure 3 has a large number of inputs in state S2, making it difficult for humans to remember the possible inputs, and making it difficult to use. It turns out that there is a gender.

(Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention. 1
01 is a state transition table storage means, which can be realized using a semiconductor memory, a disk, or the like. 102 is a state set creation means for creating a set of all states that appear in the state transition table, and 103 is a state set creation means for creating a set of all states that appear in the state transition table, and 103 is a state set creation means for creating a set of all states that appear in the state transition table, and 103 for each state with reference to the state transition table storage means 101 for all the states that are elements of the state transition table. 104 is a state-by-state input number counting means for counting the number of inputs that can be accepted, and an input number evaluation means for comparing the number of inputs in each state with a reference value. 102.103.104 can be realized using a microprocessor or the like.

A reference value storage means 105 stores reference values for evaluating the number of inputs, and can be realized using a semiconductor memory, a disk, or the like.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of processing when evaluating a state transition table using the apparatus configured as shown in FIG. first,
The state set creation means 102 stores the state transition table storage means 101.
A set of all states appearing in the state transition table is created with reference to (201). Next, the state-by-state input number counting means 103 calculates, for each state that is an element of the set created in step 201,
Count the manpower that the state can accept (20
2). Next, the input number evaluation means 104 compares the number of inputs for each state counted in 202 with the reference value stored in the reference value storage means 105, and determines whether the number of inputs for each state is less than or equal to the reference value. Determine whether the standard value is exceeded and output.

(Effect of the invention) As shown above, by determining whether the number of inputs for each state is below the reference value based on the state transition table,
It is possible to automatically find parts of a system's operation that are difficult for humans to remember, making it easier to evaluate the system's ease of use, and improving the ability to evaluate the system, which was previously dependent on the subjectivity of the evaluator and was inconsistent. Be able to do it objectively.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a flowchart of processing when evaluating a state transition table using the device of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a state transition table. ,
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an output example of the result of evaluating the state transition table of FIG. 3. In the figure, 101...state transition table storage means, 102
... state set creation means for creating a set of all states, 10
3... State-specific input number counting means for counting acceptable inputs for each state, 104... Input number evaluation means for comparing and evaluating the number of inputs with a reference value, 105... For evaluating the number of inputs Reference value storage means 201 to 203 . . . Processing when evaluating the state transition table.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A state transition table evaluation device that evaluates the usability of a system from a state transition table and outputs the evaluation result, comprising a state transition table storage means for storing the state transition table, and a reference to the state transition table storage means. and state set creation means for creating a set of all states that appear in the state transition table, and receiving the output of the state set creation means and calculating the number of inputs that each state that is an element of the state set can accept. a state-specific input number counting means for counting, a reference value storage means for storing a reference value for comparison with the input number, and receiving the output of the state-specific input number counting means, while referring to the reference value storage means. A state transition table evaluation device comprising: input number evaluation means for outputting a result of comparing the reference value and the input number.