JP2002099612A - Face-to-face teaching system and face-to-face teaching method using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system which allows an expert such as a licensed tax accountant and a counselor to effectively instruct a customer. SOLUTION: An instructor's terminal 2 that an instructor operates and a user's terminal 1 that a user who is instructed by the instructor operates are connected together in a two-way communicable state through a communication network 3. The same state and environment as the picture display state and the operation environment of application software run on the user's terminal. Thus, the user being instructed is reproduced in real time on the instructor's terminal and the instruction that the instructor performs by the application software reproduced on the instructor's terminal is also reproduced in real time on the user's terminal. The instructor and user perform those operations while viewing moving pictures of the opposite operators projected by photographing devices attached to the respective terminals.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a teaching system for receiving advice from a specialist through a personal computer connected to a communication network.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In many people's lives, there are many situations where the advice of a tax accountant or a lawyer or the like is required, and if this becomes a business owner, such situations often occur. For example, there are various kinds of consultations, such as tax consultation, consultation on preparing accounting statements, and consultation on preparing contracts. Especially when preparing official documents, there are detailed agreements that can only be understood by experts, and the advice of specialists such as tax accountants and lawyers is extremely valuable.

[0003]

[Problems to be solved by the invention] From these experts,
There are many companies that seek guidance from these experts because they can obtain appropriate advice based on their abundant knowledge and practical experience, but the companies that actually use them are only a part of all companies. Reality.

[0004] This is because there is a recognition mismatch between the company seeking the guidance and the expert providing the guidance.
This mismatch is most typically manifested in the valuation of advisory fees. For example, in order to receive kind guidance from specialists such as tax accountants and lawyers, it is necessary to pay a fixed amount of advisory fee and sign an advisory contract on a daily basis,
Such advisory fees are too burdensome for small businesses. For small businesses, there is a feeling that it is not always necessary to consult on a daily basis, and that the company only needs to be consulted when it is necessary. There is resistance to paying the fee continuously.

[0005] On the other hand, from the point of view of the expert, even though the frequency is low, since it is to visit a client company and provide guidance, a certain amount of time including travel time is required. It takes time to perform maintenance and preliminary research, and it is not as efficient as possible in consulting cases as the management of the client company thinks, and there is a feeling that regular income in the form of advisory fee is required at a minimum. is there. As described above, there is a gap in the sense between the customer side and the expert side, but the world is moving faster to eliminate such a gap. The move is an increase in social pressure for corporate managers to modernize and make their businesses more transparent.For experts, competition for customer acquisition has been made by increasing the number of qualified professionals through the qualification test system reform. It is intensifying. Advice from tax accountants and lawyers is indispensable for the modernization and transparency of management, and intensifying competition for customers by increasing the number of qualified employees will encourage the reduction of advisory fees and the shift to guidance styles that do not depend on advisory fees. Nevertheless, there are no proposals for new ways of contacting tax accountants or professionals who anticipate such social changes.

The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and proposes a measure for resolving a recognition mismatch between an expert and a customer, thereby providing benefits to both the expert and the customer. It is intended to propose a new form of customer guidance by specialists who can provide a sufficient guidance effect.

[0007]

Means for Solving the Problems As a result of studying to solve such problems, the present inventor first conceived of providing customer guidance using a personal computer connected via a communication network. According to this method, the travel time required for visiting the customer can be reduced, and the input time per customer can be reduced. However, upon further study, they found that simply providing guidance by connecting a personal computer via a communication network had little effect. For example, requests to experts include reports to government agencies and guidance on the creation of externally published documents, but simply exchanging the created documents by PC communication will use the received data as it is as document data. There is only an advantage that it can be done, but otherwise there is no big difference from communicating by fax. The ideal form of customer guidance according to the present invention is a form in which the instructor and the instructed person work in close cooperation with each other to complete the object while performing collaborative work. It encourages the growth and independence of people. In this form, cooperative work enhances the sense of unity with the customer and encourages the customer's independence, and in the future, provides guidance that focuses on pointing out points rather than being buried in small details. Be able to move to the form. The present invention completed from this viewpoint has the following configuration. The invention according to claim 1 is characterized in that a faculty terminal operated by a faculty is connected to a user terminal operated by a user receiving guidance from the faculty via a communication network so as to be capable of two-way communication. In a teaching system in which a professor uses a device to guide a user, the professor terminal and the user terminal are provided with a photographing device that captures a moving image of the operator of the own device, and the professor terminal includes a user. Means to reproduce the screen display state of the application software running on the user terminal and the same state and environment as the operating environment on the user terminal in real time on the user terminal to receive guidance, and to reproduce on the user terminal Means for reproducing, in real time, on a user terminal, a teaching operation performed by a professor on the screen display state of the application software and the operating environment of the application software. The software installed on both the professor terminal and the user terminal has a moving image of the other operator photographed by the photographing device on the same screen as the operation screen of the application software to be instructed. Is a face-to-face teaching system, characterized in that the face-to-face teaching system is provided with a face-to-face means for displaying a face-to-face state and realizing a face-to-face state with the opponent operator.

[0008] Here, the application software refers to accounting software such as financial accounting software and business software such as word processor software, and refers to software necessary for receiving expert guidance on a terminal device. . In this system, a screen having exactly the same content as the screen displayed on the user terminal is also displayed on the professor terminal. Then, if the professor operates the professor terminal and changes the content displayed on the screen, the change is immediately reflected on the display content of the user terminal, and the changed display screen of the professor terminal is displayed. The same content is displayed on the user terminal. These operations are performed while facing the moving image of the opponent's operator, and communication with the opponent is drastically progressed with accompanying facial expressions and gestures.

Preferably, the meeting means has an audio reproducing function in addition to the moving image / video reproducing function. The video reproduction and the audio reproduction are maintained in real time so that there is no deviation from the behavior of the transmission side. This refers to what is called a video phone. Providing a voice playback function makes communication easier and provides more effective guidance.

[0010] The user and the professor work together while looking at the same screen of the same application software, but the following places are conceivable as installation destinations of the application software to be instructed by the user. . The first case is when the application software is installed on both the user terminal and the professor terminal. In this case, both terminals perform various arithmetic processes through application software installed in their own devices, and the results are shared with the partner device. Second, the application software is installed only on the user terminal. In this case, the professor terminal remotely controls the user terminal and operates application software on the user terminal. Third, the application software is installed on a server of an application service provider connected to both terminals via a communication network. In this case, both the user terminal and the professor terminal access the application software installed on the server of the application provider to give an instruction, and display the processing result on the own terminal.

It is preferable that the area for displaying the moving image of the other operator is provided at a position adjacent to the operation screen of the application software to be instructed. By providing them at adjacent positions, the moving image and the operation screen of the application software do not overlap, and the operation can be performed while always watching the moving image of the other party.

[0012] It is preferable to provide an area for displaying the self-image adjacent to the area for displaying the moving image of the other-side operator so that the self-transmitted image can be confirmed.

As application software to be instructed, accounting software including numerical calculation processing is considered.
In this case, the numerical values on the accounting statements corrected by the tax accountant who is the professor through the professor terminal are reflected in real time on the numerical values on the accounting software on the user terminal.

The application software receiving the instruction is
It may be word processor software that creates legal documents such as contracts. In this case, the corrected portion of the legal document modified by the lawyer who is the professor through the professor terminal is reflected in real time on the text of the legal document on the user terminal.

[0015] In many cases, the user is a company, but guidance to individuals is not excluded. For example, the application software to be instructed may be language learning software. In this case, the corrected part of the foreign language document corrected by the language teacher who is the professor through the professor terminal,
This will be reflected in the text of the foreign language document on the user terminal in real time. In addition, when a voice reproduction function is provided, voice guidance can be provided, and the guidance effect can be enhanced by maximizing the function as a videophone.

[0016]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The details of the present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing one embodiment of the present invention, in which 1 is a user terminal (customer terminal), and 2 is a professor terminal. Dedicated terminal devices and personal computers are used as these terminals.
Photographing devices 1a and 2a for photographing the operator are attached. As the photographing devices 1a and 2a, C that can be easily miniaturized
It is preferable to use a CD camera. Photographing devices 1a, 2
“a” is set so that the upper body is in the shooting range so that the expressions and gestures of the user and the professor can be transmitted. User terminal 1
In addition, software for linking the two terminals is installed in the professor terminal 2. This software has a function of reproducing the screen display state of application software (for example, financial accounting software) operated on the user terminal and the same state and environment as the operation environment on the teacher terminal in real time. In addition, it has a function of reproducing and executing a guidance operation performed by the teacher on the screen display state of the application software reproduced on the teacher terminal and the operation environment thereof on the user terminal in real time. As software having such a function, for example, LAPLI
NK (registered trademark of LapLink.com, Inc., USA) is available as remote control software.

The user terminal 1 and the professor terminal 2 are connected via a communication network 3. Although the use of a dedicated line is not excluded as the communication network 3, a public line is usually used. In terms of infrastructure development, it is advantageous to use the Internet even among public lines.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the display contents displayed on the display of each terminal device. The moving image of the opponent operator is displayed on the lower side adjacent to the operation screens 4 and 4 'of the application software to be instructed. Are displayed on the other party image display areas 6, 6 ', which are areas for displaying the moving image, and self image display areas 5, 5', which are areas for displaying the own moving image, are provided. This shows a situation in which the user receives guidance while operating the operation screen of the application software while talking face-to-face. The self-image display areas 5 and 5 'are not necessarily provided, but are preferably provided from the viewpoint of confirming a transmission image. The above arrangement relationship between the partner image display areas 6 and 6 and the self image display areas 5 and 5 is a default relationship, and this relationship can be appropriately changed according to the preference of the operator. The size of the display area can be freely set.

Various kinds of application software are provided for receiving instruction. In the example shown in the figure, a transfer slip is displayed, and while the tax accountant, a professor, is teaching the preparation of accounting statements, he noticed an error in the user's bookkeeping and corrected this error by correcting the transfer slip. It assumes a phase that is about to be resolved. For example, such a screen operation says, "This error is caused by a mistake in the transfer slip. Let's fix the transfer slip." Then, the user terminal 1 is remotely controlled. It can be assumed that the transfer slip is displayed and the numerical value in the item of the transfer slip is corrected. In this case, the tax accountant is the professor terminal 2
The numerical value 4a 'of the relevant item of the transfer slip 4' displayed on the display is corrected to obtain the corrected total value 4b '. When the numerical value 4a' of the relevant item is corrected, This correction is immediately reflected in the numerical value 4a of the corresponding item in the transfer slip 4 displayed on the display of the user terminal 1, and the numerical value 4a is immediately replaced with the numerical value 4a ', and at the same time, the total value 4b is also changed. It is recalculated and coincides with the total value 4b '. In this way, not only the point of correction is pointed out, but also the remote control of the user terminal to rewrite the data on the user terminal, and this rewriting involves the facial expressions and gestures of the moving image. Since it is performed after a sufficient explanation, it is possible to surely deepen the understanding of the user while performing the quick processing. In the case of the present embodiment, all operations performed on the professor terminal are reflected on the user terminal, and the same movement of the cursor on the professor terminal is performed on the user terminal. Although reproduced, it is also within the scope of the present invention to partially prohibit the reflection on the user terminal.

As described above, the present system is intended to complete the work jointly while observing the expressions and gestures of the other party. However, there are various patterns for the installation destination of the application software to be instructed by the user. Conceivable. First of all, an example is considered in which application software is installed in both the user terminal and the professor terminal. Here, a communication coordination function to operate the application software installed on both terminals in cooperation is required,
This function may be provided integrally with the application software, or may be provided in the form of an environment program separated from the application software. FIG. 4 shows an example of this case, in which a remote control program, which is one form of the communication cooperation function, is introduced into both the user terminal and the professor terminal.

The application software to which the user is instructed is [1] when installed on both the user terminal and the professor terminal, [2] when installed only on the user terminal, and [3] as shown in FIG. Can be assumed to be installed on a server 7 of an application service provider connected to both terminals via a communication network. In the case of [1], it is necessary to perform arithmetic processing independently on each of the user terminal and the professor terminal so that the processing results can be matched between the two terminals.
In the case of [2], the professor terminal accesses the application software on the user terminal, acquires display screen information to be displayed on the professor terminal, and provides guidance by remotely controlling the user terminal. Will be. In the case of [3],
Both the user terminal and the professor terminal access the application software installed on the server 7 of the application service provider, and while both terminals share this application software, the two terminals rewrite data from their respective positions. Will be done.

Here, the explanation has been given by taking as an example the preparation of accounting statements by a tax accountant. However, the present invention is useful to receive the guidance of a specialist, and it is possible to finish the object while performing joint work. If it is a business, it can be applied. These include contract drafting by lawyers using word processor software, language teaching guidance by language teachers using language learning software, patents by patent attorneys using word processing software and CAD software. Application guidance and the like.

[0023]

The face-to-face teaching system and the face-to-face teaching method of the present invention operate the operation screen of the application software displayed on the self-terminal together with the moving image of the other operator, and immediately display the operation contents. Since the same operation screen is displayed on the other party's terminal and transmitted to the other party's terminal, the user can have the professor directly correct errors in data etc. on his own terminal, and this correction is This is done while receiving a kind explanation accompanied by the expression and gesture of the professor, so that the work can be completed early while deepening the user's understanding and promoting the user's independence. In addition, since the professor can provide guidance without visiting the user's company, the travel time can be significantly reduced, and the time spent on each customer can be significantly reduced. As a result, customers will be able to deal with lower advisory fees and a fee structure that is independent of advisory fees.

When the face-to-face means is provided with a sound reproducing function in addition to the moving picture image reproducing function, communication between the user and the professor is further promoted.

[0025] As in the invention according to claim 4, the user is provided with the application software to be instructed only in the user terminal, or as in the invention according to claim 5, both terminals are connected to the communication network. When installed on the server of the connected application service provider, the user terminal and the professor terminal share the same application software installed in the same location, so it is necessary to match data between both terminals There is no.

As in the invention according to claim 6, when the area for displaying the moving image of the opponent operator is provided at a position adjacent to the operation screen of the application software to be instructed, the moving image is displayed on the operation screen. There is no overlap, and a friendly and easy-to-understand instruction with the expression and gesture of the other operator can be received.

According to the present invention, an area for displaying a self-image is provided adjacent to an area for displaying a moving image of the other-side operator, and the self-image for confirming a transmission image is displayed in the area. In this case, it is possible to confirm whether or not the photographing device is working normally and to evaluate whether or not his / her own expression and gesture are appropriate.

In the case where the application software to be instructed is accounting software including numerical calculation processing as in the invention according to the ninth aspect, the numerical values on the accounting statements corrected by the tax accountant through the professor terminal can be used in real time by the user. It can be reflected in the numerical value on the accounting software on the terminal, and the speed of business processing is remarkably improved as compared with the conventional system that only points out the corrected part and does not make the correction.

When the application software to be instructed is word processor software for creating legal documents such as a contract, as in the invention according to claim 10, the legal documents modified by a lawyer through a professor terminal are modified. Since the location can be reflected in the text of the legal document on the user terminal in real time, the task of preparing the legal document can be completed early while deepening the user's understanding of the legal document creation. Can be.

[0030] When the application software to be instructed is language learning software as in the invention according to claim 11, the corrected portion of the foreign language document corrected by the language teacher who is the professor through the professor terminal is processed in real time. Since it can be reflected in the text of the foreign language document on the user terminal, the creation of the foreign language document can be completed early while deepening the basic knowledge of the foreign language document creation by the user.
In addition, when the meeting means has a voice reproduction function, a guidance effect can be obtained by maximally utilizing the function as a videophone, such as performing voice guidance.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a screen display example for correcting a transfer slip.

FIG. 3 is another embodiment of the present invention and is an explanatory diagram showing a case where an application program is installed on a server of an application service provider.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram hierarchically expressing the configurations of a user terminal and a professor terminal;

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 User terminal 1a Imaging device 2 Faculty terminal 2a Imaging device 3 Communication network 4, 4 'Transfer slip 4a, 4a' Numeric value of applicable item 4b, 4b 'Total value 5, 5' Self-image display area 6, 6 'Opponent Video display area 7 server

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A professor terminal operated by a professor and a user terminal operated by a user receiving guidance from the professor are connected via a communication network so as to be capable of two-way communication,
In a teaching system in which a professor instructs a user using these terminal devices, the professor terminal and the user terminal are provided with a photographing device that captures a moving image of the operator of the own device, and the professor terminal includes: Means for reproducing the screen display state of the application software running on the user terminal and the same state and environment as the operation environment on the user terminal in real time on the user terminal in order for the user to receive guidance; A software having a means for reproducing the screen display state of the application software reproduced in the above and a guidance operation performed by the professor on the operating environment on the user terminal in real time is installed, and the professor terminal and The software installed on both user terminals includes the above-mentioned imaging device on the same screen as the operation screen of the application software to be instructed. Reflects the other side the operator of the moving image photographed Te, face-to-face teaching system, characterized in that it allowed comprising a facing means for realizing the facing state of the other party operator. 2. The face-to-face teaching system according to claim 1, wherein the face-to-face means has a sound reproduction function in addition to the moving picture video reproduction function. 3. The face-to-face teaching system according to claim 1, wherein application software for receiving guidance from the user is installed on both the user terminal and the professor terminal. 4. The face-to-face teaching system according to claim 1, wherein the user is instructed, but the application software is installed only on the user terminal. 5. The meeting according to claim 1, wherein the application software to which the user is instructed is installed on a server of an application service provider connected to the professor terminal and the user terminal via a communication network. Expression teaching system. 6. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an area for displaying a moving image of the other-side operator is provided at a position adjacent to an operation screen of application software to be instructed.
The face-to-face teaching system described in the section. 7. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an area for displaying a self image is provided adjacent to an area for displaying a moving image of the other party's operator, and a self image for confirming a transmission image is displayed in said area. 2. The face-to-face teaching system according to claim 1. 8. A professor terminal operated by a professor and a user terminal operated by a user receiving guidance from the professor are connected via a communication network so as to be capable of two-way communication. The screen display state of the application software operated on the user terminal and the same operating environment as the operating environment for receiving guidance are reproduced on the faculty terminal in real time, and the application software reproduced on the faculty terminal is reproduced. On the other hand, the teaching operation performed by the professor is reproduced in real time on the user terminal, and these operations are performed by the professor and the user. A face-to-face teaching method designed to be performed while watching. 9. The application software to be instructed is accounting software including numerical calculation processing, and the accounting software corrected by a tax accountant who is a professor through a professor terminal through the accounting software on a user terminal in real time. 9. The face-to-face teaching method according to claim 8, which is reflected in the above numerical values. 10. The application software to be instructed is word processor software for creating a legal document such as a contract, and the corrected part of the legal document corrected by a lawyer who is a professor through a professor terminal is recorded in real time. 9. The face-to-face teaching method according to claim 8, wherein the face-to-face teaching method is reflected in the text of a legal document on the user terminal. 11. The application software to be instructed is language learning software, and the foreign language document on the user terminal can be updated in real time on the foreign language document corrected by the language teacher who is the professor through the professor terminal. 9. The face-to-face teaching method according to claim 8, wherein the face-to-face teaching method is reflected on the text of the subject.