JP2022019441A - Communication system, communication method, and communication program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a communication system which can provide information on an answer in which the user can put his or her confidence, as an answer desired by the user, by cooperative operation of automatic response systems, a communication method, and a communication program.SOLUTION: A communication system includes a plurality of automatic response systems (information processing apparatuses 10A-10E) cooperating with each other to automatically respond to text information indicating the contents of an inquiry from a user. An automatic response system (information processing apparatus 10A) in a first layer includes: a receiving unit which receives text information; a request unit which issues, by the automatic response system in the first layer, a request to a plurality of automatic response systems (information processing apparatuses 10B, 10C) in a second layer for answer information to the text information; and an output unit which outputs display information by associating the number of answer candidates which are candidates of answer held by the automatic response systems in the second layer to the inquiry contents, as answer information, with identification information representing the automatic response systems in the second layer.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a communication system, a communication method, and a communication program, and is particularly used for in-house chat and the like.

In recent years, technologies related to communication systems in which computers interact on behalf of humans have been developed.

For example, there is a communication system that provides an instant messaging service using a relay chatbot that relays a plurality of chatbots (see Patent Document 1).

Further, there is also a communication system provided with a plurality of means for understanding intentions and efficiently determining an appropriate domain from the content of a user's statement (see Patent Document 2).

There is also a communication system that can change the connection destination to a more appropriate chatbot server device even when a chatbot server device is providing a chat service (see Patent Document 3). ).

There is also a communication system that can reduce predetermined costs such as time and effort while improving the accuracy of answers by hybridizing a rule-based algorithm and an AI-based algorithm (see Patent Document 4).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-114254 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-70957 Japanese Patent No. 6489670 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-56969

By the way, in the case of the communication system of Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the response to the question message can be derived only from one chatbot selected by the relay chatbot. Further, since a plurality of processing devices cooperate with each other and a response can be derived from only one processing device, there is a problem that the load is concentrated on the processing device. In addition, since a server is used, the network that can be linked is premised on the network of the same company or the same service.

Further, in the case of the communication system shown in Patent Document 2, there is a problem that a step of determining whether the dialogue mode is task-oriented or non-task-oriented is required, and processing takes time. In addition, there is no domain determination processing, and it is necessary to make inquiries to all the linked automatic response systems so that the processing time and processing load of the entrance automatic response system are not applied.

Further, in the case of the communication system shown in Patent Document 3, there is a problem that a chat service is provided from a chatbot server device which is not so suitable until the connection destination is changed to a more suitable chatbot server device. Further, as in the case of Patent Document 1, a relay server (intermediary server) is required, and as in the case of Patent Document 2, only the inference of the field (domain) is performed and the introduction of a specific answer is not performed. There is also the problem that the specific information that the system has can only be known after the user has changed the connection destination.

Further, in the case of the communication system shown in Patent Document 4, since a plurality of automatic response systems exist when the number of automatic response systems increases, there is a problem that the user does not know where the answer exists. .. All of the above-mentioned automatic response systems return a prima facie answer, but there is a problem that even if the answer may have a more optimal answer for the user, it cannot be noticed.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and by allowing the automatic response systems to cooperate with each other and operate in cooperation with each other, the user gives confidence in the answer as the answer requested by the user. It is possible to provide information that can be used, the processing load can be distributed so that the load is not concentrated on one processing device (it works even with old equipment and inexpensive processing equipment), and independent individuality (specialty and clear demarcation point of responsibility). The purpose is to provide a communication system, a communication method, and a communication program that can be operated and nurtured in another person in charge or another organization as an automatic response system having).

In order to solve the above problems, the communication system according to one aspect of the present invention is a communication system in which a plurality of automatic response systems cooperate and automatically respond to text information indicating the content of a question from a user. As response information, a reception unit in which the first-tier automatic response system accepts text information, a request unit in which the first-tier automatic response system requests response information for text information from a plurality of second-tier automatic response systems, and Output that outputs display information by associating the number of answer candidates, which are answer candidates held by multiple second-tier automatic response systems, with the identification information indicating each second-tier automatic response system. It has a department.

In the above communication system, the first-layer automatic response system may receive text information, and the first-layer automatic response system may transmit response information to the user.

In the above communication system, the first-layer automatic response system may accept the selection of the automatic response system that creates the response information from the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems.

In the above communication system, the requesting unit may make an inquiry to a plurality of second-layer automatic response systems only when the first-layer automatic response system cannot respond to the text information.

In the above communication system, when the user selects the second-layer automatic response system in which the number of response candidates for the text information is transmitted, the output unit may list the contents of the response information in more detail.

In the above communication system, when the reception unit accepts one selection from the user from the list of answer information, the request unit selects the detailed data corresponding to the selected answer. The detailed data acquired from the automatic response system of the hierarchy and acquired by the request unit may be output by the output unit.

In the above communication system, the output unit may output the total number of answer candidates held for each of the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems.

In the above communication system, an authority setting unit is further provided, and the authority setting unit permits the first-layer automatic response system to have the authority to request inquiries to a plurality of second-layer automatic response systems, and a plurality of automatic response systems. The second-tier autoresponder system may be configured not to allow the first-tier autoresponder system to have the authority to request inquiries.

In the above communication system, the authority setting unit can communicate with one of the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems, both the first-tier automatic response system and the second-tier automatic response system. Allows the autoresponder system of the third layer to have the authority to make an inquiry request, and the autoresponder system of the third layer has the authority to make an inquiry request to one of multiple second layer autoresponder systems. It may be configured not to allow.

In the above communication system, the authority setting unit may not grant the authority for the other one of the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems and the third-layer automatic response system to mutually request inquiries.

In the above communication system, the route information providing unit is further provided, and when the route information providing unit makes an inquiry about text information to a plurality of second-layer automatic response systems by the first-layer automatic response system, which inquiry is made. Whether or not it is necessary for a plurality of second-tier automatic response systems to make an inquiry request to the third-tier automatic response system according to the route information that provides route information indicating whether or not the route was performed. It may be possible to control so that the same automatic response system is not requested for duplicate answers.

In the above communication system, mutual inquiry request between one of the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems and the other one of the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems can be set by both parties. It may be that.

In the above communication system, a vocabulary that collects terms commonly used by an administrator, an automatic response system of the first layer, a plurality of automatic response systems of the second layer, and an automatic response system of the third layer. Data may be shared.

In the above communication system, the first-layer automatic response system, the second-layer automatic response system, and the third-layer automatic response system each notify the higher-level automatic response system at startup and notify the operation status. Depending on the content, the upper automatic response system may manage the operating status of the first layer automatic response system, the second layer automatic response system, and the third layer automatic response system.

In order to solve the above problems, the communication method according to one aspect of the present invention is a communication method in which a plurality of automatic answering systems cooperate and automatically respond to text information indicating the content of a question from a user. A reception step in which the first-tier automatic response system accepts text information, an acquisition step in which the first-tier automatic response system acquires response information for text information from a plurality of second-tier automatic response systems, and a question as answer information. An output step that outputs display information by associating the number of answer candidates that are answer candidates held by multiple second-tier automatic response systems with the identification information indicating each second-tier automatic response system. , Equipped with.

In order to solve the above problems, the communication program according to one aspect of the present invention is a communication program in which a plurality of automatic answering systems cooperate and automatically responds to text information indicating the content of a question from a user. The computer has a reception function in which the first-tier automatic response system accepts text information, an acquisition function in which the first-tier automatic response system acquires answer information for a question from multiple second-tier automatic response systems, and answer information. Output that outputs display information by associating the number of answer candidates that are answer candidates held by multiple second-tier automatic response systems with the identification information indicating each second-tier automatic response system. Realize the function.

In the communication system according to one aspect of the present invention, the automatic response systems cooperate with each other to operate in cooperation with each other, so that the number of answer candidates requested by the user can be quickly grasped and a more advanced service can be provided. Can be done. By displaying the number of answer candidates, it is possible to understand how many answers can be given to the user's question in the entire communication system. On the other hand, more optimal information can be obtained as an answer. In addition, as an automatic response system that can distribute the processing load (operates with old equipment and inexpensive processing equipment) so that the load is not concentrated on one processing device, and has an independent individuality (specialty and clear demarcation point of responsibility). , Can be operated and nurtured within another person in charge or another organization.

It is a figure which shows the structural example of the communication system by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the communication system by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the information processing terminal by one Embodiment of this invention. This is an example of a screen display displayed on an information processing terminal according to an embodiment of the present invention. This is another example of the screen display displayed on the information processing terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. This is another example of the screen display displayed on the information processing terminal according to the embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the cooperation between the automatic response systems by one Embodiment of this invention. (A) is a block diagram showing an inquiry function of an automatic response system according to an embodiment of the present invention. (B) is a block diagram showing an inquiry function of an automatic response system according to an embodiment of the present invention. (A) is a block diagram showing a response function of an automatic response system according to an embodiment of the present invention. (B) is a block diagram showing a response function of an automatic response system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a block diagram which shows the vocabulary data sharing function of the automatic response system by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the access control function of the automatic response system by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the operation status management function of the automatic response system by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the inquiry function of the automatic response system by another embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the answer function of the automatic response system by another embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the communication method by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of cooperation between the automatic response systems of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of cooperation between the automatic response systems of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of cooperation between the automatic response systems of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of cooperation between the automatic response systems of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the summary of the flow of cooperation between the automatic response systems shown in FIGS. 7 to 12.

Hereinafter, the communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

The communication system according to the embodiment of the present invention is a communication system that automatically responds to text information indicating the content of a question from a user by cooperation between automatic response systems.

Specifically, in the communication system 1, the upper layer automatic response system requests an answer to the lower layer automatic response system in response to the text information input by the user, and the acquired answer information is presented as an answer to the user. You may.

Further, specifically, the communication system 1 may be realized by connecting the information processing apparatus and the information processing terminal via a network.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a communication system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 1 includes information processing devices (servers) 10A to 10E, an information processing terminal 20, and a network 30. The information processing devices 10A to 10E provide a service for responding to a user's question by a chat system to the information processing terminal 20 used by the user via the network 30. The number of information processing devices 10 may be a plurality as shown in FIG. The information processing device 10A represents a first-layer automatic response system, the information processing devices 10B and 10C represent a second-layer automatic response system, and the information processing devices 10D and 10E represent a third-layer automatic response system. Specifically, for example, the automatic response system of the first layer may be the automatic response system of the general affairs department, and the automatic response system of the second layer is the automatic response system of the accounting department and the automatic response system of general affairs. The automatic response system of the third layer may be an automatic response system in the planning and development room or an automatic response system in the information system room.

In the example of FIG. 1, the information processing device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 are configured as different devices via the network 30, but these devices are included in the same device. May be good. For example, even if each configuration that provides the functions of the information processing device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 is incorporated in the communication robot, the communication robot provides the user with a service that realizes a chat system. good. In this case, by changing the learning data in the communication robot, it is possible to construct a communication system capable of responding to various specialized knowledge. The configurations that provide the functions of the information processing device 10 and the information processing terminal 20 are not limited to the communication robot, and may be included in any device.

The network 30 plays a role of connecting the information processing device 10 and the information processing terminal 20. The network 30 may be, for example, a wired network or a wireless network. The network 30 includes an intranet, a virtual private network (VPN), a local area network (LAN), a wireless LAN (wireless LAN: WLAN), a wireless WAN (wireless WAN: WWAN), and the Internet. Part of, Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Mobile phone network, ISDNs (integrated services digital network), Wireless LANs, LTE (long term network) Can include sanitary communications.

The information processing apparatus 10 has a function of providing a chat-related service to the information processing terminal 20. The information processing device 10 is, for example, a server device, but is not limited to the server device, and may be a computer such as a desktop, a laptop, or a tablet. The information processing device 10 is not limited to these devices, and may be any device.

The information processing terminal 20 may be, for example, a computer such as a smartphone, a mobile phone, a desktop, a laptop, or a tablet, a PDA (portable digital assistant), or a wearable terminal (glass-type device, clock-type device, or the like). The information processing terminal 20 is not limited to these devices, and may be any device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing apparatus 10. The information processing device 10 includes information processing devices 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, and 10E, which are a control unit 11 (CPU), a reception unit 12, a request unit 13, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, an authority setting unit 16, and each of them. A route information providing unit 17 is provided. The hardware components of the information processing apparatus 10 are connected to each other via, for example, a bus. Each of the information processing devices 10A, 10B, 10C, 10D, and 10E may function as an independent automatic response system that directly receives and answers a question (access from the information processing terminal 20) from the user. In FIG. 2, since the information processing devices 10D and 10E do not have the lower layer information processing device 10 due to the system configuration shown in FIG. 1, the request unit 13 is excluded, but the information processing devices 10D and 10E are also requested units. 13 may be possessed.

The information processing device 10A includes a control unit 11 (CPU), a reception unit 12, a request unit 13, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, an authority setting unit 16, and a route information providing unit 17. The hardware components of the information processing apparatus 10A are connected to each other via, for example, a bus. The control unit 11 includes an input processing unit 110, a first-layer automatic response system 111, and an output processing unit 116.

The information processing device 10B includes a control unit 11 (CPU), a reception unit 12, a request unit 13, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, an authority setting unit 16, and a route information providing unit 17. The hardware components of the information processing apparatus 10B are connected to each other via, for example, a bus. The control unit 11 includes an input processing unit 110, a second-layer automatic response system 112, and an output processing unit 116.

The information processing device 10C includes a control unit 11 (CPU), a reception unit 12, a request unit 13, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, an authority setting unit 16, and a route information providing unit 17. The hardware components of the information processing apparatus 10C are connected to each other via, for example, a bus. The control unit 11 includes an input processing unit 110, a second-layer automatic response system 113, and an output processing unit 116.

The information processing device 10D includes a control unit 11 (CPU), a reception unit 12, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, an authority setting unit 16, and a route information providing unit 17. The hardware components of the information processing apparatus 10D are connected to each other via, for example, a bus. The control unit 11 includes an input processing unit 110, a third-layer automatic response system 114, and an output processing unit 116.

The information processing device 10E includes a control unit 11 (CPU), a reception unit 12, an output unit 14, a storage unit 15, an authority setting unit 16, and a route information providing unit 17. The hardware components of the information processing apparatus 10E are connected to each other via, for example, a bus. The control unit 11 includes an input processing unit 110, a third-layer automatic response system 115, and an output processing unit 116.

As described above, the automatic response system 111 is the first layer automatic response system, the automatic response systems 112 and 113 are the second layer automatic response systems, and the automatic response systems 114 and 115 are the third layer automatic response. It is a system. The first to third tiers may be a tier in which there is a large department in the company and branches into smaller departments, and the first tier may be a coordinating department in the company such as the general affairs department. The second level may be other departments such as the accounting department and general affairs, and the third level may be a more specialized department such as the planning and development room or the information system room.

The control unit 11 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or the like. The control unit 11 is not limited to these examples, and may be any type. The functional configuration of the control unit 11 will be described later.

The reception unit 12 is a communication interface for receiving various data via the network 30. The reception unit 12 has a function of executing communication with the information processing terminal 20 via the network 30. Further, the reception unit 12 receives the text information transmitted from the information processing terminal 20 and transmits it to the control unit 11. The reception unit 12 of the information processing devices 10B to 10E receives questions from a higher-level device than the reception unit 12 of the information processing device 10A.

The request unit 13 requests a plurality of second-layer automatic response systems to respond to the text information received by the reception unit 12. The request unit 13 has a function of receiving an input from a user and transmitting information related to the input to the control unit 11. The requesting unit 13 may make an inquiry to the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113 only when the first-layer automatic response system 111 cannot respond to the text information. The request unit 13 of the information processing apparatus 10A requests an inquiry from the first-layer automatic response system 111 to the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113. The requesting unit 13 of the information processing devices 10B and 10C requests an inquiry from the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 to the third-tier automatic response systems 114 and 115.

The output unit 14 outputs display information by associating the number of answer candidates held by the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 with the identification information indicating each second-tier automatic response system. .. The output unit 14 may output the total number of answer candidates held for each of the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113. Further, the output unit 14 may output not only the number of answer candidates but also the answer itself. The output unit 14 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an OELD (organic electroluminescence display). The output unit 14 is not limited to these examples, and may be a head-mounted display (HMD) or the like. Further, the output by the output unit 14 may be by voice.

The storage unit 15 has a function of storing various programs and various data required for the information processing apparatus 10 to operate. The storage unit 15 is realized by various storage media such as HDD, SSD, and flash memory. The information processing apparatus 10 may store the program in the storage unit 15, execute the program, and the control unit 11 may execute the processing as each unit included in the control unit 11. The program causes the information processing apparatus 10 to realize each function executed by the control unit 11.

The authority setting unit 16 sets the authority to request an inquiry between the automatic response systems. The authority setting unit 16 of the information processing apparatus 10A permits the automatic response system 111 of the first layer to have the authority to request inquiries to the automatic response systems 112 and 113 of the second layer, and the information processing apparatus 10B and 10C The authority setting unit 16 of the above may be configured so as not to allow the second-layer automatic response system 112 and 113 to have the authority to request an inquiry to the first-layer automatic response system 111.

The authority setting unit 16 of the information processing devices 10B and 10C includes one of the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113, the first-tier automatic response system 111, and the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113. Also, it is permitted to have the authority to request inquiries to the third-tier automatic response systems 114 and 115 that can communicate with each other, and the authority setting unit 16 of the information processing devices 10D and 10E is the third-tier automatic response system 114 and The 115 may be configured not to allow one of the second-tier automated response systems 112 and 113 to be authorized to make an inquiry request.

The authority setting unit 16 of the information processing devices 10B and 10C and the authority setting unit 16 of the information processing devices 10D and 10E are the other one of the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113, the third-tier automatic response system 114, and the third-tier automatic response system 114. It may be possible that 115 and 115 do not grant the authority to make inquiries to each other.

The route information providing unit 17 provides route information indicating the route by which the inquiry was made when the inquiry was made between the automatic response systems. When the route information providing unit 17 of the information processing apparatus 10A makes an inquiry about text information to the automatic response system 112 and 113 of the second layer by the automatic response system 111 of the first layer, the inquiry is made by what route. The route information providing unit 17 of the information processing apparatus 10B and 10C provides the route information indicating whether or not the information has been lost, and the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113 are set according to the route information, and the third-layer automatic response system 114. It may be determined whether or not it is necessary to make an inquiry request to and 115, and control is performed so that the same automatic response system is not repeatedly requested to answer.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing terminal 20. The information processing terminal 20 includes a control unit 21 (CPU), a communication unit 22, an input / output unit 23, a display unit 24, a microphone / speaker 25, and a storage unit 26. Each component of the hardware configuration of the information processing terminal 20 is connected to each other via, for example, a bus.

The control unit 21 may be, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, an ASIC, an FPGA, or the like. The control unit 21 is not limited to these examples, and may be any type. The functional configuration of the control unit 21 will be described later.

The communication unit 22 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving various data via the network 30. The communication unit 22 has a function of executing communication with the information processing device 10 via the network 30. The communication unit 22 receives various data transmitted from the information processing device 10 and transmits the various data to the control unit 21.

The input / output unit 23 is realized by a device that inputs various operations to the information processing terminal 20. The input / output unit 23 has a function of receiving an input from a user and transmitting information related to the input to the control unit 21. The input / output unit 23 is a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, a microphone, and the like. When the input / output unit 23 is a touch panel, the input / output unit 23 detects contact with an indicator such as a user's finger or a stylus and the contact position thereof, and transmits the coordinates of the contact position to the control unit 21. The input / output unit 23 is not limited to these examples, and may be any device.

The display unit 24 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an OELD. The display unit 24 is not limited to these examples, and may be a head-mounted display (HMD) or the like. The display unit 24 can display display data such as images, text information, and 3D according to the display data written in the frame buffer.

The microphone / speaker 25 is used for inputting voice data or outputting voice data. The information processing terminal 20 can input / output predetermined data by using the voice data by the microphone / speaker 25.

The storage unit 26 has a function of storing various programs and various data required for the information processing terminal 20 to operate. The storage unit 26 is realized by various storage media such as HDD, SSD, and flash memory. The information processing terminal 20 may store the program in the storage unit 26, execute the program, and the control unit 21 may execute the processing as each unit included in the control unit. The program causes the information processing terminal 20 to realize each function executed by the control unit 21.

Further, the program of each embodiment of the present disclosure may be provided in a state of being stored in a storage medium readable by a computer. The storage medium can store the program in a "non-temporary tangible medium". The storage medium can include any suitable storage medium such as HDD or SSD, or a suitable combination of two or more thereof. The storage medium may be volatile, non-volatile, or a combination of volatile and non-volatile. The storage medium is not limited to these examples, and may be any device or medium as long as the program can be stored.

The information processing apparatus 10 and / or the information processing terminal 20 realizes the functions of the plurality of functional units shown in each embodiment by, for example, reading a program stored in a storage medium and executing the read program. be able to. Further, the program may be provided to the information processing apparatus 10 and / or the information processing terminal 20 via an arbitrary transmission medium (communication network, broadcast wave, etc.). The information processing apparatus 10 and / or the information processing terminal 20 realizes the functions of the plurality of functional units shown in each embodiment by executing a program downloaded via, for example, the Internet.

The program may be described in, for example, Python, Node. It can be implemented using a script language such as js, Javascript (registered trademark), an object-oriented programming language such as Swift, Java (registered trademark), Kotlin, a markup language such as HTML5, and the like.

At least a part of the processing in the information processing apparatus 10 and / or the information processing terminal 20 may be realized by cloud computing composed of one or more computers.

As shown in FIG. 3, the information processing terminal 20 has an input processing unit 210, a communication processing unit 211, and a display processing unit 212 as functions realized by the control unit 21.

The input processing unit 210 receives input from the user via the input / output unit 23. For example, the input processing unit 210 receives input of text information from the user via the input / output unit 23 which is a keyboard or a touch panel. Further, the input processing unit 210 receives input of voice data from the user via, for example, the microphone / speaker 25.

Here, the text information and voice data input by the user include the content that the user wants to inquire, the content that the user wants to solve, and the content (question text) that the user wants to ask. The information input by the user may be business-related content such as a business inquiry or question. For example, the information entered by the user may be business-related, such as "Please tell me how to pay insurance premiums" or "Please tell me what kind of perspective you have regarding investment standards." Further, the information input by the user may be, for example, an inquiry or question regarding the content of laws and regulations or internal rules. For example, the information input by the user may be related to laws and regulations or company rules, such as "I want to know the content of the provisions regarding taking leave under the Labor Standards Act" or "Please tell me how to claim expenses." good. Further, the information input from the user may be, for example, content related to specialized technology or specifications (standardization). For example, the information input from the user may be related to specialized technology or specifications (standardization) such as "I want to know the principle of the capacitance method" or "I want to know the standard of handover in LTE". ..

As in these examples, the information entered by the user is related to business-related content such as investment standards, internal rules for employees, and other information already owned and managed by the company, as well as laws and regulations and specialized technology. It may include information related to information created, managed, and held by the government, public institutions, etc., such as standardized contents.

Further, the text information and voice data input from the user may include contents such as greetings and chats. The information entered by the user is a general greeting such as "What is your name?", "My name is XX.", "What is your favorite color?" And chat-level questions may be included.

As in these examples, the information input by the user may include general greetings, chats, and the like. The information input by the user is not limited to these examples, and may be any information or data.

The input processing unit 210 transmits the received information and data from the user to the communication processing unit 211 and the display processing unit 212. The input processing unit 210 may convert voice data or the like received from the user into text information and transmit it to the communication processing unit 211 and the display processing unit 212.

Further, the input processing unit 210 may have a function of detecting the contact position of the contact when an operating body such as a human finger or a stylus comes into contact with the touch panel (input / output unit 23). The input processing unit 210 detects, for example, a contact point at a position where the operating body touches the touch panel.

The operating body that inputs an operation such as a finger or a stylus touches an arbitrary position of the display unit 24 to input a predetermined operation. The predetermined operation input may be any, for example, a touch, a tap, a flick, or a swipe on the display screen. By performing a predetermined operation input, the operating body causes the terminal 20 to execute various processes such as inputting characters and selecting a predetermined icon.

The operation body moves away from the touch panel, for example, "tap" or "touch" when the operation body touches the touch panel, and "slide" or "swipe" when the operation body moves while touching on the touch panel. This is expressed, for example, as "release".

The communication processing unit 211 executes a process of transmitting the information and data transmitted from the input processing unit 210 to the information processing device 10 via the communication unit 22. Further, the communication processing unit 211 transfers the information and data received from the information processing device 10 via the communication unit 22 to the display processing unit 212. When the communication processing unit 211 receives the voice data from the information processing apparatus 10, the communication processing unit 211 may transmit the voice data to the microphone / speaker 25.

The display processing unit 212 executes, for example, a process of displaying information input from the user on the display unit 24 according to a predetermined format. The display processing unit 212 executes, for example, a process of displaying the information input from the user on the display unit 24 according to the chat format. The display processing unit 212 does not necessarily have to display in a chat format, and may display in any format.

Further, the display processing unit 212 executes a process for displaying the information and data received from the information processing device 10 on the display unit 24. The display processing unit 212 performs processing for displaying predetermined information or data, which is a response to the information input by the user, received from the information processing device 10 on the display unit 24 according to a predetermined format. The display processing unit 212 executes, for example, a process of displaying predetermined information or data received from the information processing apparatus 10 on the display unit 24 according to a chat format.

As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing apparatus 10 includes an input processing unit 110, an automatic response system 111 of the first layer, and automatic response systems 112 and 113 of the second layer as functions realized by the control unit 11. , A third-tier automatic response system 114 and 115, and an output processing unit 116.

The input processing unit 110 receives input of text information received from the information processing terminal 20 via the reception unit 12. The input processing unit 110 accepts, for example, input of text information such as "I want to know how to confirm payment". Further, the input processing unit 110 accepts, for example, input of text information such as "What is your name?". The input processing unit 110 outputs the text information that has received the input to the automatic response system 111 of the first layer.

The automatic response system 111 of the first layer executes a process of searching whether or not a predetermined character string is included in the text information input from the input processing unit 110. The predetermined character string is a predetermined character string, for example, "name is" or "nice to meet you". The predetermined character string is not limited to these examples, and may be any character string. Further, the automatic response system 111 of the first layer performs a syntactic analysis of the text information, extracts a term included in the text information, and searches for data including the term. Further, the automatic response system 111 of the first layer transmits the term obtained as a result of analyzing the text information as a question to the lower automatic response system as a question.

Each of the predetermined character strings is associated with a response to the text information including the predetermined character string. When the input text information includes a predetermined character string, the automatic response system 111 of the first layer outputs a response to the predetermined character string to the output processing unit 116. The automatic response system 111 of the first layer refers to the storage unit 15 and identifies the answer associated with the predetermined character string.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing which automated response system holds how many responses. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, in response to the user's question "What criteria do you have for investment information?", The first-tier automatic response system 111 has eight cases, and the second-tier automatic response system 111. The response system 112 returns 6 responses, the 2nd layer automatic response system 113 returns 4 responses, the 3rd layer automatic response system 114 returns 2 responses, and the 3rd layer automatic response system 115 returns 1 response. To the right of the number of responses, a "View Answers" button is displayed. When this "view answer" button is pressed, the answer is expanded as shown in FIG.

FIG. 5 shows a second-tier automatic response system having an answer selected by the first-tier automatic response system 111 from the answers returned by the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 shown in FIG. It is a diagram that expands the answers that I have. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, if the first-tier autoresponder system 111 selects the answer returned by the second-tier autoresponder system 112, the answer returned by the second-tier autoresponder system 112. But answer 1. ..., 2. ..., 3. ... and so on. To the right of them is a "View Details" button. When this "view details" button is pressed, the details of the answer are displayed as shown in FIG.

FIG. 6 is a diagram displaying detailed data of the result selected by the automatic response system 111 of the first layer from the answers developed in FIG. For example, as shown in Fig. 6, Answer 1 is displayed as "... The details of ... are as shown below. You can enlarge the charts by touching them." The details of "..." are displayed in sentences and charts.

FIG. 7 shows an example of cooperation between automatic response systems. The user 70 uses the information processing terminal 20 to communicate with the information processing device 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111. That is, when the user 70 uses the information processing terminal 20 to send a question message to the information processing apparatus 10A having the first layer automatic response system 111, the information processing apparatus 10A having the first layer automatic response system 111 asks the question. The message is received and the response information is transmitted to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70. The information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111 is sent from the user 70 to the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113. The information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113, respectively, have information having the first-tier automatic response system 111. The answer is transmitted to the processing device 10A. Further, the information processing device 10B having the second-layer automatic response system 112 and the information processing device 10C having the second-layer automatic response system 113 have information having the third-layer automatic response system 114 which is the lower layer. A question message is transmitted to the information processing device 10D having the processing device 10D and the third layer automatic response system 115, respectively, and the information processing device 10D having the third layer automatic response system 114 and the third layer automatic response system 115. The information processing apparatus 10E having In FIGS. 7 to 14, the information processing device 10B communicates with the information processing device 10D, but the information processing device 10B may communicate with the information processing device 10E. In this case, the information processing device 10C does not have to communicate with the information processing device 10E. Further, although the information processing device 10C communicates with the information processing device 10E, the information processing device 10C may communicate with the information processing device 10D. In this case, the information processing device 10B does not have to communicate with the information processing device 10D.

As shown in FIG. 7, the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111 holds QA data 31, document data 32, and vocabulary data 33. The information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 have QA data 51, document data 52, vocabulary data 53, QA data 61, and document data, respectively. 62, vocabulary data 63 is held. The information processing apparatus 10D having the third-tier automatic response system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115 have QA data 71, document data 72, vocabulary data 73, and QA data 81, respectively. It holds data 82 and vocabulary data 83.

The QA data is data of a question and an answer to the question, and is data of a general question and an answer for answering. Document data is data of specialized documents in the field to which various questions belong, for example, specialized documents related to investment. Vocabulary data is data of technical terms used within an organization, for example, technical terms related to investment.

FIG. 8 shows an inquiry method as a reception management function of the communication system 1.

In FIG. 8A, the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111 receives an inquiry from the user 70, the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112, and the second-tier automatic response system. A synchronous inquiry method is shown in which an information processing apparatus 10C having 113 is requested to process in parallel at the same time. That is, when the user 70 sends a question message to the information processing device 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111, the information processing device 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111 receives the question message and processes information. If the device 10A has an answer to the question, the automatic response system 111 is used to directly send the answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70, and if the information processing device 10A does not have the answer, the automatic response of the second layer is performed. A question message is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10B having the system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113. The information processing device 10B having the second-layer automatic response system 112 and the information processing device 10C having the second-layer automatic response system 113 each create an answer and send it to the first-layer automatic response system 111. The first-tier automatic response system 111 transmits the answer to the user 70. As an example, this synchronous inquiry method is performed by using REST communication (HTTP communication) in the intranet. When REST communication is used, communication (request) is performed from the first-tier automatic response system to the second-tier automatic response system, but the first-tier automatic response system to which a global IP address is assigned is used. On the other hand, since the automatic response system of the second layer or lower is placed inside the firewall (or PROXY), it has only a private IP address. Therefore, it is not possible to communicate from the first-layer automatic response system to the second-layer automatic response system. In order to solve this problem, the lower layer automatic response system repeatedly monitors the upper layer automatic response system for questions in a short time, and if a question comes, receives the question and processes it. (Polling process).

FIG. 8B is the same synchronous inquiry method as FIG. 8A, but is a diagram showing a flow as seen from a lower-level automatic response system. When the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 receive a question from the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111. , The same question is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10D having the third-tier automatic response system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115, which are lower-level automatic response systems, and the third-tier automatic response. When an answer is received from the information processing apparatus 10D having the system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115, the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the second-tier automatic response are received. Along with the answer possessed by the information processing apparatus 10C having the system 113, the answer is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10A having the automatic response system 111 of the first layer that has transmitted the question. Further, when the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 receive a question directly from the user 70, the information processing apparatus 10C directly answers the user 70. To send. In FIG. 8B, the arrow points in the opposite direction to that in FIG. 8A, and although there is a slight time lag after asking the question, the answer arrives at the terminal 20 of the user 70 after the question is different. It does not mean that it will be timing.

FIG. 9 shows a response method as a reception management function of the communication system 1.

In FIG. 9A, the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111 and the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 having inquiry response candidates to the user 70 and the first layer. Information processing device 10C having a two-layer automatic response system 113 is introduced, and information processing device 10B having a second-layer automatic response system 112 at the introduction destination (transition destination) and information processing device 10B having a second-layer automatic response system 113 are introduced. The "introduction type" answer method which returns the answer from the processing apparatus 10C to the user 70 is shown. First, when the user 70 sends a question message to the information processing device 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111, the information processing device 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111 receives the question message and second. A question message is transmitted to the information processing device 10B having the layered automatic response system 112 and the information processing device 10C having the layered automatic response system 113. The information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 each have the number of answer candidates as the information processing apparatus having the first-tier automatic response system 111. Send to 10A. When the information processing apparatus 10A having the automatic response system 111 of the first layer receives the information indicating the number of answer candidates, the information processing apparatus 10A transmits the information indicating the number of answer candidates to the user 70. Next, the user 70 sees the information indicating the number of answer candidates, and is desired among the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automated response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automated response system 113. Inquire again to the automatic response system of (take over the inquiry on another screen). In response to the inquiry, the desired automatic response system that received the inquiry sends an answer to the user 70. According to this referral-type response method, the response accuracy can be maintained because the processing is performed in the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems 112, and the processing load of the first-layer automatic response system 111 is low.

FIG. 9B is the same referral-type response method as in FIG. 9A, but is a diagram showing a flow as seen from a lower-level automatic response system. When the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 receive a question from the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111. , The same question is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10D having the third-tier automatic response system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115, which are lower-level automatic response systems, and the third-tier automatic response. When an answer is received from the information processing apparatus 10D having the system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115, the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the second-tier automatic response are received. Along with the answer possessed by the information processing apparatus 10C having the system 113, the answer is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10A having the automatic response system 111 of the first layer that has transmitted the question. Further, when the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 receive a question directly from the user 70, the information processing apparatus 10C directly answers the user 70. To send.

FIG. 10 shows the vocabulary data sharing function of the communication system 1. The information processing device 10A having the automatic response system 111 of the first layer, the information processing device 10B having the automatic response system 112 of the second layer, the information processing device 10C having the automatic response system 113 of the second layer, and the third layer. The information processing device 10D having the automatic response system 114 and the information processing device 10E having the automatic response system 115 of the third layer share vocabulary data. Sharing vocabulary data means sharing data of terms used in the company between information processing devices 10 having an automatic response system of each layer. That is, when a term used in one automatic response system and not used in another automatic response system is in the vocabulary data of one automatic response system, the term is registered in the vocabulary data of another automatic response system. To say. The administrator 90 plays a role of setting which automatic response system to share the vocabulary data because it may be better not to share the vocabulary data when the usage of the term is different in different departments. Information processing device 10A having a first-tier automatic response system 111, information processing device 10B having a second-tier automatic response system 112, and information processing device 10C having a second-tier automatic response system 113, third-tier automated The information processing device 10D having the response system 114 and the information processing device 10E having the automatic response system 115 of the third layer hold a technical term dictionary, a synonym dictionary, and a forbidden word dictionary, respectively. The technical term dictionary is a dictionary equipped with technical terms used in the company, for example, it is equipped with technical terms related to investment information. A synonym dictionary is a dictionary equipped with terms similar to such technical terms, such as investment and financing. A forbidden word dictionary is a dictionary containing terms that should not be used in-house, such as tax evasion, slush fund, and money laundering. Information having an information processing device 10A having a first-tier automatic response system 111, an information processing device 10B having a second-tier automatic response system 112, and a second-tier automatic response system 113 so that the vocabulary can be unified within the organization. By making it possible to share vocabulary data with the processing device 10C, the information processing device 10A having the automatic response system 111 of the first layer mainly has the vocabulary data from the information processing apparatus 10A having a plurality of automatic response systems 112 of the second layer. It is shared with the information processing device 10B and the information processing device 10C having the second-layer automatic response system 113, and the search accuracy can be further improved.

FIG. 11 shows the access management function of the communication system 1. Access control is basically set in the same hierarchical structure as the organization. Information (URL, etc.) of the information processing device 10B having the second layer automatic response system 112 and the information processing device 10C having the second layer automatic response system 113 on the information processing device 10A side having the first layer automatic response system 111. ) Is set.

As shown in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 11A, the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111 to the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the second-tier automatic response Although it is possible to request an inquiry to the information processing apparatus 10C having the system 113, the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 can make inquiries to the first layer. An inquiry cannot be requested to the information processing apparatus 10A having the automatic response system 111.

However, as shown in FIG. 11B, the information processing device 10B having the second-tier automation response system 112 having the same first-tier automation response system 111 and the information having the second-tier automation response system 113. For the inquiry request between the processing devices 10C, it is possible to set whether or not the request can be made between the information processing device 10B having the second-layer automatic response system 112 and the information processing device 10C having the second-layer automatic response system 113. .. In order to allow an inquiry request from the information processing device 10C having the second-layer automatic response system 113 to the information processing device 10D having the third-layer automatic response system 114, the second-layer automatic response system 113 should be used. It is necessary to set the parent and child with the automatic response system 114 of the third layer.

FIG. 12 shows the operation status management function of the communication system 1. Each auto-responder system notifies the management auto-answer system of the start when it starts. For example, the automatic response system name and the latest IP address are notified. In addition, each automated response system acquires the operating status of other automated response systems connected to itself from the management automated response system. As shown in FIG. 12, the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automated response system 111, the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automated response system 112, and the information processing apparatus having the second-tier automated response system 113. 10C, the information processing apparatus 10D having the third-tier automated response system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automated response system 115 notify the management automated response system 117 of the activation. The management automatic response system 117 confirms the operation of the first layer automatic response system 111, the second layer automatic response system 112, and the third layer automatic response system 113. The first-tier autoresponder system 111, the second-tier autoresponder systems 112 and 113, and the third-tier autoresponder systems 114 and 115 acquire the operating status of other autoresponder systems from the management autoresponder system 117. .. The management automatic response system 117 periodically checks the operation (life and death monitoring) of each registered automatic response system, and updates the operation status of the automatic response system. The management automatic response system 117 is premised on being constantly activated and having a fixed IP, but it can also be used by a specific automatic response system.

[Communication method]
Next, the communication method according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a communication method by the information processing apparatus 10A. First, in the reception step S10, the reception unit 12 receives a question message from the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70. Next, in the request step S20, the request unit 13 requests the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems 112 to answer the question message received in the reception step S10. Next, in the output step S30, the output unit 14 outputs the answer information obtained by requesting the request unit 13 to the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems 112 in the request step S20.

FIG. 16 shows a flowchart showing cooperation between the automatic response systems of FIG. First, in step S100, the user 70 inputs a question message to the information processing terminal 20 by voice or text, and in step S110, the reception unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10A receives the question message, and the reception unit 12 receives the question. The message is transmitted to the control unit 11. Next, in step S120, the first-tier automatic response system 111 of the control unit 11 receives its own answer and the answers obtained from the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 and the third-tier automatic response systems 114 and 115. Summarize. Aggregating the answers means that the answers of the first-tier automatic response system 111 itself and the answers obtained from the second-tier and third-tier automatic response systems are collectively retained as the answers to the questions from the user 70. say. Next, in step S130, the output unit 14 returns these answers to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70 by voice and characters.

FIG. 17 is a sequence diagram showing cooperation between the automatic response systems of FIG.

First, in step S200, the user 70 transmits a question message from the information processing terminal 20. The reception unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10A transmits the received message to the control unit 11. Next, in step S201, the requesting unit 13 instructs the automatic response systems 112 and 113 of the second layer of the control unit 11 to answer the question and return the answer to itself. Next, in step S202, the first-layer automatic response system 111 aggregates the answers it has and the answers obtained from the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113. Next, in step S203, the output unit 14 transmits an answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70.

The reception unit 12 of the information processing devices 10B and 10C first receives a question from the first-layer automatic response system 111 in step S210. The reception unit 12 transmits the received question message to the control unit 11. Next, in step S211 the request unit 13 instructs the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113 to answer the question and send the answer to itself. Next, in step S212, the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 aggregate their own answers and the answers obtained from the third-tier automatic response systems 114 and 115. Next, in step S213, the output unit 14 transmits an answer to the first-layer automatic response system 111.

The reception unit 12 of the information processing devices 10D and 10E first receives a question from the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 in step S220. The reception unit 12 transmits the received question message to the control unit 11. Next, in step S221, the output unit 14 transmits the answer to the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113.

FIG. 18 is a sequence diagram showing cooperation between the automatic response systems of FIG. 9.

First, in step S300, the user 70 receives a question from the information processing terminal 20 to the reception unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10A. The reception unit 12 transmits the received question message to the control unit 11. Next, in step S301, the requesting unit 13 instructs the automatic response systems 112 and 113 of the second layer of the control unit 11 to answer the question and return the answer to itself. Next, in step S302, the authority setting unit 16 grants the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113 of the control unit 11 the authority to directly send their own answers to the user 70. Next, in step S303, the first-layer automatic response system 111 aggregates the answers it has and the answers obtained from the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113. Next, in step S304, the output unit 14 transmits an answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70.

The reception unit 12 of the information processing devices 10B and 10C first receives a question from the first-layer automatic response system 111 in step S310. The reception unit 12 transmits the received question message to the control unit 11. Next, in step S311, the requesting unit 13 instructs the automatic response systems 114 and 115 of the third layer to answer the question and return the answer to itself. Next, in step S312, the authority setting unit 16 grants the automatic response systems 114 and 115 of the third layer the authority to directly transmit their own answers to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70. Next, in step S313, the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 aggregate their own answers and the answers obtained from the third-tier automatic response systems 114 and 115. Next, in step S314, the output unit 14 transmits an answer to the automatic response system 111 of the first layer, or directly transmits an answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70.

The reception unit 12 of the information processing devices 10D and 10E first receives a question from the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 in step S320. The reception unit 12 transmits the received question message to the control unit 11. Next, in step S321, the output unit 14 transmits the answer to the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113, or directly sends the answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70.

FIG. 19 is a sequence diagram showing access management between the automatic response systems of FIG. 11. Access control here means setting information (URL, etc.) of the lower layer automatic response system in the upper layer automatic response system, or setting information of the upper layer automatic response system in the lower layer automatic response system. By access control such as making it possible to request inquiries from the upper layer automatic response system to the lower layer automatic response system, but not to make inquiries from the lower layer automatic response system to the upper layer automatic response system. It is intended for management.

First, in step S400, the user 70 inputs data to the first-layer automatic response system 111. The reception unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10A receives the input data. Next, in step S401, the first-tier automatic response system 111 inherits the access authority to the communication system to the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113. Specifically, when the user 70 directly inquires to the second layer automatic response systems 112 and 113 without going through the first layer automatic response system 111, the first layer automatic response system 111 has. Access control is performed by inheriting the user authority to the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113.

Next, in step S410, the user 70 inputs data to the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113. Next, in step S411, the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 receive the succession of access authority to the communication system from the first-tier automatic response system 111. Next, in step S412, a part of the data input between the automatic response systems 112 and 113 of the second layer is shared. Next, in step S413, the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 inherit the access authority to the communication system to the third-tier automatic response systems 114 and 115. Specifically, when the user 70 directly inquires of the third layer automatic response systems 114 and 115 without going through the first layer automatic response system 111 and the second layer automatic response systems 112 and 113, the second layer. Access control is performed by inheriting the user authority of the layered automatic response systems 112 and 113 to the layered automatic response systems 114 and 115.

In step S420, the third-tier autoresponder systems 114 and 115 receive the inheritance of access authority to the communication system from the second-tier autoresponder systems 112 and 113.

Finally, FIG. 20 shows a flowchart showing a summary of cooperation between the automatic response systems of FIGS. 7 to 12. When the first-tier automatic answer system 111 has an answer to the question from the user 70, there is a route to answer the question as it is without sending the question to the lower automatic answer system, and there is no answer. Is a flowchart in which a question is sent to a lower-level automatic response system to obtain an answer.

First, in step S501, the user 70 inputs a question. Next, in step S502, the reception unit 12 of the information processing apparatus 10A receives the question. When the automatic response system 111 of the first layer has an answer (YES in step S503), the output unit 14 returns the answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70 in step S504. When the first-tier automatic response system 111 does not have an answer (NO in step S503), the request unit 13 of the information processing apparatus 10A requests the second-tier automatic response systems 112 and 113 to answer the question in step S504. .. When the second-layer automatic response system 112 or 113 has an answer (YES in step S505), the output unit 14 returns the answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70 in step S509. If the second-tier automatic response system 112 or 113 does not have an answer (NO in step S505), the requesting unit 13 asks the third-tier automatic response systems 114 and 115 to answer the question in step S506. When the automatic response system 114 or 115 of the third layer has an answer (YES in step S507), the output unit 14 returns the answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70 in step S509. When the automatic response system 114 or 115 of the third layer does not have an answer (NO in step S507), the output unit 14 gives the answer that no answer was obtained in all layers in step S508 to the user 70 in step S509. Reply to the information processing terminal 20 of.

[Communication program]
In the communication program according to the present invention, the function of the communication system 1 of the present invention is realized in the computer.

[Other embodiments]
Needless to say, the apparatus according to the above embodiment is not limited to the above embodiment, and may be realized by other methods. Hereinafter, various modification examples will be described.

In the above embodiment, the synchronous inquiry method has been described, but an asynchronous inquiry method may be used. FIG. 13 shows an asynchronous inquiry method in which the first-tier automatic response system 111 automatically detects and processes an inquiry from the user 70 by a plurality of second-tier and lower automatic response systems 112. This asynchronous inquiry method solves the problem that the load on the first-layer automatic response system increases when there are many second-layer automatic response systems in the polling process using the REST communication described in the above embodiment. Therefore, a technology called Websocket is used. WebSocket connects from the 2nd layer side in advance (at startup etc.) to maintain the session, and when a question comes from the user, it uses the session connected in advance from the 1st layer. Questions can be sent to the second level. In addition, the general business chat tool that can be used with a web browser almost adopts this WebSocket method, and the recipient of the message looks like it can receive the message from the sender in real time. It will be in the form of being. A one-way connection environment from the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems 112 to the first-tier automatic response system 111 is improved.

FIG. 13A is a diagram showing an operation example of the automatic response system 111 of the first layer. That is, first, the user 70 monitors the inquiry from the user 70 to the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111, the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112, and the second-tier automatic response system 113. When the information processing apparatus 10C having the information processing apparatus 10C is started and the user 70 sends a question message from the information processing terminal 20 to the information processing apparatus 10A having the first layer automatic response system 111, the information having the second layer automatic response system 112 is provided. The information processing device 10B having the processing device 10B and the second-layer automatic response system 113 detects the inquiry, and transmits each answer to the information processing device 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111. The information processing apparatus 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111 receives the response information and transmits the response information to the user 70.

FIG. 13B is a diagram showing an operation example of the lower automatic response system. When the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 detect an inquiry from the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111. , The same inquiry is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10D having the third-tier automatic response system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115, which are lower-level automatic response systems, and the third-tier automatic response. When an answer is received from the information processing apparatus 10D having the system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115, the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the second-tier automatic response are received. Along with the answer possessed by the information processing apparatus 10C having the system 113, the answer is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10A having the automatic response system 111 of the first layer that has transmitted the question. Further, when the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 receive a question directly from the user 70, the information processing apparatus 10C directly answers the user 70. To send.

In the above embodiment, the referral type response method has been described, but an intensive response method may be used. FIG. 14 shows an “aggregate” response method in which the first-layer automatic response system 111 aggregates the response candidates of the second-layer automatic response systems 112 and 113 and returns an answer.

FIG. 14A is a diagram showing an operation example of the automatic response system 111 of the first layer. First, when the user 70 sends a question message to the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automated response system 111, the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automated response system 111 receives the question message and second. A question message is transmitted to the information processing device 10B having the layered automatic response system 112 and the information processing device 10C having the layered automatic response system 113. The information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 set their respective answer candidates to the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111. Send to. When the information processing apparatus 10A having the automatic response system 111 of the first layer receives the information indicating the answer candidates, the information processing apparatus 10A aggregates those answers. The information processing apparatus 10A having the first-layer automatic response system 111 transmits the answer to the information processing terminal 20 of the user 70. According to this aggregated response method, the operation of the user 70 does not particularly increase because there is no screen transition.

FIG. 14B is a diagram showing an operation example of the lower automatic response system. When the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 receive a question from the information processing apparatus 10A having the first-tier automatic response system 111. , The same question is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10D having the third-tier automatic response system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115, which are lower-level automatic response systems, and the third-tier automatic response. When an answer is received from the information processing apparatus 10D having the system 114 and the information processing apparatus 10E having the third-tier automatic response system 115, the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the second-tier automatic response are received. Along with the answer possessed by the information processing apparatus 10C having the system 113, the answer is transmitted to the information processing apparatus 10A having the automatic response system 111 of the first layer that has transmitted the question. Further, when the information processing apparatus 10B having the second-tier automatic response system 112 and the information processing apparatus 10C having the second-tier automatic response system 113 receive a question directly from the user 70, the information processing apparatus 10C directly answers the user 70. To send.

The configurations shown in the above embodiments and the configurations shown in each supplement may be realized by appropriately combining them.

1 Communication system 10 Information processing device 11 Control unit 12 Reception unit 13 Request unit 14 Output unit 15 Storage unit 16 Authority setting unit 17 Route information provision unit 20 Information processing terminal 21 Control unit 22 Communication unit 23 Input / output unit 24 Display unit 25 Mike / Speaker 26 Storage unit 30 Network 31, 51, 61, 71, 81 QA data 32, 52, 62, 72, 82 Document data 33, 53, 63, 73, 83 Lecture data 70 User 90 Administrator 110 Input processing unit 111 1st layer automatic response system 112, 113 2nd layer automatic response system 114, 115 3rd layer automatic response system 116 Output processing unit 117 Management automatic response system 210 Input processing unit 211 Transmission processing unit 212 Display processing unit

Claims (16)

A communication system in which multiple automatic response systems cooperate to automatically respond to text information indicating the content of a question from a user.
The reception unit where the first-level automatic response system receives the text information, and
A request unit in which the first-layer automatic response system requests response information for the text information from a plurality of second-layer automatic response systems.
As the answer information, the number of answer candidates that are the answer candidates held by the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems for the question content is associated with the identification information indicating each second-tier automatic response system. An output section that outputs display information and
Communication system with. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first-layer automatic response system receives the text information, and the first-layer automatic response system transmits response information to the user. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first-layer automatic response system accepts selection of an automatic response system for creating response information from the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems. The communication according to claim 2, wherein the requesting unit makes an inquiry to the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems only when the first-layer automatic response system cannot respond to the text information. system. Claims 1 to 4, wherein when the user selects a second-tier automatic response system that has transmitted the number of response candidates for the text information, the output unit displays a list of the contents of the response information in more detail. The communication system according to any one of the following items. When the reception unit accepts one selection from the list of answer information from the user, the request unit receives detailed data corresponding to the selected answer in the second layer in which the selected answer is selected. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the output unit outputs detailed data acquired from the automatic response system of the above. The communication according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the output unit outputs the total number of answer candidates held for each of the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems. system. The authority setting unit is further provided, and the authority setting unit permits the first-layer automatic response system to have the authority to request inquiries to the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems, and the plurality of first layers. The invention according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the two-layer automatic response system is configured so as not to permit the first-layer automatic response system to have the authority to request an inquiry. Communication system. The authority setting unit has a third layer capable of communicating with one of the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems, both the first-layer automatic response system and the second-layer automatic response system. The automatic response system is permitted to have the authority to make an inquiry request, and the third layer automatic response system has the authority to make an inquiry request to one of the plurality of second layer automatic response systems. The communication system according to claim 8, wherein the communication system is configured not to allow the above. The claim is characterized in that the authority setting unit does not grant the authority to mutually request an inquiry between the other one of the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems and the third-tier automatic response system. 9. The communication system according to 9. The route information providing unit is further provided, and when the route information providing unit makes an inquiry about the text information to the plurality of second-layer automatic response systems by the first-layer automatic response system, how the inquiry is made. Whether or not it is necessary for the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems to make an inquiry request to the third-tier automatic response system according to the route information that provides route information indicating whether or not the route was performed. The communication system according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the communication system is controlled so as not to request the same automatic response system in duplicate. A feature is that mutual inquiry requests between one of the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems and the other one of the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems can be set to be possible or not. The communication system according to any one of claims 8 to 10. The administrator, the first-tier automatic response system, a plurality of second-tier automatic response systems, and the third-tier automatic response system share vocabulary data that collects terms commonly used by each. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the communication system is characterized. The automatic response system of the first layer, the automatic response system of the second layer, and the automatic response system of the third layer each inform the upper automatic response system at the time of startup, and according to the notification content, the above-mentioned Claims 1 to 1, wherein the higher-level automatic response system manages the operating status of the first-layer automatic response system, the second-layer automatic response system, and the third-layer automatic response system. 13. The communication system according to 13. It is a communication method in which multiple automatic response systems cooperate and automatically respond to text information indicating the content of a question from a user.
The reception step in which the first-level automatic response system accepts the former text information,
A request step in which the first-layer automatic response system requests response information for the text information from a plurality of second-layer automatic response systems.
As the answer information, the number of answer candidates that are the answer candidates held by the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems for the question content is displayed in association with the identification information indicating each second-tier automatic response system. An output step that outputs information and
Communication method. A communication program in which multiple automatic response systems cooperate to automatically respond to text information indicating the content of a question from a user.
On the computer
The reception function that the first-level automatic response system accepts the text information,
A request function in which the first-tier automatic response system requests answer information for the question from a plurality of second-tier automatic response systems, and
As the answer information, the number of answer candidates that are the answer candidates held by the plurality of second-tier automatic response systems for the question content is displayed in association with the identification information indicating each second-tier automatic response system. An output function that outputs information and
Communication program that realizes.

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