JPH04237358A - Device for preparing operation manual - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the suability of communication service by editing, forming and outputting an operation manual necessary for the use of communication service of a communication equipment in accordance with an operator's request outputted from a communication terminal and automatically transmitting a communication service manual having low using frequency to the communication terminal in an operation manual forming device. CONSTITUTION:The communication apparatus stores the description data of operation contents necessary for the communication terminal in an instruction information storing means 21 in each processing step necessary for the offer of communication service, and when an operation manual request is outputted, an edition control means 23 combines description data of the operation contents in respective processing steps necessary for the communication service corresponding to the request, edits and forms the data as an operation manual and transmits the manual to the communication terminal. The communication service using frequency of each communication terminal is stored and manuals relating to communication service having low using frequency are edited and formed by the means 23 and transmitted to the communication terminal.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

0001

[Industrial Application Field] The present invention relates to an operation manual creation device, and more particularly, the present invention relates to an operation manual creation device that edits and creates an operation manual necessary for using communication services of communication equipment in response to requests from a communication terminal operator. The present invention relates to an output operation manual creation device.

0002

[Prior Art] Information processing equipment, word processors, etc.
As the functions of communication devices such as A-devices and facsimile mail devices become more sophisticated, the operations become more complex.
In order to fully utilize the functions of a device, detailed knowledge of the device is required. For this reason, devices have traditionally been accompanied by detailed operating manuals, and operators operate the devices while referring to the operating manuals.

However, as the functions of devices become more sophisticated, operation manuals also become more detailed and thick, making it difficult to make full use of the operation manuals. Therefore, in the past, the equipment itself was equipped with a so-called help function, and when the operator became unable to understand how to operate the equipment, by inserting a help key, etc., the meaning of the key and information matching the operator's request were displayed on a display. It is being displayed on the In such conventional help functions, regardless of the operating status of the device,
When the help key is pressed, help information created in advance is displayed on the display. However, simply displaying such pre-prepared help information on a display does not provide help information appropriate to the operator's skill level or stage of operation.

[0004] Conventionally, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-24
As described in Publication No. 3518, the user's input history information and the output information from the application system are analyzed, help items are narrowed down and displayed as a help item table,
When the user selects several items that he/she wants to know in sequence, help information most suitable for the item that the user wants to know is retrieved and displayed based on the user's selection. This help information is created in advance for each help item that the user may request and is stored in the storage unit, and if there is no help information corresponding to the help item selected by the user, the help item selection will be disabled. Expand the range as appropriate and decide which help information to display. Furthermore, as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-262120, when the same operator or operators belonging to the same group perform a certain number of operations, or when the operator determines that certain guidance information is unnecessary, It has been proposed to display only appropriate and necessary guidance information in accordance with the operator's proficiency level by prohibiting the display of this guidance information during the next operation process when an instruction is given. The guidance information in this case is also prepared in advance assuming the proficiency level of the operator, and is appropriately selected from the plurality of guidance information and displayed.

Furthermore, as described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 63-66623, the user can obtain desired information from data regarding the user's personal data and operation history, and data regarding the installation environment and operation history of the terminal device. A method has been proposed that detects an operating method that allows the user to reach a service that is likely to be available in the shortest time and provides it to the user via a display, thereby providing help information that corresponds to the individual's level of proficiency.

[0006] The help information in this case is also prepared in advance assuming the proficiency level of the user, and is appropriately selected from the plurality of help information and output. Also, conventionally,
As described in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-280821, there is a means for storing a series of operation procedures for each operation of an application program, and a means for storing guide help information for each unit of operation. A means for storing the guide request as a set, a means for identifying the guide request from the user/application program, and a means for identifying the guide request from the user/application program. means for creating a series of operation procedure sequences from to the end of the operation; means for searching the guide help information for messages corresponding to each of the listed series of operation procedure sequences; and means for searching the guide help information retrieved by the said means. A means for synthesizing and displaying is provided, and guide request contents (
Using a state flow table in which the state and state flow of the application program are stored in advance, an operation procedure state string is created from the state at the time of the guide request to the desired processing, and then each of the operation procedure state strings is A method has been proposed that searches for guidance messages for a particular computer, and finally synthesizes them in the same order as the procedure and outputs the results for display. The guide help information in this case is synthesized as a set of guide help messages for each unit of status and operation.
Guide help messages for each unit are not edited freely to match the application program, but are synthesized according to a preset sequence of procedures.

[0007]

Problem to be Solved by the Invention However, such conventional help functions, especially,
Regarding the help functions described in Publication No. 8, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 62-262120, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 63-66623, even if they output help information that corresponds to the individual's proficiency level, etc. Help information is created in advance and stored in a storage unit, etc., and the help information is selected and output as appropriate depending on the individual's proficiency level from among these multiple pieces of help information, so it is not possible to adequately respond to a wide range of requests. Not only that, but the more you try to meet a wide range of demands, the more you need a large storage capacity to store help information.
There was a problem of high cost.

[0008] In addition, the help function described in Japanese Patent Application No. 1-280821 allows users to search for guides on specific operating procedures to perform the desired process from the time they have trouble with the operation. In order to display the guide information, it is synthesized as a set of guide help messages for each unit of status and operation, but the guide information is not synthesized by freely combining help messages for each unit. This conventional example also does not sufficiently meet a wide range of demands, and when attempting to meet a wide range of demands, a large-capacity storage unit is required, resulting in an increase in cost.

[0009]Furthermore, conventional help functions are positioned as supplementary functions to the operation manual attached to the device, and it is assumed that the operation manual has been thoroughly read to a certain extent, so it is completely useless. When a beginner operates the device or loses the operating manual attached to the device, there is a problem in that the help function is not sufficient and the device cannot be fully utilized.

Furthermore, communication devices such as facsimile mail devices have various communication service functions such as broadcast service, time specification service, confidential service, and bulletin board service in addition to normal forwarding service. When attempting to use such communication services from a communication terminal, the operator of the communication terminal needs to know that the communication equipment is equipped with these communication services and how to operate the communication service request. However, it is difficult to thoroughly understand all the types of communication services and their operation methods by reading the operation manual attached to the communication terminal, and it is difficult to fully utilize the communication services provided by the communication device. The problem was that it was not possible.

[0011] In particular, as the functions (communication services) of communication devices become more sophisticated and diversified, the types of communication services also become more diverse, the operating methods become more complex, and the operation manuals attached to the devices become thicker and more complicated. Nowadays, as things become more complex, it is difficult to thoroughly read such operation manuals and master the operation methods. Therefore, unlike conventional help functions, there is a demand for an improved man-machine interface that allows users to fully utilize the communication services provided by devices and communication devices without having to read the operation manual attached to the device. has been done.

0012

[Means for solving the problem] The invention according to claim 1 includes:
When a predetermined operation is performed on a communication terminal, operation data corresponding to the content of the operation is received from the communication terminal, and a plurality of processing steps are executed in combination according to the operation data to provide a plurality of communication services. An operation manual creation device for communication equipment, comprising a reception control means for receiving operation data from the communication terminal, and extracting and storing data necessary for creating an operation manual from among the data received by the reception control means. a data storage means, an instruction information storage means for storing explanatory data of operation contents requested for each of the above-mentioned processing steps, and an instruction information storage means for storing the frequency of communication services requested by the communication terminal for each communication service for each communication terminal and user. A request for a desired communication service is made by combining the service frequency storage means stored in the data storage means and the explanation data of the operation contents at each processing step stored in the instruction information storage means after analyzing the data stored in the data storage means. Edit and create the necessary operation manual, and also search the service frequency storage means to retrieve guidebooks related to less frequently used communication services of the communication device, and perform each process necessary to use the communication service. an editing control means for editing and creating a combination of explanatory data of operation contents in steps, and a transmission control means for transmitting an operation manual or guide created by the editing control means to a communication terminal in response to a request from the communication terminal. The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that when a predetermined operation is performed on a communication terminal, operation data corresponding to the content of the operation is received from the communication terminal, and a plurality of operations are performed according to the operation data. An operation manual creation device for a communication device that provides a plurality of communication services by performing a combination of processing steps, the apparatus comprising: a reception control means for receiving operation data from the communication terminal;
a data storage means for extracting and storing data necessary for creating an operation manual from among the data received by the reception control means; and an instruction information storage for storing explanatory data of operation contents required for each of the above processing steps. a system information storage means for storing various system information entered in advance to realize each function of the device; and a communication service that stores the frequency of communication services requested by the communication terminal for each communication terminal and user. A service frequency storage means that stores each service frequency for each processing step, and explanatory data of the operation contents at each processing step that are analyzed and stored in the instruction information storage means by analyzing the data stored in the data storage means and are stored in the system information storage means. It incorporates the system information provided to edit and create the operation manual necessary for requesting the desired communication service, and also searches the service frequency storage means to provide guidance regarding less frequently used communication services among the communication services provided by the communication device. an editing control means that edits and creates documents by combining explanatory data of the operation contents in each processing step necessary to use the communication service and incorporating system information; and an operation manual or guide created by the editing control means. The invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that it includes a transmission control means for transmitting a message to a communication terminal in response to a request from the communication terminal, and the invention according to claim 3 is characterized in that, The invention according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in claim 1, claim 2, or claim 3, the communication device provides an O
It is characterized by being equipped with an OMR processing means for analyzing MR data.

[0013]

[Operation] In the invention as claimed in claim 1, in a communication device that combines a plurality of processing steps to provide various communication services, for each processing step, explanatory data of the operation contents on the communication terminal necessary for that processing step is provided. is stored in the instruction information storage means, the type of communication service requested by the operator is determined from the data input to the communication equipment, and each processing step to be executed by the editing control means to realize the communication service. You can edit and create an operation manual by freely combining the explanatory data of the operation contents, and send it to the communication terminal. Furthermore, when a communication service request is received from a communication terminal, the usage frequency of the communication service for each communication terminal or user is stored in the service frequency storage means, and among the communication services that can be provided by the communication device, the communication service usage frequency for the communication terminal is A guidebook regarding an infrequent communication service is edited and created by an editing control means by combining explanation data of operation contents in processing steps to be executed to realize the communication service, and is sent to a communication terminal. Therefore, in communication equipment, it is possible to reduce the required capacity of the storage section for storing explanatory data, and to provide an operation manual that can fully meet the wide range of demands of communication terminal operators. It is possible to provide a communication terminal with a guidebook about a communication service that is infrequently used, making it easy for a communication terminal to operate the communication service of the desired communication device even if it is a beginner or even without the attached operation manual. Not only can you easily make requests according to the manual, but you can also effectively use communication services that you have never or rarely used using the guidebook. As a result, the man-machine interface can be improved and the functions of communication equipment can be fully utilized.

[0014] In the invention as claimed in claim 2, when various system information necessary for requesting a communication service of a communication device is stored in advance in the system information storage means, the creation of the operating manual or guide as claimed in claim 1 is possible. In this case, this system information will be incorporated into operating manuals and guidebooks. Therefore, by operating the operating manual or guide according to its contents, system information can be input and operated, and even if the operator has forgotten or does not know the system information, the operating manual or guide can be used. By following the instructions in the guide, you can request the desired communication service from your communication device, and the guide allows you to effectively utilize communication services that you have never or rarely used. As a result, the man-machine interface can be further improved, and the communication services of communication devices can be more easily and fully utilized.

[0015] In the invention as claimed in claim 3, the facsimile mail device receives an operation inquiry from a communication terminal, and provides an operation manual for operations necessary to use the communication service of the facsimile mail device and the usage frequency of the communication terminal. A guidebook regarding communication services with low communication rates is created and sent to the communication terminal. Therefore, the service of the facsimile mail device can be easily and fully utilized from the communication terminal.

[0016] In the invention as claimed in claim 4, the communication device receives operation inquiries and communication service requests from the communication terminal using the OMR sheet, provides the communication service, and uses the communication service intended by the communication terminal. A necessary operating manual or a guidebook for communication services that are infrequently used are created and sent to the communication terminal. Therefore, it is possible to make operational inquiries and use of communication services from the communication terminal even easier, and the man-machine interface is further improved, making it even easier to access the communication services of communication equipment from the communication terminal. and can be fully utilized.

[0017]

[Example] The following is a detailed explanation based on an example. 1 and 2 are block diagrams of a facsimile mail device 1 applied to the operation manual creation device of each invention of the present application, and the facsimile mail device 1 includes a system control unit 2,
Disk control units 3, 4, floppy disk device 5, hard disk devices 6, 7, host interface unit 8
and communication processing units FCU1 to FCUn. System control unit 2, disk control units 3 and 4, host interface unit 8, and communication processing units FCU1 to FCUn
are connected by a system bus 9.

The system control unit 2 has an internal memory, a floppy disk device 5, or a hard disk device 6.
, 7 controls each part of the facsimile mail device 1, in particular, writes and reads image data to and from the floppy disk device 5 and hard disk devices 6 and 7, and also controls each communication processing unit FCU.
1 to FCUn, and executes the sequence as the facsimile mail device 1. The facsimile mail device 1 has various communication services such as a proxy communication function, a simultaneous broadcast function, a confidential communication function, a specified time transmission function, a bulletin board service function, a post office box function, and a serial communication function. , these functions (communication services) are executed and controlled by controlling each communication processing unit FCU1 to FCUn. In addition, in order to use these functions of the facsimile mail device 1, a communication terminal (for example, a facsimile machine) connected to the facsimile mail device 1 must perform certain operations on the facsimile mail device 1 to request a communication service. In the present invention, as will be described later, the communication terminal can request the facsimile mail device 1 for an operation manual showing the operation details of this communication service request, and the facsimile mail device 1 can also A guidebook regarding a communication service owned by the communication terminal and a communication service that is not often used by the communication terminal or user is sent to the communication terminal.

Disk control section 3 and disk control section 4
controls the drive of the floppy disk device 5 and hard disk devices 6 and 7, and stores basic programs and various data as a facsimile mail device in the floppy disk device 5 and hard disk devices 6 and 7, in particular,
It stores messages sent from communication terminals and messages sent from a host device (described later).

A host device, such as a computer device, is connected to the host interface section 8, and the host interface section 8 executes communication control with the host device. What is connected to the host interface unit 8 is not limited to a host device such as a computer device, but may be, for example, another facsimile mail device or the like. In addition, this host interface section 8
For example, a DMAC (Direct Memory Access Controller) that directly connects the host device and the facsimile mail device 1, a communication control unit that connects the host device and the facsimile mail device 1 via a line, etc. are used.

[0021] The communication processing units FCU1 to FCUn are provided as many as the number of storage lines, and each communication processing unit FCU1 to F
As shown in FIG. 2, the communication processing unit FCU1 of CUn includes a network control unit 11, a modem 12, a communication control unit 13,
manual generation buffer 14, encoding/decoding section 15,
Channel control section 16, control program storage section 17, OM
R processing unit 18, data storage unit 19, storage memory 20,
Instruction information storage unit 21, system information storage unit 2
2, an editing control section 23, a bus control section 24, and the like.

A line L1 is connected to the network control unit 11,
For example, a telephone line is connected as the line L1. The network control unit 11 is what is called an AA-NCU, and performs automatic call origination and call termination processing. Modem 12 modulates the transmitted signal and demodulates the received signal. The communication control unit 13 exchanges facsimile control signals with a communication terminal (for example, a facsimile machine) connected via the line L1, and executes a facsimile communication procedure.

[0023] In the manual generation buffer 14, operation manuals for various inventions of the present application, which will be described later, are developed. Coding·
The decoding unit 15 encodes the message using a predetermined encoding method, and also decodes the encoded message. The control program storage unit 17 stores a basic program as the communication processing unit FCU1, a guidebook creation/output processing program for each invention of the present application, an operation manual generation/output processing program, etc. Communication processing unit FCU1 according to the program in program storage unit 17
The communication processing unit FCU1 controls each unit to execute the sequence as the communication processing unit FCU1, and also executes guide book creation/output processing and operation manual generation/output processing for each invention of the present application.

[0024] The OMR processing unit (OMR processing means) 18:
Detection of whether the received message is an OMR sheet message,
When the received telegram is an OMR sheet telegram, the marks and mark positions on the OMR sheet are detected from the received OMR sheet telegram, and the detection results are stored in the storage memory 20. The data storage unit (data storage means) 19 stores data necessary for creating guidebooks and operation manuals among the data (telegrams, dial tone, etc.) sent from the other party's communication terminal via the line L1. The data required to create guides and operation manuals include, for example, an operation manual request command,
The type of operation manual requested (that is, the type of service function that the other operator requests from the facsimile mail device 1), the type of the other operator (for example, the ID of the other party's terminal, the operator ID, etc.), and the proficiency level of the other operator. This is data related to the data shown. especially,
The data storage unit 18 has a service frequency storage area, and stores the frequency of communication services requested by communication terminals for each communication service for each communication terminal. Therefore, the data storage unit 18 constitutes a service frequency storage means that stores the usage frequency of communication services.

As mentioned above, the storage memory 20 is an OM
The detection result of the message on the OMR sheet detected by the R processing unit 18 and the message other than the OMR sheet are stored in the floppy disk device 5.
It is temporarily stored when transferring to the floppy disk device 5 or hard disk devices 6, 7, and is temporarily stored when transmitting the message in the floppy disk device 5 or hard disk devices 6, 7 via the communication processing unit FCU1.

The instruction information storage unit (instruction information storage means) 21 stores operation details on the communication terminal required for each of a plurality of processing steps to realize the communication service (function) provided by the facsimile mail device 1. Store descriptive data for. That is, when requesting a communication service from the facsimile mail device 1, a certain operation is required for each of the processing steps P0 to P11, as shown in FIG. Explanatory data explaining the operation details on the communication terminal required for each P11 is stored in advance. Therefore, the instruction information storage unit 21 only needs to store explanatory data for each of the processing steps P0 to P11 necessary to realize each function of the facsimile mail device 1, and the There is no need to memorize multiple types of help information that correspond to individual proficiency levels.

The system information storage section (system information storage means) 22 connects the facsimile mail device 1 to the line LI1.
Predetermined system information necessary for requesting the functions (communication services) of the facsimile mail device 1 from a communication terminal connected via a communication terminal is stored, and this system information includes, for example, user ID. No. , destination ID. N
O. and destination telephone number (Tel.NO.).

When the editing control unit (editing control means) 23 receives a request for an operating manual, it analyzes the data stored in the data storage unit 19 and determines the type of service information requested by the other operator and the operating manual. type (i.e.
Explanatory data for each of the processing steps P0 to P11 necessary for determining the functions of the facsimile mail device 1 intended by the operator and the operator's proficiency level, and requesting the communication service of the facsimile mail device 1 for the purpose is read from the instruction information storage section 21 and edited and created as an operation manual in the manual generation buffer 14. Further, at this time, if system information necessary to request the communication service is stored in the system information storage unit 22, an operation manual is created by incorporating this system information. Further, the editing control unit 23 edits and creates the guide according to instructions from the editing control unit 23. Editing and creation of this guide is created for communication services that are infrequently used by the communication terminal to which the guide is being sent, and in the same way as editing and creating the operation manual, it is necessary to request the communication service. Explanatory data for operations for each of processing steps P0 to P11 is read out from the instruction information storage section 21 and edited/created.

This facsimile mail device 1 houses lines L1 to Ln for each communication processing unit FCU1 to FCUn, and performs facsimile communication with a communication terminal connected via these lines L1 to Ln. Let's do it. When the facsimile mail device 1 receives a communication service request from a communication terminal connected via the lines L1 to Ln, it analyzes the service code of the requested communication service and provides the communication service. This communication service request can be made using an OMR sheet, or can also be made using a tone signal or the like.

When the other party's communication terminal makes a communication service request using an OMR sheet, the facsimile mail device 1 uses its OMR processing section 18 to read the mark position on the OMR sheet, and stores the reading result in the storage memory 2.
Expand to 0. The channel control unit 16 analyzes the contents of the storage memory 20, determines the type of communication service request, and executes the requested communication service. For example, when the requested communication service is a time-specific transmission service, the facsimile mail device 1 temporarily stores the received encoded message in the storage memory 20, encodes and
After decoding in the decoding unit 15 and re-encoding using a predetermined encoding method, or directly via the bus control unit 24 to the floppy disk 5 or hard disk 6.
, 7. Thereafter, at the specified transmission time, the message is read from the floppy disk 5 or hard disks 6 and 7, and the communication processing units FCU1 to FC that are free are
The data is transferred to Un via its bus control unit 24. The communication processing units FCU1 to FCUn temporarily store the transferred message in the storage memory 20, and re-encode it using a predetermined encoding method in the encoding/decoding unit 15, or directly send it to the designated destination. Send.

Note that the network control section 11, modem 12, communication control section 13, and OMR processing section 18 constitute reception control means for receiving operation data from a communication terminal, and the network control section 11, modem 12, communication control section The section 13 is an editing control section 23
It constitutes a transmission control means that transmits guidebooks and operation manuals created by the system to communication terminals. Next, the effect will be explained.

As described above, when a service request is received from a communication terminal, the facsimile mail device 1 provides the requested service, but if the operator of the communication terminal does not know how to operate it, the facsimile mail device 1 The operator receives an operation manual request from the operator, creates an operation manual corresponding to the service (function of the facsimile mail device 1) requested by the operator, and sends it to the communication terminal.

That is, when the operator of the communication terminal requests the facsimile mail device 1 for an operating manual, he first calls the facsimile mail device 1 and requests the operating manual. This operating manual requires
This can be done using a tone signal by performing key operations according to voice guidance from the facsimile mail device 1, or the operation manual can be requested using an OMR sheet. for example,
When requesting an operation manual using an OMR sheet, the OMR sheet created in advance for requesting an operation manual is
An operation manual request is made using the MR sheet (see FIG. 4) 30. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, this OMR sheet 30 for requesting an operation manual includes a start mark 30a, an initial inclination permissible limit determination mark 30b, a guide mark 30c, a mode switching mark 30d, and a field shape, like a normal OMR sheet. It has a number 30e, a free area division designation mark 30f, an end mark 30g, etc., as well as marks specially provided for requesting an operation manual, such as an inquiry mark 30h, a voice guidance required/unnecessary mark 30i, and a mail type (service information). type) mark 30j, whether or not time is designated, and designated time mark 30k.

[0034] The operator of the communication terminal has OMR sheet 3.
When requesting an operation manual using 0, all that is required is to make a call to the facsimile mail device 1, have the communication terminal (for example, a facsimile device) read the OMR sheet 30, and send it. Next, processing in the facsimile mail device 1 will be explained based on FIGS. 5 to 18.

The facsimile mail device 1 is shown in FIGS. 5 to 7.
As shown in , when there is an incoming call (step S1), a user ID is received (step S2), and the received user ID is
Check whether D is registered (step S
3). This user ID is the facsimile mail device 1
This information is stored in the system information storage unit 22. If the received user ID is not registered, error processing is performed (step S4), and a check is made to see if the user ID should be re-entered (step S5). If re-input is to be performed, the process returns to step S2 and the user I
If D is received and there is no re-input, error handling and line disconnection are performed, and this flow ends (steps S6 and S7).

If the received user ID is registered in step S3, it is checked whether the ordering is by PB tone (step S8), and if it is PB ordering, the PB ordering is received (step S9). After completing the reception of PB ordering,
Check whether the ordering is normal (step S
10) When the ordering is performed normally, reception of the message is started (step S11). When the reception of all the messages is completed (step 12), it is checked whether the messages were received normally (step S13),
If the message is received normally, the lines L1 to L
n is disconnected and the reception process ends (step S14).

If the message is not received normally in step S13, error handling is performed and then the lines L1 to Ln are disconnected (steps S15 and S14). Further, in step S10, if the ordering using the PB tone is not performed normally, error processing (for example, feedback to the communication terminal that the ordering was not performed normally) is performed (step S16).
), check whether it is re-entered (step S1
7). If re-input is to be performed, the process returns to step S9 and the ordering by PB tone is received; if re-input is not performed, error processing (for example, feedback to the communication terminal to disconnect the line, etc.) is performed. ), the lines L1 to Ln are disconnected (step S15).
, S14). Steps S9 to S17 described above are the flow of the normal communication service request receiving process of the facsimile mail device 1.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S8 that the ordering is not by PB tone, the message is received (step S18), and whether the received message is an OMR sheet message or an OMR for inquiry, that is, for requesting an operation manual. Check whether it is a sheet (step S19)
, S20). If the request is not an inquiry request (operation manual request), ordering processing using the OMR sheet is performed (step S21). That is, the received OMR
The OMR processing unit 18 reads the mark position on the OMR sheet from the message on the sheet and develops it in the storage memory 20, and the channel control unit 16 analyzes the content of the OMR sheet developed in the storage memory 20 to determine the ordering content. to judge. It is checked whether the ordering has been performed normally (step S22), and if the ordering has not been performed normally, after performing error processing, the line L
1 to Ln are cut (steps S23, S14). If the ordering is performed normally, the message is received, and when all the messages are received normally, the line L1~
This flow is ended by disconnecting Ln (step S11~
S15).

When an inquiry request (operation manual request) is made in step S20, it is checked whether the inquiry processing (operation manual request) using the OMR sheet has been carried out normally (step S25), and if it has not been carried out normally, the , after error processing, line L
1 to Ln are cut (steps S32, S33). If the inquiry request is successfully made, the line L1
-Ln is cut (step S26). An analysis of the inquiry (analysis of the request contents of the operation manual) is performed (step S27). Next, it is checked whether the content of the inquiry request is normal (step S28), and if the content of the inquiry request is not normal, an error process is performed, for example,
This flow is ended by notifying the communication terminal that the contents of the inquiry request are not normal (step S29).
. If the content of the inquiry is normal, operation manual editing processing and operation manual output processing are performed, and this flow ends (steps S30, S31).

Next, the inquiry analysis process in step S27 will be explained. Each communication processing unit FCU1 to FCU
n is the received OMR sheet 30 for requesting an operation manual.
The OMR processing unit 18 reads the mark position on the OMR sheet 30 from the message and expands it into the storage memory 20.The channel control unit 16 analyzes the content of the OMR sheet expanded into the storage memory 20 and requests the operation manual. Determine the content of the request.

That is, the channel control section 16 analyzes the contents expanded in the storage memory 20, and first determines whether voice guidance is necessary or not, as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 (step R1). If it is determined that there is a mark at the key position of the voice guidance mark 30i on the OMR sheet, set the system parameter d0 to a0 (step R2), and mark the negative position of the voice guidance mark 30i on the OMR sheet. If it is determined that there is, the system parameter d0 is set to a1 (step 3). Here, the system parameters are the values for each processing step P0 to P11 shown in FIG. 3 to the next processing step P.
Which processing step P0~ is next when moving to 0~P11?
This is a parameter that determines whether to proceed to P11, and is shown in Figure 1.
As shown in 0, the information is stored in a buffer for storing system parameters formed in the instruction information storage section 21. Note that the system parameter d0 indicates the necessity or non-necessity of voice guidance, and the system parameter d1,
d2 and d3 are important for selecting a post office box, bulletin board, and specifying the time.
Destination ID. No. or enter your phone number (
Tel. No. ) to select input, etc., and d
4 stores a parameter indicating whether or not to broadcast simultaneously.

[0042] Once the channel control unit 16 has set whether or not voice guidance is necessary and its system parameters,
Next, it is determined whether or not it is a post office box service (step R4).
. If it is not a post office box service, the system parameter d
1 to b2 and P.O. Box No. (Serial number given to the message that the user puts in the post office box) is checked (steps R5 and R6). P.O. Box N
O. If there is a PO Box No. is stored in the system information storage unit 22, and the process proceeds to the next step (step R7). If there is none, proceed directly to the next step.

If it is not a post office box service in step R4, it is checked whether it is a bulletin board service (step R8), and if it is a bulletin board service, the system parameter d1 is set to b1 and the bulletin board number is set to b1. (Serial number given to the message posted by the user on the bulletin board) is checked (steps R9 and R10). Bulletin board No. If there is, the bulletin board No. is stored in the system information storage unit 22 and proceeds to the next step (
Step R11), bulletin board NO. If there is no, proceed to the next step.

[0044] In step R4, if it is not a bulletin board service, it is checked whether it is a normal message (step R1).
2) If the message is not a normal message, error processing is performed and this flow is ended (step R13). If it is a normal message, the system parameter d1 is set to d2 and the process moves to the next step (step R14). Once the system parameters have been set depending on whether it is a post office box, a bulletin board, or an ordinary message, a check is then made to see if the time is specified (step R15), and if the time is not specified, the system parameter d2 is set to d3. (Step R16). This system parameter d3 will be set again in later processing. When specifying the time, the system parameter d2 is set to b3 (step R17), and it is checked whether the specified time is normal (step R18). If the specified time is not normal, error processing is performed and this flow is ended (step R19), and if the specified time is normal, the specified time is stored in the system information storage unit 22 and the destination is Tel. No. It is checked whether it is specified by (steps R20, R21). If the destination is Tel. N
O. When specified, the system parameter d3 is set to b4 (step R22), and the process proceeds to the next step. If the destination is Tel. No. If not specified, the destination is ID. No. It is checked whether the designation is made by (step R25). If the destination is Tel. No. But again, ID.
No. However, if it is not specified, it is considered an error, and
After performing error handling, this flow ends (step R19). The destination is ID. No. When specified, the system parameter d3 is set to b5 (step R26), and a check is made to see if it is a broadcast service (step R27). If the service is not a broadcast service, the system parameter d4 is set to c2 (step R28), and if the service is a broadcast service, the system parameter d4 is set to c1 (step R29). After setting each system parameter in this way, a service code is determined from the set system parameters and stored in the register (step R30). In other words, by detecting and setting system parameters, the type of function (service) requested by the operator of the communication terminal is determined, and an operation manual corresponding to the type of service requested by the operator of this communication terminal is then created. do.

Next, this operation manual creation process will be explained based on the flowcharts of FIGS. 11 and 12. The editing control unit 23 first sets the counters α, β, and γ to “0”.
” (step Q1), and stores the code of processing step Pα in the manual generation buffer 14 (step Q2). When the code of processing step Pα is stored in the manual generation buffer 14, next, the editing control section 23 reads the system parameters (system parameters d0 to d4 set in FIGS. 8 and 9 above) of this processing step Pα from the instruction information storage unit 21 (
Step Q3), it is checked whether the system parameter is "0" (step Q4). If the system parameter is "0", the address of the explanatory data corresponding to the system parameter "0" and the code of the next processing step Pα are read out in processing step Pα and stored in the manual generation buffer 14 (step Q5). On the other hand, when the system parameter is not "0", the value of the system parameter dβ is read from the system information storage unit 22 (step Q6), and the address of the explanatory data corresponding to the processing step Pα and the system parameter dβ and the address of the next processing step Pα are read. The code is read from the instruction information storage unit 21 and the address Aγ is stored in the manual generation buffer 14.
(Step Q7). That is, the processing step Pα and the system parameter dβ correspond as shown in FIG. 13, and when the processing step Pα and the system parameter dβ are determined, the next processing step Pα is determined and the corresponding Then, the explanatory data for the processing step Pα is determined. Therefore, the processing step Pα and the system parameter d
By freely combining .beta., it is possible to freely set the next processing step P.alpha., and it is also possible to freely combine explanatory data necessary for the operation in this processing step P.alpha.

In this way, first, the next processing step Pα corresponding to the processing step P0 and the system parameter d0 is
When the address setting of the explanatory data of the system parameter dβ is completed, β+1 is set as the parameter β (
Step Q8), it is checked whether it is the final processing step Pα (step Q9). If it is not the final processing step Pα, the process returns to step Q3 and similarly, the next processing step Pα and the explanation data manual generation buffer 1 are performed based on the system parameters for each processing step Pα.
4 (steps Q3 to Q8). When the above processing is repeatedly executed up to the final processing step Pα, as shown in FIG. The address of the explanation data at Pα is expanded. Therefore, by freely setting the system parameter dβ, a processing step Pα corresponding to each of the plurality of communication services provided by the facsimile mail device can be set, and each processing step Pα corresponding to the target communication service can be explained. Data can be combined freely.

Next, the service code stored in the system information storage section 22 is read out (step Q11),
The corresponding header section is taken out and expanded to the header position 40a of the operation manual in the manual generation buffer 14, as shown in FIG. 15 (step Q12). Here, the counter γ is set to "0" (step Q13), and the explanatory data stored at the address Aγ is read out and developed in the character data area 40b of the operation manual of the manual generation buffer 14 (step Q14). In addition, explanatory figures (instruction information storage unit 2
1 with the explanatory data of the processing step Pα,
Alternatively, it is stored independently regardless of explanatory data. ) and the system information (Tel. NO., ID. NO., etc.) stored in the system information storage unit 22, and the image area 40c of the manual generation buffer 14 is read out.
(Step Q15). When the expansion of each data at the corresponding address γ into the manual generation buffer 14 is completed, it is checked whether the data is the final data (step Q1).
6) If the data is not the final data, increment the counter γ by 1 (γ=γ+1) and return to step Q14. Similarly, explanatory data, explanatory figures, and system information for each address Aγ entered in the manual generation buffer 14 are expanded to the manual generation buffer 14, and when the processing is completed for all addresses Aγ, the operation manual editing/generation process is terminated. do.

In this way, manual generation buffer 1
The operating manual developed in 4 is outputted from the facsimile mail device 1 to the communication terminal that has requested the operating manual, and the communication terminal can receive an operating manual 50 as shown in FIG. The operator of the communication terminal who has received the operation manual can receive the intended communication service of the facsimile mail device 1 by looking at the transmitted operation manual and performing the operations described in the operation manual. can.

[0049] This output process may be performed directly when the generation of the operation manual is completed, or alternatively, it may be sent to the post office box of the facsimile mail device 1 and a request is made from the communication terminal to send the operation manual of the post office box. It may be transmitted at any time, and the output method is not limited. Furthermore, when there is a communication service request or an operation manual request, this facsimile mail device 1 analyzes the service code and provides the corresponding communication service, as described above.
Provide operating manuals for requested communication services. At this time, the facsimile mail device 1
7, when the code of the communication service is analyzed, it is registered in the service frequency storage area of the data storage unit 19 (step T1). This service code usage frequency registration is performed for each communication service, communication terminal, or user.If the communication service code is used for the first time by the communication terminal or user, the service code is registered. Then, the frequency of use for the service code is registered. Furthermore, if the communication service code is not used for the first time by the communication terminal or user, the usage frequency is updated.

[0050] When the registration of the service code is completed, the service frequency storage area of the data storage unit 19 is searched for a service code that is used less than or equal to a predetermined number of times (for example, 0 times) by the communication terminal or user (step T2); A list of service codes whose usage frequency is less than or equal to a predetermined number is set as coefficient L (step T3). Next, the coefficient L is NU
It is checked whether the service code is LL, that is, whether there is a service code whose usage frequency is less than a predetermined number of times (step T4).
), when the coefficient L is NULL, it is determined that there is no need to send the guide and the process ends. Coefficient L is NUL
If it is not L, the priority order of the service code set to the coefficient L is searched (step T5), and the highest priority service code for which a guide is to be created is set as the coefficient S (step T6). The priority order of the service code is set in advance based on the general usage frequency of the service code, and the priority order data of the service code is stored in advance in the data storage unit 19 or the like.

[0051] When the highest priority service code for which a guide is to be created is determined, the total number of accesses (number of communication service requests) of the communication terminal or user is searched (number of accesses = S) (step T7). ), it is checked whether the total number of accesses exceeds a predetermined number of times (N) set in advance (step T8). If the total number of accesses does not exceed the predetermined number N, it is determined that there is no need to create a guide, and the process ends. When the total number of accesses exceeds the predetermined number N, it is determined that it is necessary to create a guide, and a guide regarding the communication service corresponding to the highest priority service code S is edited and created (step T9).

[0052] This guide is for the control program storage section 17.
For example, the editing control unit 23 edits and creates the explanatory text as a guidebook in a predetermined format as a guidebook, in accordance with the program in the guidebook, and the operating manual is incorporated into the explanatory text as a guidebook. The data is stored in the instruction information storage section 21. In addition, the operation manual to be incorporated is similar to the operation manual editing/creation process when requesting the operation manual above.
Edit and create by combining explanatory data related to applicable communication services. At this time, when the system information is stored in the system information storage unit 22,
Edit and create guidebooks incorporating system information.

[0053] When the editing/creation of the guidebook is completed, the editing/creation is completed.
The created guide data is loaded into a transmission queue addressed to the user or communication terminal (step T10). That is, when transmitting a message transmission confirmation report for a requested communication service to the communication terminal or user, the data of the guide is incorporated into the data of the transmission confirmation report, and the data is sent to the communication terminal. Therefore, the communication terminal can receive a transmission confirmation report including a guide as shown in FIG. 18.

[0054] Therefore, the communication terminal can receive information on communication services that are infrequently used.
It is possible to know that the facsimile mail device 1 supports the communication service described in the guide and how to operate the communication service. As a result, the communication service provided by the facsimile mail device 1 can be effectively utilized.

Note that the editing/creation time of the guide and the time of sending the guide are not limited to the time of transmitting the transmission confirmation report to the above-mentioned communication service, and can be set as appropriate. In this way, the facsimile mail device 1 as a communication device can freely provide an operation manual for operations necessary to request a communication service requested by a communication terminal, and explanatory data for each processing step necessary for requesting the communication service. It can be edited and created in combination with , and sent to a communication terminal. As a result, it is possible to generate and provide an operation manual that can fully meet the wide range of demands of operators of communication terminals without using large-capacity storage means. In addition, it is possible to provide an operation manual for a series of operations from the beginning to the completion of operations necessary for requesting communication services of the facsimile mail device 1, so that even beginners can
Furthermore, the desired communication service can be used even if there is no operating manual attached to the device. therefore,
can improve the man-machine interface,
The communication service of the facsimile mail device 1 can be fully utilized.

[0056] Furthermore, the facsimile mail device 1 as a communication device receives an inquiry request for operation using an OMR sheet or a communication service request from a communication terminal,
It is possible to provide communication services, edit and create operation manuals necessary for requesting communication services for the purpose of the requesting operator, and send them to the communication terminal, and facsimile mail as communication equipment from the communication terminal Requests for communication services and inquiries regarding operation of the device 1 can be made even more easily. As a result, the man-machine interface can be further improved, and the communication service of the facsimile mail device 1 can be more easily and fully utilized from the communication terminal.

Furthermore, when creating an operation manual, if the system information is stored in the system information storage section 22 in advance, the system information is incorporated to edit and create the operation manual, so the operator can write the information in the operation manual. By operating the contents as they are, it is possible to request the desired communication service from the facsimile mail device. Therefore, the man-machine interface can be further improved, and the communication service of the facsimile mail device 1 can be used even more easily and satisfactorily.

[0058] Furthermore, the communication terminal can receive a guide regarding communication services that are infrequently used, and the communication services described in the guide can be sent to the facsimile mail device 1.
You can learn about what it supports and how to use its communication services. As a result, the communication service provided by the facsimile mail device 1 can be effectively utilized.

[0059]

According to the invention as set forth in claim 1, in a communication device that combines a plurality of processing steps to provide various communication services, for each processing step, operations on a communication terminal necessary for that processing step can be performed. Stores explanatory data of the contents, determines the type of communication service requested by the operator from the data input to the communication equipment, and explanatory data of the operation contents in each processing step to be executed to realize the communication service. You can edit and create an operation manual by freely combining them, and send it to a communication terminal.
In order to remember the usage frequency of communication services for each communication terminal and user, and to realize the communication service by remembering the frequency of use of communication services for each communication terminal and user, out of the communication services that can be provided by the communication device, a guidebook regarding communication services that are used less frequently for the communication terminal. Since the explanatory data of the operation contents in the processing steps to be executed are combined, edited, and sent to the communication terminal, the required capacity of the storage unit for storing the explanatory data in the communication equipment can be reduced. In addition, it is possible to provide an operation manual that can fully meet the wide range of demands of communication terminal operators, and it is also possible to provide communication terminals with guides regarding communication services that are infrequently used. For the terminal, the transmitted operation manual allows even beginners to request the communication service of the desired communication device even without the attached operation manual, and the guide also allows users to use it at all or very rarely. It is possible to effectively utilize communication services that were previously unavailable. As a result, the man-machine interface can be improved and the functions of communication equipment can be fully utilized.

According to the invention set forth in claim 2, when various system information necessary for requesting a communication service of a communication device is inputted in advance, these information can be inputted when creating the operation manual or guide as set forth in claim 1. Since the operation manuals and guides are created by incorporating the system information of Even if the operator forgets or does not know about the communication service, by following the instructions in the operating manual or guide, the operator can request the communication service of the desired communication device. Communication services that were not available before can be used effectively. As a result, the man-machine interface can be further improved, and the communication services of communication devices can be more easily and fully utilized.

According to the third aspect of the invention, the facsimile mail device accepts operation inquiries and communication service requests from communication terminals, provides communication services, and uses the communication services of the facsimile mail device. An operating manual for necessary operations and a guidebook for communication services that are infrequently used for the communication terminal are created and sent to the communication terminal, so the services of the facsimile mail device can be easily and fully utilized from the communication terminal. be able to.

According to the invention set forth in claim 4, the communication device receives an operation inquiry or a communication service request using an OMR sheet from a communication terminal, and provides the requested communication service or sets the purpose of the communication terminal. We create operating manuals necessary for using communication services and guides for communication services that are infrequently used and send them to the communication terminal, making it easier to inquire about operations and use communication services from the communication terminal. It is possible to further improve the man-machine interface, and to more easily and fully utilize the communication services of the communication device from the communication terminal.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a facsimile mail device to which an operation manual creation device according to each invention of the present application is applied.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a communication processing unit of a facsimile mail device to which the operation manual creation device according to each invention of the present application is applied.

FIG. 3 is a transition diagram of processing steps of a facsimile mail device as an operation manual creation device according to each invention of the present application.

[Figure 4] OM for requesting operation manual according to each invention of the present application
A diagram showing an R sheet.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a part of the basic processing of a facsimile mail device as an operation manual creation device according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the basic processing of the facsimile mail device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the basic processing of the facsimile mail device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing part of an operation manual request analysis process in a facsimile mail device as an operation manual creation device according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the operation manual request analysis process of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a system parameter storage buffer of a facsimile mail device as an operation manual creation device according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a part of operation manual editing/creation processing in a facsimile mail device as an operation manual creation device according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a continuation of the operation manual editing/creation process of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state of processing steps and system parameters stored in the instruction information storage unit of the facsimile mail device as the operation manual creation device according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing address settings for processing steps and explanatory data stored in a manual generation buffer of a facsimile mail device as an operation manual generation device according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing each data of the operation manual developed in the manual generation buffer of the facsimile mail device as the operation manual generation device according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing an operation manual edited and created according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart showing guide book editing/creation processing according to each invention of the present application.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing a guidebook edited and created according to each invention of the present application.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Facsimile mail device 2 System control section 3, 4 Disk control section 5 Floppy disk device 6, 7 Hard disk device 8 Host interface section 11 Network control section 12 Modem 13 Communication control section 14 Manual generation buffer 15 Encoding/decoding section 16 Channel Control unit 17 Control program storage unit 18 OMR processing unit 19 Data storage unit 20 Accumulation memory 21 Instruction information storage unit 22 System information storage unit 23 Edit control unit 24 Bus control unit 30 OMR sheet for operation manual request 30h
Inquiry mark 30i Voice guidance required/unnecessary mark 30j
Mail type (service type) mark 30k
Whether or not time is specified and specified time mark 40a
Header section 40b Character data area 40c Image data area

Claims (4)

[Claims] Claim 1: When a predetermined operation is performed on a communication terminal, operation data corresponding to the content of the operation is received from the communication terminal, and a plurality of processing steps are executed in combination according to the operation data. An operation manual creation device for communication equipment that provides communication services, comprising a reception control means for receiving operation data from the communication terminal, and data necessary for creating an operation manual among the data received by the reception control means. an instruction information storage means for storing explanatory data of the operation content requested for each of the above processing steps; and an instruction information storage means for storing the frequency of communication services requested from the communication terminals. A service frequency storage unit that stores information about the user for each communication service, and data stored in the data storage unit are analyzed to explain the operation details of each processing step stored in the instruction information storage unit. Edit and edit operation manuals required for communication service requests.
Data explaining the operation contents of each processing step necessary to use the communication service is created and searched in the service frequency storage means to obtain a guidebook for a communication service that is used less frequently among the communication services provided by the communication device. The present invention is characterized by comprising: an editing control means for editing and creating in combination, and a transmission control means for transmitting an operation manual or guide created by the editing control means to a communication terminal in response to a request from the communication terminal. Operation manual creation device. 2. When a predetermined operation is performed on a communication terminal, operation data corresponding to the content of the operation is received from the communication terminal, and a plurality of processing steps are executed in combination according to the operation data. An operation manual creation device for communication equipment that provides communication services, comprising a reception control means for receiving operation data from the communication terminal, and data necessary for creating an operation manual among the data received by the reception control means. data storage means for extracting and storing data, instruction information storage means for storing explanatory data of the operation contents required for each of the above-mentioned processing steps, and various data input and operated in advance to realize each function of the device. a system information storage means for storing system information;
service frequency storage means for storing the frequency of communication services requested by the communication terminal for each communication service for each communication terminal and user; and a service frequency storage means for storing the frequency of communication services requested by the communication terminal for each communication service; The system information stored in the system information storage means is combined with the explanatory data of the operation contents in each processing step, and the operation manual necessary for requesting the desired communication service is edited and created, and the service frequency storage means Search for information on communication services that are less frequently used among the communication services provided by the communication device, combine them with explanatory data of the operation details for each processing step necessary to use the communication service, and incorporate system information. an editing control means for editing and creating; and a transmission control means for transmitting an operation manual or guide created by the editing control means to a communication terminal in response to a request from the communication terminal;
An operation manual creation device characterized by: 3. The operation manual creation device according to claim 1, wherein the communication device is a facsimile mail device. 4. The communication device provides the reception control means with an O
4. The operation manual creation device according to claim 1, further comprising OMR processing means for analyzing MR data.