JP2004013344A - Question/answer support system for screen operation - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a question/answer support system for screen operation with excellent versatility which improves inconvenience and reduces the trouble and cost of system installation. <P>SOLUTION: The question/answer support system for screen operation is equipped with a question/answer data retrieving means having a function of retrieving whether or not an answer to a question in a picture, displayed on a monitor 100 of an electronic computer, of application software being actuated is registered and a function of displaying the answer on the monitor 100 when the answer is registered, an answer request means of generating and sending to a mail system 60 electronic mail of a question to an answer request destination which is previously registered corresponding to the application software or picture or inputted by a questioner when the answer is not registered, and a received answer processing means having a function of displaying an answer from the answer request destination on the monitor 100 and a function of registering the answer. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system used when a user asks a question related to a screen on a monitor of a computer, and particularly to a question answering support system for efficiently obtaining an answer to the question.
[0002]
[Prior art]
When performing operations such as commissioned calculations on an electronic computer or when using application software introduced into an electronic computer, the user may be wondering about the contents of operations on the screen. In such a case, the user asks a question to the business administrator or the developer of the application software.In recent years, due to the development of network technologies such as the Internet, the user sends the question by e-mail, and the e-mail is sent from the answer request destination. A system that receives answers has been put to practical use. As a technique for assisting this type of system, for example, a system dedicated to a questioner and a respondent is introduced as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 10-222565, and a specific business system is provided. To support the communication of information.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, in the above-mentioned conventional support system, the correspondence between the system on the questioner side and the system on the respondent side must be fixedly defined, and the target system is limited to a specific system. Therefore, there was an inconvenience that it was not versatile. In addition, in addition to this, it is necessary to introduce a dedicated system for both the questioner and the respondent, and the introduction of such a system requires labor and cost, which makes it difficult to stimulate demand for such a system. was there.
[0004]
It is an object of the present invention to provide a question-and-answer support system for screen operation which is excellent in versatility and which solves the inconvenience of the conventional example and reduces the trouble and cost of system introduction.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, according to the present invention, there is provided a function for searching whether or not an answer to a question on a screen of a running application software displayed on a monitor of a computer is registered in a question answer database; A question and answer data search means having a function of displaying the answer on the monitor when the answer is registered, and, if the answer is not registered, registered in advance in association with the application software or the screen. Answer request means for creating an e-mail of the questioner's question with respect to the answer request destination that has been entered or input by the questioner, and causing the mail system to transmit the e-mail, and displaying the answer from the answer request destination on the monitor. And a reception answer processing means having a function of registering the answer in the question answer database. To have.
[0006]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
A first embodiment of a screen operation question and answer support system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0007]
Reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 indicates a question and answer support system of the present embodiment. The question answering support system 10 is installed in a questioner side system (for example, a computer used by the questioner) as shown in FIG. 1, and a screen display unit (monitor) 100 (shown in FIG. 1) of the questioner side system. This supports a request for answering a question related to the screen of the running application or the like displayed in (Omitted). Various means are provided in the question answering support system 10 to provide such support. Hereinafter, the means will be described.
[0008]
As means of the question answer support system 10, there are provided a starting screen information acquiring means, a question answer data searching means, an answer requesting means, a received answer processing means, and an unanswered matter retransmitting means.
[0009]
The starting screen information acquisition means of the question answering support system 10 includes a screen (for example, FIG. 1) which is started from the operating system (hereinafter referred to as “OS”) 20 of the questioner side system shown in FIG. A start-up screen information acquisition function for acquiring information about the processing screen 110 shown in FIG. 2 is provided. Here, in the present embodiment, the program name of the activated screen and the name of the screen are acquired as information on the activated screen.
[0010]
The activated screen information acquiring means creates a list 120 of the acquired activated screen information as shown in FIG. 3, and creates an activated screen list for displaying the activated screen list 120 on the screen display unit 100. / Display function is provided. Here, in the running screen list 120 shown in FIG. 3 of the present embodiment, in addition to the program name field 120a and the screen name field 120b, a program name and a screen name related to a screen where a questioner asks a question are selected. Is provided.
[0011]
Furthermore, the starting screen information obtaining means is provided with a question image obtaining function for obtaining a hard copy image (question image) of the starting screen selected by the requester. Here, in the present embodiment, the obtained hard copy image is stored in, for example, a temporary memory of the questioner's system until the processing of the question answering support system 10 ends.
[0012]
Next, the question answer data search means of the question answer support system 10 uses the program name and the screen name of the active screen list 120 selected by the questioner as keys, and answers to the questions for the same screen are shown in FIG. A question and answer data search function for searching whether or not the data is stored in the question and answer database 30 is provided.
[0013]
Here, as shown in FIG. 6, the question answer database 30 stores a program name column 30a storing a program name and a screen name column storing a screen name displayed on the screen display unit 100 by the program. A record having 30b is provided. Further, the record of the question answer database 30 includes a question ID column 30c storing a question ID assigned to a question document related to the screen name, a question document column 30d storing the question document, and a screen hardware. A question image column 30e in which a copy image (question image) is stored, a questioner information column 30f in which an e-mail address of the questioner who asked the question is stored, and a date when the question was asked are stored. A question date column 30g, an answer request destination column 30h storing an e-mail address of an answer request destination requesting an answer to the question, and an answer document column 30i storing an answer document of the question are provided. . The above-mentioned question date information is used at the time of a reminder to the answer request destination when no answer has been made yet as described later.
[0014]
Further, this question and answer data search means, when the answer is accumulated as a result of the search, retrieves a question document, a question and a question from the record of the question and answer database 30 having both the program name and the screen name selected by the questioner. It also has an answer list creation / display function of reading images and answer documents, creating an answer list 130 as shown in FIG. Here, in the answer list 130 shown in FIG. 4 of the present embodiment, in addition to the question document column 130a, the question image column 130b, and the answer document column 130c, when the problem is solved by the display contents of the list, the selection (click) is made. ), And an unsolved button 130e that is selected (clicked) when not solved. In the present embodiment, the question image is displayed on another screen by selecting (clicking) the question image column 130b.
[0015]
Subsequently, the answer requesting means of the question answering support system 10 is used when the answer is not accumulated by the search by the question answering data searching means or when the unsolved button 130e of the answer list 130 shown in FIG. 4 is selected. An inquiry destination selection screen display function for displaying an inquiry destination selection screen 140 as shown in FIG. 5 on the screen display unit 100 is provided. Here, the inquiry destination selection screen 140 is a screen for selecting the inquiry destination of the question, and in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. A selection button 140b is provided to make a developer (for example, a developer of an application related to a selected active screen) an inquiry destination.
[0016]
When the inquiry destination is selected on the inquiry destination selection screen 140, the answer request means supports creation of a transmission mail of the e-mail system 60 (application) shown in FIG. It also has an outgoing mail creation support function. This outgoing mail creation support function sends the destination, subject, and attached file of the outgoing mail (a compressed file of the hard copy image of the active screen acquired by the active screen information acquiring means described above) to the e-mail system 60 for creation. At the same time as providing support, the electronic mail system 60 is caused to send outgoing mail. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, an e-mail system 60 of the questioner's system is transmitted to an e-mail system 70 of the respondent's system. The electronic mail systems 60 and 70 used here may be those generally used.
[0017]
Here, the sent mail creation support function acquires the destination e-mail address from the answer request destination database 40 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, the reply request destination database 40 stores the e-mail address of the reply request destination for each program name in the program name column 40a. In the system according to the present embodiment, the department that manages the company and the developer of the system are set as the response request destinations, and therefore, the department that manages the company 40b and the system developer 40c are provided in each record.
[0018]
In some cases, the answer request destination is not registered in the answer request destination database 40. For this reason, in this case, the response request means displays an e-mail address input request screen (not shown) on the screen display unit 100, and registers the e-mail address input on this input request screen in the response request destination database 40. A function of registering the data of a request destination to be executed is provided.
[0019]
Further, the answer requesting means includes a function of creating a compressed file obtained by compressing a hard copy image of the screen during startup, and an identifier (for example, the name of the present system) that can be identified as a mail created by the question answering support system 10. And a symbol, etc.) and a question ID.
[0020]
Furthermore, a question data registration function for registering the program name, screen name, question ID, question document, question image, e-mail address of the questioner, question date and e-mail address of the answer request destination in the question answer database 30 is provided. I have.
[0021]
Subsequently, the received answer processing means of the question answer support system 10 creates an answer list 130 as shown in FIG. 4 from the answer document received from the answer request destination, the question document extracted from the question answer database 30 and the question image, and displays the screen. An answer list creation / display function to be displayed on the display unit 100 and an answer data registration function to register an answer document received from an answer request destination in the question answer database 30 are provided.
[0022]
Subsequently, the unanswered item retransmission means of the question answering support system 10 has a question retransmission function of retransmitting a question to an answer request destination for an unanswered question that has passed a predetermined date from the question date.
[0023]
In this embodiment, in addition to the question answering support system 10, a mail sorting system 50 accompanying the question answering support system 10 is introduced into the questioner side system as shown in FIG. The mail sorting system 50 determines whether the e-mail received via the network 80 is related to the question answering support system 10 (that is, whether it is an answer of the question answering support system), and Means for performing sorting. Here, the mail sorting system 50 according to the present embodiment is set so as to be activated before an ordinary mail system (the electronic mail system 60) when an electronic mail is received. The mail sorting means of the mail sorting system 50 may be provided as one of means or functions of the question answering support system 10.
[0024]
Next, the operation of the question answering support system 10 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.
[0025]
First, the flow of processing of the question answering support system 10 when the questioner has a question on the operation method or the like on the active screen will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. As shown in FIG. 2, the startup interface (question button 111) of the question answering support system 10 of the present embodiment is a part of the screen display unit 100 independently of any active screen (the processing screen 110 in FIG. 2). Will be displayed. First, the questioner clicks the question button 111 to activate the question answering support system 10 (step ST1). Along with this, the question and answer support system 10 obtains information (program name and screen name) of all the active screens at that time from the OS 20 by the active screen information obtaining means, and displays the program name and the screen name. 3 is created and displayed on the screen display unit 100 (step ST2).
[0026]
The interrogator selects a screen on which he / she is asking a question from the activated screen list 120 (step ST3). Thus, the activated screen information acquiring means acquires a hard copy image (question image) of the selected screen by the question image acquiring function and stores it in the temporary memory of the interrogator's system (step ST4). At the same time, the question answer data search means of the question answer support system 10 searches the question answer database 30 shown in FIG. 6 using the selected program name and screen name as keys (step ST5). The question and answer data search means determines whether both the program name and the screen name exist in the question and answer database 30 (step ST6), and if so, the corresponding question document, question image and answer The document is read, an answer list 130 shown in FIG. 4 is created and displayed on the screen display unit 100 (step ST7). If it is determined in step ST6 that both the program name and the screen name do not exist, the process proceeds to step ST10, which will be described later, and the inquiry request selection screen of FIG. 140 is displayed.
[0027]
Subsequently, the questioner checks the display contents of the answer list 130 and selects the solution button 130d or the unsolved button 130e according to the solution or unsolved problem (step ST8). Accordingly, the answer requesting means of the question answering support system 10 determines the selected content (step ST9), and ends the process when the solution button 130d is selected. When the unresolved button 130e is selected, an inquiry destination selection screen 140 shown in FIG. 5 is displayed on the screen display unit 100 (step ST10).
[0028]
The inquirer selects, on the inquiry destination selection screen 140, whether to request an answer from the department that manages the company or an answer from the system developer (step ST11). Thus, the response request means searches the response request destination database 40 shown in FIG. 7 by using the program name selected in the running screen list 120 as a key by the transmitted mail creation support function (step ST12), and It is determined whether or not the corresponding e-mail address of the answer request destination selected in step ST10 exists (step ST13). Here, if the corresponding e-mail address exists, the e-mail address is obtained from the answer request destination database 40 (step ST14). If the corresponding e-mail address does not exist, an e-mail address input request screen (not shown) is displayed on the screen display unit 100 by the answer request destination data registration function (step ST15). When the requester inputs an e-mail address of a desired answer request destination on the input request screen (step ST16), the answer request destination data registration function stores the program name and the record of the input e-mail address in the answer request destination. Register it in the database 40 (step ST17).
[0029]
After step ST14 or step ST17, the outgoing e-mail creation support function sends outgoing e-mail information to the e-mail system 60 with the e-mail address as a destination (step ST18). At this time, the answer requesting unit compresses the hard copy image of the active screen acquired in step ST4 to create a compressed file of the question image attached to the question document. In addition, a message to which identification information (an identifier created by the question answering support system 10 and a question ID) is added as a subject of the transmitted mail is created. As the question ID at this time, a newly assigned ID that is not registered in the question answer database 30 is used. In addition, since an input screen such as a mail creation screen is displayed on the screen display unit 100, the questioner inputs a question document on the screen. The sending mail creation support function of the answer requesting means gives the e-mail address and the subject as the destination and the text composed of the compressed file of the question document and the question image to the e-mail system 60 as the sending mail information and instructs the sending. As a result, the electronic mail system 60 transmits the electronic mail to the destination. Incidentally, the compressed file of the question image may be compressed at the time of acquisition in step ST4.
[0030]
In addition, the answer requesting means passes the transmitted mail information to the electronic mail system 60, and uses a question answer data registration function to provide a program name, a screen name, a question ID, a question document, a question image, an e-mail address of the questioner, a question date, The e-mail address of the answer request destination is registered as a new record in the question answer database 30 (step ST19).
[0031]
Next, the flow of processing after an answer from the answer request destination is sent by email from the email system 70 shown in FIG. 1 will be described with reference to FIG. Upon receiving the e-mail (step ST21), the mail sorting system 50 determines whether or not the subject of the e-mail includes the identifier of the question answering support system 10 in step ST18 shown in FIG. 9 (step ST22). Here, if the identifier is included, the mail sorting system 50 displays a message (not shown) indicating the arrival of the answer on the screen display unit 100 (step ST23). If the identifier is not included, it is determined that the received mail is irrelevant to the question and answer support system 10, and the received mail is passed to the electronic mail system 60.
[0032]
Since the message displayed in step ST22 is provided with an instruction button for instructing an answer display, when the requester instructs an answer display (step ST24), the question answering support system 10 Thus, the question document and the question image of the record corresponding to the question ID in the subject are read, the answer document in the received mail is read, the answer list 130 is created, and displayed on the screen display unit 100 (step ST25). The subsequent processing flow is the same as that after step ST8 shown in FIG. Further, the received answer processing means registers the answer document in the record of the question answer database 30 corresponding to the question ID in the subject by the answer data registration function while displaying the answer list 130 (step ST26).
[0033]
In addition, the question answering support system 10 retransmits a question to an answer request destination for an unanswered question that has passed a predetermined date from the question date. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 11, the question answering support system 10 searches the question answering database 30 by the unanswered item retransmission function at a predetermined time or at a predetermined interval (step ST31). In such a search, a record in which the answer document column 30i of the question answer database 30 is blank is searched. Then, when a record in which the answer document column 30i is blank is searched, the unanswered matter retransmission function determines whether or not this record has passed a predetermined date (or a predetermined period) from the question date (or not). Step ST32). If there is no record whose predetermined date has passed from the question date, the unresponsible matter retransmission function ends the process. If there is such a record, the corresponding question document, the question image and the transmitted mail information such as the e-mail address of the answer request destination are extracted (step ST33), and based on these, the e-mail is sent to the answer request destination. Retransmission is performed (step ST34). At this time, the unresponded matter retransmission function displays on the screen display unit 100 that retransmission has been performed (step ST35).
[0034]
The question and answer support system 10 (and the mail sorting system 50) of the present embodiment described above may be introduced only into the system on the questioner side, and the electronic mail systems 60 and 70 on both the questioner side and the respondent side. Can be used in general, so that the labor and cost at the time of introduction can be reduced, and the versatility is excellent. In addition, an identifier that can be identified as a mail created by the question answering support system 10 is added to the subject of the sent mail when the sent mail is created, and the identifier added to the subject of the received mail from the answer request destination is added. Thus, it can be determined that the received mail is from the answer request destination. For this reason, for example, when sorting received mails using an e-mail address as a key, all mails at that address will be extracted. However, the system determines from the subject (identifier) to ensure that the answer request destination The answer (e-mail) can be sorted out without being conscious of the questioner, which is excellent in convenience for the questioner.
[0035]
Furthermore, since the questioner only has to click the activation interface (question button 111) and follow the instructions on the screen displayed on the screen display unit 100, the requester does not need to be particularly conscious of the answer request destination of the question each time. Because it is possible to ask questions, it is excellent in convenience and simplicity. Furthermore, since the answer from the answer request destination is registered in the question answer database 30, the answer can be used for the subsequent answer search, and the answer can be obtained efficiently and quickly.
[0036]
In the above-described embodiment, the inquiry destination selection screen 140 is provided with the selection button 140a of the department that manages the company, but the question answering support system 10 is used outside the company (for example, for a personal computer). In this case, the selection button 140a need not be displayed. If there is only one inquiry destination, the inquiry destination selection screen 140 need not be displayed. That is, if the corresponding e-mail address exists in the answer request destination database 40, the process may proceed to step ST12 after step ST6 or ST9 shown in FIG.
[0037]
Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the question answer database 30 and the answer request destination database 40 are illustrated as being provided in the questioner side system, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to this. One (particularly the question and answer database 30) or both 40 may be provided on the network 80. By providing the question and answer database 30 on the network 80, the question and the answer (question document, question image and answer image) are shared on the network 80, and the data stored in the question and answer database 30 is stored. Enriched, more efficient, and faster responses can be obtained.
[0038]
【The invention's effect】
ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to the question-and-answer support system of the screen operation which concerns on this invention, since a questioner can ask a question, without being conscious of an answer request destination each time, it is excellent in convenience and simplicity. In addition, since the answer from the answer request destination is registered in the question answer database, the answer can be used for the subsequent answer search, and the answer can be obtained efficiently and quickly. Furthermore, such a system can be installed only on the questioner side, and a commonly used (versatile) e-mail system can be used. And excellent versatility.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a question answering support system according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a starting screen according to the embodiment.
FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a list of screens during startup according to the embodiment.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an answer list according to the embodiment.
FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an inquiry destination selection screen according to the embodiment.
FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a question answer database in the present embodiment.
FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an answer request destination database in the present embodiment.
FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an answer request process in the question answering support system of the present embodiment.
FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a continuation of the flowchart of FIG. 8;
FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating a processing operation of the question answering support system of the present embodiment when an answer is received.
FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a question retransmission process in the question answering support system of the present embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 Question Answer Support System 20 Operating System 30 Question Answer Database 40 Answer Request Destination Database 50 Mail Sorting System 60, 70 Mail System 80 Network 100 Screen Display Unit 110 Starting Screen 111 Question Button (Start Interface)
120 Start-up screen list 130 Answer list 130d Solve button 130e Unsolved button 140 Inquiry destination selection screen

Claims (2)

A function for searching whether or not the answer to the question on the screen of the running application software displayed on the monitor of the computer is registered in the question answer database; and, if the answer is registered, the answer is displayed. Question and answer data search means having a function of displaying on the monitor,
When the answer is not registered, an e-mail of a question of the questioner for the answer request destination registered in advance or entered by the questioner in association with the application software or the screen is created, and a mail system Requesting means to send the email to
Receiving answer processing means having a function of displaying an answer from the answer request destination on the monitor, and a function of registering the answer in the question answer database;
A question-and-answer support system for screen operation, comprising: 2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a mail sorting unit for determining whether the received electronic mail is from the answer request destination.

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