JP2005109710A - Support system for providing or receiving information, support method, and computer program for support - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To automate connection/disconnection according to reservations of a TV conference device or facilitate setting for automating the connection/disconnection when holding a TV conference, to automatically extract a conference room meeting a designated condition, to make participants in the TV conference share materials, and to reflect memos written on shared materials or to realize mutual reference. <P>SOLUTION: A support system for providing or receiving information has a storage device for storing information, an input/output device including a display device, and a processor. A reservation screen for providing or receiving information is displayed on the input/output device on the basis of information stored in the storage device. Reservation information related to information provision or reception inputted on the basis of the reservation screen is stored in the storage device, and a connection to a destination of information provision or reception is established on the basis of the reservation information. The candidates of a connection destination are displayed on the reservation screen for information provision or reception, and a connection destination selected from the displayed candidates is displayed on the reservation screen. Further, a reserved time inputted on the basis of the reservation screen is displayed on the reservation screen, and the selected connection destination and the reserved time are stored as the reservation information in the storage device. The connection to the destination of information provision or reception which is based on the reservation information is established on the basis of information of the stored connection destination and reserved time. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a system for providing or receiving information, for example, a conference support for a video conference or a lecture using a communication line, a method for providing a conference, for example, a conference support method, and a method for providing or receiving information. The present invention relates to a computer program for conference support, for example. As an example of specific support, in video conferencing, it is possible to easily make conference reservations, and automatically connect devices at each site used by video conferences based on conference room reservations. Help to do. Furthermore, a document used in a video conference can be shared, and attendees of the conference can write on the document, and the contents can be reflected on the TV screen of the video conference. As a result, the video conference can be carried out smoothly. The present invention relates to various supports for facilitating provision of information or reception of information as exemplified above.

  Each information processing device can automatically recognize multiple electronic devices connected to the network, and conference participants can easily participate in the conference that they intend. The following technologies are related to the system or computer program to be executed. For example, see Patent Document 1.

  Patent Document 1 states that “an identification information packet for identifying electronic devices for network configuration is distributed all at once, and the information processing apparatus displays the identification information and includes an information provision management means and other information processing apparatuses. "The device was selected."

  In Patent Document 2, all users can check the usage status of the multi-point control unit (MCU) at the same time on the operation terminals at a plurality of points, so it is easy to adjust the schedule of the next video conference to be held on the spot. The techniques that can be performed are described.

Patent Document 3 describes a mechanism for improving the structure of a videophone or videoconferencing system and performing a presentation similar to a presentation at a general conference or academic conference by remote control.
JP 2003-87250 A JP 2002-209197 A JP 2000-184346 A

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a support system, a method, and a program related thereto for providing easy-to-use information or receiving information by utilizing the performance improvement of the communication line. This problem will be described with a specific example. In order to hold a conference such as a video conference, it is necessary to connect or disconnect devices used by parties involved in the conference. Since the operation of connecting and disconnecting these devices is complicated, it is necessary for an expert in this field to operate or to have an expert help the operation. However, it is not always bright for conference participants to operate these devices. Rather, it is often inadequate and it is desirable to be able to operate conference devices more easily. One of the problems to be solved by the present invention is to provide a meeting support system or a meeting support method that can be easily operated, and a computer program for supporting a meeting.

  Still another problem is that it takes a lot of time to perform operations before and after the conference, such as reservations for a plurality of conference rooms and complicated operations for connecting and disconnecting devices related to the conference. It should be as easy as possible. Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a conference support system or a conference support method, and a computer program for supporting a conference, which requires less labor.

  Further, as another problem, it is desirable to be able to operate according to a visual screen and to confirm the operation content so that the apparatus related to the conference can be set and operated without specialized knowledge. Still another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a conference support system or a conference support method capable of setting operations and conditions according to a visual screen, and a computer program for conference support.

  A more specific problem is that it takes a lot of time to connect the devices in each district related to the conference. Still another problem to be solved by the present invention is that a conference support system or a conference support method, which can easily reserve a conference room related to a conference and can be easily connected to a device of the related conference room, To provide a computer program for support.

  In addition, it is necessary for participants in the conference to make comments on the materials during the video conference and reflect the contents so that they can refer to the participants.

  As a more specific problem, it is desirable that materials used for the conference can be shared, or that participants can write on the same material. Still another problem to be solved by the present invention is a meeting support system or a meeting support method, and a computer program for supporting a meeting, in which materials used for a meeting can be shared, or participants can write in the same material. Is to provide.

  One of the solutions according to the present invention is that a reservation for providing information or receiving information can be easily performed by using a graphic user interface (GUI). Further, in addition to such improved usability, line connection relating to a device for providing information or receiving information based on reservation contents is automatically performed. For example, information related to settings such as connection / disconnection of a video conference apparatus can be easily registered in a server or the like, thereby realizing sharing of reservation information and the like and simplification of work related to settings. As a result, the reservation and setting work can be easily performed.

  One of the other solutions is that a plurality of conference rooms can be easily reserved by arranging a conference room icon or the like on the reservation screen. . It is also possible to connect and disconnect the video conference room as scheduled.

  Yet another solution is to automatically extract conference rooms in each district that meet the specified conditions so that the conference rooms can be easily reserved. At that time, the video conferencing apparatus can be automatically connected.

  One of the other solutions is that the participants in the conference share the conference materials during the video conference, and the participants write each other on the materials and reflect the contents to the participants. This is what you can do.

  Usability is greatly improved by providing information or receiving information. For example, in the case of video conferencing, the provision of a mechanism that makes it easy to make conference reservations and connect / disconnect a line based on this, thereby enabling connection / disconnection of devices for providing information or receiving information. Even those who do not have knowledge can easily prepare for a video conference. This makes it possible to shorten and reduce the time required for the work of specialized personnel, and to improve the work efficiency.

  On a reservation screen, for example, a plurality of places such as lectures or conference rooms can be easily reserved by means such as arranging icons corresponding to the conference rooms. In addition, by providing a mechanism for easily connecting / disconnecting a device for providing information or receiving information, such as a video conference device (functions related to automatic connection and automatic disconnection reservations, etc.), information provision or information can be easily performed. Will be ready to receive. The above-mentioned mechanisms and functions make it easy to make reservations for locations and connection / disconnection of devices to be used, reduce errors in reservations and settings, speed up work, and increase work efficiency and accuracy. Can do.

  Further, reservation of a place for providing information or receiving information can be easily performed by means such as automatically extracting a conference room in each district that meets specified conditions as a reservation target. . As a result, the investigation and selection work of the conference room can be reduced and the work efficiency can be improved. Furthermore, in addition to the reservation, for example, in video conferences, it is possible to make reservations for the connection of video conference devices, so that the efficiency of connection and disconnection operations of the video conference devices can be improved.

  In the case of a video conference, participants in the conference share the materials during the video conference, the participants write each other on the materials, and the contents are reflected on the reference screen so that the participants can refer to them. So, you can smoothly advance the video conference as if you were sharing the same space.

  As described above, according to the present invention, work related to preparation for providing information or receiving information can be made more efficient. With respect to reservations, it is possible to reduce the support of specialists and the like, and it is possible to easily reserve places such as conference rooms. In addition, regarding the setting, it is possible to reduce the support of specialists and the like, and it is possible to easily set the necessary equipment. Share materials used to provide information or receive information, and write comments and checkmarks to each other, making it possible to provide information or information smoothly as if they were in the same place. You can receive it.

  An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows one form of a system configuration of a computer system to which the present invention is applied, and FIG. 2 shows a processing flow in one embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 3 to 7 show examples of operations related to reservation of a video conference and device settings according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 9 shows a screen image of the video conference device when a video conference is performed. Hereinafter, it demonstrates in order.

  FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration diagram of a computer system according to an embodiment to which the present invention is applied. The system includes a server 101, devices 102 to 104 for client devices including a video conference device and a Web browser, devices 105 to 107 for client devices including a Web browser, and devices 108 to 110 for a video conference. .

  From a Web browser, it is possible to easily make a reservation such as a video conference through a graphic user interface (hereinafter referred to as GUI). The reservation contents are stored in a storage device managed by the server 101. The reservation contents may include reservations relating to automatic connection / disconnection processing of the video conference apparatus. The server 101 can notify the reservation status to the Web browser. From the Web browser, a video conference device can be selected through the GUI, and connection / disconnection and operation of the connection destination camera can be designated. The server 101 can notify the web browser of the connection / disconnection status. The above notification may be a notification from a browser or posted on a homepage.

  The conference material can be uploaded from the web browser to the web server and downloaded from the web server. Meeting materials can be shared on the Web server. These meeting materials may be recorded in the devices 102 to 104, the devices 108 to 110, and the devices 105 to 107 that are connected to the data related to the reservation. Further, it may be stored in a storage device managed by the server 101.

  Server management may be distributed by providing servers 121, 122, and 123 at each site. In this case, the servers 121, 122, and 123 at each site can manage information about client devices under each site, reservation information / connection information at each site, etc., and cooperate with the server 101. For example, when the client device 106 is not connected due to a trouble or the like, the server 122 catches this information, notifies the other server 101 or the like, and reports the information to the other client device from there. You can also

  It is also possible to share data between the servers 121 to 123 and the server 101 at each site and maintain the contents of the database in common. In this case, for example, the client devices 105, 106, and 107 can access the nearest server 122, and thus can be accessed at a relatively high speed. By regularly adjusting the shift of update data between servers, the data between the servers is held as common information. This can reduce the risk of data loss during a disaster.

  It is possible to attach a device having a setting screen to a single device for video conferencing or incorporate a system for performing the above-described operation. In that case, an operation using a GUI equivalent to that of the Web browser can be performed on the apparatus for the video conference. If a television screen is displayed on a web browser, a video conference can be performed on the screen on the web browser.

  In the video conference, materials displayed on the screen, for example, documents can be shared. Shared materials can be freely viewed and written by participants in the conference. When writing to the shared material, the written contents are reflected on the television screen, so that the writing can be referred to at the same time and a new writing can be freely performed. Hereinafter, these contents will be described in detail.

  FIG. 2 shows a flow of operation and system processing of the system shown in FIG. Numbers beginning with alphanumeric “S” represent each step in the flow. First, reservation and preparation for a video conference will be described as an example. In step S201, reservation of a place, for example, reservation of a conference room and setting of a device for a video conference are performed. The conference room reservation will be mainly described with reference to FIG. 3, and the apparatus setting for the video conference will be described with reference to FIGS. The detailed operation of the system will be described with reference to FIG. In step S202, the conference room reservation status and the video conference device setting status are confirmed. Confirmation of the reservation status of the conference room will be mainly described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 5, and confirmation of the setting status of the video conference apparatus will be mainly described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 6. In step S203, the reservation status of the conference room and the setting status of the video conference device are confirmed. If the confirmation result is OK, the process proceeds to step S204. If it is NG, the process returns to step S201, and the operation is performed again from the reservation of the conference room and the setting of the video conference apparatus.

  The reservation of the conference room and the setting of the video conference apparatus may all be managed by the server 101, but the processing may be distributed to other servers 121 to 123. In this case, the servers 121 to 123 may manage the information on each site, and the server 101 may manage the information. Further, as described with reference to FIG. 1, each server may share information to reduce the risk of information loss and reduce the access time to the server at each base.

  In step S204, the video conference apparatus is connected. If there is an error during connection, the corresponding video conference device is disconnected. The connection of the video conference device here refers to an environment in which electronic data can be shared using a network line or the like, and it is connected to the network, and is connected to other video conference devices. It is to make it possible to send and receive data. The disconnection of the video conference apparatus means disconnecting from the network and making it impossible to transmit / receive electronic data to / from other video conference apparatuses. The connection / disconnection of the video conference apparatus can be set to be automatically performed at the time of the reservation operation. In step S205, the connection status of the video conference apparatus is confirmed. The confirmation work is actually performed by exchanging image data and audio data with the connection destination. In step S206, the connection status is determined from the result of the confirmation work. If it is OK, the process proceeds to step S207, and if it is NG, the operation returns to step S204, and the operation is performed again. The detailed operation of the system related to the connection is shown in FIG.

  For example, regarding the connection of the video conference device, when the client device 105 scheduled to participate in the conference cannot be connected and cannot participate in the conference, the following processing is performed. The server 122 checks the connection status of the client devices 105 to 107 scheduled to participate in the conference. For example, it is assumed that a trouble has occurred in the line belonging to the client device 105 or the device 105 and the connection has not been established. In this case, the server 122 confirms that the client device 105 is not connected, and reports the information to the client devices 106 and 107 and the server 101 that are scheduled to be connected to participate in the conference. The server 101 reports the information to the servers 121 and 123, and the servers 121 and 123 report the information to a client device prepared for participating in the conference under the control of its own server.

  When the client device 105 can be connected during the conference, the information is reported to another server or client device in the same manner as described above. In this way, the client device can know the connection status of the video conference device of another participant (client device). At this time, for example, the cause of unconnection may be added to the information reporting unconnection. For example, check the power supply of the terminal, or part of the device, TV camera related device is not started.

  In step S207, the camera is operated to take an image or an image to be displayed on the TV screen of the TV conference device. The camera operation will be described later with reference to FIG. In step S208, an electronic file is uploaded / downloaded for the material used for the conference. In this embodiment, the shared material handled by the system is assumed to be an electronic file, and the contents of the electronic file editing and sharing method will be described. The details of the operation will be described later with reference to FIG. In step S209, a video conference is performed. An example of this embodiment at the time of the video conference will be described later with reference to FIG.

  In step S210, the video conference apparatus is disconnected or the connection is changed. The disconnection of the video conference device automatically operates based on the reserved time. However, suddenly disconnecting the communication line at the input time without giving a warning is likely to cause various harmful effects. Therefore, a warning is displayed at the end of the video conference screen with a preset time, for example, 5 minutes as a warning period. By seeing this warning, it is possible to extend the disconnection time during the meeting or to change the connection setting. When an instruction to change the setting including extension of connection is input in this manner, in step S211, the video conference apparatus is disconnected or the connection change is confirmed. The information about the reservation time is confirmed from the stored contents, and whether or not the change is possible is output. In both step S210 and step S211, the connection of the video conference apparatus can be extended or the connection can be changed for reasons such as extension of the conference or continued use of the conference room in addition to disconnection. In step S212, if the disconnection or connection status is OK as a result of the confirmation in step S211, the process proceeds to step S213. If it is NG, it will start again from step S210. If the status of disconnection or connection change of the video conference apparatus is OK in step S212, if the use of the conference room is to be continued in step S213, the process returns to step S209 to continue the operation. If the operation is not continued, the work in the flow shown in FIG. 2 is terminated and the communication line is automatically disconnected.

  To summarize the flow of FIG. 2 described above, steps S201 to S203 are processing relating to conference reservation and conference condition setting. There seems to be some time before the actual meeting. In the above description of the flow, it is described that step S204 is performed after step S203, but this is a description in which the details are omitted, and actually, the processing of the system is temporarily ended in step S203. Steps S204 to S206 are processes for connecting the devices for the set conference, and the description is simplified in FIG. 2, but actually, when the connection condition is satisfied, for example, when the connection reservation time is reached, the steps S204 to S206 are performed. Is executed. Therefore, when the conditions for connection are actually met, step S203 is not performed, and step S204 is immediately executed. Step S207 is a camera operation, step S208 is uploading or downloading of materials, and these steps S207 and 208 are steps that are executed each time these operations are performed. Therefore, it can be performed at any time as long as the camera can be operated. Steps S209 to S213 are processing for ending the conference or processing for extending the conference. These steps are not necessarily performed after step S208, but are steps for connecting or disconnecting the communication line under the conditions for extending or ending the conference.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of a reservation screen for a video conference according to an embodiment of the present invention. The screen is a display indicating the district (parts or organizations may be included, and the meaning of the district includes these contents) such as a list of icons 302, a condition setting field 303, and the start and end of the conference. (May be considered as the start and end of use of the communication line) 304, a setting screen for connecting the video conference apparatus in each district through the network line, or a screen 305 for displaying the setting result. The reservation operation of the present embodiment described below has no special input order, and any operation may be performed first. An example of the operation of the system based on a specific operation is shown in FIG. 16, and an example of stored contents is shown in FIG.

  First, the screen of FIG. 3 is displayed from the operation of the toolbar on a menu screen (not shown) or another operation screen. This operation and the operation of the system based on the operation are shown in a procedure 1604 in FIG. As an example of the operation of the system based on the operation, the icon of the district where the video conference is to be performed is selected from the list 302 of the district icon to be reserved (step 1604 in FIG. 16), and the icon is dragged on the setting screen 305 for connection. Deploy. The icon is dragged in the area 305, and when the icon is arranged in the area 305, the icon automatically changes to a box 313 or the like in which a district name and a list of conference rooms in the district are displayed. FIG. 3 shows an example in which the boxes of A district 313, B district 315, and C district 317 are arranged (procedure 1608 in FIG. 16). The icon may be a box, text, or other identifier other than the icon. The same applies to the icons described below. The box is the same as the icon, and other identifiers and objects may be used. The same applies to the boxes described below.

  The above description is a method of dragging a district (may be a department or an organization) connected to the display area 305, but if the selection is made without dragging, the selected district is displayed in the area 305. Also good. This may be easier to operate. If two districts are selected, the two locations will be placed sideways. If three more locations are selected, each district will be placed at the top of the triangle. Furthermore, the selected area may be arranged at the apex of the polygon so that it is arranged at each apex of the quadrilateral when four places are added and selected. If it is possible to move to a position where it can be easily seen by dragging after the placement, it becomes easier to use.

  Next, when the connection line 323 is selected and the A district 313 and the B district 315 are sequentially selected, a connection line 319 is displayed. When the connection line 323 is selected and the A district 313 and the C district 317 are selected in order, the connection line 320 is displayed. When the connection line 323 is selected and the B district 315 and the C district 317 are selected in order, the connection line 321 is displayed. The state in which these operations are completed is the state of the display area 305 in FIG. As will be described later, the conference rooms in each district are automatically selected based on the priorities established in advance. In the example of FIG. 3, the second meeting room TV is selected in the A area, the first meeting room TV is selected in the B area, and the third meeting room TV is selected in the C area. Each is underlined and highlighted to indicate that it has been selected. In the above connection pattern, the three points of the A district 313, the B district 315, and the C district 317 are connected to each other, and the A district can communicate with the B district and the C district. District B can communicate with District A and District C. District C can communicate with District A and District B. Such a pattern is suitable for joint meetings between remote locations. In addition, this method is a high-class method, and when districts are selected, those districts may be connected under arbitrarily determined conditions. In this case, there is a lack of flexibility, but the operation is It has the advantage of being simple and easy to use. The operation and system operation described above are shown in a procedure 1610 in FIG. As described above, when a district is selected, the management server of the district is inquired about the reservation status of the conference room, and the status is displayed on the screen of FIG. By selecting a conference room for each district, the conference room can be reserved. The date and time of the reservation is determined by the display 304. The reservation may be confirmed by selecting the end button 309 as described later, or may be determined by another method.

  When disconnecting, for example, without connecting the district B and the district C, but connecting only the district A and the district B and the district A and the district C, the connection line 321 is selected and the disconnection operation is performed. Right-click to display a disconnection icon 322, and selecting it erases the connection line 321 and disconnects the video conference devices in the B district 315 and the C district 317. The screen after the connection is released is shown in FIG. From the connection diagram shown in FIG. 11, after the connection is released, the A district can communicate with the B district and the C district, but the B district and the C district cannot communicate. In addition, district B can communicate only with district A, and district C can communicate only with district A. Examples of application in such a pattern include the following. The above connection pattern can be used when there are lecturers in the A district and students in the B and C districts. It is possible to change the connection pattern between the image and the sound. In this case, the connection can be set by changing the color and line type of the connection line between the image connection and the sound connection. Details will be described with reference to FIG. Also, steps 1616 and 1618 in FIG. 16 are an example of connection relation designation operations. When a disconnected area is connected, the area to be connected is selected in step 1616, and a connection instruction such as display 323 in FIG. 3 is selected. It is possible to make a reservation setting so that the selected section is connected. Cutting is as described above. The connected display is designated in step 1616 in FIG. 16, and disconnection is designated in step 1618 in FIG.

  In addition, the above connection pattern can be applied when there are interviewers such as the personnel department in the A district and there are interviewees in the B and C districts. In this case, the interviewees do not want to leak information to each other, so it is necessary to disconnect each other's communication. For this reason, interviewers in district A need to consider changing the interview time for each district. For example, if the A district is from 10 o'clock to 11:30, the B district is from 10 o'clock to 10:30, the C district is from 10:30 to 11 o'clock, etc. is necessary. In this embodiment, the connection time zone can be individually changed for each district by, for example, right-clicking the box for district B or district C, so that the above-described case can be dealt with. Details will be described with reference to FIG.

  In the screen of FIG. 3, reservation conditions include whether or not to use the video conference apparatus 310, selection of a large room / small room 303, reservation time 304, and the like. When these conditions are set, the connection setting screen 305 is updated, and the conference rooms in each district are automatically selected. If the meeting room cannot be reserved, a warning is displayed in the box for that district. For example, if a meeting room in the A district that matches the conditions cannot be reserved, the background color of the box 313 in the A district turns red, and a highlight indicating that the reservation could not be made can be performed.

  Further, for example, only the A district and the B district can be selected, the large room can be selected, the C district can be selected, and the small room can be selected and designated. In this case, different conditions can be set for each district. There is also an item “no condition” in the condition, and this is selected when there is no condition.

  When the use of the video conference apparatus is selected, TV marks 314, 316, and 318 are displayed on the right shoulder of each district box, and it is possible to highlight that the conference is scheduled to be performed. If the system of the present embodiment is used, the reservation of the conference room and the reservation of connection / disconnection of the video conference apparatus can be performed simultaneously. It is also possible to make a reservation for a conference room and a reservation for a video conference device separately by switching modes and screens. The reservation function of the video conference apparatus is convenient because the video conference apparatus can be automatically connected at a specified date and time and can be automatically disconnected at the scheduled end time. It is also possible to extend the end time during the meeting and change / add / delete the connection destination. Furthermore, when connecting to each district, the system automatically selects a conference room that matches the set conditions without having to specify the conference room, so that operations such as reservation are simplified. In this case, since it is possible to change the conference room manually, the reservation work is flexible and convenient. A procedure 1612 in FIG. 16 is a case where automatic selection is performed, and a conference room close to the conditions is automatically selected in procedure 1614. Of course, the result is displayed in the area 305 of FIG. 3, and the contents can be changed by operation.

  In addition, by making the start time of the conference blank or the like and making it undecided, it is possible to make a reservation that the conference will be held as soon as people gather. In this case, the connection of the video conference apparatus at the start of the conference is manual. It is also possible to use the conference room and the video conference device until the end of the conference by setting the end of the conference to blank or the like and making it undecided. In this case, the video conference device is disconnected manually after the conference. In the case of a conference in which a start time and an end time are determined, both the connection and disconnection of the video conference apparatus are automatically performed, which is very convenient. In this case, it is possible to hold a conference even if the maintenance staff of the video conference apparatus is not on site. This makes it easier to hold a video conference. Since the work related to the preparation and termination of the video conference is greatly reduced, the utilization of the video conference can be promoted. In addition, since the start time and end time of the conference can be changed, it is possible to set a time with a margin in advance.

  The latest information 307 is a button that reflects the latest state of the reservation setting status on the connection setting screen 305. When this button is pressed, for example, when another administrator on the network has made the latest reservation, the setting contents are displayed on the screen. The confirmation operation on the connection setting screen 305 is also performed when the close button 309 for closing this screen is executed, but it can be confirmed at any time when the connection setting screen 305 is edited, or a separate confirmation button can be provided. It is also possible to discard the setting or return to the previous setting. The screen is not shown. When the camera operation 308 is selected, a screen for the camera position operation shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. This operation will be described later. If a property button 306 is pressed, information such as a host name, an IP address, a device name, a location of each conference room, a capacity, and a contact address is displayed. When the help button 312 is pressed, help regarding the operation is displayed. When the video conference device setting button 311 is pressed, a video conference device setting screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. On the video conference device setting screen, detailed settings relating to the video conference device connection can be made. Details will be described later.

  In this embodiment, a hierarchical structure of district-conference room is used, but the same operation is possible even in a hierarchical structure of district-building-conference room and building-conference room. In the example of FIG. 3, the conference name is entered by inputting the district name. However, it is also possible to display the district name list and the conference room name side-by-side so that the conference room can be directly designated and reserved. is there. It is also possible to make a reservation by directly specifying the conference room displayed under the district name. For example, it is possible to manually select the third conference room in the A district 313 and make the third conference room in the A district a target for reservation. When such an operation is performed, if the conditions such as the reservation time are not satisfied, a warning display such as making the background color of the A district 313 red is performed.

  In this way, the conference area is visually displayed on the screen as boxes, and reservations and settings for conference rooms and devices necessary for video conferencing are automatically performed by simply connecting the boxes with lines. Can do. Moreover, since the video conference apparatus can be set to automatically connect and disconnect in accordance with a specified time zone, the work of specialized maintenance personnel can be reduced. Accordingly, the reservation work accompanying the video conference and the operation of connecting / disconnecting the video conference device are automated and simplified, so that the video conference can be easily performed. Therefore, it can greatly contribute to cost savings such as business trip cost reduction and communication improvement.

  As described above, when a button meaning determination is selected (step 1620 in FIG. 16), for example, the end button in FIG. 3 is selected (step 1620 in FIG. 16), the input information at that time is stored in the system memory. 16 procedures 1622. For example, in FIG. 3, if the connection between the districts B and C is difficult with the server in the district A, this connection request is requested from the management server in the A district to the management server in the B district. This procedure is indicated by procedure 1624 in FIG.

  The recorded contents of the memory at this time are shown in FIG. The numeral 1502 is the storage content of the management server in the A district, and the numeral 1542 is the storage content of the management server in the B district. 3 and 4 and other input patterns are recorded as data 1504 and 1544. The connection addresses of areas that can be connected in advance are recorded as data 1506 and data 1546. The reservation status of the conference in the A district is held as data 1508, and the reservation status of the conference in the B district is held as data 1548. In response to inquiries from servers in other districts, the availability of the conference is answered based on this data. The reservation contents of the conference include data on the person in charge and the start and end times, and are recorded in this common material column when materials commonly used in the video conference are registered. Alternatively, the link information is recorded. Further, the material to be written in common and the contents written during the meeting are held in this common writing column. The above reservation contents are held as 1512 and 1514, and further as 1550 to 1552 and 1554.

  The contents reserved by the reservation person in another area, that is, the server in the other area, are also notified to the connection partner and stored as reservation data. This data is 1516 and 1556, and the content items are the same as other reservation data as indicated by 1518 and 1558. A message at the time of abnormality and a contact address at the time of abnormality that cannot be successfully connected in a video conference or the like are held as data 1520 or 1560. The contact information is composed of, for example, the contact information of a predetermined administrator or conference participant. When a conference participant, that is, a connection destination is selected, the connection destination is automatically stored in this field, that is, in the storage area of the destination 1520 or 1560. It is recorded and the contents of the abnormality are notified to the connection destination in the event of an abnormality.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of a reservation screen for a video conference in one embodiment of the present invention. The screen is composed of a conference room icon list 302 to be reserved, a condition setting column 304, a connection setting screen 305 for connecting the video conference devices of each conference room via a network line, and the like. The screen configuration and operation method are both substantially the same as in FIG. The operation method is described below. The reservation operation of this embodiment has no order, and any operation may be performed first.

  First, a conference room icon for a video conference is selected from the conference room icon list 302 to be reserved, and the icon is arranged on the connection setting screen 305 by a drag operation or the like. As described in FIG. 3, the icon may be automatically displayed in the area 305 simply by selecting an icon from 302. FIG. 4 shows an example in which the boxes of the A1 conference room 413, the B2 conference room 415, and the C3 conference room 417 are arranged by the above operation. For example, an icon “A1 meeting room” that has been dragged changes to a box “A1 meeting room 413” when placed in the area 305. Next, when the connection line 323 is selected and the A1 meeting room 413 and the B2 meeting room 415 are selected in order, the connection line 419 is displayed. When the connection line 323 is selected and the A1 meeting room 413 and the C3 meeting room 417 are selected in order, the connection line 420 is displayed. When the connection line 323 is selected and the B2 meeting room 415 and the C3 meeting room 417 are selected in order, the connection line 421 is displayed. The state in which these operations are completed is the state of the display area 305 in FIG. In the connection pattern described above, the three meeting rooms of the A1 meeting room 413, the B2 meeting room 415, and the C3 meeting room 417 are connected to each other, and the A1 meeting room can communicate with the B2 meeting room and the C3 meeting room. The B2 meeting room can communicate with the A1 meeting room and the C3 meeting room. The C3 meeting room can communicate with the A1 meeting room and the B2 meeting room. Such a pattern is suitable, for example, for conducting a joint conference by a large number of people in a place where a large conference room cannot be secured.

  To release the connection, for example, right-click on the connection line 421 to display the disconnection icon 422. By selecting it, the connection line 421 disappears, and the connection between the video conference apparatuses in the B2 conference room 415 and the C3 conference room 417 is performed. Is released. The screen after the connection is released is shown in FIG. FIG. 12 shows a state where the position of the A1 meeting room 413 is moved to the upper center in the area 305 and the positions of the B2 meeting room 415 and the C3 meeting room 417 are moved to the lower side in the area 305 after the connection is released. . As a result, the A1 meeting room can better understand that the B2 meeting room and the C3 meeting room can communicate with each other. That is, after the connection is released, the A1 conference room can communicate with the B2 conference room and the C3 conference room, but the B2 conference room and the C3 conference room cannot communicate. A person in the B2 meeting room can communicate only with a person in the A1 meeting room, and a person in the C3 meeting room can communicate only with a person in the A1 meeting room. Examples of application in such a pattern include the following. The above connection pattern can be applied when there is an interviewer such as the personnel department in the A1 conference room and there are interviewees in the B2 conference room and the C3 conference room. In this case, the interviewees do not want to leak information to each other, so it is necessary to disconnect each other's communication, and the above connection pattern is desirable. In such a case, a private room or a booth can be used instead of the conference room. In this case as well, as in the case described with reference to FIG. 11, individual processing such as shifting the interview time of the interview target person can be performed as necessary.

  For example, the interviewer in the A1 meeting room maintains the connection from 10:00 to 11:00, the interviewee in the B2 meeting room maintains the connection from 10:00 to 10:30, and the interviewee in the C3 meeting room has 10 Set to connect from 30:30 to 11:00. An example is shown in FIG. The setting can be performed by right-clicking each icon 413, 415, and 417 and displaying an individual reservation time setting screen. First, the A1 meeting room 413 is right-clicked to display a reservation time setting screen 1301, and reservations are made from 10:00 to 11:00. Next, the B2 conference room 415 is right-clicked to display a reservation time setting screen 1303, and a reservation is made from 10:00 to 10:30. Finally, the C3 conference room 417 is right-clicked to display a reservation time setting screen 1302, and reservations are made from 10:30 to 11:00. In this case, only the A1 meeting room and the B2 meeting room are connected from 10:00 to 10:30, and only the A1 meeting room and the C3 meeting room are connected from 10:30 to 11:00. In this manner, information exchange between the B2 conference room and the C3 conference room can be blocked. Further, as in general lectures, when there is no need to block information, it is not necessary to shift the connection time, and in that case, setting of individual reservation time is unnecessary.

  In the case of lectures, it may be desirable to hear the voices of students in other conference rooms. In this case, only the voice line can be connected between the B2 conference room and the C3 conference room. In the example of FIG. 13, the A1 conference room 413 and the B2 conference room 415 have an image connection 1311 and an audio connection 1306, and can exchange images and sounds with each other. The A1 conference room 413 and the C3 conference room 417 also have an image connection 1310 and an audio connection 1304, and can exchange images and sounds with each other. The B2 conference room 415 and the C3 conference room 417 have an audio connection 1305 but no image connection. Accordingly, the voices can be confirmed with each other, but the images of each other cannot be seen. In a lecture using a video conference device, there is a case where it is not necessary for students to check each other's situation with images. In such a case, it is convenient if the lecturer uses the A1 meeting room and the students use the B2 and C3 meeting rooms based on the reservation / setting of FIG. Instructors can exchange images and audio with students in each conference room, and students in each conference room can interact with students only in other conference rooms.

  In FIG. 4, reservation conditions include an input area 310 for determining whether or not to use the video conference apparatus, a reservation time 304, and the like. When these conditions are set, the connection setting screen 305 is updated automatically or by applying the conditions, and the reservation availability status of the conference room is displayed. When the corresponding conference room cannot be reserved, a warning is displayed in the box of the conference room. For example, when the A1 meeting room does not match the conditions and the reservation cannot be made, the background color of the box 413 of the A1 meeting room becomes red, and a reservation impossible highlighting can be performed. When the use of the video conference apparatus is selected, TV marks 414, 416, and 418 are displayed on the right shoulder of each conference room box, and it can be emphasized that the conference is a video conference.

  By using the system of the present embodiment, it is possible to make reservations for designated conference rooms and reservations for connection / disconnection of video conference apparatuses at the same time. It is also possible to perform it separately according to various circumstances. This is convenient because the video conference device can be automatically connected at a specified date and time and can be automatically disconnected at the scheduled end time. It is also possible to advance or extend the end time during a meeting, and to change, add, or delete the connection destination. It is also easy to shift the start time. In addition, since a warning is displayed for a conference room that does not meet the specified conditions, it is not necessary to reserve a conference room that does not meet the conditions, which is convenient.

  The system of the above-described embodiment can automatically connect and disconnect the video conference apparatus, and is very convenient. In this way, it is possible to hold a conference even if the maintenance staff of the video conference apparatus is not on site. This makes it easier to hold a video conference. Since the work related to the preparation and termination of the video conference is greatly reduced, the utilization of the video conference can be promoted.

  The latest information 307 is a button that reflects the latest state of the reservation setting status on the connection setting screen 305. When this button is pressed, for example, when another administrator has made the latest reservation on the network, the setting contents are reflected on the screen. The confirmation operation on the connection setting screen 305 is performed when the close button 309 for closing this screen is executed, but can be confirmed at any time when the connection setting screen 305 is edited, or can be performed by providing a separate confirmation button. . It is also possible to discard the setting or return to the previous setting. When the camera operation 308 is selected, a screen for the camera position operation shown in FIG. 7 is displayed. This operation will be described later. If a property button 306 is pressed, information such as a host name, an IP address, a device name, a location of each conference room, a capacity, and a contact address is displayed. When the help button 312 is pressed, help regarding the operation is displayed. When the video conference device setting button 311 is pressed, a video conference device setting screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. On the video conference device setting screen, detailed settings relating to the video conference device connection can be made. Details will be described later.

  As described above, by simply displaying the conference room visually on the screen and connecting each icon with a line, reservation and setting of the conference room and apparatus necessary for the video conference can be automatically performed. In addition, since the video conferencing apparatus can be set to automatically connect and disconnect according to a specified time zone, the work of specialized maintenance personnel can be reduced. Accordingly, the reservation work accompanying the video conference and the operation of connecting / disconnecting the video conference device are automated and simplified, so that the video conference can be easily performed. Therefore, it can greatly contribute to cost savings such as business trip cost reduction and communication improvement.

  Many connection patterns such as conference rooms can be considered other than those described with reference to FIGS. For example, there may be a case where there are a plurality of connected groups such as A point-B point-C point and D point-E point-F point and they are independent from each other. An example of this screen is shown in FIG. In this example, A point 1401, B point 1402, and C point 1403 are one group, and D point 1404, E point 1405, and F point 1406 are another group, and there are a total of two groups. The A point 1401 and the B point 1402 are connected by a connection line 1407 and are set so that image and audio data can be exchanged. The B point 1402 and the C point 1403 are connected by a connection line 1409 so that image and audio data can be exchanged. The A point 1401 and the C point 1403 are connected by a connection line 1408 so that image and audio data can be exchanged. Further, the D point 1404 and the E point 1405 of another group are connected by a connection line 1410 so that image and audio data can be exchanged. The E point 1405 and the F point 1406 are connected by a connection line 1412 so that image and audio data can be exchanged. The D point 1404 and the F point 1406 are connected by a connection line 1411 so that image and audio data can be exchanged.

  In this case, participants belonging to the same group can communicate with each other, but cannot communicate with participants of other groups across the group to which they belong. This case can also be used for tests and tests using video conferences held nationwide. In this way, it is possible to reserve a video conference for a plurality of independent groups in the same time zone and hold a plurality of video conferences in the same time zone. As described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 and the like, there are many connection patterns for communication in a video conference. Therefore, if the connection diagram of each conference room as shown in the work area 305 in FIG. 3 or the work area 305 in FIG. 4 can be referred to on the screen, the connection status for communication in the video conference can be seen at a glance, Convenient. In addition, it becomes very easy to perform conference room reservation and video conference device setting work for the video conference in each conference room. The area 305 described above is an area having a setting screen, a work area, and a display area.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of a screen showing the reservation status of the video conference in one embodiment of the present invention. This screen includes reservation status display areas 502 and 503, reservation content input fields 504 to 511, reservation-related execution functions 512 to 514, and the like. First check the information about the reservation. The reservation date can be designated on the upper screen (not shown) of this screen, or can be designated in a date setting area or a date selection field (not shown). When a date is selected, the reservation status for that date is displayed. The specified date is displayed at the top of the screen title 516. In the title 516, the video conference room reservation status is displayed when the video conference device is used, and the conference room reservation status is displayed when the video conference device is not used. The reserved time is displayed in the display area 502. A bar is displayed during the reserved time. The color of the bar is changed for each reservation, making it easy to identify. Details of each reservation are displayed in a display area 503. A display area 503 is provided with items such as start time, end time, name, affiliation, extension, and contents in the column direction, and a plurality of pieces of data are displayed in the row direction.

  The following describes the case of making a new reservation. First, the reservation time is input in the input area 504 and the name of the reservation person is input in the input area 505. The reservation time can also be changed by operating the bar in the area 502. Next, the affiliation of the reservation person is selected from the selection area 506, the mail address is input in the input area 507, the number of users is input in the input area 508, and the usage content is input in the input area 509. When using the video conference device, check the selection area 510. When the video conference device setting button 511 is pressed, a video conference device setting screen shown in FIG. 6 is displayed. On the video conference device setting screen, detailed settings relating to the connection of the video conference device can be made. Details will be described later. When the information regarding the reservation is set from 504 to 510 and the new reservation button 514 is pressed, the reservation content is registered in the server or the like as a new reservation item. When the reservation content is registered, information regarding the reservation is reflected in the display areas 502 and 503. Since the system checks the overlap between the location and the reservation time zone, it is possible to prevent a situation where the same location is reserved by mistake in the same time zone.

  When changing the reservation, after selecting the record of the reservation content to be changed in the display area 503, the reservation content is re-input for the portion where the reservation content is changed as when making a new reservation. When the input is completed, the reservation change button 513 is pressed. When the reservation change button 513 is pressed to change the reservation content, the content is reflected in the display areas 502 and 503.

  When canceling a reservation, a reservation content record to be canceled is selected in the display area 503 and then a reservation cancel button 512 is pressed. When the reservation cancel button 512 is pressed to cancel the reservation, the contents are reflected in the display areas 502 and 503. To close this screen, a close button 515 is pressed.

  FIG. 6 shows an example of a screen for setting the conditions of the apparatus for the video conference in one embodiment of the present invention. This screen includes a screen 602 for specifying the connection method of the video conference device, specification screens 605 to 608 for the video conference device to be used, and setting screens 609 to 622 for connection of the video conference device to be connected. First, in the setting of the video conference apparatus, the connection method is set. There are three connection methods: automatic connection operation, manual connection, and waiting for a connection from the other party, and one of them is selected. Even when the connection is made manually, the reservation function of the system manages the reservation so as not to overlap.

  In the setting of the video conference apparatus to be used, it is specified whether the installed video apparatus or the video conference apparatus is used. Even when a video conference device is carried in, a link between the conference room and the video conference device to be carried in can be performed so that the same operation as that of the conference room provided can be performed. For example, the detailed setting screen is displayed by right-clicking the first conference room in the box 313 in the A area on the reservation screen in FIG. 3 and a link is established between the first conference room and the video conference device to be carried in (not shown). ) As a result of the operation, the set video conference apparatus is handled in the same manner as the installed video conference apparatus in the first conference room in the A area. In this way, it becomes possible to carry out the reservation of the first conference room in the A area and the connection of the video conference apparatus in synchronization. If a property button 608 is pressed, information such as a device name, system name, host name, model name, and IP address can be referred to.

  In the connection destination video conference apparatus setting 609, the other party's connection destination is displayed based on the designation in FIG. However, when the information of the connection destination of the other party is changed in FIG. 6, the contents are reflected on the reservation and setting screen shown in FIG. 3 and 6 are displayed so that the contents of the settings match each other. The destination information includes, for example, the second conference room 612 in the A area, the device name 613, and the IP address 614 as the connection destination 1. If a check mark 611 is entered, it is recognized as a connection destination, and connection setting is possible. Input information 602 to 622 is determined by pressing an OK button 623. If the cancel button 624 is pressed, the input information becomes invalid and the setting before input is maintained.

  Although the reservation method has been described, this reservation method is not limited to the video conference. The technology can also be used to broadcast university lectures to multiple districts at the same time, such as providing performance content to multiple districts at the same time.

  FIG. 17 shows a connection operation based on the above input conditions. In step 1704, the system monitors the establishment of the input condition and performs the monitoring operation at predetermined time intervals (step 1706). If the condition is not satisfied, the process ends. When the condition is established, if the time is set to 3 minutes before the predetermined time of the start of the conference, for example, the connection operation is started 3 minutes before. If the condition is satisfied in step 1706, the process may proceed to step 1708 to connect the reserved district and display the connection state or the current image of the connected district on the same display screen. In the case of the A district, in the example of FIG. 3, the A district and the B district, and the A district and the C district are connected. If the communication line connection is normal (procedure 1710), the procedure 1712 can be performed, for example, The server in the A district confirms with the server in the B district the connection status between the B district and the C district requested to the server. If all of them are normal, in step 1716, the fact that the connection has been completed normally is notified on the display screen of each district. On the other hand, if there is an abnormality, in step 1714, the contact information exemplified in the data 1520 and 1560 in FIG. In the above abnormal situation, for example, a simple mistake such as forgetting to turn on the power can be considered.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of a screen for setting shooting conditions such as a shooting direction and zoom designation of a camera installed in the video conference apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This screen is composed of video images 703 and 707 taken by the camera and shooting condition setting units 705 and 709 of the camera. On this screen, it is possible to set the shooting conditions for the video camera installed in the connected video conference device and display the captured image. When there are a plurality of video conference apparatuses connected, the camera setting screen is increased in the vertical direction or the like for each video conference apparatus. This screen is an example when there are two connection destinations. If it does not fit on one screen, multiple setting screens can be stored using the scroll function.

  For example, when the area A is selected 704 in 705 of FIG. 7, an image shot by a camera installed in the video conference apparatus designated for connection is displayed in the display area 703. For example, if the Up button in the setting area 705 is pressed, the camera turns upward, and the image in the display area 703 also displays the video imaged at that time. The same applies to Left, Right, and Down. If the Zoom In button is pressed, the camera zooms in on the subject to be photographed. When Zoom In reaches a certain level by zooming in, the camera can be switched to a nearby camera for shooting. In that case, Near Camera is displayed in the display area 702. In the example of the display area 707 and the setting area 709, the Zoom Out button is pressed, and the camera zooms out the object to be photographed. When the zoom-out operation is performed to some extent, the camera can be automatically switched to a distant camera for shooting. In this case, Far Camera is displayed in the display area 706. Switching between the Near Camera and Far Camera can be performed manually or automatically. In manual operation, the operation screen areas 702 and 706 can be made into parts like combo boxes, and the camera can be switched by selecting one from a list including contents such as “Near Camera” and “Far Camera”. (Not shown). To close this screen, press the close button.

  FIG. 8 shows an example of a document management operation screen in the video conference apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. This screen shows document directory information 802, a list of documents (materials) 803 in the directory, buttons 804 to 807 related to a function for checking information related to documents (materials), and buttons 809 to 816 related to processing functions such as copying of documents (materials). Consists of This screen explains the mechanism for uploading materials used in the conference to the shared area and downloading necessary materials from the shared area.

  A directory list is displayed in the display area 802. When a common that is a directory in the shared area or an arbitrary directory in the lower hierarchy is clicked, a list of files in the directory is displayed in the display area 803 on the right. Common and directories under common and files in the directory are shared. Accordingly, anyone who has the authority to access the storage area managing the directory and files in the shared area can refer to the files in the directory. The user can select a file to be downloaded from the display area 803 and press the download button 816 to copy the file to his private directory (a directory private or a directory in a lower hierarchy) designated in advance by clicking or the like. it can. In this operation, without pressing the download button 816, the file selected and specified in the display area 803 is dragged as it is, and the private directory is specified and dragged out (drag is completed and the mouse button is released) to copy. You can also. Conversely, a file in the private directory can be copied to the common directory using the upload button 815 or the like. The private and private directories and the files in the directories are closed to the personal environment, and only those with the right to the machine etc. can access them, and others cannot access them by reference. .

  It is also possible to search for files and directories using keywords, check the update status of files and directories, and create, delete, copy, cut, paste, and rename files and directories. When a property button 817 is pressed, the properties (attribute information) of the document selected in 803 can be referred to. Properties include document name, storage location (directory, folder, etc.), owner (document creator, etc.), user system management group, document file size, document update date, document download or upload date -The name of the user who updated or downloaded or uploaded.

  FIG. 9 shows a screen image of a video image projected by a television or a projector installed in the video conference apparatus at the time of conducting the video conference in one embodiment of the present invention. This screen is composed of a document (material) image 902 and a person video 903. With the function described on this screen, it is possible to realize a function in which a person participating in a video conference can share a document with other participants and mark the document or comment out each other. For example, in the display area 902, the participant Mr. A underlines and explains the part indicated by 904. Add a comment below. In addition, as shown in an entry example 909, a sentence can be directly written in the same area. Then, the person participating in the video conference is similarly underlined and can refer to the screen with the comment 909. Further, when Mr. B surrounds the portion indicated by 905 with a dotted line, the dotted line indicated by 905 is displayed on the screen of the document referred to by the participant in the conference. If Mr. C makes the part indicated by 906 bold, the part indicated by 906 becomes bold on the screen viewed by the participant. If Mr. D writes a comment at an arbitrary position, the comment can be seen by other participants. Mr. A, Mr. B, Mr. C and Mr. D are participants in the video conference and may be in different remote locations. In this way, it is possible to process a common file so that multiple participants in different remote locations can check the same document for the same document, so whether the same document is actually handled in the same place It is very convenient to have a meeting like this.

  FIG. 10 shows a screen image of a video image projected by a television or a projector installed in the video conference device at the time of video conference in a further embodiment of the present invention. This screen includes a document (material) image 902, a person video 903, and a comment area 1010. In the function explained in this screen, the person participating in the video conference as in FIG. 9 shares the document with other participants, and marks the description contents of the document and writes comments with each other. Can be realized. For example, in the display area 902, the participant Mr. A underlines and explains the part indicated by 904. Further, a list of comment label names (not shown) is displayed by right-clicking or the like on the side, a symbol A is selected therefrom, and a comment symbol A 1011 is added. When the comment symbol A 1011 is added, the comment symbol A 1012 is automatically generated in the comment region 1010, and the comment entry region 1013 is generated on the right side. The contents for the comment symbol A 1011 can be written in the comment area 1010 1013. Other participants can refer to the written comments. The writing to 1013 in the comment area 1010 can be limited to the person who first wrote in 1013. At this time, when a comment is newly generated in another area such as 1016, a person other than the person who wrote in 1013 can generate and write the comment writing area 1016. It is also possible to allow others to write in the comment areas 1013 and 1016.

  Similarly, Mr. B surrounds the rectangular range of the document with a dotted line 1014 in the display area 902 and adds a comment symbol B 1014. When added, a comment symbol B 1015 and a corresponding comment content entry area 1016 are generated in the comment area 1010. A comment for the portion 905 indicated by the comment symbol B 1014 can be described in this comment area 1016. Other participants can refer to the written comments.

  Further, Mr. C can add a balloon 1017 to the document portion 906 in the display area 902 and write a comment in the balloon 1017. Other participants can refer to the written comments.

  Mr. A, Mr. B and Mr. C are participants in the video conference and may be in different remote locations. In this way, multiple participants at different remote locations can write comments on the same document, so you can have a meeting as if you were actually handling the same document in the same place, It is very convenient.

  According to the method of the present embodiment, reservation of a video conference and setting of a video conference device are simplified. In the reservation of a conference room, it is possible to support the reservation of a conference room more accurately and quickly at an appropriate time. Furthermore, the setting of the video conference apparatus can be simplified, and the connection or disconnection operation can be automated. Therefore, the work of maintenance personnel of the video conference apparatus can be reduced, and the video conference itself can be easily performed. As a result, it is possible to expect cost savings such as business trip expenses and improvement of communication with remote workers.

  Also, according to the method of the present embodiment, even in the video conference, for example, the same document can be shared in different regions, and the document can be checked and comments can be written to each other. Checks and comments can be referred to each other. Therefore, people who are in different places can work as if they were writing in the same document at the same place, can collaborate with a more realistic image, and can support the realization of an effective meeting.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an embodiment of a computer system to which the present invention is applied. It is an operation | movement flowchart in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the video conference reservation screen in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the video conference reservation screen in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen which shows the video conference reservation status in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the screen which performs the condition setting of the video conference apparatus in one Example of this invention. In one Example of this invention, it is a figure which shows an example of the screen which sets the position and zoom of the camera in a video conference apparatus. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of an operation screen for document management in the video conference apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In one Example of this invention, it is a figure which shows the screen image of the video conference apparatus at the time of video conference implementation. In one Example of this invention, it is a figure which shows the screen image of the video conference apparatus at the time of video conference implementation. It is a figure which shows an example of the video conference reservation screen in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the video conference reservation screen in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the video conference reservation screen in one Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the video conference reservation screen in one Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows an example of the content of recording of a server. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the input operation of FIG. 3 and the operation of the system. It is a flowchart explaining the connection operation | movement to a communication line.

Explanation of symbols

101 A server of a conference system in the embodiment 102 A client device (with a video conference device and a Web browser screen) of the conference system in the embodiment 105 A client device (with a Web browser screen) of the conference system in the embodiment 108 A conference system in the embodiment Client device (having a video conference device) 302 Icon representing a district where a conference is held 304 Input area for setting a video conference reservation time and use contents 305 Conference room reservation screen of the conference system in the embodiment 313 A district and its conference room Display box for connection and reservation between conference rooms displaying 319 Connection line indicating connection between conference rooms so that electronic information can be exchanged 413 For connection and reservation between conference rooms displaying A1 conference room Display icon 502 Conference room reservation time zone of conference system 503 Outline of conference room reservation of conference system in embodiment 602 Connection method of video conference apparatus 605 Usage form of video conference apparatus to be used 606 Connection information of connection destination video conference apparatus 701 In embodiment Camera operation screen of conference system 703 Example of video shot by camera installed in video conference device 705 Adjustment screen of camera shooting direction installed in video conference device 802 Directory storing electronic document for use in video conference Structure 803 List of electronic documents to be used for video conference 902 Screen for sharing materials at the time of video conference in the embodiment 903 Video of participant at the time of video conference in the embodiment 904 Check on the video conference screen (underlined part)
1011 Identifier for Check (Underlined) on Video Conference Screen 1012 Identifier for Comment Entry Area Corresponding to Check (Underlined) on Video Conference Screen 1013 Comment Entry Area on Video Conference Screen 1017 Comment Entry Example in Speech Format on Video Conference Screen 1301 Reservation time setting screen example for individual conference room 1304 Connection line that means setting to enable exchange of audio data between video conferences 1310 To enable exchange of image data between video conferences Connection line that means setting

Claims (16)

A storage device for storing information, an input / output device including a display device, and a processing device;
A reservation screen for providing information or receiving information is displayed on the input / output device based on the information stored in the storage device,
Reservation information related to information provision or receipt input based on the reservation screen is stored in the storage device,
Based on the reservation information, it is configured to be connected to a partner for providing or receiving information,
Candidates of connection partners are displayed on the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, and connection partners selected from the displayed connection partner candidates are displayed on the reservation screen, and further input based on the reservation screen The reserved reservation time is displayed on the reservation screen,
The selected connection partner and the reservation time are stored in the storage device as the reservation information,
Connection to a partner for providing or receiving information based on the reservation information is configured to be made based on the stored connection partner and the information on the reservation time. Support system for receiving information. A support system for providing information or receiving information according to claim 1,
The reservation screen for providing or receiving information displayed on the input / output device displays a first area for displaying a connection partner candidate and the connection relationship between the connection partner selected from the connection partner candidates and the connection partner. A second region is provided,
A plurality of connection partner candidates are displayed in the first area, a connection partner selected from the plurality of connection partner candidates displayed in the first area and a connection between the connection partners are displayed in the second area. The connection partner and the connection between the connection partners displayed in the second area can be deleted by selecting and deleting the connection partner,
The reservation screen further includes a display for inputting a decision. By selecting the display for inputting the decision, the connection partner displayed in the second area when the decision is selected is displayed as the reservation information. Stored in a storage device,
A support system for providing information or receiving information, wherein the connection is made to the connection partner based on the reservation information. A support system for providing information or receiving information according to claim 1,
The reservation screen for providing or receiving information displayed on the input / output device includes a first area for displaying a connection partner candidate and a second area for displaying a connection relationship between the selected connection partner and the connection partner. Is provided,
A plurality of connection partner candidates are displayed in the first area, and the connection partner selected from the plurality of connection partner candidates displayed in the first area and the presence / absence of connection between the connection partners are the second By selecting the status of the connection relationship displayed in the area, the presence or absence of the connection relationship can be changed,
The reservation screen further includes a display for inputting a decision, and by selecting the display for inputting the decision, the reservation information indicating whether or not there is a connection partner and a connection displayed in the second area when selected. Stored in the storage device as
A support system for providing information or receiving information, wherein the connection is made to the connection partner based on the reservation information. A support system for providing information or receiving information according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
In the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, the start and end for providing or receiving information are displayed.
The reservation screen further includes a display for inputting a decision, and by selecting the display for inputting the decision, the start and end information for providing or receiving the information when selected is the reservation information. Stored in a storage device,
A support system for providing information or receiving information, wherein the system is configured to connect and disconnect to the connection partner based on the reservation information. A support system for providing information or receiving information according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
When a connection operation to a plurality of connection partners is performed based on the reservation information, a message indicating that connection is difficult is transmitted to the connection partner when it is detected that connection at least one place is difficult. A support system for providing information or receiving information. A storage device for storing information, an input / output device including a display device, and a processing device;
Based on the information stored in the storage device, a reservation screen for providing or receiving information or an operation screen of a TV camera used for providing information is displayed on the input / output device,
Reservation information related to information provision or receipt input based on the reservation screen is stored in the storage device,
Based on the reservation information, configured to be connected to a partner for providing or receiving information,
Candidates of connection partners are displayed on the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, and connection partners selected from the displayed connection partner candidates are displayed on the reservation screen, and further input based on the reservation screen The reserved reservation time is displayed on the reservation screen,
The selected connection partner and the reservation time are stored in the storage device as the reservation information,
Connection to the information providing or receiving partner based on the reservation information is configured to be made based on the selected connection partner and the reservation time,
The screen for operating the TV camera is displayed based on the connection to the other party for providing or receiving the information, and the TV camera operation screen displays a photographed image of the camera and buttons for operating the camera. A support system for providing information or receiving information, characterized by being configured as described above. A storage device for storing information, an input / output device including a display device, and a processing device;
A reservation screen for providing or receiving information or an operation screen for managing common materials is displayed on the input / output device based on the information stored in the storage device,
Reservation information related to information provision or receipt input based on the reservation screen is stored in the storage device,
Based on the reservation information, configured to be connected to a partner for providing or receiving information,
Candidates of connection partners are displayed on the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, and connection partners selected from the displayed connection partner candidates are displayed on the reservation screen, and further input based on the reservation screen The reserved reservation time is displayed on the reservation screen,
The selected connection partner and the reservation time are stored in the storage device as the reservation information,
Connection to the other party for providing or receiving information based on the reservation information is configured to be made based on the selected connection partner and the reservation time,
The operation screen for managing common materials includes a first region for displaying materials in common on a display screen for providing or receiving information, and a second region for displaying materials that are not sent to the other party. When the material displayed in the second area is moved to the first area, the material is displayed in common at each connection destination for providing or receiving information. The material displayed in the first area A support system for providing information or receiving information, wherein the information of the material is taken in when the information is moved to the second area. A storage device for storing information, an input / output device including a display device, and a processing device;
A reservation screen for providing or receiving information is displayed on the input / output device based on the information stored in the storage device,
Reservation information related to information provision or receipt input based on the reservation screen is stored in the storage device,
Based on the reservation information, configured to be connected to a partner for providing or receiving information,
Candidates of connection partners are displayed on the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, and connection partners selected from the displayed connection partner candidates are displayed on the reservation screen, and further input based on the reservation screen The reserved reservation time is displayed on the reservation screen,
The selected connection partner and the reservation time are stored in the storage device as the reservation information,
Support for providing information or receiving information, wherein connection to a partner for providing or receiving information based on the reservation information is made based on the selected connection partner and the reservation time Method. A support method for providing information or receiving information according to claim 8, comprising:
The reservation screen for providing or receiving information displayed on the input / output device displays a first area for displaying a connection partner candidate and the connection relationship between the connection partner selected from the connection partner candidates and the connection partner. A second region is provided,
A plurality of connection partner candidates are displayed in the first area, and a connection partner selected from the plurality of connection partner candidates displayed in the first area and connections between the connection partners are displayed in the second area. The connection partner displayed in the second area and the connection between the connection partners can be deleted by selecting it,
The reservation screen further includes a display for inputting a decision. By selecting the display for inputting the decision, the connection partner displayed in the second area when the decision is selected is displayed as the reservation information. Stored in a storage device,
A support method for providing information or receiving information, characterized in that a connection to the connection partner is made based on the reservation information. A support method for providing information or receiving information according to claim 8, comprising:
The reservation screen for providing or receiving information displayed on the input / output device displays a first area for displaying a connection partner candidate and the connection relationship between the connection partner selected from the connection partner candidates and the connection partner. A second region is provided,
A plurality of connection partner candidates are displayed in the first area, and a connection partner selected from the plurality of connection partner candidates displayed in the first area and a connection status between the connection partners are displayed in the second area. And the state of the connection relationship can be changed by selecting the state of the connection relationship,
The reservation screen further includes a display for inputting a decision, and by selecting the display for inputting the decision, the reservation information indicating whether or not there is a connection partner and a connection displayed in the second area when selected. Stored in the storage device as
A support method for providing information or receiving information, characterized in that a connection to the connection partner is made based on the reservation information. A support method for providing information or receiving information according to claim 8, comprising:
When a connection operation to a plurality of connection partners is performed based on the reservation information, a message indicating that connection is difficult is transmitted to the connection partner when it is detected that connection at least one place is difficult. A support method for providing information or receiving information characterized by. A storage device for storing information, an input / output device including a display device, and a processing device;
Based on the information stored in the storage device, a reservation screen for providing or receiving information or an operation screen of a TV camera used for providing or receiving information is displayed on the input / output device,
Reservation information for providing or receiving information input based on the reservation screen is stored in the storage device,
Based on the reservation information, configured to be connected to a partner for providing or receiving information,
Candidates of connection partners are displayed on the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, and connection partners selected from the displayed connection partner candidates are displayed on the reservation screen, and further input based on the reservation screen The reserved reservation time is displayed on the reservation screen,
The selected connection partner and the reservation time are stored in the storage device as the reservation information,
Connection to the other party for providing or receiving information based on the reservation information is configured to be made based on the selected connection partner and the reservation time,
The screen for operating the TV camera is displayed based on the connection to the other party for providing or receiving the information, and the TV camera operation screen displays a photographed image of the camera and buttons for operating the camera. A support method for providing information or receiving information. A storage device for storing information, an input / output device including a display device, and a processing device;
A reservation screen for providing or receiving information or an operation screen for managing common materials is displayed on the input / output device based on the information stored in the storage device,
Reservation information related to information provision or receipt input based on the reservation screen is stored in the storage device,
Based on the reservation information, configured to be connected to a partner for providing or receiving information,
Candidates of connection partners are displayed on the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, and connection partners selected from the displayed connection partner candidates are displayed on the reservation screen, and further input based on the reservation screen The reserved reservation time is displayed on the reservation screen,
The selected connection partner and the reservation time are stored in the storage device as the reservation information,
Connection to a partner for providing or receiving information based on the reservation information is configured to be made based on the selected connection partner and the reservation time,
The operation screen for managing common materials has a first area for displaying materials in common on a display screen for providing or receiving information, and a second area for display that is not sent to the other party. When the material displayed in the second area is moved to the first area, the material is displayed in common at each connection destination for providing or receiving information, and the material displayed in the first area is A support method for providing information or receiving information, characterized in that the information of the material is taken in when moved to the second area. A computer program for providing or receiving information, characterized in that a system having a storage device for storing information and an input / output device including a display device has the following functions:
A reservation screen for providing or receiving information is displayed on the input / output device based on the information stored in the storage device,
Reservation information related to information provision or receipt input based on the reservation screen is stored in the storage device,
Based on the reservation information, configured to be connected to a partner for providing or receiving information,
Candidates of connection partners are displayed on the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, and connection partners selected from the displayed connection partner candidates are displayed on the reservation screen, and further input based on the reservation screen The reserved reservation time is displayed on the reservation screen,
The selected connection partner and the reservation time are stored in the storage device as the reservation information,
Connection to a partner for providing or receiving information based on the reservation information is made based on the selected connection partner and the reservation time. 15. A computer program according to claim 14, wherein a system having a storage device for storing information and an input / output device including a display device has the following functions:
The reservation screen for providing or receiving information displayed on the input / output device includes a first area for displaying a connection partner candidate and a second area for displaying a connection relationship between the selected connection partner and the connection partner. Is provided,
A plurality of connection partner candidates are displayed in the first area, a connection partner selected from the plurality of connection partner candidates displayed in the first area and a connection between the connection partners are displayed in the second area. The connection partner displayed in the second area and the connection between the connection partners can be deleted by selecting it,
The reservation screen further includes a display for inputting a decision. By selecting the display for inputting the decision, the connection partner displayed in the second area when the decision is selected is displayed as the reservation information. Stored in a storage device,
Based on the reservation information, connection to the connection partner is made. A computer program for providing or receiving information, characterized in that a system having a storage device for storing information and an input / output device including a display device has the following functions:
A reservation screen for providing or receiving information or an operation screen for managing common materials is displayed on the input / output device based on the information stored in the storage device,
Reservation information related to information provision or receipt input based on the reservation screen is stored in the storage device,
Based on the reservation information, configured to be connected to a partner for providing or receiving information,
Candidates of connection partners are displayed on the reservation screen for providing or receiving information, and connection partners selected from the displayed connection partner candidates are displayed on the reservation screen, and further input based on the reservation screen The reserved reservation time is displayed on the reservation screen,
The selected connection partner and the reservation time are stored in the storage device as the reservation information,
Connection to a partner for providing or receiving information based on the reservation information is configured to be made based on the selected connection partner and the reservation time,
The operation screen for managing common materials has a first area for displaying materials in common on a display screen for providing or receiving information, and a second area for display that is not sent to the other party. When the material displayed in the second area is moved to the first area, the material is displayed in common for each connection for providing or receiving information, and the material displayed in the first area is displayed in the first area. Move to area 2 to capture the information of the material.

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