JP2018121212A - Reservation management device and reservation system - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To easily set meeting schedule.SOLUTION: Conference related information of each site from an organizer terminal 100 is stored in an HDD 202, and through a conference reservation management unit 215, the conference related information, reservation information indicating identification information of reserved conference, and the like, are registered in a conference room management table, an attendance management table, and a reservation management table, and a time zone and a conference room that can be reserved are searched for on teh basis of conference roon information, a time zone in which schedules of attendees obtained from the conference room information coincide, and the reservation information, it is determined whether a connection in which connection methods between conference rooms are mixed is possible on the basis of the connection method information, a conference reservation table that shows time zones and conference room candidates that can be reserved is created, and a time zone selected from the conference reservation table is registered in the reservation management table as the reserved time zone.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

  The present invention relates to a reservation management apparatus and a reservation system suitable for reservation of a conference room, for example.

  For example, in the reservation of a conference room, it is necessary to consider the reservation status of the conference room and the schedule of attendees. By the way, when attendees are in the same office, the adjustment factors are limited to the reservation status of the conference room and the attendee's schedule, so it is considered that the conference room can be reserved relatively easily. However, if the attendees are spread across multiple offices, the coordinating factor needs to take into account the schedule of attendees at each office in addition to the reservation status of the meeting rooms at each office. Reserving rooms is expected to be difficult.

  Patent Document 1 proposes an information processing system that can appropriately set a conference schedule as related to reservation of a conference room when attendees straddle a plurality of business establishments. The information processing system includes a reception unit, an acquisition unit, a determination unit, and a presentation unit. The reception unit receives reservation information including at least scheduled time information and participant information. The first correspondence information in which information indicating the business office to which the user belongs is associated, the second correspondence information in which information indicating the user's schedule is associated for each of the plurality of user information, and the facility for each of the plurality of facility information. The information indicating the establishment to be installed and the third correspondence information in which the information indicating the reservation status of the facility is associated with each other are acquired, and the reservation information, the first correspondence information, the second correspondence information, and the third correspondence information are obtained by the determination unit. Based on the above, at least one of a meeting holding method and a meeting holding place, and a meeting holding period indicating a period during which the meeting can be held are determined.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2015-169967

  In the information processing system described in Patent Document 1, the first correspondence information indicating the business office to which the user belongs, the second correspondence information indicating the schedule for each of the plurality of user information, and the reservation status of the plurality of business offices and facilities It is considered that the conference schedule setting method can be appropriately set because the conference holding method and the conference holding location are determined based on the third correspondence information indicating. Further, since the TV conference system is used as a conference holding method, it is considered that the remote conference can be set appropriately.

  By the way, some offices may have a plurality of conference rooms. As equipment used for the remote conference, a TV (television) conference system, a web (world wide web) conference system, and a tel (telephone) conference system can be considered. In this case, in order to conduct a remote conference using any one of the TV conference system, the Web conference system, and the Tel conference system, the facilities installed in the conference rooms of the respective offices are the same, and the attendees Since it is necessary to reserve the conference room of each office in consideration of the schedule, it may be difficult to set the conference schedule.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to provide a reservation management apparatus and a reservation system that can solve the above-described problems.

The reservation management apparatus of the present invention includes a storage device for storing conference-related information including conference room information of each base from the organizer terminal, connection system information of the conference system for each conference room, and attendee schedule information, and the conference-related information Information and reservation information indicating reserved conference identification information are registered in a management table, the meeting room information, a time zone in which attendees' schedules obtained from the attendee schedule information match, the reservation information, The reservation time zone and the conference room are searched based on the connection method information, and it is determined whether the connection method between the conference rooms is mixed based on the connection method information. And a conference reservation management unit that creates a conference reservation table indicating candidates for the conference and registers the time zone selected from the conference reservation table in the management table as a reserved time zone.
In addition, the conference reservation management unit determines whether the conference systems of all the conference rooms that are candidates are the same connection method based on the connection method information. It is possible to determine whether it is possible to connect a mixture of connection methods between the candidate conference rooms if the time zone and the conference room are reserved time zones and conference rooms, and if the connection method is not the same, it is possible In such a case, the candidate time zone and the conference room should be reserved time zones and conference rooms. If not, the candidate time zone and conference room should not be reserved. Features.
In addition, the conference reservation management unit, in the candidate conference room, all the conference rooms have the same connection method as that of any other conference room, and connections by the same connection method between the conference rooms, When N-1 (N is the number of candidate conference rooms) or more can be secured, it is determined that connection methods can be mixed between the candidate conference rooms.
In addition, the conference reservation management unit is a conference room that can be reserved in a free time zone excluding the reserved time zone based on a time zone in which the schedules of the attendees indicated in the attendee schedule information match. Is retrieved from the conference room information, and a reservation time zone is reflected in the conference reservation table.
Further, the conference reservation management unit registers the priority order of the connection method of the conference system received from the organizer terminal in the management table, and when there are a plurality of conference rooms that can be reserved, the higher priority order A conference room having a connection method is searched.
In addition, the conference system manages the conference start time in the reserved time zone registered in the management table, and receives the notification from the conference start time management unit, and the conference start time management unit that notifies the conference start time. On the other hand, a system control unit for instructing a connection between the conference systems is provided.
In addition, the system control unit transmits the conference reservation table created by the conference reservation management unit to the organizer terminal, and notifies the conference reservation management unit of the time zone selected by the organizer terminal. Features.
The conference related information includes address information of attendee terminals, and the system control unit sends a conference schedule including a time zone selected from the conference reservation table to the attendee terminals corresponding to the address information. It is characterized by notifying.
The reservation system of the present invention comprises an organizer terminal, a conference system installed in a conference room at each base, and a conference reservation management server, wherein the organizer terminal is provided with conference room information for each base and each conference room. A conference related information management unit that manages conference related information including connection method information and attendee schedule information of the conference system, a first communication control unit that controls communication with the conference reservation management server, and the first communication A first system control unit that instructs the control unit to transmit the conference related information to the conference reservation management server, and the conference reservation management server communicates between the organizer terminal and the conference system. The management table includes a second communication control unit for controlling the conference, a storage device for storing conference-related information from the organizer terminal, and reservation information indicating the conference-related information and reserved conference identification information. Based on the conference room information, the time zone in which the attendees' schedules obtained from the attendee schedule information match, and the reservation information, the searchable time zone and the conference room are searched, Based on the connection method information, it is determined whether or not a connection in which the connection methods between the conference rooms are mixed is possible, and a conference reservation table indicating a reserved time zone and conference room candidates is created, and the conference reservation table is used. A conference reservation management unit that registers the selected time zone as a reserved time zone in the management table, a conference start time that manages the conference start time of the reserved time zone registered in the management table and notifies the conference start time When receiving a notification from the management unit and the conference start time management unit, the second system for instructing the conference system to connect between the conference systems via the second communication control unit. And having a beam control unit.
In addition, the conference reservation management unit determines whether the conference systems of all the conference rooms that are candidates are the same connection method based on the connection method information. It is possible to determine whether it is possible to connect a mixture of connection methods between the candidate conference rooms if the time zone and the conference room are reserved time zones and conference rooms, and if the connection method is not the same, it is possible In such a case, the candidate time zone and the conference room should be reserved time zones and conference rooms. If not, the candidate time zone and conference room should not be reserved. Features.
In addition, the conference reservation management unit, in the candidate conference room, all the conference rooms have the same connection method as that of any other conference room, and connections by the same connection method between the conference rooms, When N-1 (N is the number of candidate conference rooms) or more can be secured, it is determined that connection methods can be mixed between the candidate conference rooms.
In the reservation management apparatus and the reservation system of the present invention, the storage device stores conference related information including conference room information of each base from the organizer terminal, connection system information of the conference system for each conference room, and attendee schedule information. The conference reservation management unit registers the conference related information and the reservation information indicating the reserved conference identification information in the management table, and the meeting room information matches the attendee schedule obtained from the attendee schedule information. Search for available time zones and conference rooms based on the time zone and reservation information, and determine whether or not a connection that mixes the connection methods between the conference rooms is possible based on the connection method information. A conference reservation table showing the time zone and conference room candidates is created, and the time zone selected from the conference reservation table is registered in the management table as a reservation time zone.
As a result, even if the connection methods of the conference systems installed in the conference rooms at each site are mixed, it is possible to reserve conference rooms based on the conference room reservation status and attendees' schedules. it can.

  According to the reservation management apparatus and the reservation system of the present invention, it is possible to reserve a conference room based on the reservation status of the conference room and the attendees' schedule even when the connection methods of the conference system are mixed. Therefore, the conference schedule can be easily set.

It is a figure for demonstrating one Embodiment of the reservation system of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the structure of the organizer terminal of FIG. 1, an attendee terminal, a conference system, and a conference reservation management server. FIG. 3A is a diagram illustrating a conference room management table, and FIG. 3B is a diagram for explaining an overview of information managed by the conference reservation management unit of the conference reservation management server in FIG. FIG. 3C is a diagram showing an attendee management table, FIG. 3C is a diagram showing a reservation management table, and FIG. 3D is a diagram showing attendee schedule information. It is a figure for demonstrating the outline | summary of the conference reservation table | surface managed by the conference reservation management part of the conference reservation management server of FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the general conference reservation in the case where a connection system is not mixed. It is a flowchart for demonstrating the conference reservation by the conference reservation management server of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of a reservation system according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the following description, for example, a remote conference is performed between bases in Osaka, Tokyo, and the Philippines.

  First, as shown in FIG. 1, the reservation system includes an organizer terminal 100, an attendee terminal 110 a, a conference system 100 </ b> A arranged at a base (Osaka), and an attendee terminal 120 arranged at the base (Tokyo). , A conference system 120A, an attendee terminal 130 located in a base (Philippines), a conference system 130A, and a conference reservation management server 200. These are connected via a network 300. The organizer terminal 100 is not limited to an office based in Osaka, but may be arranged at an office based in Tokyo or the Philippines. Further, it is assumed that the number of installed attendee terminals 110a, 120, and 130 is not limited.

  The conference system 100A includes a TV (television) conference system 100a, a web (world wide web) conference system 100b, and a tel (telephone) conference system 100c. The conference system 120A includes a TV conference system 120a, a Web conference system 120b, and a Tel conference system 120c. The conference system 130A includes a TV conference system 130a, a Web conference system 130b, and a Tel conference system 130c. The video conference systems 100a, 120a, and 130a have a speaker, a microphone, and a monitor (not shown). Each of the web conference systems 100b, 120b, and 130b has a PC (Personal Computer) including a speaker, a microphone, and a monitor (not shown), and realizes the web conference by using a web browser on the PC. In addition, the Tel conference systems 100c, 120c, and 130c have a speaker and a microphone (not shown). The video conference systems 100a, 120a, and 130a are connected to the network 300 to enable a video conference. The video conference systems 100a, 120a, and 130a may be configured to enable a video conference by connecting to an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line. The web conference systems 100 b, 120 b, and 130 b enable web conferences by connecting to the network 300. Tel conferencing systems 100 c, 120 c, and 130 c connect to the network 300 to enable Tel conferencing by IP telephone. Tel conferencing systems 100c, 120c, and 130c may be capable of tel conferencing by connecting to a PSTN line. Each conference room at each site includes at least one of the TV conference systems 100a, 120a, and 130a, the Web conference systems 100b, 120b, and 130b, and the Tel conference systems 100c, 120c, and 130c. Also, since the TV conference systems 100a, 120a, and 130a, the web conference systems 100b, 120b, and 130b, and the Tel conference systems 100c, 120c, and 130c have different connection methods, they are connected to each other to directly connect audio data and Video data cannot be communicated.

  Next, the configuration of the organizer terminal 100, the attendee terminals 110a, 120, and 130, the conference systems 100A, 120A, and 130A, and the conference reservation management server 200 will be described with reference to FIG. The attendee terminals 110a, 120, and 130 have substantially the same configuration as the organizer terminal 100, and thus description thereof is omitted here.

  The organizer terminal 100 includes an interface (I / F) 101, a keyboard 102, a mouse 103, a display unit 104, and a control unit 110 that controls operations of the HDD 105. The I / F 101 is responsible for communication between the conference reservation management server 200 and the attendee terminals 110a, 120, and 130 via the network 300. The I / F 101 may be in charge of communication with other attendee terminals (not shown) or may be in charge of communication with a content server, a web server, etc. (not shown). The keyboard 102 operates keys on the board surface and inputs information such as characters. The mouse 103 inputs information such as a target input position on the screen of the display unit 104. The display unit 104 displays a conference reservation table 250 shown in FIG. The HDD 106 is a storage device that stores application programs for providing various functions of the organizer terminal 100.

  The control unit 110 is a processor that controls the overall operation of the organizer terminal 100 by executing a control program and the like. The control unit 110 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 111, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) 112, a communication control unit 113, a conference related information management unit 114, an operation control unit 115, a display control unit 116, and an HDD control unit. 117, and a system control unit 118 is provided. These are connected to the data bus 119.

  The RAM 111 is a work memory for executing a program. The EEPROM 112 stores a control program for performing an operation check of each unit. The EEPROM 112 stores firmware for operating the I / F 101, the keyboard 102, the mouse 103, the display unit 104, the HDD 105, and the like.

  The communication control unit 113 controls transmission / reception of data and the like via the network 300 via the I / F 101. The conference related information management unit 114 includes base information 241, conference room information 242, connection method information 243, priority setting information 244 shown in FIG. 3A described later, and address information 246 shown in FIG. 3B described later. Or attendee schedule information 240D shown in FIG. 3D described later is managed as conference related information. The operation control unit 115 receives input of information from the keyboard 102 and the mouse 103. The display control unit 116 controls the display operation of the display unit 104. The HDD control unit 117 controls writing and reading of information with respect to the HDD 105. The system control unit 118 transmits the conference related information managed by the conference related information management unit 114 to the conference reservation management server 200. Further, the system control unit 118 receives a conference reservation table 250 shown in FIG. 4 to be described later created based on the transmitted conference related information. Further, the system control unit 118 notifies the conference reservation management server 200 when reservation is instructed in the received conference reservation table 250.

  The conference systems 100A, 120A, and 130A are connected to the network 300 via the I / Fs 100d, 120d, and 130d. Note that the audio data and video data between the conference systems 100A, 120A, and 130A may have different data formats for each TV conference, Web conference, and Tel conference, or may be the same. If the data format is the same, it may be in accordance with a communication protocol such as IP (Internet Protocol) or TCP (Transmission Control Protocol).

  The conference reservation management server 200 includes a control unit 210 that controls operations of the I / F 201 and the HDD 202. The I / F 201 is connected to the organizer terminal 100, the attendee terminals 110a, 120, and 130 and the conference systems 100A, 120A, and 130A via the network 300. The I / F 201 may be responsible for communication with other attendee terminals (not shown). The HDD 202 stores application programs for providing various functions of the conference reservation management server 200, the above-described conference related information transmitted from the organizer terminal 100, a conference reservation table 250 shown in FIG. It is a storage device.

  The control unit 210 is a processor that controls the operation of the entire conference reservation management server 200 by executing a control program and the like. The control unit 210 includes a RAM 211, an EEPROM 212, a communication control unit 213, an authentication management unit 214, a conference reservation management unit 215, a conference start time management unit 216, an HDD control unit 217, and a system control unit 218. These are connected to the data bus 219.

  The RAM 211 is a work memory for executing a program. The EEPROM 212 stores a control program for checking the operation of each unit. The EEPROM 212 stores firmware for operating the HDD 202 and the like. The communication control unit 213 controls transmission / reception of data and the like via the network 300 via the I / F 201. The authentication management unit 214 manages account information included in the login request from the organizer terminal 100 and performs authentication. The conference reservation management unit 215 includes a conference room management table 240A shown in FIG. 3A to be described later, an attendee management table 240B shown in FIG. 3B, a reservation management table 240C shown in FIG. The attendee schedule information 240D shown in d) and the conference reservation table 250 shown in FIG. 4 to be described later are managed. In addition, the conference reservation management unit 215 creates a conference reservation table 250 that indicates a reservable time zone based on the above-described conference related information received from the organizer terminal 100.

  The conference start time management unit 216 refers to the reservation management table 240C shown in FIG. 3C to be described later and the conference reservation table 250 shown in FIG. 4 to be described later. The system control unit 218 is notified of the presence.

  The HDD control unit 217 controls writing and reading of information with respect to the HDD 202. When there is a login request from the organizer terminal 100, the system control unit 218 instructs the authentication management unit 214 to perform authentication. In addition, when the system control unit 218 receives the above-described conference related information from the organizer terminal 100, the system control unit 218 stores the information in the HDD 202. Also, the system control unit 218 instructs the conference reservation management unit 215 to create a conference reservation table 250 in FIG. 4 to be described later based on the conference related information from the organizer terminal 100. Further, when there is a notification from the conference start time management unit 216 that it is the conference start time, the system control unit 218 shows a conference room management table 240A shown in FIG. 3 (a) described later and FIG. 3 (c). With reference to the reservation management table 240C and the conference reservation table 250 shown in FIG. 4 to be described later, the conference systems 100A, 120A, and 130A at the respective bases are instructed to connect the conference systems 100A, 120A, and 130A.

  Next, an overview of information managed by the conference reservation management unit 215 of the conference reservation management server 200 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the conference reservation management unit 215 has a conference room management table 240A shown in FIG. 3A, an attendee management table 240B shown in FIG. 3B, a reservation management table 240C shown in FIG. The attendee schedule information 240D shown in d) is managed. In the conference room management table 240A shown in FIG. 3A, base information 241, conference room information 242, connection method information 243, and priority order setting information 244 are registered.

  The base information 241 indicates a number in which, for example, the base in Osaka is (01), the base in Tokyo is (02), and the base in the Philippines is (03), for example. The conference room information 242 indicates information for identifying the conference room. For example, the conference room information 242 in the case of Osaka indicates a number for identifying the conference room (1) to (6). Moreover, the conference room information 242 in the case of Tokyo has shown the number which identifies the conference room made into (1)-(4). The conference room information 242 in the case of the Philippines indicates a number for identifying the conference room (1) to (2). Thereby, for example, from the information (01)-(1), it can be determined that the base is Osaka and the conference room is (1). For example, from the information (02)-(1), it can be determined that the base is Tokyo and the conference room is (1). For example, from the information (03)-(1), it can be determined that the base is the Philippines and the conference room is (1).

  The connection method information 243 indicates the connection method of the equipment installed in each conference room at each base. That is, the conference rooms of (01)-(1) and (01)-(2) indicate that the equipment of the connection method by the TV conference and the Tel conference is installed. In addition, the conference rooms (01)-(3), (01)-(4), and (02)-(2) indicate that the connection method facility by the Web conference is installed. In addition, in the conference rooms of (01)-(5), (01)-(6), (02)-(3), (02)-(4), facilities of a connection method using a Tel conference are installed. It is shown that. Also, the conference room (02)-(1) indicates that a connection method facility by the TV conference is installed. Further, the conference room (03)-(1) indicates that the equipment of the connection method by the TV conference and the Web conference is installed. In addition, the conference room (03)-(2) indicates that the equipment of the connection method by the Tel conference and the Web conference is installed.

  The priority order setting information 244 indicates the priority order of the connection method set by the organizer terminal 100. In other words, when there are a plurality of conference room vacancy, it is shown which connection system is preferentially determined as to which connection system is installed. In the illustrated example, the priority order is set in the order of the TV conference, the Web conference, and the Tel conference.

  In the attendee management table 240B shown in FIG. 3B, attendees 245 and address information 246 are registered. As for the attendees 245, for example, Mr. A to Mr. F are illustrated, but not only Mr. A to Mr. F, but people other than Mr. A to F are included in the conference related information from the organizer terminal 100. If it is, people other than Mr. A to Mr. F are also registered. The address information 246 indicates the mail addresses of Mr. A to Mr. F. In the reservation management table 240C shown in FIG. 3C, reservation information 247, base information 241, conference room information 242, attendees 245, and reservation time zone information 248 are registered for each conference reservation. The reservation information 247 indicates identification information of a reserved conference (the title of the conference such as “report session” and “training”), and is displayed as a reserved time zone in the conference reservation table 250. The base information 241 and the conference room information 242 are the same as those in FIG. The attendee 245 and the address information 246 are the same as those in FIG. The reservation time zone information 248 indicates a time zone reserved in the conference reservation table 250.

  In the attendee schedule information 240D shown in FIG. 3D, attendees 245, schedule information 249, and schedule time zone information 249a are registered for each attendee and for each conference reservation. The attendee 245 is the same as in FIGS. 3B and 3C. The schedule information 249 indicates the contents of a schedule such as a report meeting, training, a meeting, a seminar, an interview, a meeting, a luncheon, and an evening. The scheduled time zone information 249a indicates the scheduled time for each attendee. That is, for example, in the case of Mr. A, Mr. B, Mr. D, and Mr. F, it is shown that there is a report meeting schedule (for example, 9:00 to 10:00). Further, in the case of Mr. C, this indicates that there is a plan to go out (for example, 8:00 to 9:00). In addition, in the case of Mr. A, it is indicated that there is a plan to go out (for example, 11:00 to 12:00). The conference reservation management unit 215 of the conference reservation management server 200 refers to the reservation management table 240C, and sets the attendee schedule in the attendee schedule information 240D based on the conference reservation time zone information 248 corresponding to each attendee. sign up. At this time, the reservation time zone information 248 of the reservation management table 240C corresponds to the scheduled time zone information 249a of the attendee schedule information 240D. In addition, the conference reservation management unit 215 can arbitrarily accept the attendee schedule information 249 and the scheduled time zone information 249a corresponding to the schedule information 249 from the attendee's terminal, and register them in the attendee schedule information 240D. . For example, the schedule of going out by Mr. A and Mr. C in the attendee schedule information 240D shown in FIG. 3D corresponds to a schedule arbitrarily received from the attendee's terminal.

  Next, an overview of the conference reservation table 250 managed by the conference reservation management unit 215 of the conference reservation management server 200 will be described with reference to FIG. Note that the conference reservation table 250 in FIG. 4 is stored by the conference reservation management unit 215 in the conference room management table 240A in FIG. 3A, the attendee management table 240B in FIG. 3B, and the reservation management in FIG. The table 240C is created based on the attendee schedule information 240D in FIG. 3D, and is displayed on a daily basis. First, the conference reservation table 250 displays base information 241, conference room / attendee information 242a, connection method information 243, attendee schedule information 240D, reservation information 247, and reservation reception fields 251 to 253. Reservation buttons 251a to 253a are displayed in the respective reservation reception fields 251 to 253. In addition, the shaded portion displayed in the conference reservation table 250 indicates that the training, meeting, report meeting, conference, seminar, etc. have been reserved, and the blank portion indicates that the reservation is not reserved and can be reserved. . Further, in the reservation information 247 of the conference reservation table 250 shown in FIG. 4, reservations for conferences of attendees other than Mr. A to F are also described for convenience (the same applies to FIG. 5 described later).

  Here, the conference reservation management server 200 is the same as the conference related information (identification information (name etc.) of attendees to the conference) and address information (address information 246 in FIG. 3B) from the organizer terminal 110a. ), The conference reservation management unit 215 searches for a conference room and a time zone that can be reserved based on a time zone in which the attendees' schedules obtained from the scheduled time zone information 249a of the attendee schedule information 240D match. First, the conference reservation management unit 215 searches the attendee schedule information 240D for a time zone in which no attendance is reserved for all attendees (that is, all attendees are blank in the attendee schedule information 240D). According to the attendee schedule information 240D, A to F at the offices in Osaka, Tokyo, and the Philippines 10 o'clock time zone indicated by dotted arrow d (10: 0 to 11:00), 13 o'clock time zone indicated by dotted arrow h (13: 0 to 14:00), 15:00 time zone indicated by dotted arrow l This indicates that (15:00 to 16:00) is a candidate.

  Next, based on the reservation information 247, the conference reservation management unit 215 has a vacant state (that is, a time slot that is a candidate for a reservable time zone in the reservation information 247 is blank) in a reservable time zone candidate. Search for rooms and available meeting room facilities, and select them as candidate conference rooms that can be reserved. Considering the availability and facilities of the conference room in the 10 o'clock time zone based on the reservation information 247, in Osaka, the conference room (01)-(2) indicated by the dotted arrow a capable of a TV conference and a Tel conference is selected as a candidate. Show. In Tokyo, the conference room (02)-(2) indicated by the dotted line arrow b capable of the web conference is shown as a candidate. In the Philippines, conference rooms (03)-(1), (03)-(2) indicated by dotted arrows c capable of a TV conference and a Web conference and a Tel conference and a Web conference are shown as candidates. Then, the conference reservation management unit 215 determines whether or not a conference is possible between all the bases by connecting the conference room candidates that can be reserved at each base (Osaka, Tokyo, Philippines) to each other. Specifically, the conference reservation management unit 215 determines, based on the connection method information 243, whether or not equipment of the same connection method is installed in all candidate conference rooms. When the same equipment is installed, the conference reservation management unit 215 sets the candidate conference room and the time zone as a conference room and a time zone that can be reserved.

  On the other hand, if at least some of the candidate conference rooms do not have the same connection method as other conference rooms, the conference reservation management unit 215 mixes the connection methods among the candidate conference rooms. To determine if it can be connected. Specifically, the conference reservation management unit 215 connects all conference rooms in a candidate conference room in the same connection method as any other conference room and uses the same connection method between the conference rooms. (However, it is assumed that connections between two conference rooms (between two parties) are not made simultaneously by a plurality of connection methods. The same applies hereinafter.) Is obtained by subtracting 1 from the number of conference rooms (represented by the following equation). (N-1) (N indicates the number of candidate conference rooms)) If it is possible to secure more than this, it is determined that connection methods can be mixed between the candidate conference rooms, The meeting room and the time zone that have become the conference room and the time zone can be reserved. When the conference reservation management unit 215 determines that the connection methods cannot be connected between the candidate conference rooms, the conference reservation management unit 215 does not set the candidate conference room and the time zone as a conference room and a time zone that can be reserved.

  In the example of the 10:00 time zone shown in FIG. 4, the connection methods of the candidate conference rooms (01)-(2), (02)-(2), and (03)-(1) are inconsistent. However, the connection method between the conference rooms (01)-(2) and (03)-(1) is a TV conference, and the connection method between the conference rooms (02)-(2) and (03)-(1) is a Web conference. The number of connections (= 2) obtained by subtracting 1 from the number of meeting rooms (= 3) that match each other and can be secured. Therefore, the conference reservation management unit 215 has the conference room (01)-(2), (02)-(2), and (03)-(1) and the conference room and the time zone that can reserve the 10 o'clock time zone. And In addition, the connection methods of the candidate conference rooms (01)-(2), (02)-(2), and (03)-(2) are inconsistent, but the conference rooms (01)-(2) And the connection method of (03)-(2) is a tel conference, and the connection method of conference rooms (02)-(2) and (03)-(2) is the same in a web conference and is a candidate conference The number (= 2) of connections obtained by subtracting 1 from the number of chambers (= 3) can be secured. Therefore, the conference reservation management unit 215 determines the conference room (01)-(2), (02)-(2), (03)-(1), and (03)-(2) and the 10:00 time zone. Reservable meeting room and time zone.

  When a meeting is actually performed, for example, the conference room (03)-(1) uses the video based on the video data from the TV conference system 100a in the conference room (01)-(2) on the monitor of the TV conference system 103a. The voice based on the voice data from the TV conference system 100a in the conference room (01)-(2) is output from the speaker of the TV conference system 103a, and is further captured through the microphone of the web conference system 130b. By transmitting to the web conference system 120b of (02)-(2), a conference between the three bases becomes possible. In addition, the conference room (03)-(2) outputs audio based on the audio data transmitted from the Tel conference system 100c in the conference room (01)-(2) from the speaker of the Tel conference system 130c, and further performs the Web conference. By taking in through the microphone of the system 130b and transmitting it to the web conference system 120b in the conference room (02)-(2), a conference between the three sites becomes possible.

  Considering the availability of the conference room and the facilities in the 13:00 time zone, in Osaka, conference rooms (01)-(5) indicated by the dotted arrow e capable of a Tel conference are shown as candidates. In Tokyo, the conference room (02)-(3) indicated by the dotted arrow f capable of a Tel conference is shown as a candidate. In the Philippines, the conference room (03)-(2) indicated by a dotted arrow g capable of a Tel conference is shown as a candidate. Since the connection methods of the candidate conference rooms (01)-(5), (02)-(3), and (03)-(2) are the same in the Tel conference, the conference reservation management unit 215 Let (01)-(5), (02)-(3), and (03)-(2), and the 13:00 time zone be reserved conference rooms and time zones.

  Also, considering the availability and facilities of the conference room in the 15 o'clock time zone, in Osaka, the conference room (01)-(1) indicated by the dotted arrow i capable of a TV conference and a Tel conference is shown as a candidate. Yes. In Tokyo, the conference room (02)-(1) indicated by the dotted arrow j capable of a video conference is shown as a candidate. In the Philippines, the conference room (03)-(1) indicated by a dotted arrow k capable of a TV conference and a Web conference is shown as a candidate. Since the connection methods of the candidate conference rooms (01)-(1), (02)-(1), and (03)-(1) are the same in the TV conference, the conference reservation management unit 215 Let (01)-(1), (02)-(1), and (03)-(1) and the 15:00 time zone be reserved conference rooms and time zones.

  Note that the conference reservation management unit 215 has priority setting information 244 in the conference room management table 240A of FIG. Based on the above, a connection method with a higher priority may be adopted. In addition, the conference reservation management unit 215 has a plurality of connections that can be connected between the candidate conference rooms when the same connection method as the other conference rooms is not installed in at least some of the candidate conference rooms. When there is a connection method, a connection method with a higher priority may be adopted based on the priority setting information 244 in the conference room management table 240A of FIG.

  When there are a plurality of combinations of conference rooms that can be reserved in the same time zone, the conference reservation management unit 215 has a higher priority based on the priority setting information 244 in the conference room management table 240A in FIG. A combination of conference rooms that can use the upper connection method may be a combination of conference rooms that can be reserved. At this time, if there are a plurality of conference room combinations that can use a connection method with a higher priority, the conference reservation management unit 215 places reservation buttons 251a to 253a for each combination in the conference reservation table 250. May be.

  In this way, by mixing TV conferences, Web conferences, and Tel conferences, which are connection methods installed in conference rooms at bases in Osaka, Tokyo, and the Philippines, each attendee can be connected to Osaka, Tokyo, and the Philippines. Even if you are at a base, you can search for three types of conference rooms and time slots that can be reserved in one day. Here, in the organizer terminal 100, for example, when the organizer selects the reservation button 251a in the reservation reception field 251, reservation for the 10:00 time zone is received. In the organizer terminal 100, for example, when the organizer selects the reservation button 252a in the reservation reception field 252, a reservation for the 13:00 time zone is received. In the organizer terminal 100, for example, when the organizer selects the reservation button 253a in the reservation reception field 253, a reservation for the 15:00 time zone is received.

  When a reservation for any time period is accepted, the system control unit 218 refers to the address information 246 in the attendee management table 240B of FIG. 3B managed by the conference reservation management unit 215, respectively. The attendee terminals 110a, 120, and 130 of the attendees are notified of the meeting schedule indicating the meeting schedule time zone and the meeting room.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 5, a general conference reservation in the case where the connection methods are not mixed will be described. First, according to the attendee schedule information 240D, Mr. A to F at the offices in Osaka, Tokyo, and the Philippines have a time zone of 10:00 indicated by a dotted arrow d, a time zone of 13:00 indicated by a dotted arrow e, and a dotted arrow. It shows that the time zone of 15:00 indicated by i is a candidate. Considering the availability and facilities of the conference room in the 10 o'clock time zone, in Osaka, conference rooms (01)-(2) capable of TV conferences and Tel conferences are listed as candidates. Also, in Tokyo, conference rooms (02)-(2) capable of Web conferences are listed as candidates. In the Philippines, the conference room (03)-(1) capable of a TV conference and a Web conference is a candidate. However, since the TV conference and the Web conference are mixed in the 10 o'clock time zone, it is impossible to make a reservation in the 10 o'clock time zone.

  Considering the availability and facilities of the conference room in the 13:00 time zone, in Osaka, conference rooms (01)-(5) indicated by a dotted arrow a capable of a Tel conference are shown as candidates. In Tokyo, the conference room (02)-(3) indicated by the dotted arrow b capable of a Tel conference is shown as a candidate. In the Philippines, the conference room (03)-(2) indicated by a dotted arrow c capable of a Tel conference is shown as a candidate. Also, considering the availability and facilities of the conference room in the 15 o'clock time zone, in Osaka, the conference room (01)-(1) indicated by the dotted line arrow f capable of a TV conference and a Tel conference is shown as a candidate. Yes. In Tokyo, the conference room (02)-(1) indicated by a dotted arrow g capable of a video conference is shown as a candidate. In the Philippines, the conference room (03)-(1) indicated by a dotted arrow h capable of a TV conference and a Web conference is shown as a candidate.

  In this way, considering the conference rooms with common facilities in Osaka, Tokyo, and the Philippines, reservations are made for Tel conferences at 13:00 hours and for TV conferences at 15:00 hours. However, two candidates can be searched. In this case, setting the conference schedule may be difficult because the number of candidates is smaller than the three candidates in the conference reservation table 250 of FIG. 4 in which the connection methods are mixed.

  Next, conference reservation by the conference reservation management server 200 will be described with reference to FIG.

(Step S101)
The system control unit 218 determines whether there is a login request from the organizer terminal 100.
In this case, the system control unit 218 determines that there is no login request if there is no notification indicating that there is a login request from the communication control unit 213 (step S101: No).
In response to this, the system control unit 218 determines that there is a login request if there is a notification indicating that there is a login request from the communication control unit 213 (step S101: Yes), and proceeds to step S102. . At this time, the system control unit 218 passes the account information included in the login request to the authentication management unit 214 and instructs authentication.

(Step S102)
The system control unit 218 determines whether the authentication is successful.
In this case, the system control unit 218 determines that the authentication is not successful if there is no notification from the authentication management unit 214 indicating that the authentication is successful (step S102: No).
On the other hand, if there is a notification from the authentication management unit 214 indicating that the authentication is successful, the system control unit 218 determines that the authentication has succeeded (step S102: Yes), and proceeds to step S103.
If the system control unit 218 determines that the authentication is not successful, the system control unit 218 may end the process and may notify the organizer terminal 100 that the authentication is not successful.

(Step S103)
The system control unit 218 determines whether the conference related information from the organizer terminal 100 has been received.
In this case, the system control unit 218 is similar to the conference related information (identification information (name, etc.) of attendees to the conference) and address information (address information 246 in FIG. 3B) from the communication control unit 213. If there is no notification indicating that it has been received, it is determined that no conference related information has been received (step S103: No).
On the other hand, if there is a notification indicating that the conference related information is received from the communication control unit 213, the system control unit 218 determines that the conference related information has been received (step S103: Yes), and proceeds to step S104. .

(Step S104)
The system control unit 218 instructs creation of the conference reservation table 250.
In this case, the system control unit 218 passes the conference related information received from the organizer terminal 100 to the conference reservation management unit 215 and instructs the conference reservation management unit 215 to create the conference reservation table 250.
In this case, the conference reservation management unit 215, based on the conference related information from the organizer terminal 100, stores base information 241, conference room information 242, connection method information 243, in the conference room management table 240A shown in FIG. The priority setting information 244 is registered, the attendee 245 and the address information 246 are registered in the attendee management table 240B of FIG. 3B, and the conference reservation table 250 shown in FIG. create. In this case, the conference reservation management unit 215 reflects the reservation available time zone in the conference reservation table 250 based on the attendee schedule information 240D of FIG. In addition, the conference reservation management unit 215 considers the priorities of the TV conference, the Web conference, and the Tel conference based on the priority setting information 244 when indicating a reservable time zone.

(Step S105)
The system control unit 218 determines whether there is a request for the conference reservation table 250 from the organizer terminal 100.
In this case, the system control unit 218 determines that there is no request for the conference reservation table 250 if there is no notification from the communication control unit 213 that there is a request for the conference reservation table 250 (step S105: No).
In response to this, the system control unit 218 determines that there is a request for the conference reservation table 250 if there is a notification from the communication control unit 213 indicating that there is a request for the conference reservation table 250 (step S105: Yes). ), The process proceeds to step S106.

(Step S106)
The system control unit 218 transmits the conference reservation table 250.
In this case, the system control unit 218 transmits the conference reservation table 250 created by the conference reservation management unit 215 to the organizer terminal 100 via the communication control unit 213. At this time, on the host terminal 100 side, the system control unit 118 displays the conference reservation table 250 transmitted from the conference reservation management server 200 on the display unit 104 via the display control unit 116.

(Step S107)
The system control unit 218 determines whether or not a reservation on the organizer terminal 100 side has been selected.
In this case, the system control unit 218 determines that the reservation is not selected if there is no notification from the communication control unit 213 indicating that the reservation has been selected (step S107: No).
In response to this, the system control unit 218 determines that the reservation has been selected if there is a notification from the communication control unit 213 indicating that the reservation has been selected (step S107: Yes), and proceeds to step S108. .
On the organizer terminal 100 side, when the system control unit 118 selects, for example, the reservation button 251a for the 10 o'clock time period from the reservation reception columns 251 to 253 of the conference reservation table 250, the time zone for the 10 o'clock time is selected. A notification indicating that the reservation is made is transmitted to the conference reservation management server 200.

(Step S108)
The system control unit 218 notifies the attendee terminals 110a, 120, and 130 of the conference schedule.
In this case, the system control unit 218 refers to the address information 246 in the attendee management table 240B of FIG. 3B managed by the conference reservation management unit 215, and each attendee terminal via the communication control unit 213. 110a, 120, and 130 are notified of the conference schedule indicating the conference schedule time zone and the conference room.

(Step S109)
The system control unit 218 determines whether it is the meeting start time.
In this case, the system control unit 218 does not receive a notification from the conference start time management unit 216 to notify the conference start time in the reservation time zone based on the reservation management table 240C in FIG. 3C and the conference reservation table 250 in FIG. If it is not the meeting start time, it is determined (step S109: No).
In response to this, the system control unit 218 notifies the conference start time management unit 216 of the conference start time in the reservation time zone based on the reservation management table 240C in FIG. 3C and the conference reservation table 250 in FIG. If there is, it is determined that it is the meeting start time (step S109: Yes), and the process proceeds to step S110.

(Step S110)
The system control unit 218 instructs each conference system 100A, 120A, 130A to connect to each other.
In this case, the system control unit 218, for example, when the reservation for the 10 o'clock time zone is selected in the conference reservation table 250 of FIG. 4, the priority order setting information 244 of the conference room management table 240A of FIG. The Tel conference system 100c in the conference room (01)-(2) in Osaka, the Web conference system 120b in the conference room (02)-(2) in Tokyo, and the conference room (03)-(2 in the Philippines ) Is instructed to connect to the Web conference system 130b and Tel conference system 130c. Specifically, the system control unit 218 is connected to the Tel conference system 100c in the Osaka conference room (01)-(2) and the Tel conference system 130c in the Philippines conference room (03)-(2). And instruct the web conference system 120b in the conference room (02)-(2) in Tokyo and the web conference system 130b in the conference room (03)-(2) in the Philippines to connect to each other.

  In step S108, after the reservation on the organizer terminal 100 is selected, the attendee terminals 110a, 120, and 130 are notified of the meeting schedule. However, the selection in step S107 is automatically performed. May be. In this case, the conference reservation management unit 215 refers to the priority order setting information 244 registered in the conference room management table 240A of FIG. 3, and if the priority of the TV conference is higher, for example, the conference reservation table 250 of FIG. May automatically reserve the time zone at 15:00, which has the most conference rooms available for reservation.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, the HDD 202 (storage device) includes the conference room information 242 of each site from the organizer terminal 100, the connection system information 243 of the conference system for each conference room, the attendee schedule information 240D, and the like. The conference related information is stored, and the conference reservation management unit 215 stores the conference related information and the reservation information 247 indicating the reserved conference identification information, the conference room management table 240A, the attendee management table 240B, and the reservation management table 240C. The time zone and the conference room that can be reserved based on the time zone in which the attendees' schedules obtained from the conference room information 242 and the attendee schedule information 240D are registered in the (management table) and the reservation information 247 Whether or not connection based on connection method information 243 and mixed connection methods between conference rooms is possible Determination, and create a conference reservation table 250 indicating the candidates of reservable time band and meeting rooms, and registers the reservation management table 240C (management table) the time zone selected from the conference reservation table 250 as reserved time zone.

  As a result, even if the connection methods of the conference systems 100A, 120A, and 130A are mixed, the conference room can be reserved based on the conference room reservation status and the attendees' schedules. Setting can be performed easily.

100 Host terminal 100A, 120A, 130A Conference system 100a, 120a, 130a TV conference system 110a, 120, 130 Attendee terminal 100b, 120b, 130b Web conference system 100c, 120c, 130c Tel conference system 101, 201, 100d, 120d 130d I / F
102 Keyboard 103 Mouse 104 Display unit 105 HDD
110, 210 Control unit 111, 211 RAM
112, 212 EEPROM
113, 213 Communication control unit 114 Conference related information management unit 115 Operation control unit 116 Display control unit 117, 217 HDD control unit 118, 218 System control unit 119, 219 Data bus 200 Conference reservation management server 214 Authentication management unit 215 Conference reservation management Unit 216 conference start time management unit 240A conference room management table 240B attendee management table 240C reservation management table 240D attendee schedule information 241 base information 242 conference room information 242a conference room / attendee information 243 connection method information 244 priority setting information 245 Attendees 246 Address information 247 Reservation information 248 Reservation time zone information 249a Scheduled time zone information 250 Conference reservation tables 251a-253a Reservation buttons 251-253 Reservation acceptance column 300 Network

Claims (11)

A storage device for storing conference-related information including conference room information of each site from the organizer terminal, connection method information of the conference system for each conference room, and attendee schedule information;
The conference related information and reservation information indicating reserved conference identification information are registered in a management table, and the conference room information and a time zone in which attendees' schedules obtained from the attendee schedule information match, and Search for available time zones and conference rooms based on the reservation information, determine whether or not a connection with a mixed connection method between the conference rooms is possible based on the connection method information, and make a reservation time zone And a conference reservation management unit that creates a conference reservation table indicating candidate conference rooms and registers the time zone selected from the conference reservation table in the management table as a reserved time zone. . The conference reservation management unit
Based on the connection method information, it is judged whether the conference systems of all the conference rooms that are candidates are the same connection method, and if they are the same connection method, the candidate time zone and the conference room can be reserved. Time zone and meeting room,
If it is not the same connection method, determine whether it is possible to connect the connection methods between the candidate conference rooms, and if possible, the time when the candidate time zone and the conference room can be reserved The reservation management apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the reservation management device is configured as a band and a conference room, and when it is not possible, the candidate time zone and the conference room are not set as a reservable time zone and a conference room.   The conference reservation management unit determines that, in the candidate conference rooms, all the conference rooms have the same connection method as that of any other conference room and the connection between the conference rooms is the same as N- 3. The reservation management apparatus according to claim 2, wherein if it is possible to secure 1 (N is the number of candidate conference rooms) or more, it is determined that connection methods can be mixed between the candidate conference rooms. . The conference reservation management unit creates a conference room that can be reserved in a free time zone excluding the reserved time zone, based on a time zone in which the schedule of the attendee indicated in the attendee schedule information matches. The reservation management device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the reservation management device is searched from conference room information and a reservationable time zone is reflected in the conference reservation table.   The conference reservation management unit registers the priority order of connection methods of the conference system received from the organizer terminal in the management table, and when there are a plurality of conference rooms that can be reserved, the connection method with the higher priority order. The reservation management device according to claim 1, wherein a conference room having a search is searched. A conference start time management unit for managing the conference start time in the reserved time zone registered in the management table and notifying the conference start time;
The system control part which instruct | indicates the connection between each said conference systems with respect to the said conference system when the notification from the said meeting start time management part is received. The reservation management device described in 1.   The system control unit transmits the conference reservation table created by the conference reservation management unit to the organizer terminal, and notifies the conference reservation management unit of a time zone selected by the organizer terminal. The reservation management apparatus according to claim 6. The conference related information includes address information of attendee terminals,
The reservation management according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the system control unit notifies the attendee terminal corresponding to the address information of a conference schedule including a time zone selected from the conference reservation table. apparatus. The organizer terminal,
A conference system installed in each conference room;
A conference reservation management server,
The organizer terminal is
A conference related information management unit for managing conference related information including conference room information of each base, conference system connection method information for each conference room, and attendee schedule information;
A first communication control unit that controls communication with the conference reservation management server;
A first system control unit that instructs the first communication control unit to transmit the conference related information to the conference reservation management server;
The conference reservation management server
A second communication control unit for controlling communication between the organizer terminal and the conference system;
A storage device for storing conference-related information from the organizer terminal;
The conference related information and reservation information indicating reserved conference identification information are registered in a management table, and the conference room information and a time zone in which attendees' schedules obtained from the attendee schedule information match, and Search for available time zones and conference rooms based on the reservation information, determine whether or not a connection with a mixed connection method between the conference rooms is possible based on the connection method information, and make a reservation time zone A conference reservation table showing candidate conference rooms, and a conference reservation management unit for registering a time zone selected from the conference reservation table in the management table as a reserved time zone;
A conference start time management unit for managing the conference start time in the reserved time zone registered in the management table and notifying the conference start time;
Upon receiving a notification from the conference start time management unit, the second system control unit instructs the conference system to connect between the conference systems via the second communication control unit. A reservation system characterized by that. The conference reservation management unit
Based on the connection method information, it is judged whether the conference systems of all the conference rooms that are candidates are the same connection method, and if they are the same connection method, the candidate time zone and the conference room can be reserved. Time zone and meeting room,
If it is not the same connection method, determine whether it is possible to connect the connection methods between the candidate conference rooms, and if possible, the time when the candidate time zone and the conference room can be reserved The reservation system according to claim 9, wherein the reservation system is a band and a conference room, and if it is not possible, the candidate time zone and the conference room are not set as a time zone and a conference room that can be reserved.   The conference reservation management unit determines that, in the candidate conference rooms, all the conference rooms have the same connection method as that of any other conference room and the connection between the conference rooms is the same as N- 11. The reservation system according to claim 10, wherein if it is possible to secure 1 (N is the number of candidate conference rooms) or more, it is determined that connection methods can be mixed between the candidate conference rooms.

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