JP2020046856A - Information processing apparatus, method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information processing apparatus, method and program configured to execute an instruction to print an electronic document more smoothly as compared with a case where a user gives the contents of print settings to an avatar unilaterally.SOLUTION: A bot server 14 includes: a conference specifying unit 66 which specifies a conference where printed matters of an electronic document Doc may be distributed; an interaction control unit 48 which controls interactions of a bot (avatar of a printer 18) so as to transmit a message including identification information of the specified conference and print setting information corresponding to the conference, to a user, through interactions with the user on a service screen 30; and a print instruction unit 52 which outputs print setting information determined through the interactions between the user and the bot to the printer 18 to instruct printing of the electronic document Doc using the print setting information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

  The present invention relates to an information processing device, a method, and a program.

  Patent Literature 1 discloses a message notification device that provides a message exchange service that displays a message written by a user in time series, detects an operation instruction of an external device from the content of the message, and according to the obtained operation instruction, the external device. Is disclosed. Thus, the user can know the result of the operation instruction by himself / herself through the dialogue with the anthropomorphic device (that is, the avatar of the external device).

JP 2014-164522 A

  As an example of a use case of the message exchange service, there is a case of instructing printing of a document through an avatar of a printing device. For example, when printing a conference document whose print settings can be specified in detail, it is necessary to convey a larger amount of information to the avatar by writing and inputting a message. In this case, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to smoothly instruct the printing of the document.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing apparatus, method, and program capable of more smoothly performing an instruction to print an electronic document as compared with a case where a user unilaterally transmits the contents of print settings to an avatar.

  The invention according to claim 1 is specified by the specifying unit that specifies a conference to which a printed matter of the electronic document posted by the user can be distributed, and through the interaction with the user on a service screen of a message exchange service. Dialogue control means for performing dialogue control of an avatar of a printing device so as to notify the user of a message including identification information of the conference or print setting information corresponding to the conference, and a dialogue between the user and the avatar And a print instructing unit that outputs the print setting information determined through the above to the printing device and instructs printing of the electronic document using the print setting information.

The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specifying unit obtains a conference list including information on the conference, and specifies the conference from a relationship between the electronic document and the conference list. Device.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, the specifying unit estimates a meeting name or a holding date and time from at least one of a file name, content, and posting time of the electronic document, and includes the meeting name or the holding date and time included in the meeting list. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the conference is specified according to a degree of coincidence with the conference.
The invention according to claim 4, wherein the dialogue control means performs dialogue control so as to notify the user of a message having different contents according to specific accuracy by the specifying means. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

The invention according to claim 5, further comprising a determination unit that determines the print setting information using a different method depending on whether the conference specified by the specification unit is a regular conference. An information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4.
The invention according to claim 6, wherein, when the meeting is a regular meeting, the determining unit determines the print setting information so as to be the same as the print settings used in the past for the meeting. An information processing apparatus according to item 5.
The invention according to claim 7, wherein, if the meeting is not a regular meeting, the deciding means performs the printing according to a rule indicating a correspondence relationship between a meeting guideline item regarding a holding point of the meeting and a print setting item regarding a print setting. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the setting information is determined.

The invention according to claim 8, wherein the print instruction means sets a timer reservation before the date and time of the meeting, and instructs the printing of the electronic document when a print start time is reached. 7. The information processing apparatus according to any one of 7.
The invention according to claim 9, wherein the print instructing unit identifies a version of the electronic document, and instructs printing of only the latest version of the electronic document at the time of starting the printing. It is an information processing device.
In the invention according to claim 10, the dialogue control means is configured to, when the timer reservation is set and the printing start time has elapsed, notify the user of a message indicating that printing has ended. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, which performs control.
The invention according to claim 11, wherein the print instructing unit instructs a printing device, among a plurality of printing devices, a printing device relatively close to the meeting place. An information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

  The invention according to claim 12 is a step of specifying a meeting to which a printed matter of an electronic document posted by a user can be distributed, and a dialogue with the user on a service screen of a message exchange service. A control step of performing interactive control of an avatar of a printing device so as to notify the user of a message including identification information or print setting information corresponding to the conference; and printing determined through an interaction between the user and the avatar. An instruction step of outputting setting information to the printing device and instructing printing of the electronic document using the print setting information, by one or more computers.

  The invention according to claim 13 is a step of specifying a meeting to which a printed matter of an electronic document posted by a user can be distributed, and a dialogue with the user on a service screen of a message exchange service. A control step of performing interactive control of an avatar of a printing device so as to notify the user of a message including identification information or print setting information corresponding to the conference; and printing determined through an interaction between the user and the avatar. And an instruction step of outputting setting information to the printing device and instructing printing of the electronic document using the print setting information, by one or more computers.

According to the first, twelfth, and thirteenth aspects of the present invention, the print instruction of the electronic document is more smoothly performed than when the user unilaterally transmits the contents of the print setting to the avatar.
According to the second and third aspects of the present invention, the probability of specifying a conference is higher than in the case where the degree of coincidence of information different from the conference name or the date and time of the conference is used.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the process of determining the print setting information proceeds more smoothly than in the case where the same message is always notified regardless of the specific accuracy.

According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, print settings suitable for the type of meeting are made from the viewpoint of whether or not this is a regular case.
According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the print settings are made more smoothly and appropriately than in the case where the print settings are not the same as the past print settings.
According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, print settings are made more smoothly and appropriately as compared with the case where determination is made without setting rules.

According to the eighth aspect of the invention, useless printing accompanying the change of the electronic document is suppressed as compared with the case where printing is started immediately.
According to the ninth aspect of the present invention, useless printing accompanying revision of the electronic document is suppressed as compared with the case where printing is started immediately.
According to the tenth aspect, the possibility that the printed matter is left as it is is lower than in the case where the message is not notified.
According to the invention described in claim 11, when the user goes to the meeting while collecting the printed matter, the moving distance or the moving time of the user is shorter than when the user goes through a printing device installed at a relatively distant place. Be shortened.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of an information processing system in which an information processing device according to an embodiment of the present invention is incorporated. It is a figure showing an example of a service screen of a message exchange service. It is an electric block diagram of the bot server shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of a server-side control unit shown in FIG. 3. 5A shows an example of the data structure of the user information, FIG. 5B shows an example of the group information, FIG. 5C shows an example of the data structure of the first printer information, and FIG. 5D shows an example of the data structure of the second printer information. is there. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of a schedule book constructed in the business support server in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an electrical block diagram of the user terminal shown in FIG. 1. It is a sequence diagram showing operation of a user terminal, a bot server, and a business support server. It is a figure showing the variation of message exchange. It is a figure showing the variation of message exchange. 5 is a flowchart relating to a specific operation of the meeting identification unit shown in FIG. 4. 5 is a flowchart relating to a specific operation of a print setting determining unit shown in FIG. 4. 5 is a flowchart relating to a specific operation of the print instruction unit shown in FIGS. 3 and 4.

  A preferred embodiment of an information processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in relation to an information processing method and an information processing program. It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the following embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention can be freely changed without departing from the gist of the present invention. Alternatively, the respective configurations may be arbitrarily combined as long as no technical inconsistency occurs.

[Configuration of Information Processing System 10]
<Overall configuration>
FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an information processing system 10 incorporating an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system 10 combines a message exchange service (for example, business chat) for exchanging messages with a plurality of members belonging to a group and a print support service utilizing an artificial intelligence robot (here, a chatbot). It is configured to be able to be provided.

  The information processing system 10 includes a chat server 12, a bot server 14 as an information processing apparatus, a plurality (three in the example of FIG. 1) of user terminals 16, and one or more (two in the example of FIG. 2). ), And a business support server 20. Note that the information processing system 10 is not limited to the device configuration or the network configuration illustrated in FIG.

  The chat server 12 is a cloud server arranged on the cloud 22, and includes one or a plurality of server computers. The chat server 12 provides a chat room (or a talk room) for holding a chat conference in which a plurality of members belonging to the group (in the example of this figure, three users A, B, and C) participate. It is a device to do.

  The bot server 14 is a cloud server arranged on the cloud 22, and includes one or a plurality of server computers. The bot server 14 is a device that allows a “bot”, which is an avatar (personified character) that personifies the printing device 18, to enter a chat room and provides a print support service through the bot.

  Each user terminal 16 is a multifunctional / multipurpose device used by a user when performing a task, and is, for example, a personal computer, a tablet, a smartphone, or a wearable computer. The user exchanges messages between members of the group on the service screen 30 (FIG. 2) of the user terminal 16 owned by the user.

  Each printing device 18 is a network printer that receives data including an electronic file (for example, an electronic document Doc) from an external device, performs print processing on paper, and outputs a desired printed matter. The printing device 18 is, for example, a multifunction printer (MFP), a laser printer, or an inkjet printer.

  The business support server 20 provides various types of information (for example, a schedule book for managing a meeting schedule) necessary for performing a task in response to a request from an external device including the user terminal 16 and the printing device 18. It is a device that supports the execution of office work. Here, the business support server 20 is further configured to be capable of bidirectional communication with the bot server 14.

  Hereinafter, as an example of a use case of the information processing system 10, a meeting material distributed at a meeting scheduled to be held in the near future is performed in a chat room, and a material whose content is determined (that is, an electronic document) Doc) is assumed to be printed. This “meeting” is mainly assumed to be a “face-to-face meeting” in which attendees face each other, but other meeting forms involving printed matter (for example, a video conference, a web conference, a chat conference, or a combination of these operating means) ).

<Example of service screen 30>
Each of the user terminal 16 and the bot server 14 executes a dialogue process for performing a dialogue between users or a dialogue between the user and the bot via an API (Application Programming Interface) for using a message exchange service. These interactions occur through the user's manual response and the bot's automatic response.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the service screen 30 in the message exchange service. This figure shows a scene in which a dialogue is performed between the user A and the bot on the display of the user terminal 16 owned by the user A.

  At the center of the service screen 30, a balloon field 32 indicating the content of the message of the poster is displayed in chronological order over the vertical direction. At the right end of the service screen 30, a user icon 34 indicating the user A is displayed, and at the left end, an icon (bot icon 36 in this figure) indicating a poster other than the user A is displayed. Note that “posters” include not only members (humans) in the group but also bots.

Msg01 corresponds to a message notifying that the user (here, user A) has posted the electronic document Doc to be printed to the bot. This message describes the file name, expiration date, and file size of the electronic document Doc.
Msg02 corresponds to a message in which the bot requests the user to specify a meeting to which a printed matter of the electronic document Doc is distributed. This message lists information on the two meeting candidates, specifically, the number of the option, the date and time of the meeting, and the name of the meeting.
Msg03 corresponds to a message instructing the bot to specify a conference by selecting one (first conference) from two conference candidates.

Msg04 corresponds to a message that the bot requests the user to confirm the print settings of the electronic document Doc. This message describes the name of the meeting, the date and time of the meeting, the number of attendees, the number of copies, and the image quality setting.
Msg05 corresponds to a message in which the user agrees with the bot to the presented print settings and instructs the bot to perform printing using the print settings.
Msg06 corresponds to a message that notifies the user that the bot has started printing the electronic document Doc. In this message, the file name of the electronic document Doc, the number of copies, and the image quality setting are described.
Msg07 corresponds to a message in which the bot notifies the user that printing of the electronic document Doc has ended.

<Block diagram of bot server 14>
FIG. 3 is an electrical block diagram of the bot server 14 shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a functional block diagram of the server-side control unit 42 shown in FIG. The bot server 14 includes a server-side communication unit 40, a server-side control unit 42, and a server-side storage unit 44.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the server-side communication unit 40 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving electric signals to and from an external device. Thereby, the bot server 14 can exchange various data (for example, a message, a document file, and an image file) with the user terminal 16 via the chat server 12.

  The server-side control unit 42 is configured by a processing operation device including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and an MPU (Micro-Processing Unit). The server-side control unit 42 reads out the program stored in the server-side storage unit 44 and executes the message exchange application, whereby the exchange processing unit 46, the dialog control unit 48 (dialogue control unit), the information collection unit 50, And functions as a print instruction unit 52 (print instruction means).

  The server-side storage unit 44 is configured by a non-transitory and computer-readable storage medium. Here, the computer-readable storage medium is a storage device including a hard disk drive (HDD: Hard Disk Drive) and a solid state drive (SSD: Solid State Drive), or a magneto-optical disk, ROM, CD-ROM, flash memory And other portable media. In the example of this figure, the server-side storage unit 44 stores shared data 56 (including the electronic document Doc), user information 58, group information 60, printer information 62a and 62b, and a print setting history 64.

  As illustrated in FIG. 4, the exchange processing unit 46 performs reception control of receiving the shared data 56 shared in the group from the chat server 12 and supplying the shared data 56 to the interaction control unit 48. Further, the exchange processing unit 46 performs transmission control for transmitting data including the posted message generated by the interaction control unit 48 to the chat server 12.

  The dialog control unit 48 performs a dialog control in which a bot as an avatar of the printing device 18 performs a dialog with members belonging to the group. After receiving the shared data 56, the dialog control unit 48 analyzes the content of the message from the partner, recognizes the action of the partner based on the analysis result, and determines the bot's reaction to the action of the partner. And various processes necessary for communication within the group, such as a process of generating a message according to the reaction of the bot. Note that these processes can be realized using various artificial intelligence techniques including deep learning.

  The dialog control unit 48 sequentially obtains information (for example, user information 58 and group information 60) necessary for performing a smooth dialog, and provides external information to the information collecting unit 50 or the print instruction unit 52 according to the situation. Request. Then, when acquiring the information necessary for the print instruction, the interaction control unit 48 supplies the information to the print instruction unit 52.

  The information collecting unit 50 collects various types of information used for dialog control in response to a request from the dialog control unit 48, and supplies the information to the dialog control unit 48. The information collecting unit 50 includes a meeting specifying unit 66 (specifying unit) for specifying a desired meeting, and a print setting determining unit 68 (deciding unit) for determining a desired print setting.

  The print instruction unit 52 includes [1] identification information of the user who posted the electronic document Doc from the interaction control unit 48, [2] identification information of the electronic document Doc, and [3] information on print settings (hereinafter, referred to as print setting information). To get. Here, the print setting information is information including a combination of a plurality of print setting items related to the print setting. The print setting items include, for example, items such as the number of copies, designation of color / monochrome printing, designation of double-sided / single-sided printing, paper size, Nup, and enlargement / reduction ratio.

  The print instruction unit 52 uses the information supplied from the interaction control unit 48 and the printer information 62a, 62b to select the printing device 18 to which the electronic document Doc is to be transmitted, and to instruct printing of the electronic document Doc. Then, after the printing of the electronic document Doc is completed, the print instructing unit 52 notifies the dialog control unit 48 of that fact and a history of the print setting information used for the printing (hereinafter, referred to as a print setting history 64). To accumulate.

  FIG. 5A is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure of the user information 58. The user information 58 has a correspondence relationship between “user ID” that is identification information of the user, “display name” that is a name on the service screen 30, and “user authority” that indicates the authority granted to the user. Is shown. With this information, it is possible to provide a message exchange service only to a user who has usage authority.

  FIG. 5B is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure in the group information 60. The group information 60 indicates a correspondence relationship between “group ID” which is identification information of the group, “member configuration” indicating members belonging to the group, and “participating members” indicating participants of the chat conference. I have. With this information, the registered member configuration of each group and the members participating in the chat conference are specified.

  FIG. 5C is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure in the first printer information 62a. The printer information 62a indicates a correspondence between “user ID” that is the identification information of the user and “printer ID” that is the identification information of the printing device 18. With this information, one or more printing devices 18 are associated with each registered user.

  FIG. 5D is a diagram illustrating an example of a data structure in the second printer information 62b. The printer information 62b indicates a correspondence relationship between “printer ID”, which is identification information of the printing device 18, “model” indicating the type of the printing device 18, and “installation location” indicating the location of the printing device 18. Is shown. With this information, detailed information on each printing device 18 can be obtained.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a data structure of the schedule book constructed in the business support server 20 of FIG. The records (composition units of the database) shown in this figure are items related to the conference holding point, for example, the conference name, the date and time of the conference, the location, the frequency of the conference, the purpose of the conference, the number of attendees, . Note that the conference list described later is a list in which conference names and holding dates and times of a plurality of conference candidates are summarized.

<Configuration of user terminal 16>
FIG. 7 is an electrical block diagram of the user terminal 16 shown in FIG. The user terminal 16 includes an input unit 70, an output unit 72, a terminal-side communication unit 74, a terminal-side control unit 76, and a terminal-side storage unit 78.

  The input unit 70 includes an input device including a mouse, a keyboard, a touch sensor, or a microphone. The output unit 72 includes an output device including a display and a speaker. By combining the input function of the input unit 70 and the output function of the output unit 72, a user interface (hereinafter, UI unit 80) is constructed.

  The terminal side communication unit 74 is a communication interface for transmitting and receiving electric signals to and from an external device. Thus, the user terminal 16 can exchange various data (for example, messages, electronic files, and image files) with the bot server 14 via the chat server 12.

  The terminal-side control unit 76 is configured by a processing operation device including a CPU and an MPU. The terminal-side control unit 76 reads the program stored in the terminal-side storage unit 78 and executes the message exchange application, thereby functioning as the exchange processing unit 82 and the display data creation unit 84.

  The terminal-side storage unit 78 is constituted by a non-transitory and computer-readable storage medium. In the example of this figure, the terminal-side storage unit 78 stores the above-described shared data 56 and the electronic document Doc before posting.

[Operation of Information Processing System 10]
<Print support operation using bot>
The information processing system 10 in this embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the operation of the information processing system 10 (more specifically, the print support operation using a bot) will be described with reference to the sequence of FIG. 8 and FIGS. 9 and 10.

  FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating operations of the user terminal 16, the bot server 14, and the business support server 20. Here, the user terminal 16 and the bot server 14 basically exchange data via the chat server 12.

  The display data creation unit 84 of the user terminal 16 creates display data using the shared data 56 read from the terminal storage unit 78 during the execution of the message exchange application, and stores the display data in the UI unit 80. Output to. Thereby, the desired service screen 30 (FIG. 2) is displayed on the UI unit 80 of the user terminal 16.

[S01] Posting of Electronic Document Doc: Addition of (Msg01) When receiving a posting operation by the user via the UI unit 80, the exchange processing unit 82 of the user terminal 16 specifies a message and an electronic file (ie, Transmission control for transmitting data including the electronic document Doc) is performed. The exchange processing unit 46 of the bot server 14 acquires the shared data 56 including the electronic document Doc via the terminal-side communication unit 74, the chat server 12, and the server-side communication unit 40. Accordingly, a message (Msg01) notifying that the user has posted the electronic document Doc to be printed to the bot is added to the service screen 30.

[S02] Requesting a Meeting List The dialogue control unit 48 of the bot server 14 starts a print support operation of the electronic document Doc, triggered by posting from the user. The information collecting unit 50 requests the business support server 20 for a conference list in response to a request from the interaction control unit 48. Then, the bot server 14 transmits a signal for requesting the conference list (hereinafter, a request signal) to the business support server 20.

[S03] Transmission of the conference list After receiving the request signal from the bot server 14, the business support server 20 refers to a database (for example, a schedule book) built therein and creates a conference list according to the request. I do. For example, the business support server 20 creates a meeting list by extracting only meetings held within a predetermined period (for example, within one week) starting from the time of posting the electronic document Doc, and creates a meeting list. The transmitted data is transmitted to the bot server 14.

[S04] Meeting Specification The information collecting unit 50 (more specifically, the meeting specifying unit 66) uses the meeting list collected from the business support server 20 to specify a meeting to which the printed matter of the electronic document Doc can be distributed. The specific specifying method will be described later in detail.

[S05] Request for detailed meeting information The information collecting unit 50 requests the business support server 20 for detailed information on the specified meeting (that is, meeting detailed information). Then, the bot server 14 transmits a request signal requesting the detailed meeting information to the business support server 20.

[S06] Transmission of detailed meeting information After receiving the request signal from the bot server 14, the business support server 20 refers to the above-mentioned schedule book and extracts the detailed meeting information according to the request. Then, the business support server 20 transmits data including the detailed meeting information to the bot server 14.

[S07] Determination of print setting The information collection unit 50 (more specifically, the print setting determination unit 68) determines the print setting information corresponding to the electronic document Doc using the conference detailed information collected from the business support server 20. This information is supplied to the dialogue control unit 48. Note that a specific determination method will be described later in detail.

[S08] Selection of Printing Device The dialogue control unit 48 supplies information necessary for a print instruction (including user identification information and print setting information corresponding to the electronic document Doc) to the print instruction unit 52. Then, the print instruction unit 52 selects the printing device 18 associated with the user who posted the electronic document Doc by reading and referring to the printer information 62a and 62b. The specific selection method will be described later in detail.

[S09] Print instruction The print instruction unit 52 outputs the data including the electronic document Doc and the print setting information to the selected printing device 18 to print the electronic document Doc using the print setting information. To instruct.

[S10] Notification of end of printing: addition of (Msg07) After performing printing processing of the electronic document Doc in accordance with the desired print settings, the printing device 18 notifies the bot server 14 that the printing has been completed. The dialog control unit 48 of the bot server 14 receives a notification from the printing device 18 via the print instruction unit 52, and generates a message notifying that the printing has been completed. Then, when the message is supplied from the interaction control unit 48, the exchange processing unit 46 performs transmission control for transmitting data including the message to be posted. The exchange processing unit 82 of the user terminal 16 acquires the shared data 56 including the posted message from the bot via the server-side communication unit 40, the chat server 12, and the terminal-side communication unit 74. As a result, a message (Msg07) that the bot notifies the user that the printing of the electronic document Doc has ended is added to the service screen 30.

  As described above, the interaction control unit 48 of the bot server 14 ends the print support operation of the electronic document Doc. That is, by sequentially performing the operations of [S01] → [S02] →... → [S10] in FIG. 8, a printing support service utilizing the bot is provided. Subsequently, various variations of this printing support will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 and 10 together.

  As a first case, it is assumed that there is a plurality of meeting candidates in [S04] and a meeting is not uniquely determined. Therefore, the following operation may be added between [S04] and [S05].

[S11] Meeting Specification Request: Addition of (Msg02) After acquiring the meeting information from the meeting specifying unit 66, the dialog control unit 48 of the bot server 14 generates a message requesting to specify the meeting. Then, when the message is supplied from the interaction control unit 48, the exchange processing unit 46 performs transmission control for transmitting data including the message to be posted. The exchange processing unit 82 of the user terminal 16 acquires the shared data 56 including the posted message from the bot. As a result, a message (Msg02) that the bot requests the user to specify the conference is added to the service screen 30.

[S12] Add a meeting specific instruction: (Msg03) When receiving a specific operation by the user via the UI unit 80, the exchange processing unit 82 of the user terminal 16 transmits data including a message to be posted. Perform control. The exchange processing unit 46 of the bot server 14 acquires the shared data 56 including the posted message from the user. As a result, a message (Msg03) instructing the specification of the conference is added to the bot by the user selecting one of the two conference candidates on the service screen 30.

  Thereafter, the dialogue control unit 48 extracts a character (for example, a numeral of “1”) indicating the intention of selection from the message, and sends the user's instruction information (for example, “@meeting”) to the information collecting unit 50. Supply. Hereinafter, the information processing system 10 sequentially performs the operations of [S05] → [S06] →... → [S10] in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9A, on the service screen 30, a meeting to which a printed matter of the electronic document Doc can be distributed is specified through a dialog between the user and the bot (Msg01 → 02 → 03 → 07). Then, the printing of the electronic document Doc ends.

  As a second case, it is assumed that there is an indeterminate print setting item in [S07] and the print setting is not uniquely determined. Therefore, the following operation may be added between [S07] and [S08].

[S13] Proposal of print setting: Addition of (Msg04) After acquiring the print setting information from the print setting determining unit 68, the dialog control unit 48 of the bot server 14 generates a message for proposing print settings. Then, when the message is supplied from the interaction control unit 48, the exchange processing unit 46 performs transmission control for transmitting data including the message to be posted. The exchange processing unit 82 of the user terminal 16 acquires the shared data 56 including the posted message from the bot. As a result, a message (Msg04) that the bot proposes to the user print settings suitable for the electronic document Doc is added to the service screen 30.

[S14] Proposal Answer: Addition of (Msg05) When the exchange processing unit 82 of the user terminal 16 receives a response operation by the user via the UI unit 80, transmission control for transmitting data including a message to be posted is performed. I do. The exchange processing unit 46 of the bot server 14 acquires the shared data 56 including the posted message from the user. As a result, on the service screen 30, the user responds to the bot for the proposed print settings (in this case, agrees), and a message (Msg05) for instructing printing using the print settings is added. .

  Thereafter, the dialogue control unit 48 extracts a character indicating a positive intention (for example, a character string of “yes”) from the message, and sends the user's instruction information (for example, a positive flag) to the information collecting unit 50. Supply. Hereinafter, the information processing system 10 sequentially performs the operations of [S08] → [S09] → [S10] in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 9B, the print setting information corresponding to the electronic document Doc is determined through the dialogue between the user and the bot (Msg01 → 04 → 05 → 07) on the service screen 30. Then, the printing of the electronic document Doc ends.

  On the other hand, when extracting a character indicating a negative intention (for example, a character string of “stop”) from the message, the dialog control unit 48 generates a message notifying that the printing of the electronic document Doc has been stopped, and Then, the printing support operation of the electronic document Doc is stopped. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10A, the printing of the electronic document Doc is stopped through the dialogue (Msg01 → 04 → 05 → 08) between the user and the bot on the service screen 30.

  As a third case, after the print settings are uniquely determined in [S07], there is a case where it is desired to notify the user that printing is to be started just in case. Therefore, the following operation may be added between [S07] and [S08].

[S15] Notification of print settings: Addition of (Msg06) After acquiring the print setting information from the print setting determining unit 68, the dialog control unit 48 of the bot server 14 generates a message for notifying the contents of the print settings. Then, when the message is supplied from the interaction control unit 48, the exchange processing unit 46 performs transmission control for transmitting data including the message to be posted. The exchange processing unit 82 of the user terminal 16 acquires the shared data 56 including the posted message from the bot. As a result, a message (Msg06) that the bot notifies the user of the contents of the print setting corresponding to the electronic document Doc is added to the service screen 30.

  Thereafter, when the predetermined grace time has elapsed, the information processing system 10 sequentially performs the operations of [S08] → [S09] → [S10] in FIG. As a result, as shown in FIG. 10B, the print settings are shared through a dialogue (Msg01 → 06 → 07) between the user and the bot on the service screen 30, and then the printing of the electronic document Doc ends.

<Effects of the bot server 14>
The bot server 14 serving as the information processing apparatus includes: [1] a meeting specifying unit 66 (specifying unit) for specifying a meeting to which a printed matter of the electronic document Doc posted by the user can be distributed; [2] a service screen 30 of the message exchange service Dialogue control of the bot (avatar of the printing device 18) so as to notify the user of the message including the identification information of the meeting specified by the meeting specifying unit 66 or the print setting information corresponding to the meeting through the above-described dialogue with the user. And (3) print setting information determined through a dialog between the user and the bot to the printing device 18, and an electronic document Doc using the print setting information. And a print instructing unit 52 (print instructing means) for instructing the printing of the image.

  Further, in the information processing method and the program, one or a plurality of computers performs [1] a specifying step (S04 in FIG. 8) for specifying a meeting to which a printed matter of the electronic document Doc posted by the user can be distributed. The bot (avatar of the printing device 18) notifies the user of a message including the identification information of the specified conference or the print setting information corresponding to the conference through interaction with the user on the service screen 30 of the message exchange service. And (3) outputting the print setting information determined through the dialog between the user and the bot to the printing device 18 and performing electronic control using the print setting information. And an instruction step (S09) for instructing the printing of the document Doc.

  As described above, the user and the bot perform a dialogue with a “meeting” having a high relevance to the electronic document Doc as a starting point. The print settings can be determined. Thereby, the print instruction of the electronic document Doc is performed more smoothly than in the case where the user unilaterally transmits the contents of the print settings to the bot.

[Specific operation of each part]
Subsequently, for specific operations of the [1] conference specifying unit 66, [2] print setting determining unit 68, and [3] print instruction unit 52 shown in FIG. 3 or FIG. 4, refer to the flowcharts of FIGS. This will be described in detail.

<1. Operation of Meeting Identifying Unit 66>
First, the specific operation of the conference specifying unit 66 shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

  In step S21 in FIG. 11, the meeting identification unit 66 analyzes the electronic document Doc posted by the user, and acquires information that can identify the meeting (hereinafter referred to as analysis information). Specifically, the meeting identification unit 66 extracts and analyzes the file name or the content (mainly, title, header, or footer) of the electronic document Doc, and obtains a character string related to the meeting name (for example, the official name of the meeting, Abbreviated name) to estimate the conference name. Alternatively, the meeting identification unit 66 extracts and analyzes the file name, content, or posting time of the electronic document Doc, and uses a character string related to the meeting date and time (for example, a date added to the meeting name) to hold the date and time. Is estimated. When a message indicating a conference name or a date and time of a conference is included in the user's posted message, the conference specifying unit 66 may also consider the character.

  In step S22, the meeting specifying unit 66 specifies a meeting to which the printed matter of the electronic document Doc can be distributed (here, also referred to as a “corresponding meeting”) based on the analysis information acquired in step S21. Specifically, the conference specifying unit 66 extracts a conference having high consistency between the conference information included in the conference list and the analysis information described above, and extracts the conference as a candidate for the relevant conference (hereinafter, referred to as a “conference candidate”). Select. As a condition for determining that the matching is high, for example, when [1] both the meeting name and the holding date and time match, only [2] only one of the meeting name and the holding date matches and the other is similar. In this case, [3] a case where only one of the meeting name and the holding date and time matches and the other is unknown is determined, and [4] a case where both the meeting name and the holding date and time are similar.

  In step S23, the meeting identification unit 66 checks the number of meeting candidates identified in step S22. When one meeting candidate is selected (step S23: one), the meeting identifying unit 66 determines that one meeting candidate as a “corresponding meeting” (step S24).

  On the other hand, when two or more conference candidates are selected (step S23: two or more), the conference specifying unit 66 determines only the identification information of the relevant conference candidate among the conferences listed in the conference list and sets the dialog control unit. 48 (step S25). If no meeting candidate is selected (step S23: none), the meeting specifying unit 66 supplies the identification information of all the meetings listed in the meeting list to the dialog control unit 48 (step S26). Thereafter, a message (Msg02) requesting the specification of the conference is added to the service screen 30, and the process proceeds to step S27.

  In step S27, the conference specifying unit 66 checks whether or not the user has received an instruction for specifying a conference, based on the presence or absence of a notification from the dialog control unit 48. If the user's instruction has not been received yet (step S27: NO), the process remains in step S27 until the instruction is received. On the other hand, when the user's instruction has been received (step S27: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S28.

  In step S28, the conference specifying unit 66 acquires from the dialog control unit 48 instruction information of the conference generated according to the user's instruction. Then, the conference specifying unit 66 determines one conference indicated by the instruction information as a “corresponding conference” (Step S24).

  In this way, the meeting specifying unit 66 specifies a meeting in which a printed matter of the electronic document Doc posted by the user can be distributed, in cooperation with the dialog control unit 48 depending on the situation. For example, the meeting identification unit 66 acquires a meeting list including information about the meeting, and identifies the meeting from the relationship between the electronic document Doc and the meeting list. Then, the meeting identification unit 66 estimates the meeting name or the holding date and time from at least one of the file name, the content, and the posting time of the electronic document Doc, and according to the degree of coincidence with the meeting name or the holding date and time included in the meeting list. The meeting may be specified. By using the degree of coincidence of the meeting name or the date and time of the meeting, the reliability of specifying the conference is higher than in the case of using the degree of coincidence of other information.

  Further, the dialogue control unit 48 may perform the dialogue control so as to notify the user of a message having different contents according to the specific accuracy of the conference specifying unit 66. As a result, communication according to the accuracy can be achieved, and the process of determining the print setting information proceeds more smoothly than in the case where the same message is always notified regardless of the specific accuracy.

  When a plurality of meeting candidates are specified by the meeting specifying unit 66, the dialog control unit 48 may perform the dialog control so as to notify a user of a message including identification information of the plurality of meeting candidates. By notifying the user that there are a plurality of meeting candidates, the user is given a room to select a meeting.

<2. Operation of Print Setting Determination Unit 68>
Next, the specific operation of the print setting determining unit 68 shown in FIG. 4 will be described with reference to the flowchart in FIG.

  In step S31 of FIG. 12, the print setting determination unit 68 acquires detailed information (that is, conference detailed information) related to the conference specified by the conference specification unit 66. This meeting detailed information is composed of a plurality of items relating to the holding point of the meeting (hereinafter referred to as meeting point items). Specific examples of the meeting point items include the items shown in FIG. 6, that is, the meeting name, the date and time of the meeting, the place of the meeting, the frequency of the meeting, the purpose of the meeting, the number of attendees, and the attendee information (age, gender, job title, etc.). .

  In step S32, the print setting determination unit 68 analyzes the detailed meeting information acquired in step S31, and determines whether the meeting is a “regular”. Specifically, the print setting determining unit 68 determines that the conference is a “regular” conference when the detailed conference information includes predetermined characters (weekly, monthly, every, interval, regular, regular). For example, when the holding frequency is “every week”, “every other week”, “monthly”, or when the meeting name is “〇〇 regular meeting”, “weekly news meeting”, or “monthly news meeting”, the above-described determination condition is satisfied. When it is determined that the conference is “regular” (step S32: YES), the process proceeds to step S33, and when it is determined that the conference is not “regular” (step S32: NO), the process proceeds to step S34.

  In the case of step S33, the print setting determining unit 68 acquires print setting information corresponding to print settings used in the past for the conference. Specifically, the print setting determining unit 68 refers to the print setting history 64 in which the print settings are stored, and for example, print setting information in which the main part of the conference name matches and the print end time is closest to the current time. To get.

  On the other hand, in the case of step S34, the print setting determining unit 68 acquires the print setting information according to a predetermined rule. Specifically, the print setting determining unit 68 acquires print setting information corresponding to the specified conference by reading and referring to a data table indicating the correspondence between the meeting point items and the print setting items. This data table includes, for example, [1] number of attendees and number of copies, [2] meeting place and installation place, [3] meeting date and time and printing start time, [4] meeting purpose and necessity of printing, [5] attendance It shows the correspondence between items that are highly related to each other, such as the user's age group and paper size.

  As described above, it should be noted that the method of determining the print settings differs depending on whether the conference is “regular”. After performing one of steps S33 and S34, the process proceeds to the next step S35.

  In step S35, the print setting determining unit 68 checks whether there is an indefinite print setting item in the print setting information acquired in steps S33 and S34. If there is no indefinite print setting item (step S35: NO), steps S36 and S37 are skipped, and the print setting determination unit 68 determines the print setting of the electronic document Doc (step S38).

  On the other hand, when there is an unfixed print setting item (step S35: YES), the print setting determining unit 68 tentatively gives a default value to the unfixed print setting item, and transmits the tentative print setting information to the interactive control unit. 48. Thereafter, a message (Msg04) requesting confirmation of the print settings is added on the service screen 30, and the process proceeds to step S36.

  In step S36, the print setting determining unit 68 determines whether the user confirmation condition is satisfied. The confirmation conditions include, for example, [1] that a print setting instruction has been received from the user, and [2] that the grace period has elapsed without the user's instruction since the message (Msg04) was added. . If the user confirmation condition has not been satisfied yet (step S36: NO), the process remains in step S36 until this condition is satisfied. On the other hand, when the user confirmation condition is satisfied (step S36: YES), the process proceeds to the next step S37.

  In step S37, the print setting determining unit 68 acquires from the interactive control unit 48 the instruction information of the print setting items generated according to the user's instruction.

  In step S38, the print setting determination unit 68 determines the print settings of the electronic document Doc by inputting one or a plurality of set values indicated by the instruction information into the undefined print setting items. As described above, the print setting determining unit 68 determines the print setting information corresponding to the electronic document Doc through the dialogue between the user and the bot in cooperation with the dialogue control unit 48 according to the situation.

  Here, the print setting determining unit 68 may determine the print setting information by using a different method depending on whether or not the meeting specified by the meeting specifying unit 66 is a regular meeting. As a result, print settings suitable for the type of meeting are made from the viewpoint of whether or not this is a regular case.

  For example, when the specified meeting is a regular meeting, the print setting determining unit 68 may determine the print setting information so as to be the same as the print settings used in the past for the meeting. In the regular meeting, the print setting is made more smoothly and appropriately than in the case where the print setting is not the same as the past print setting, by taking into account the tendency that there is a high possibility that the previous holding procedure is directly followed.

  On the other hand, if the specified meeting is not a regular meeting, the print setting determining unit 68 determines print setting information according to a rule indicating the correspondence between the meeting items related to the holding point of the meeting and the setting items related to the print settings. Is also good. By taking into account the tendency of the conference to be held and the print setting to a certain degree, the print setting can be made more smoothly and appropriately than in the case where determination is made without setting rules.

<3. Operation of print instruction section 52>
Next, a specific operation (here, a print reservation function) of the print instruction unit 52 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described with reference to a flowchart of FIG.

  In step S41 in FIG. 13, the print instruction unit 52 sets a timer reservation for printing the electronic document Doc, triggered by a request from the interaction control unit 48. With the setting of the timer reservation, the electronic file to be printed and the print start time (or print start time) are specified. For example, the print instruction unit 52 may specify a print start time before the date and time when the conference is held (for example, a point in time when a predetermined time is retroactive from the date and time of the meeting).

  In step S42, the print instruction unit 52 checks whether the print start time has passed. If the print start time has not elapsed (step S42: NO), the process proceeds to step S43.

  In step S43, the print instruction unit 52 confirms whether or not the posting of a new electronic document Doc by the same or a different user is determined based on the presence or absence of the notification from the dialog control unit 48. If a new post has not been received (step S43: NO), the print instruction unit 52 waits for a certain time (step S44), and then returns to step S42. Thereafter, steps S42 to S44 are sequentially repeated before the printing start time and until a new posting is accepted. On the other hand, if a new post has been received (step S43: YES), the process proceeds to step S45.

  In step S45, the print instruction unit 52 determines whether the newly posted electronic document Doc is a document of the same system as the electronic document Doc for which timer reservation has already been set. Then, when both are documents of the same system, the print instruction unit 52 identifies the version of the electronic document Doc and determines whether or not the document corresponds to a new version. Specifically, the print instructing unit 52 analyzes the electronic document Doc specified by the interaction control unit 48, and if the file name or the content has a high degree of matching, or if the content includes a mark indicating the revision history, the It may be determined that it corresponds to the version.

  If it is determined that the version does not correspond to the new version (step S45: NO), the process proceeds to step S44 and returns to step S42. If the documents are of different systems, another reservation timer is set for the newly posted electronic document Doc. On the other hand, if it corresponds to the new version (step S45: YES), the process proceeds to step S46.

  In step S46, the print instruction unit 52 replaces the specification of the electronic document Doc to be printed from the old version with the new version while maintaining the specification of the print start time. The old version of the electronic file may be deleted immediately, or may be stored until the printing of the new version is completed.

  After the replacement of the electronic document Doc is completed, the process proceeds to step S44, returns to step S42, and repeats steps S42 to S46. As a result, the version can be updated any number of times until the print start time has elapsed. On the other hand, returning to step S42, if the designated print start time has elapsed (step S42: YES), the process proceeds to step S47.

  In step S47, the print instruction unit 52 instructs the printing device 18 to print the electronic document Doc. Here, the electronic document Doc, which is the latest version (as a result, the final version), is always selected regardless of the presence or absence or the number of replacements.

  In step S48, the print instruction unit 52 receives from the printing device 18 a notification that the printing instructed in step S47 has been completed, and releases the timer reservation for printing set in step S41.

  In step S49, the print instruction unit 52 receives the notification from the printing device 18 and notifies the dialog control unit 48 that the printing has been completed. Then, the dialogue control unit 48 performs dialogue control so as to notify the user of a message indicating that printing of the electronic document Doc has been completed. As described above, the operation of the print instruction unit 52 based on the print reservation function ends.

  As described above, the print instruction unit 52 may set the timer reservation before the date and time of the conference, and instruct the printing of the electronic document Doc when the print start time is reached. As a result, the printing of the electronic document Doc can be suspended, and useless printing due to the change of the electronic document Doc is suppressed as compared with the case where printing is started immediately.

  Alternatively, the print instruction unit 52 may identify the version of the electronic document Doc and instruct the printing of only the latest version of the electronic document Doc at the time of starting printing. As a result, printing waste associated with the revision of the electronic document Doc can be reduced as compared with the case where printing is started immediately. In particular, immediately before the meeting, the frequency of revising the electronic document Doc increases, so that the above-described effect of omitting waste appears remarkably.

  Further, the dialog control unit 48 may perform the dialog control so as to notify the user of a message indicating that the printing of the electronic document Doc has ended when the timer reservation is set and the printing start time has elapsed. . As a result, it is possible to prompt the user to collect the printed matter, and it is less likely that the printed matter will be left as it is than when no message is notified.

<4. Operation of print instruction section 52>
Next, a specific operation (here, a selection function of the printing device 18) of the print instruction unit 52 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 will be described with reference to the data structure of FIGS.

  The print instruction unit 52 is associated with the user using the user identification information (user ID) and the printer information 62a and 62b (see FIGS. 5C and 5D) supplied from the dialog control unit 48. The identification information of the printing device 18 (that is, the printer ID) is obtained. Here, when one printer ID is acquired, the print instruction unit 52 determines the printing device 18 having the printer ID as a print instruction target.

  On the other hand, when two or more printer IDs are obtained, the print instruction unit 52 performs one print based on the geographical relationship between the installation location of the printing device 18 and the conference holding location (see FIG. 6). The device 18 is selected. Specifically, the print instruction unit 52 obtains the distance between the installation location and the holding place using the position in the floor, the number of floors in the building, or the position of the building, and is relatively close to the holding place of the conference. The printing device 18 is determined as a printing instruction target.

  As described above, the print instructing unit 52 may instruct the printing device 18 among the plurality of printing devices 18 that is relatively close to the meeting place. Thereby, when the user goes to the meeting while collecting the printed materials, the moving distance or the moving time of the user is reduced as compared with the case where the user goes through the printing device 18 installed at a relatively distant place.

  Reference Signs List 10 information processing system, 12 chat server, 14 bot server (information processing device), 16 user terminal, 18 printing device, 20 business support server, 30 service screen, 48 dialogue control unit (dialogue control means), 52 print instruction unit ( Print instructing means), 66 meeting specifying unit (specifying means), 68 print setting determining unit (determining means), Doc electronic document.

Claims (13)

Specifying means for specifying a meeting to which a printed matter of the electronic document posted by the user can be distributed;
A printing device configured to notify the user of a message including identification information of the conference specified by the specifying unit or print setting information corresponding to the conference through a dialogue with the user on a service screen of a message exchange service. Dialog control means for controlling the avatar's dialogue;
Print instruction means for outputting print setting information determined through interaction between the user and the avatar to the printing device, and instructing printing of the electronic document using the print setting information,
An information processing apparatus comprising:   The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specifying unit obtains a conference list including information on the conference, and specifies the conference based on a relationship between the electronic document and the conference list.   The specifying unit estimates a meeting name or a holding date and time from at least one of a file name, content, and posting time of the electronic document, and determines the meeting name or the holding date and time according to the degree of coincidence with the meeting name or the holding date and time included in the meeting list. 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein   The interactive control unit according to claim 1, wherein the interactive control unit performs an interactive control so as to notify the user of a message having different contents according to specific accuracy by the identifying unit. Information processing device.   5. The printing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a determination unit configured to determine the print setting information using a different method depending on whether the meeting specified by the specifying unit is a regular meeting. 6. 2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.   6. The printing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the meeting is a regular meeting, the determining unit determines the print setting information so as to be the same as a print setting used in the past for the meeting. Information processing device.   When the meeting is not a regular meeting, the determining unit determines the print setting information according to a rule indicating a correspondence relationship between a meeting point item regarding a holding point of the meeting and a print setting item regarding a print setting. The information processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein:   8. The printing method according to claim 1, wherein the print instruction unit sets a timer reservation before a date and time when the conference is held, and instructs printing of the electronic document when a print start time is reached. The information processing device according to item.   9. The information processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the print instructing unit identifies a version of the electronic document, and instructs to print only the latest electronic document at the time of starting the printing.   The dialogue control means performs dialogue control so as to notify the user of a message indicating that printing has ended when the timer reservation is set and the printing start time has elapsed. Item 10. The information processing device according to item 8 or 9.   The printing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the printing instruction unit instructs a printing device, among a plurality of printing devices, that is relatively close to a place where the conference is held. Information processing device. Identifying a meeting to which a printed version of the electronic document posted by the user may be distributed;
A dialogue of an avatar of a printing device to notify the user of a message including identification information of the specified conference or print setting information corresponding to the conference through a dialogue with the user on a service screen of a message exchange service. A control step for performing control;
An instruction step of outputting print setting information determined through interaction between the user and the avatar to the printing device, and instructing printing of the electronic document using the print setting information;
An information processing method, wherein one or more computers execute the above. Identifying a meeting to which a printed version of the electronic document posted by the user may be distributed;
A dialogue of an avatar of a printing device to notify the user of a message including identification information of the specified conference or print setting information corresponding to the conference through a dialogue with the user on a service screen of a message exchange service. A control step for performing control;
An instruction step of outputting print setting information determined through interaction between the user and the avatar to the printing device, and instructing printing of the electronic document using the print setting information;
An information processing program for causing one or more computers to execute the following.