JP5373175B1 - COMMUNICATION METHOD, COMMUNICATION DEVICE, AND PROGRAM - Google Patents

Abstract

When sending a message from a chat service member to a non-member for the first time, it is necessary to register e-mail addresses of the non-members one by one, and the work up to the start of using the chat service is troublesome.
When there is a request for starting a chat service from a user terminal, the most suitable communication method is determined from registration information stored in a memory, and a message transmitted from the user terminal is converted into the communication method. , Send to the other party. The communication method applied when communicating with the transmission destination is determined by using the member information about the transmission destination user to determine whether the transmission destination user is a registered member of the chat system. If is a registered member, the chat method is selected in principle. On the other hand, when the transmission partner is a non-registered member, a communication method other than the chat format is selected .
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for transmitting and receiving messages using an information processing terminal.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a so-called chat service that performs real-time character communication using an information processing apparatus such as a PC (Personal Computer) terminal or a portable terminal has been provided.
However, in the conventional chat service, even if you want to chat with a non-member who is not subscribed to or registered with the chat service, you cannot chat unless the member registers with the chat service. It was. For this reason, a separate mail must be sent to the non-members, and the operation tends to be complicated.
In response to such a problem, in Patent Document 1, a modality such as e-mail or chat is converted from the first interface to another modality and provided to the second interface via a computer network. A method for this is disclosed.

Special table 2011-525676 gazette

  However, in the prior art, when sending a message from a chat service member to a non-member for the first time, it is necessary to register e-mail addresses of non-members one by one, and the work up to the start of use of the chat service is troublesome. The barrier was high. In addition, when the user transmits a message, there is room for improvement, such as the user himself / herself having to select a communication method.

  SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and its purpose is to enable seamless message exchange even when chatting with a non-user, thereby reducing the burden on the user and communication It is to provide an apparatus and a program.

One embodiment of the present invention relates to a communication method. This communication method is a method used in a service for transmitting and receiving messages using an information processing terminal, and accepts a transmission destination and a message to be transmitted to the transmission destination. A step of determining whether or not the destination user is a registered member of the chat system using the member information, and a communication method to be applied from one or more communication methods registered in the memory with respect to the accepted transmission destination In accordance with the information indicating the priority order, a step of selecting one communication method and a step of transmitting a message to the transmission destination according to the selected communication method are included. The information indicating the priority order of communication methods to be applied indicates that if the destination user is a registered member, the chat format is selected, and if the non-registered member, a communication method other than the chat format is selected. ing.

  According to such an aspect, communication is performed by selecting one communication method according to information indicating the priority of the communication method to be applied from one or more communication methods registered in the memory with respect to the received transmission destination. Since the method is automatically set, the burden on the user when sending a message to a non-registered member can be reduced.

  Further, this communication method includes a step of acquiring one or more contact information stored in the information processing terminal, a step of verifying the acquired contact information and registered contact information, a result of verification, 2 When information common to two pieces of contact information is included, a step of combining the acquired contact information with the registered contact information may be included.

  According to such an aspect, as a result of collating the acquired contact information with the registered contact information, if information common to the two contact information is included, the registered contact information is acquired. By combining the contact information, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user when starting to use the service.

  Moreover, this communication method may include a step of converting the message into a chat format message and a step of displaying the converted message on the chat interface when a message by a communication method other than chat is received.

  According to such an aspect, by converting the message into a chat format message and displaying it on the chat interface, the message can be displayed on the same chat screen even when the message is exchanged with a non-registered member. You can exchange messages as if you were chatting.

  Further, the communication method includes a step of causing the user to select one or more messages displayed on the chat interface, a step of adding a flag to the selected message and managing the selected message as a message selected by the user, In response to an instruction, the method includes a step of extracting one or more messages selected by the user in the past based on a flag, and a step of exporting the extracted message to a Web page and allowing a predetermined user to view the message. Good.

  According to such an aspect, based on the flag, one or more messages selected by the user in the past are extracted and exported to a web page (update the web page), thereby widely sharing message exchange in chat. Easy to do.

  Further, the communication method includes a step of creating event information in which one or more candidate dates and times and one or more candidate locations are combined one by one, inquiring whether or not to participate in an event related to the created event information, , May be included. In this case, when selecting whether or not to participate in the event, when selecting a communication method other than chat, the selecting step includes URL information for accepting an answer regarding whether or not to participate from the user in a message to be transmitted.

  According to such an aspect, it is possible to easily inquire about event participation even for non-registered users by including URL information for accepting an answer regarding whether or not to participate from a user in a message to be transmitted. .

Another aspect of the present invention is a program. This program is a program used in a service for transmitting and receiving messages using an information processing terminal, and accepts a transmission destination and a message to be transmitted to the transmission destination. A step of determining whether the user of the transmission destination is a registered member of the chat system using the member information; a communication scheme to be applied from one or more communication schemes registered in the memory with respect to the accepted transmission destination According to the information indicating the priority, the computer is caused to execute a process including a step of selecting one communication method and a step of transmitting a message to the transmission destination according to the selected communication method. The information indicating the priority order of communication methods to be applied indicates that if the destination user is a registered member, the chat format is selected, and if the non-registered member, a communication method other than the chat format is selected. ing.

Another aspect of the present invention is a communication device. This communication device is a communication device used for a service that transmits and receives messages using an information processing terminal, and includes a reception unit that receives a transmission destination and a message to be transmitted to the transmission destination, and a transmission destination that is received It is determined whether or not the destination user is a registered member of the chat system using the member information about the user , and should be applied from one or more communication methods registered in the memory with respect to the accepted destination A selection unit that selects one communication method according to the information indicating the priority of the communication method, and a transmission unit that transmits a message to a transmission destination according to the selected communication method. The information indicating the priority order of communication methods to be applied indicates that if the destination user is a registered member, the chat format is selected, and if the user is a non-registered member, a communication method other than the chat format is selected. Has been.

  It should be noted that any combination of the above-described constituent elements and a representation obtained by converting the expression of the present invention between a legal supplement, an apparatus, a system, a computer program, etc. are also effective as an aspect of the present invention.

  According to the present invention, even when chatting with a non-user, it is possible to exchange messages seamlessly and reduce the burden on the user.

  Before describing the embodiments of the present invention, an outline of the present invention will be described first. The present invention relates to a chat service for transmitting and receiving messages between information communication terminal devices. A member registered in the chat service (hereinafter referred to as a “registered member”) does not have to be aware of whether the other party is registered in the chat service when exchanging messages using the chat service. Chat with the other party.

  When chatting with a member who is not registered in the chat service (hereinafter referred to as “non-registered member”), conventionally, the non-registered member is urged to become a registered member or chat. Communication was performed by other methods. Although there are services that allow chat between non-registered members and registered members by using modality conversion technology, it is necessary to input the information of non-registered members one by one at the time of use. It was very inconvenient because of restrictions.

  In the present invention, the above inconvenience is eliminated, and the chat service can be carried out very smoothly without making the user aware of the service registration status of the chat partner. The present invention can also be applied to a case where three or more users (which may include non-registered members) chat. Hereinafter, an example will be described.

  First, Example 1 will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a chat system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The chat system 100 includes a server 10, a network 30 that connects the server 10 and the base station 40 via a wired line, a first base station 40 a to a third base station 40 c represented by the base station 40, and a mobile terminal 50. The first mobile terminal 50a to the third mobile terminal 50c, which are represented, and the PC terminal 70 are included.

  For convenience of illustration, only three base stations 40 and mobile terminals 50 are shown, but the number of base stations 40 and mobile terminals 50 may be more than that. The same applies to the PC terminal 70. The first mobile terminal 50a to the third mobile terminal 50c are illustrated as being connected to different base stations 50, but not limited to this, a plurality of mobile terminals 50 are connected to one base station 50. Needless to say, the present invention is applicable.

  The server 10 is a device for implementing and providing a chat service. The server 10 executes communication processing for chat processing between the mobile terminal 50 and the PC terminal 70 via the network 30 and the base station 40. In the following, in order to simplify the description, it is simply expressed as “execution of communication processing between the server 10 and the mobile terminal 40 or the PC terminal 70” and the like via the network 30 and the base station 40. The description is omitted. In the following, the mobile terminal 50 and the PC terminal 70 may be collectively referred to as a user terminal.

  The server 10 downloads the application according to the request from the user terminal. Thereafter, the contact information stored in the memory in the user terminal is uploaded and imported into the memory in the server 10. When there is a request for starting the chat service from the user terminal, the server 10 determines a communication method to the other party of the chat service. Specifically, according to the priority information of the communication method, the most suitable communication method is determined from the registration information stored in the memory in the server 10, and the message transmitted from the user terminal is converted into the communication method, Send to the other party.

  As a communication method applied when communicating with a transmission destination, a chat method is selected in principle when the transmission partner is a registered member. On the other hand, when the transmission partner is a non-registered member, a method corresponding to information registered in the memory regarding the non-registered member is selected. Details will be described later. By taking such an aspect, even if the other party is a non-registered member, the user can chat without being aware of it.

  When using the chat service, the user terminal first accesses the server 10 to download and install the application. Next, in accordance with a request from the server 10, the contact information registered in the terminal is uploaded. Thereafter, when using the chat service, the application is started, the destination is specified, and a message to the destination is created and transmitted. Note that, as described above, the user of the user terminal is not asked whether or not the destination user is a non-registered user when using the chat system 100.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the server 10 in the chat system 100 of FIG. The server 10 includes a server reception unit 12, a chat control unit 14, a server transmission unit 16, and a server memory 20.

  The server reception unit 12 receives a signal from the user terminal, performs a predetermined demodulation process, and sends the demodulated signal to the chat control unit 14. The server transmission unit 16 transmits a predetermined message to the transmission partner using the communication method selected by the chat control unit 14. Conventional modulation / demodulation techniques may be used for the modulation / demodulation processing in the server reception unit 12 and the server transmission unit 16, and those skilled in the art can apply the present invention even in such a mode. Is understood.

  The chat control unit 14 receives a signal from the server reception unit 12, performs processing according to the content, accesses the server memory 20, and instructs the server transmission unit 16 to perform transmission. The signal received from the server reception unit 12 is a signal from the user terminal. For example, a download request for an application for using a chat service (hereinafter referred to as a chat application), information uploaded from the user terminal, a transmission destination, and Message to the destination.

  The chat control unit 14 reads out a chat application for the user to download to the server memory 20, imports contact information transmitted from the user terminal, and accesses information for determining a communication method. Do. The chat control unit 14 causes the user terminal to download the application in accordance with a request from the user. After downloading to the user terminal, the chat control unit 14 makes an inquiry to the user terminal as to whether or not the server 10 should import the contact information stored in the user terminal. If the import permission is given, contact information is sent from the user terminal, so the chat control unit 14 writes the information in the server memory 20.

In addition, when determining the communication method to the transmission destination, the chat control unit 14 indicates the priority of the communication method to be applied from one or more communication methods registered in the server memory 20 with respect to the transmission destination. One communication method is selected according to the information. The “information indicating the priority order of communication methods to be applied” and the details of selection will be described later.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the chat control unit 14 in the server 10 of FIG. Chat control unit 14 includes a registration control unit 22, a selection unit 24, and a conversion unit 26. The registration control unit 22 performs processing for registering the contact information acquired from the user terminal in the server memory 20. In response to a chat request from the user terminal, the selection unit 24 accesses the server memory 20 to acquire transmission destination information, determines a communication method for the transmission destination, and notifies the conversion unit 26 of the communication method. The conversion unit 26 converts the message to the transmission destination received from the user terminal into the format of the communication method transmitted from the conversion unit 26. The conversion by the conversion unit 26 may be performed by a known method. Hereinafter, it demonstrates in order.

  The registration control unit 22 registers the contact information in the server memory 20 when the chat application is installed in the user terminal and the contact information in the user terminal is uploaded. At that time, the registration control unit 22 first assigns an ID to the user terminal that is the subject of the upload.

  Furthermore, the registration control unit 22 collates the uploaded contact information with the contact information of the registered member. The contact information of registered members is contact information of members who are already registered in the chat service. Further, the registration control unit 22 may collate the uploaded contact information with the registered contact information. The registered contact information is contact information including contact information of non-registered members that have been imported by other registered users and stored in the server memory 20.

  The contact information includes name, reading, phone number, mobile phone number, e-mail address, SNS (Social Networking Service) information, member information, and the like. There may be a plurality of telephone numbers, mobile phone numbers, e-mail addresses, or SNS information. The SNS information includes one or more pieces of information necessary for identifying a user in an SNS such as facebook, twitter, mixi, and Linkedin (all four are registered trademarks) and for contacting the user. The member information is information indicating whether or not an application for using the chat system is installed, and serves as a flag for determining whether the member is a registered member or a non-registered member.

  If there is a common part in the two contact information as a result of the collation, the registration control unit 22 integrates and stores the two contact information. For example, if there are two pieces of contact information as shown below, the name and the mobile phone number are the same in both pieces of contact information. Therefore, it can be estimated that both contact information is for the same person.

Contact information uploaded Name A
Mobile phone number 090-XXX-YYYY
Email address b@ppp.co.jp
Registered contact information Name A
Mobile phone number 090-XXX-YYYY
Phone number 03-mmmm-nnnn
Email address a@qqq.ne.jp

  Therefore, the registration control unit 22 integrates the two pieces of contact information and stores them in the server memory 20 as one piece of contact information as described below.

Contact information after integration Name A
Mobile phone number 090-XXX-YYYY
Phone number 03-mmmm-nnnn
Email address a@qqq.ne.jp
Email address b@ppp.co.jp

  Note that if the two pieces of contact information completely match, the registration control unit 22 may not perform the integration process. This is because there is no information to be interpolated. Further, when integrating, the number of common parts may be used as a condition for whether or not to integrate, may be set as a condition that one or more pieces of predetermined information match, or a combination thereof. . This is because as the number increases, the probability that the same person is concerned increases. In addition, by making one or more pieces of predetermined information, such as name and mobile phone number, contact information that remains unchanged or difficult to change can be used as a judgment criterion, so that the probability of being related to the same person is further increased. Can do. It should be noted that the viewpoint of processing speed and processing load and increasing the probability are in a trade-off relationship, but in view of these, it can be said that the number is preferably 2 to 3, and the predetermined information is: A combination of name and mobile phone number and / or phone number may be preferred.

  Next, the selection unit 24 will be described. The selection unit 24 selects one communication method from one or more communication methods registered in the server memory 20 with respect to the received transmission destination user according to information indicating the priority order of the communication method to be applied. . However, the operation of the selector 24 differs depending on whether the message received from the server receiver 12 is in the chat format or not. This is because the message is a message from a registered user in the chat format, and a message from a non-registered user in a format other than the chat format.

  Here, first, a case where the message received from the server reception unit 12 is in a chat format will be described using an example. In this example, it is assumed that contact information of the following users A, B, and C is stored in the server memory 20.

User A
Name E-mail address Registered member User B
Name E-mail address SNS information Non-registered member User C
Name E-mail address 1
Email address 2
Unregistered member

  Further, it is assumed that information indicating the priority order of communication methods to be applied (hereinafter referred to as priority information) is set as follows. The priority information is, for example, the following information. Priority 1 indicates that the priority is the highest, and the higher the number, the lower the priority.

Priority 1 Chat format Priority 2 Email format Priority 3 SNS format

  This priority information may be set for each registered user. Moreover, a registered user may set arbitrarily. Further, the chat format may always be set to have a priority of 1, and in this case, the user may arbitrarily set a format having a priority of 2 or later.

  A case where the user A is the transmission destination in the above case will be described. First, the selection unit 24 acquires member information from the contact information stored for the transmission destination. Here, it becomes clear from the member information that the user of the transmission destination is a registered member, and in this case, the chat format is selected.

  Here, the selection unit 24 instructs the conversion unit 26 to convert the received message into a chat format. If the member is a registered member, the selection unit 24 may select the chat format without accessing the priority information.

  Next, a case where user B is the transmission destination will be described. Unlike user A described above, user B is a non-registered member. In such a case, the selection unit 24 refers to priority 2 in the priority information. Here, since priority 2 is in the e-mail format, the selection unit 24 checks whether or not the e-mail address exists as the contact information of the user B.

  In the above example, since the email address of user B exists, the selection unit 24 selects the email format as the communication method. If the email address of user B is not registered, it is determined whether or not it is registered for the next priority 3 SNS format. In this case, the SNS information is registered as the registration information of user B. Therefore, the selection unit 24 selects the SNS format.

  Next, a case where user C is a transmission destination will be described. According to the registration information of the user C, since the user C is a non-registered member, the selection unit 24 includes an email address in the registration information of the user C in order to determine whether or not the priority 2 email format can be selected. Check whether or not exists. Here, there are two e-mail addresses as the registration information of the user C. In such a case, the selection unit 24 preferentially selects an e-mail address addressed to the mobile phone.

  If two or more mobile phone addressed e-mail addresses are registered, an e-mail address registered at a later time may be selected. This is because an e-mail address registered at a later time may be the latest information registered more recently, and can cause the message to reach the user C more reliably.

  Further, although the e-mail format is set to priority 2 as priority information, priority may be set according to the destination as in priority example 2 below.

<Example 2 of priority information>
Priority 1 Chat format Priority 2 E-mail address destined for other than mobile phone Priority 3 E-mail address destined for mobile phone

  Also, as in the priority information example 3 below, a general-purpose email address can be set regardless of whether it is a mobile phone or other destination, such as gmail.com or a free address. Good. By setting the priority information in this way, the transmission destination can be selected more flexibly, and the message can reach the transmission destination more reliably.

<Example 3 of priority information>
Priority 1 Chat type Priority 2 General-purpose email address Priority 3 Email address addressed to mobile phone Priority 4 Email address destined for other than mobile phone

  When the transmission destination is a non-registered user, the conversion unit 26 adds URL information to the message received from the server reception unit 12. URL information is information related to a link to a Web page that prompts an unregistered user to invite to a chat system. A non-registered user can access the server 10 by clicking this information, and can download a chat application for performing chat from there. Next, the conversion unit 26 converts the message to be transmitted into the format of the communication method designated by the selection unit 24 and sends the message to the server transmission unit 16.

  Next, a case where the message received from the server receiving unit 12 is in a format other than the chat format will be described. The message in this case is a message from a non-registered user to a registered user. Therefore, in the server memory 20, the registration information of the destination user is a registered user. Here, the chat format is priority 1 of the priority information for the registered member. Therefore, as described above, the selection unit 24 selects a chat format as a communication method for a message addressed to a registered user.

  Next, the conversion unit 26 converts the message received from the unregistered member into a chat format. The converted message is transmitted to the user terminal 50 that is the destination via the server transmission unit 16. In the user terminal 50, the transmitted message is displayed on the chat interface screen on the display of the terminal. In the chat system 100, the communication system is appropriately converted from the contact information and the priority information recorded in the server 10 according to the above-described manner, so that the registered users and non-registered members can communicate with each other. Smooth chat can be realized without extra operations.

  Next, the configuration on the user terminal side will be described. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the mobile terminal 50 or the PC terminal 70 of FIG. Here, for convenience of explanation, the configuration of the mobile terminal 50 will be described, but the PC terminal 70 has the same configuration.

  The mobile terminal 50 includes a terminal reception unit 52, a terminal control unit 54, a terminal transmission unit 56, a user interface 58, and a terminal memory 60. The terminal reception unit 52 receives a chat application downloaded from the server 10, a message from another user transmitted from the server 10, and the like.

  The terminal control unit 54 receives an instruction from the user and accesses the terminal memory 60 while controlling installation of a chat application, uploading of contact information registered in the terminal memory 60, or transmission for chatting. Select destinations, manage messages to destinations, etc.

  In addition, the user interface 58 displays a message to the user on the screen, receives an instruction from the user that is input as a result of operating a keyboard, a touch panel, and the like, and transmits the instruction to the terminal control unit 54. The message to the user is, for example, an inquiry as to whether or not the contact information stored in the memory 60 may be imported into the server 10, designation of a destination for chatting, Message editing screen. These messages may be displayed on a predetermined chat interface screen.

  Hereinafter, an overall operation of the mobile terminal 50 will be described as an example of a scene where the user A starts using the chat service.

  It is assumed that the user A has installed a chat application on the mobile terminal 50 of the user A. At that time, the terminal control unit 54 causes a pop-up message such as “Do you want to import the address book?” To be displayed on the user interface 58, and when the user presses the Yes button, the terminal memory 60 displays the pop-up message. The stored contact information is imported into the server memory 20 of the server 10.

  Note that contact information stored in the terminal memory 60 of the user A may be automatically imported into the server 10 without displaying a pop-up display or the like when installing the chat application. Further, the import process may be performed periodically, or the import process may be performed when new contact information is added to the terminal memory 60.

  Next, when the server 10 collates the telephone number or e-mail address included in the contact information with the contact information of the registered member stored in the server 10, and there is a matching registered member, The contact information of the registered member and the imported address information are combined.

  In this way, if the chat application is installed, contact information regarding the user's acquaintance registered in the terminal memory 60 of the mobile terminal 50 is automatically registered as a chat partner. Therefore, the user can start using the chat service without feeling stressed.

  Next, an example of a scene in which user A exchanges messages with user B via chat will be described.

  When the user A activates the chat application, the user interface 58 displays transmission destination candidates. User A selects, for example, user B as a message transmission partner from the displayed candidates. The selected transmission destination is notified to the server 10 via the terminal control unit 54 and the terminal transmission unit 56.

  Next, the server 10 determines a message communication method (chat, mail, SNS) based on the contact information and priority information of the user B. As described above, the priority information is information indicating the priority order of which communication method is used to transmit a message. For example, when the priority information is in the order of chat> SNS message> email address> SMS and user B is a registered member of the chat service, the communication method is chat. If user B is a non-registered member and knows only the e-mail address and telephone number, a communication format based on the e-mail format having a higher priority is selected.

  When the user A enters a message to the user B in the message field of the chat interface screen displayed on the screen by the user interface 58 and presses the send button, the fact is that the terminal control unit 54, the terminal transmission unit 56, and further A message is transmitted to the user B via the server 10. When the email method is selected as the communication method to the user B, the server 10 converts the chat message of the user A into an email format, and the email is sent to the email address of the user B imported from the terminal memory 60 as a destination. Sent from the server 10.

  When user B who is a non-registered user receives an email message from user A and replies to the message in email format, server 10 first sends the email from user B in a chat format. The message is converted into a message, transmitted to the mobile terminal 50 of the user A, and displayed on the chat interface on the display of the terminal.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a first processing procedure of the chat control unit 14 of FIG. The first processing procedure is started when an application is downloaded to the user terminal.

  First, the chat control unit 14 issues an import request to the user terminal via the server transmission unit 16 (S10). The import request is for inquiring whether the contact information stored in the memory in the user terminal may be uploaded to the server 10 and stored in the server memory 20 in the server 10.

  Here, when the server reception unit 12 receives a signal indicating that import is not permitted from the user terminal (No in S12), the chat control unit 14 ends this process. On the other hand, when a signal indicating permission of import is received from the user terminal (Yes in S12), the contact information transmitted next is acquired via the server reception unit 12.

  If there is common information as a result of collating the acquired contact information with the contact information already registered in the server memory 20 (Yes in S14), the registration control unit 22 stores the information in the server memory 20. The contact information that has been made and the acquired contact information are integrated (S16). On the other hand, when there is no common information (No in S14), the registration control unit 22 registers the acquired contact information as it is in the server memory 20 (S18). At that time, an ID or the like for specifying contact information may be attached.

  Here, when all contact information to be imported has been imported (Yes in S20), the chat control unit 14 ends this process. On the other hand, when there is other contact information (No in S20), the chat control unit 14 returns to the process of S14 and repeats the processes of S14 to S20 until there is no contact information to be imported.

  FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a second processing procedure of the chat control unit 14 of FIG. The second processing procedure is started when the user terminal starts chatting.

  The chat control unit 14 acquires a transmission destination designated by the user and a message to be transmitted to the transmission destination via the server reception unit 12 (S30). Next, the chat control unit 14 determines, based on the priority information indicating the priority order of the communication method to be applied, from one or more communication methods among the contact information registered in the server memory 20 regarding the transmission destination. One communication method is selected (S32).

  Here, when the transmission destination is an unregistered user (Yes in S34), the chat control unit 14 adds URL information for prompting the unregistered user to participate in the chat system to the message to be transmitted (S36). . If the user is a registered user (No in S34), the process proceeds to S38.

  The chat control unit 14 performs a process of converting the message to be transmitted into the communication method selected in S32 (S38). Next, the chat control unit 14 causes the server transmission unit 16 to transmit the converted message to the transmission destination designated by the user (S40).

  According to the above aspect, by selecting one communication method according to the information indicating the priority of the communication method to be applied from one or more communication methods registered in the memory with respect to the received transmission destination, Since the communication method is automatically set, the burden on the user when sending a message can be reduced.

  In addition, if the contact information acquired and the registered contact information are collated, and information that is common to the two contact information is included, the acquired contact information is combined with the registered contact information. By doing so, it is possible to reduce the burden on the user when starting to use the service.

  Next, Example 2 will be described. First, an overview. In the second embodiment, in addition to the aspect of the first embodiment, a message arbitrarily selected by the user among the messages displayed on the chat interface can be stored in the server 10. At that time, the server 10 can accept selections by a plurality of users. For example, a flag such as a pin mark may be attached to the selected message and displayed on the screen as a pin board as illustrated later. The chat participant can confirm the selected message by this pin board.

  Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the pinboard can be converted into a web page and uploaded to the web. This makes it possible to share the selected message widely. In addition, when it is desired to limit who can access the web page, a password may be assigned to the web page. By taking the above aspects, the second embodiment is particularly useful for business chat meetings, event scheduling, and the like. Hereinafter, it explains in detail using a drawing. In addition, when taking the structure similar to Example 1, the same number is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the chat control unit 72 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The chat control unit 72 includes a message management unit 62 and a web update unit 64. The registration control unit 22, the selection unit 24, and the conversion unit 26 included in the chat control unit 14 in FIG. 3 are not shown.

  First, the user selects one or more messages displayed on the chat interface on the display of the user terminal 50, and the selected message is displayed with a flag indicating that the message has been selected. , Send information to identify the selected message. The information for specifying the selected message (hereinafter referred to as selected message specifying information) may be an identification number for specifying the message, or a flag associated with the identification number.

  The message management unit 62 of the server 10 acquires the selected message specifying information via the server receiving unit 12, and manages the selected message specifying information in the server memory 20 in order to manage the message as selected by the user. The user ID is associated and stored. The message management unit 62 may store the message itself in the server memory 20.

  Here, when the user makes a request for collectively displaying messages selected in the past by the user via the chat interface, the user terminal 50 makes a request for instructing the server 10 to display the message. . When the message management unit 62 of the server 10 receives an instruction from the user regarding the display request, the message management unit 62 accesses the server memory 20 to acquire the selected message specifying information, and sends the corresponding message to the Web update unit 64. Notice. The Web update unit 64 performs a process for displaying the message specified by the selected message specifying information on the Web page.

  The Web update unit 64 may request a password from the user when the user browses the selected message. Thereby, security can be improved. Thereby, even if it is a user other than the user who performed selection, if the user knows the password, the selected message can be browsed, so that the message can be shared by a plurality of users.

  In addition to the message specified by the message specifying information, the message management unit 62 may also manage message specifying information associated with the message. In this case, the message management unit 62 stores information indicating how many messages should be managed among the selected message specifying information acquired from the user terminal 50 and the message following the message related to the selected message specifying information. To remember. This information is notified by the user terminal 50. By taking such an aspect, it is possible to manage and display a specific topic as a single thread.

  FIG. 8 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure related to message management by the user terminal and the server 10 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

  First, the user terminal selects a message according to an instruction from the user (S50, S56). Next, the user terminal notifies the server 10 of selected message specifying information related to the selected message (S52, S58). The server 10 manages the message selected in the server memory 20 according to the selected message specifying information notified from the user terminal (S54, S60). Although FIG. 8 shows an example in which two messages are selected, the present invention is not limited to this, and the message may be selected only once or may be selected three or more times.

  Here, when the user terminal receives a display request from the user (S62), the user terminal notifies the server 10 of an instruction for displaying a message selected in the past (S64). In response to an instruction from the user terminal, the server 10 performs a web update process for displaying a message managed in the server memory 20 on the web page (S66). Finally, the user terminal accesses the server 10 and displays a web page for browsing the message on the display (S68).

  Next, Example 3 will be described. First, an overview. In the third embodiment, scheduling management of events and the like can be performed on the chat interface. The user creates an event in the chat system, and makes the chat partner answer on the chat whether or not the event has participated. In addition, answers obtained from the chat partner are automatically tabulated, and the user can list the tabulated results.

  Further, not only whether or not the event can be participated, but also some of the date and place candidates for the event holding may be listed and the chat partner may be made to answer for each candidate. For unregistered members of the chat service, the URL of the Web page for selecting whether or not to participate in the event and the desired date is described in the mail text. Alternatively, separate URLs may be pasted for participation and non-participation in the mail text, and participation and reply may be answered by pressing the participation URL, and non-participation may be answered by pressing the non-participation URL.

The scheduling management of this event or the like may have the following functions.
(1) The user who hosts the event can adjust the event schedule with friends and family. The organizer can make a list of the total results by answering the presence / absence of participation, desired date / time, and desired location.
(2) Can vote and tabulate the date and time of the event. There may be a plurality of date / time candidates. The same applies to the location. It may be an option for each venue where the event is held.
(3) The respondent can answer from a plurality of options such as “◯”, “△”, and “×” for each schedule.
(4) Events such as “recruitment of people who are free” can be held without specifying the date and time.
(5) A remind message can be sent to a user who has not answered by a predetermined date. In addition, a message can be sent to the participant, for example, 24 hours before the event.
(6) In addition to being able to be implemented in the chat interface, it can also be implemented in the same manner on a Web browser, and both are synchronized. Therefore, even a non-registered user of the application can easily use this function.

  In order to realize the above functions, the server that manages the chat system creates event information by combining one or more candidate dates and times and one or more candidate locations in accordance with user instructions. Inquires whether or not to participate in the event related to the event information. When inquiring whether or not to participate in an event to a non-registered user or the like, if a communication method other than chat is selected, URL information for accepting an answer from the user may be included in the message to be transmitted. Good.

  Hereinafter, it explains in detail using a drawing. In addition, when taking the structure similar to Example 1, 2, the same number is attached | subjected and description is abbreviate | omitted.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of the chat control unit 74 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. Chat control unit 74 includes an event management unit 80. The registration control unit 22, the selection unit 24, and the conversion unit 26 included in the chat control unit 14 in FIG. 3 are not shown.

  The event management unit 80 accesses the server memory 20 according to an instruction regarding an event from a user received via the server reception unit 12 and manages information regarding the event. The instruction regarding the event includes input of information regarding the event from the user, information regarding the user who wants to promote event participation, and the like.

  Further, the event management unit 80 displays a predetermined screen on the chat interface screen of the display of the user terminal in accordance with an instruction related to the event from the user. Hereinafter, an example will be described.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a transition example of the chat interface screen according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The chat interface screen includes a global menu screen G0, an event home screen G1, a member selection screen G2, an event creation screen G3, a chat screen G4, an event details screen G5, and an event answer confirmation screen G6.

  In the chat interface screens from G0 to G6, the event information managed in the server memory 20 in the server 10 is updated according to the instruction received from the user, and as shown in FIG. Transition to the screen.

  When the user starts chatting, first, a global menu screen G0 that is an initial screen of the chat system 100 is displayed on the user terminal. If the user requests processing related to an event, the event home screen G1 is displayed. From this event home screen G1, the user creates and manages events.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a display example of the event screen G1 in FIG. The event screen G1 is a screen that is transitioned from the global menu screen G0 and manages the events in an integrated manner, and the user can check the events that are in progress and participated in the past on this screen. As shown in the drawing, a new event creation button G10 and an event column G12 are displayed on the event screen G1. In the event column G12, an event image G14, an event participant image G16, and the like are displayed.

  The user can create an event by tapping the new event creation button G10 when creating a new event. When creating an event, the screen transits to the member selection screen G2, and a screen for allowing the user to select a member inquiring about event participation is displayed.

  In the event column G12, an event title, date and time, place, participant list, and the like are displayed. When the user taps an individual event column, the event details screen G5 is displayed. Newly created events are displayed at the top of the event column G12, and past events are displayed at the bottom. When the event ends or when the event itself is deleted, it is deleted from the event column G12. Note that the event displayed in the lower part may be subjected to a different display process compared to a new event, such as being displayed with a light color tone.

  In the event image G14, an image indicating an event designated in event creation is displayed. If not specified, an arbitrary image may be displayed. In the event participant image G16, an image designated by a user who has already answered that the event has been participated is displayed.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a display example of the event creation screen G3 of FIG. The event creation screen G3 includes a participation inquiry member image G30, a member edit button G31, an event description field G32, a candidate addition button 33, an answer candidate button G34, a schedule candidate field G35, a time candidate field G36, A free input button G37, a map display button G38, and a search button G39 are displayed.

  In the participation inquiry member image G30, an image relating to a member inquiring about participation is displayed. The member edit button G31 transitions to the member selection screen G2 when the user taps it. The event explanation column G32 is a column for entering the title of the event and the explanation of the event. Note that the title must be entered. The candidate addition button 33 is a button that the user taps when it is desired to increase candidates for the schedule, time, or place. When the user taps, candidates are additionally displayed as shown in the figure.

  The answer candidate button G34 is a button that is tapped by a member who has been inquired to participate, and is a button for selecting from the choices whether or not to participate in an event held on the displayed schedule, time, and place. It is. Here, three choices are assumed, such as ◯, Δ, and X, but are not limited thereto.

  The schedule candidate column G35 and the time candidate column G36 are columns for entering the date and time for holding the event. As described above, when there are a plurality of candidates by the candidate addition button 33, the entry is made for each candidate.

  The free input button G37 is a button that the user taps when entering a comment regarding the place. The map display button G38 is a button for setting information indicating the place for an event creator, and a button for displaying location information for a user who is inquired about event participation. Become. The location information may be an address or a telephone number, map information, or a combination thereof. The search button G39 is a button for making a transition to a screen for allowing a user who has been inquired to participate in an event to search for information on a location or the like using a predetermined search tool.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a first display example of the chat screen G4 of FIG. This chat screen G4 is a screen displayed on the chat interface of the user who is inquired to participate in the created event. The chat screen G4 displays a single response mode field G40, an option mode field G41, an event description field G42, an option button G43, and an answer button G44.

  The single response mode column G40 is a screen displayed when only one event date / time and place are set in the created event. In the event description column G42, an event name, date and time, place, and a choice button G43 are displayed. When the user inquired to participate taps the event name, the event details screen G5 is displayed. As shown in the figure, each of the answer button G44 is displayed with ◯, Δ, and x, and the user who is inquired about participation in the event can tap any one to express his / her intention to participate in the event.

  Unlike the single response mode field G40, the option mode field 41 is a screen displayed when a plurality of dates and times are set for one created event. In the option mode, when the user taps the answer button G44, the event details screen G5 is transitioned to, and the user displays an intention to participate in each option from the event details screen G5.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a display example of the event detail screen G5 of FIG. On the event detail screen G5, a scheduled participation user image G50, an unanswered user image G51, a list display button G52, an answer button G53, a store image G54, a store link G55, and a comment column G56 are displayed. .

  In the planned participation user image G50, an image designated by a user who has already announced participation is displayed. In the case of the three-choice answer format, only the users who responded with ◯ may be displayed, the users who have responded with ◯ or △ may be displayed together, and the colors may be changed between ○ and △. The display mode may be changed and displayed.

  In the unanswered user image G51, an image designated by an unanswered user is displayed. You may display in a different display mode compared with the participation planned user image G50. FIG. 14 shows an example in which the image is displayed in a slightly white color tone.

  The list display button G52 is a button for making a transition to the friend list screen. In the answer button G53, when the user taps, an answer option is displayed, and when one of the answer buttons is selected, an answer is displayed. As shown in the drawing, when there are a plurality of dates and places, a plurality of answer buttons G53 are displayed.

  The store image G54 displays an image designated in advance by the store where the event is held. In the store link G55, when the user taps, a web page showing the store information is displayed. The comment column G56 is a column for the user who made a reply to participate in the event to write a comment.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating a second display example of the chat screen G4 of FIG. The second display example is an example of a screen displayed when one of the users answers an event participation inquiry in the first display example of FIG. 13 or the event detail screen G5 of FIG. In the second display example, a single response mode display column G60 and an option mode column G61 are displayed according to the event for which there was a response. In each field, a participation user image G62 designated by the user who has announced participation and a transition button G63 to the event details screen G5 are displayed.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a display example of the event response confirmation screen G6 of FIG. The event answer confirmation screen G6 is a screen that can be confirmed by a user who is associated with the event organizer who created the event, and is a screen on which the response status at that time is displayed.

  On the event response confirmation screen G6, a participation user image G64, a transition button G65 to the event creation screen G3, and an event option column G66 are displayed. In the event option column G66, event candidate locations and dates and times are displayed in the column direction according to the number of event candidates. In the row direction, for each candidate, a totaling column G68 in which the number of people who answered “O”, “Δ”, and “X” is displayed, and an answering column G69 in which answers for each respondent are displayed.

  The event organizer visually recognizes whether or not the event can be participated, determines which candidate is to be adopted, and taps the event confirmation button G67 displayed in the candidate column for adoption. When the event confirmation button G67 is tapped, a message to that effect is notified to the user who has responded that the event has been confirmed. If the message is a registered user, the message is displayed on the chat interface. If it is a non-registered user, it is notified by the converted communication method. Alternatively, the URL for notifying the determined event is notified. In addition, it may be notified to a user who answered that participation is unknown or that participation is impossible. In that case, the event organizer can notify the comment together, and the comment may be selected from some preset sentences.

  In the above, this invention was demonstrated based on the Example. The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and the contents of each embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the gist of the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that the above-described embodiments are exemplifications, and that various modifications can be made to combinations of the respective constituent elements and processing processes, and such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. .

It is a figure which shows the chat system concerning Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the server in the chat system of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the chat control part in the server of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example in the mobile terminal or PC terminal of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the 1st process sequence of the chat control part of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the 2nd process sequence of the chat control part of FIG. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the chat control part concerning Example 2. FIG. FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a processing procedure regarding message management by a user terminal and a server according to the second embodiment. It is a figure which shows the structural example of the chat control part concerning Example 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a transition of the chat interface screen concerning Example 3. FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the event screen G1 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the event creation screen G3 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 1st display example of chat screen G4 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the event detail screen G5 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the 2nd example of a display of chat screen G4 of FIG. It is a figure which shows the example of a display of the event reply confirmation screen G6 of FIG.

10 server, 12 server reception unit, 14 chat control unit, 16 server transmission unit, 20 server memory, 22 registration control unit, 24 selection unit, 26 conversion unit, 30 network, 40 base station, 40a first base station, 40b first 2 base station, 40c 3rd base station, 50 mobile terminal, 50a 1st mobile terminal, 50b 2nd mobile terminal, 50c 3rd mobile terminal, 52 terminal receiving part, 54 terminal control part, 56 terminal transmitting part, 58 user interface , 60 terminal memory, 62 message management unit, 64 web update unit, 70 PC terminal, 72 chat control unit, 74 chat control unit, 80 event management unit, 100 chat system

Claims (7)

A method used in a service for sending and receiving messages using an information processing terminal,
Receiving a destination and a message to be sent to the destination;
Determining whether or not the destination user is a registered member of the chat system using member information about the accepted destination user;
Selecting one communication method from one or more communication methods registered in the memory with respect to the accepted transmission destination according to information indicating the priority of the communication method to be applied;
Sending a message to a destination according to the selected communication method;
Only including,
The information indicating the priority order of communication methods to be applied indicates that if the destination user is a registered member, the chat format is selected, and if the user is a non-registered member, a communication method other than the chat format is selected. communication method according to claim <br/> that it is. Obtaining one or more contact information stored in the information processing terminal;
Collating the acquired contact information with the registered contact information;
As a result of collation, when information common to the two contact information is included, a step of combining the acquired contact information with the registered contact information;
The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: When receiving a message using a communication method other than chat, converting the message into a chat message;
Displaying the converted message on the chat interface;
The communication method according to claim 1, further comprising: Allowing the user to select one or more messages displayed in the chat interface;
Flagging the selected message and managing it as a message selected by the user;
Extracting one or more messages selected by the user in the past based on a flag, triggered by an instruction from the user;
Exporting the extracted message to a web page and allowing a predetermined user to view it,
4. The communication method according to claim 1, comprising: Creating event information in which one or more candidate dates and times and one or more candidate locations are combined one by one;
Inquiring whether or not to participate in the event related to the created event information,
Including
In the step of selecting whether or not to participate in an event, if the communication method other than chat is selected, the selecting step includes URL information for accepting an answer regarding whether or not to participate from a user in a message to be transmitted. The communication method according to any one of claims 1 to 4. A program used for a service for sending and receiving messages using an information processing terminal,
Receiving a destination and a message to be sent to the destination;
Determining whether or not the destination user is a registered member of the chat system using member information about the accepted destination user;
Selecting one communication method from one or more communication methods registered in the memory with respect to the accepted transmission destination according to information indicating the priority of the communication method to be applied;
Sending a message to a destination according to the selected communication method;
Processing including cause the computer to execute,
The information indicating the priority order of communication methods to be applied indicates that if the destination user is a registered member, the chat format is selected, and if the user is a non-registered member, a communication method other than the chat format is selected. A program characterized by being <br/>. A communication device used for a service for sending and receiving messages using an information processing terminal,
A reception unit that receives a transmission destination and a message to be transmitted to the transmission destination;
Using the member information about the accepted destination user, it is determined whether the destination user is a registered member of the chat system, and from one or more communication methods registered in the memory regarding the accepted destination. A selection unit for selecting one communication method according to the information indicating the priority of the communication method to be applied;
A transmission unit that transmits a message to a transmission destination according to the selected communication method;
Equipped with a,
The information indicating the priority order of communication methods to be applied indicates that if the destination user is a registered member, the chat format is selected, and if the user is a non-registered member, a communication method other than the chat format is selected. A communication apparatus characterized by being provided .

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