JP7485151B2 - Terminal device, program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to processing technology, and in particular to a terminal device and a program that improve operational efficiency.

There is a technology that creates information (improvement proposals) for improving work efficiency based on the operation history of multiple users. For example, the job history of multiple users with the same role (e.g., helpdesk) is analyzed, the user who uses the least frequently used function is identified, and an improvement proposal is proposed for this user to use the function used most frequently by users with the same role. Also, the job history of multiple users in the same industry (e.g., banking) is analyzed, the user who uses the least frequently used function is identified, and an improvement proposal is proposed for this user to use the function used most frequently by users in the same industry (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2015-181008 A

In Patent Document 1, processing is performed under the implicit assumption that using a function that is used by many users will increase work efficiency, and the operation efficiency (work efficiency) of each user is not quantitatively evaluated.
For example, efficient operations may be known only by a limited number of users, and the remaining majority of users may not use efficient methods. For this reason, it has not been possible to create information for improving operational efficiency with sufficient accuracy.

The present invention was made in light of these circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a technology that improves the accuracy of information to improve operational efficiency.

In order to solve the above problem, a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a storage unit that stores a first identifier for identifying the terminal device or a user using the terminal device, setting information set by the user, and an operation history when the user uses the setting information to create a product; a transmission unit that transmits the first identifier, the setting information, and the operation history; a reception unit that receives from the information processing device a second identifier that identifies a user or a terminal device used by the user that is determined to have relatively high operation efficiency in an information processing device that determines the level of operation efficiency based on the operation history received from a plurality of terminal devices, and recommended information based on the setting information set by the user; and a control unit that displays the recommended information on a display device when the first identifier and the second identifier are different, and displays a message on the display device indicating that the user of the terminal device has good operation efficiency when the first identifier and the second identifier are the same.

In addition, any combination of the above components, and any transformation of the present invention into a method, device, system, recording medium, computer program, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention.

The present invention makes it possible to improve the accuracy of information to improve operational efficiency.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a processing system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a processing device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of a dictionary DB. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the processing device. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a data structure of an operation history DB. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another data structure of the operation history DB. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing examples of words and phrases used in a dictionary DB and a created file. 13 is a flowchart showing a provision information creating process performed by the processing device. 11A and 11B are diagrams showing an example of an application screen and user operations shown on a time axis. 12(a) to (c) are diagrams showing examples of omissions from operation time. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of calculation of operational efficiency. 10 is a flowchart showing an information providing process in the terminal device. FIG. 15(a) shows a screen that provides efficient dictionary registration contents to a user with poor operational efficiency, and FIG. 15(b) shows a screen that provides a user with the best operational efficiency with a message that the contents of his/her dictionary registration were good. 16(a) and (b) are diagrams showing screens that provide efficient dictionary registration contents to a user with poor operational efficiency. 17(a) and (b) show other screens that provide efficient dictionary registration contents to a user with poor operational efficiency. 18(a)-(c) show further screens for providing efficient dictionary registration contents to a user with poor operational efficiency. 13 is a flowchart showing a provision information creating process performed by a processing device according to a second embodiment; 20A to 20C are diagrams showing periods for each user, separated by the timing of dictionary registration. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a shortcut according to a third embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a terminal device according to a fourth embodiment.

Example 1
Before describing the present invention in detail, an overview will be given. An embodiment of the present invention relates to a processing system in which a processing device and multiple terminal devices are connected via a network. The processing device collects setting information (registered dictionaries, shortcuts, macros, etc.) of multiple users who use a specific program, and collects information on deliverables (files) created by the users. The processing device also calculates an index indicating operation efficiency, which is the "efficiency" of file creation operations, for each user, identifies users with better operation efficiency than a target user, and notifies the target user of the identified user's setting information (recommended setting information).

Figure 1 shows the configuration of a processing system 1000. The processing system 1000 includes a first terminal device 100a, a second terminal device 100b, and a third terminal device 100c, which are collectively referred to as terminal devices 100, a network 300, and a processing device 400. The processing device 400 is also called an information processing device 400. The number of terminal devices 100 included in the processing system 1000 is not limited to "3". The first terminal device 100a is used by the first user 200a, the second terminal device 100b is used by the second user 200b, and the third terminal device 100c is used by the third user 200c. The first user 200a, the second user 200b, and the third user 200c are collectively referred to as users 200. Note that one terminal device 100 may be used by multiple users 200. In that case, it is desirable to perform a login process using different user accounts and identify the user 200 who uses the terminal device 100.

In each terminal device 100, the same program (application in this embodiment) is running due to operations by the user 200, and the terminal device 100 transmits operation data (operation history) of the user 200 to the processing device 400 via the network 300. The network 300 is, for example, the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network), and may be wired or wireless. The processing device 400 stores the operation data of multiple users 200 and executes the processing described below.

Figure 2 shows the configuration of the terminal device 100. The terminal device 100 includes an operation unit 110, a memory area 120, a program storage unit 130, a dictionary 140, an operation recording unit 150, a control unit 160, a timer 170, a transmission/reception unit 180, and a display unit 190. The terminal device 100 in this embodiment is a device such as a personal computer, a tablet terminal, a smartphone, or a smartwatch, and is a device into which a user 200 can input characters.

The operation unit 110 is an interface that accepts operations from the user 200 and is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, etc. The memory area 120 is composed of a semiconductor memory and is a temporary storage unit that is used when executing a program stored in the program storage unit 130. The program storage unit 130 is composed of a non-volatile recording medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores a program used by the user 200. An example of a program is an application. The dictionary 140 is registered by the user 200 and is used, for example, for kana-kanji conversion. When one terminal device 100 is used by multiple users 200, a dictionary 140 is basically created for each user. However, one dictionary 140 may be shared between users. In this case, it is created for each terminal device 100. The dictionary 140 stores words, the reading of the words, and the registration date and time in association with each other. Furthermore, the dictionary 140 may record a user ID for identifying the user 200 or a terminal ID for identifying the terminal device 100. The operation recording unit 150 records a history of operations performed by the user 200. The control unit 160 controls the entire terminal device 100. The timer 170 measures time. The transmission/reception unit 180 communicates with the processing device 400 via the network 300 in FIG. 1. The display unit 190 displays a screen generated by the executed program.

In this embodiment, the program will be described as an application (application program) such as a word processing software or a text editor that has the function of creating document files. This embodiment can also be applied to email software or messaging software, with one email or one message being considered as one file. The program is not limited to these, and may be other types of applications. The program is also not limited to applications, and may be an OS (Operating System) or firmware.

The control unit 160 uses the timer 170 to measure the time when a new file is created, the time when the user 200 inputs an instruction via the operation unit 110, the time when the file is saved, etc., for each function of the application, and records these in the operation recording unit 150. The timer 170 is installed inside the terminal device 100, but it may also receive time from an external source. In addition to operations and times, the information recorded may also be the type, number, and size of files created by the user 200, the amount of results (amount of results), such as the number of characters entered, and the like.

In this embodiment, the program creates a deliverable by using the dictionary 140 set by the user. In this embodiment, the deliverable is a file (data). However, the deliverable is not limited to a file stored in the terminal device 100, but may be data transmitted to a network or the like via the transmission/reception unit 180. Since the dictionary 140 is one of the setting information, it can be said that the program creates a deliverable by using the setting information set by the user. In other words, the deliverable is created using the setting information. In this embodiment, the dictionary 140 is independent of the program that uses the dictionary 140, but may be included in the program. In addition, a dictionary management program for adding, deleting, and changing the registered contents of the dictionary 140 may be used, or a program that uses the dictionary 140 (an application such as a word processing software or a text editor) may have a function for adding, deleting, and changing the dictionary 140. In any case, since the program uses the dictionary 140, the dictionary 140 can be said to be setting information related to the program. In this embodiment, a case will be described in which the program (application) running on the terminal device 100 uses the dictionary 140, but the use of the dictionary 140 is not necessarily limited to the program. For example, the hardware of the terminal device 100 or another device (not shown) may use the dictionary 140 to create deliverables (files, data, etc.).

Each terminal device 100 transmits the operation history operated by each user 200 and recorded in the operation recording unit 150 to the processing device 400 via the network 300. The operation history may be transmitted to the processing device 400 whenever an operation history is added or updated, or may be transmitted at a predetermined cycle, such as once an hour. The transmission/reception unit 180 also transmits setting information used by the program and transmits information on the result created using the program. The setting information is, for example, the registered contents of the dictionary 140, which can be said to be a registered dictionary for character conversion (character input). Character conversion is, for example, "kana-kanji conversion" that converts input "kana" to "kanji". It may also be, for example, a process of converting input alphabets into English words or sentences. The control unit 160 controls the transmission/reception unit 180 to transmit the registered contents of the dictionary 140 to the processing device 400 in association with the user ID or terminal ID at a predetermined timing, for example, when the dictionary 140 is changed.

In terms of hardware, this configuration can be realized by the CPU, memory, and other LSIs of any computer, and in terms of software, it can be realized by programs loaded into memory, but here we depict the functional blocks realized by the cooperation of these. Therefore, those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various forms by hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both. For example, when implementing this embodiment using software, it can be implemented as a program separate from the application operated by the user, or it can be implemented integrally as part of the application's functions.

Figure 3 shows the configuration of the processing device 400. The processing device 400 includes a transmission/reception unit 410, an operation history DB 420, a dictionary DB 430, an acquisition unit 440, an efficiency determination unit 450, and a control unit 460. The transmission/reception unit 410 transmits and receives data to and from each terminal device 100 via the network 300 in Figure 1. The operation history DB 420 stores the operation history received from each terminal device 100. The dictionary DB 430, the acquisition unit 440, and the efficiency determination unit 450 will be described later. The control unit 460 controls the entire processing device 400.

Figure 4 shows the data structure of the dictionary DB 430. As described above, the terminal device 100 periodically transmits the user ID (user identifier) and dictionary registration contents to the processing device 400. The dictionary DB 430 collects the dictionary registration contents of the terminal device 100 of each user 200 and records the dictionary registration information of multiple users 200. As shown in the example of Figure 4, the words (words, etc.) registered for each user ID of each user 200, their pronunciation (how to read), and the date and time when the words were registered (registration date and time) are recorded. The registration date and time may be only the date, or may include time information such as hours, minutes, and seconds. In addition, a setting ID is assigned to identify the data (rows) of the dictionary DB 430. In addition, the type of word (alphabet, hiragana, katakana, kanji, numbers, symbols, pictograms, etc.) may be recorded. In this embodiment, a dictionary is registered for each user 200 (terminal), but an application-specific dictionary may also be registered.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the terminal device 100. In step S7000, the control unit 160 of the terminal device 100 starts monitoring user operations on the operation unit 110. In step S7010, the user 200 inputs a predetermined operation via the operation unit 110 and starts an application. In step S7020, the control unit 160 of the terminal device 100 determines whether a new file has been created by executing the application. If YES, the process proceeds to step S7030; if NO, the process proceeds to step S7040. In step S7030, the control unit 160 records the time when the new file was created in the operation recording unit 150 of the terminal device 100.

In step S7040, the control unit 160 of the terminal device 100 determines whether the user 200 has performed any operation via the operation unit 110 of the terminal device 100, which is composed of a mouse, a keyboard, and the like. If YES, proceed to step S7050, and if NO, proceed to step S7060. In step S7050, the control unit 160 records the type of operation and the time of the operation in the operation recording unit 150. If the user 200 saves a file, the save date and time and the number of characters and bytes of the file are recorded. Here, the number of characters may be recorded for each type of character (alphabet, hiragana, katakana, kanji, numbers, symbols, pictograms, etc.). In addition, the kanji may be further classified into multiple categories, and the number of characters for each category may be recorded. For example, the number of kanji characters may be recorded for each of the first to fourth levels of the JIS kanji code. In addition, not limited to the JIS kanji code, kanji that are commonly used and kanji that are not commonly used may be distinguished and recorded. In addition, the number of keystrokes (number of key inputs) made by the user 200 when creating a file may be recorded. This number of keys corresponds to the number of characters before kana-kanji conversion (character conversion). In addition, the number of kana-kanji conversions used by user 200 when creating a file may be recorded. Generally, pressing the "space" key in kana input mode results in conversion to kanji, so it is sufficient to count the number of times the "space" key is pressed in kana input mode from "opening" the file to "closing" it.

In step S7060, the control unit 160 of the terminal device 100 judges whether the application has ended. If the answer is YES, the process proceeds to step S7070. If the answer is NO, the process returns to step S7020 and repeats the process. In step S7070, the control unit 160 of the terminal device 100 adds a user ID to the operation history data stored in the operation recording unit 150 and transmits the data to the processing device 400. The terminal ID may be used instead of the user ID. In particular, in an environment in which one terminal device 100 is not shared by multiple users 200, the terminal ID is sufficient. In addition, both the terminal ID and the user ID may be transmitted. Since both the user ID and the terminal ID are identifiers related to the subject of the operation, they may be collectively referred to as subject identifiers. In the following, an example in which the user ID is used as the subject identifier will be described, but similar processing can also be performed using the terminal ID. The operation history may not only be transmitted after the application is terminated, but may also be transmitted to the processing device 400 during the application's startup, for example, as part of the processing in S7050. In step S7080, all monitoring ends. Note that, in the flowchart of FIG. 5, an example has been described in which a program separate from the application monitors user operations, but the application itself may have a function for monitoring user operations. In that case, S7000 is executed after S7010 is executed. In addition, before the application is terminated, the operation history is sent to the processing device 400.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the operation of the processing device 400. In the following description, the user 200 to which the recommended setting information is to be provided is referred to as the target user 200x or the current user 200x. In step S8000, the processing device 400 receives the operation data transmitted from the terminal device 100 via the transmission/reception unit 410 and stores it in the operation history DB 420. FIG. 7 shows the data structure of the operation history DB 420. As shown in this figure, the operation history DB 420 records the operation history of multiple users 200 for each user ID. The operation history DB 420 associates and stores the user ID of the user who performed the operation, the name (application name) or identifier (application ID) of the application to be operated, the operation date and time (operation time), the operation type (type), and the operation content. In the example shown in this figure, the operation date and time are shown in the format of "year-month-day hour:minute:second.millisecond". Note that the storage of the date and milliseconds may be omitted, and only the information of "hour:minute:second" may be stored. In addition, a history ID is assigned to uniquely identify data (rows) in the operation history DB 420. In the example shown in this figure, in the operation history of type "save" with history ID "8", the capacity (number of bytes) and number of characters of the saved file are recorded. The characters are further subdivided to record the number of hiragana, katakana, symbols, numbers, alphabets, kanji, and the number of kanji from the first level to the fourth level. In addition, the number of key inputs and the number of conversions (number of kana-kanji conversions) are recorded. By recording the capacity and number of characters of the file at each time of saving in association with the operation content, the operation efficiency can be calculated with high accuracy. On the other hand, if it is desired to simplify the process, such detailed information of the file may not be saved in the history DB, and only the file name (file path name) may be saved in the history DB. In that case, when calculating the operation efficiency, the contents (contents) of the file may be read based on the saved file name, and the number of characters of the file may be calculated. However, if only the file name is saved, the calculation accuracy of the operation efficiency may be reduced. In the history ID "5" in FIG. 7, the input contents of each individual key on the keyboard are not recorded, and instead, keystrokes made consecutively within a specified time are recorded together. In other words, in this example, the number of keystrokes (number of keystrokes) and the number of characters entered within a specified time are recorded. In addition to this method, the input contents of each individual key may be recorded in detail.

Figure 8 is a diagram showing another data structure of the operation history DB 420. Figure 8 is a diagram showing details of the input by the first user 200a through the keyboard, which corresponds to the operation of history ID "5" in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 8, the operation content (input content) of each key and the operation date and time (input date and time, input time) are recorded. Since key input may be performed multiple times per second, it is desirable to record the input date and time with sufficient time accuracy, such as in milliseconds. In history IDs "14" and "15", the "Space" key is input, which is the "convert" key in the kana-kanji conversion operation. In history ID "16", the "Enter" key is the "confirm" key in the kana-kanji conversion operation. This figure shows an example in which a confirmation operation was performed after two character conversion operations. These operation histories may be recorded by the "save" operation. Return to Figure 6.

In step S8010, the acquisition unit 440 acquires (selects) an operation history to be used in the provision information creation process from the operation history DB 420. Here, an operation history including operations for creating a deliverable is acquired for each of the multiple users 200. Specifically, the operation history may be acquired by any of the following methods.

(Method 1) The acquisition unit 440 selects all operation histories. The operation histories stored in the operation history DB 420 have in common that the user 200 created a file by inputting characters, and can be said to be operations with a common purpose in a broad sense. This method is suitable when there are a small number of operation histories.

(Method 2) The acquisition unit 440 identifies an application that is primarily used by the target user 200x, and selects operation histories related to that application. For example, if the majority of the operation histories of the target user 200x are the first application, all operation histories related to the first application are selected. This method is suitable when there are a relatively large number of operation histories. By limiting the operation histories to those of a specific application, the accuracy of the efficiency calculation process described below is improved.

(Method 3) The acquisition unit 440 selects operation history related to applications that have the same characteristics as the applications used by the target user 200x. For example, applications for creating document files can be broadly divided into word processing software that allows the user to freely set the font size and decoration, and text editors that basically edit plain text. Word processing software and text editors have different purposes and applications, so they are processed separately. For example, word processing software 1, word processing software 2, and word processing software 3 are grouped as a "word processing software" group, and text editor 1, text editor 2, and text editor 3 are grouped as a "text editor" group. Then, it is determined whether the target user 200x uses the word processing software group or the text editor group more frequently, and operation history related to the application of the group that is used more frequently is selected. This method is suitable when the number of operation histories is moderate (more than the number suitable for method 1, but less than the number suitable for method 2).

(Method 4) The acquisition unit 440 identifies a user 200 who uses applications in a similar combination to the ratio of applications used by the target user 200x, and selects the operation history of the user 200. For example, if the target user 200x uses the first application 50%, the second application 30%, and the third application 20%, a user 200 who uses applications close to this ratio (for example, the ratio of the first application is 45% to 55%, the ratio of the second application is 25% to 35%, and the ratio of the third application is 15% to 25%) is identified, and the operation history of the user 200 is selected. The application usage ratio for each user 200 may be calculated by tallying up the number of characters input by the user 200 for each application. In an environment in which the user 200 inputs characters using a dictionary common to multiple applications, the accuracy of comparison of operation efficiency is improved by limiting the operation history to the operation history of users 200 who use similar combinations of multiple applications.

(Method 5) The acquisition unit 440 selects operation history that has a similar tendency to the target user 200x in terms of the number of characters in the file and the file size. For example, if the number of characters in the files created by the target user 200x is 2000 characters per file, the acquisition unit 440 selects operation history with a similar number of characters per file (for example, 1800 to 2200 characters, within ±10% difference). Alternatively, the average number of characters per file for each user 200 may be calculated, and a user 200 with an average number of characters of 1800 to 2200 characters may be identified, and the operation history of the identified user 200 may be selected. The words in the dictionary content and the number of characters entered may be calculated separately for each type of character (alphabet, hiragana, katakana, kanji, numbers, symbols, emojis, etc.). In addition to the number of characters in the file, the file size (number of bytes) may be used to perform the same process.

(Method 6) The acquisition unit 440 classifies the contents of the file and selects the operation history of the file that has a similar tendency to the file created by the target user 200x. For example, the text data included in the file is analyzed, and the contents (subjects) of the file are classified into several categories. Specifically, the degree to which the subject (topic) of the text described in the file fits a predetermined category such as "politics," "economy," "health," "gourmet," "fashion," "sports," "science," "computer," and "game" is quantified. The acquisition unit 440 identifies the category that is most likely to fit the file created by the target user 200x. For example, if it is determined that the target user 200x has a high tendency to create files that describe "health" and "sports," it identifies files whose topic corresponds to "health" or "sports," and selects the operation history of the identified files.

Alternatively, the acquisition unit 440 may identify a category with a high degree of applicability for each user 200, identify other users 200 who have similar tendencies to the target user 200x, and select the operation history related to the identified user 200. Specifically, category information of files created for each user 200 is created. The degree of applicability of the target user 200x to category j is Q[x][j], and the degree of applicability of the other Yth user 200y to category j is Q[y][j], and the similarity S[x][y] between the target user 200x and the other Yth user 200y is calculated as follows:

Here, n is the total number of categories. The acquisition unit 440 identifies, as similar users 200, users 200 whose S[x][y] is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or a predetermined number of users 200 whose S[x][y] is highest in descending order, and selects operation histories related to the identified users 200.

(Method 7) The acquisition unit 440 compares the operation efficiency of other users 200 (users 200 other than the target user 200x) who have one or more words registered in their dictionaries among the words used in all files created by the target user 200x. FIG. 9 shows an example of the dictionary DB 430 and words used in created files. In this figure, the target user 200x is the first user 200a. As shown in the figure, the dictionary of the first user 200a has word 1 registered, and the dictionaries of the second user 200b to the sixth user 200f have word 1, word 2, word 3, and word 4 registered as shown. On the other hand, the first user 200a has created files 1 to 4. It shows that, of the dictionaries registered in the dictionaries of the other users 200, word 1 and word 2 are used in file 1 created by the first user 200a, and similarly, word 1 and word 3 are used in file 2, and word 2 is used in file 3. File 4 shows that none of phrases 1 to 4 are used. In this example, phrases 1, 2, and 3 are used in the file created by first user 200a, and the users 200 who have registered one or more of these phrases in their dictionaries are second user 200b to fifth user 200e other than sixth user 200f. Therefore, acquisition unit 440 selects the operation history of second user 200b to fifth user 200e for target user 200x (here, first user 200a).

(Method 8) The acquisition unit 440 compares only the operation efficiency of the operation history when the user 200, who has one or more words registered in the dictionary, created a file containing the words, among all the files created by the target user 200. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the dictionaries of the first user 200a to the sixth user 200f are registered, and each user 200 has created files 1 to 4. As described above, in this figure, the target user 200x is the first user 200a. In this example, the file created by the first user 200a uses words 1, 2, and 3, and the users 200 who have at least one of these words registered in the dictionary are the second user 200b to the fifth user 200e other than the sixth user 200f. In addition, the acquisition unit 440 selects the operation history when the file created by the second user 200b to the fifth user 200e uses words 1 to 3. For example, for the second user 200b, file 1 containing phrase 1 and phrase 2, file 2 containing phrase 1, and file 3 containing phrase 2 are identified, and operation histories related to these three files are selected. Also, for the first user 200a, operation histories related to files 1 to 3 (other than file 4) containing phrases 1 to 3 are selected.

In addition, in the above methods 1 to 8, if the type of characters contained in a file meets a predetermined condition, the operation history for that file may be selected. For example, if the proportion of kanji characters in a file is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (e.g., 30% or more), the operation history may be selected as the file to be processed, and other files may be excluded from processing. Also, operation history for a file in which the number of words (characters) registered in the dictionary in the file accounts for a predetermined value (e.g., 10%) or more of the total number of characters in the file may be selected. By performing such processing, the correlation between the dictionary and operation efficiency can be further strengthened. Return to Figure 6.

In step S8020, the efficiency determination unit 450 executes a process of creating information (provided information) to be provided to the target user 200x using the operation history selected in step S8010. The provided information is also called recommended information. At that time, the acquisition unit 440 acquires information on the deliverables created using the program for each of the multiple users 200. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the details of the provided information (recommended information) creation process by the processing device 400 in step S8020. First, in S8210, the efficiency determination unit 450 calculates the operation efficiency (creation efficiency) for each corresponding file for the operation history selected in step S8010. For example, the operation efficiency of file creation is determined by dividing the number of characters in the file by the time required to create the file. Alternatively, the operation efficiency of file creation may be determined by dividing the file size by the time required to create the file.

Figures 11(a)-(b) show examples of application screens and user 200 operations shown on a time axis. The time required to create a file, that is, the operation time, may be the time elapsed from the time a new file is created to the time the file is saved (closed), as in Figure 11(a), or the operation time may be the time elapsed from the time character input begins to the time the file is saved (closed), as in Figure 11(b). For example, if the operation efficiency is the number of characters input per operation time, index E, which indicates the operation efficiency for one file, is calculated according to formula (2), where n is the number of characters in one file and t is the operation time.

Here, α is a positive predetermined value. g and h are predetermined monotonically increasing functions. Functions g and h may be linear or nonlinear functions. In other words, the shorter the operation time t and the greater the number of characters n of the file, the greater the value of index E. In other words, the greater the index E, the better the operational efficiency of file creation.

The efficiency determination unit 450 may also calculate the index E according to formula (3) using the number of kanji characters in the file, na, instead of the number of characters, n, in formula (2). In other words, the index E may be calculated based on the number of characters of a predetermined type (character type).

By limiting the character type used in calculating the index E to kanji (the character type output by the dictionary), the superiority or inferiority of the dictionary can be reflected in the index E more directly.

The efficiency determination unit 450 may also calculate the index E according to formula (4) using the number of kanji characters in the file na and the number of times (number of keystrokes) nb that the user 200 entered keys when creating the file.

Here, β is a positive predetermined value, and j and k are monotonically increasing functions. That is, the index E is the number of kanji characters output per key input. This process is based on the knowledge that when creating a file containing the same number of kanji characters, the fewer the number of key inputs by the user 200, the better the operational efficiency.

The efficiency determination unit 450 may also calculate the index E according to formula (5) using the number of kanji characters in the file, na, and the number of times (number of conversions), m, that kana-kanji conversion was performed when the file was created.

Here, γ is a positive predetermined value, and j and q are monotonically increasing functions. In other words, the index E is the number of kanji characters output per kana-kanji conversion. This process is based on the knowledge that when creating files containing the same number of kanji characters, the fewer the number of kana-kanji conversions, the better the operational efficiency.

As shown in formulas (2) to (5), in this embodiment, the operation efficiency is calculated by dividing the amount of deliverables (e.g., the number of characters in a file) generated by the program by the cost of the operation (e.g., the operation time, the number of operations). This can be said to calculate an index showing the operation efficiency by dividing the amount of deliverables by the operation time or the number of operations. The amount of deliverables is also called the "size of the deliverable" or the "volume of the deliverable". Therefore, even if the files (deliverables) created by each user 200 are different, the operation efficiency can be calculated with high accuracy. In other words, in this embodiment, the operation efficiency is not measured by giving a common task (a special task for measuring the operation efficiency) to all users 200, but rather each user 200 can calculate the operation efficiency simply by creating a desired file. Since the user 200 is not required to perform a special operation for measuring the operation efficiency, the convenience of the user 200 is high.

The efficiency determination unit 450 may classify the operation time into when the dictionary is in use (conversion) and when it is not in use, and may determine the operation efficiency as the number of kanji characters input per time when the dictionary is in use. For example, during kana-kanji conversion, the time from pressing the "space" key to display a list of conversion candidates to pressing the "return" key to confirm the characters is measured. The total time at the time of file creation and the total number of characters (kanji) output by conversion are used to calculate the index E based on formula (3). When the operation efficiency is required in more detail, the number of keyboard keystrokes, the number of mouse clicks, the distance the mouse was moved, and multiple operation elements recorded by the operation recording unit 150 may be combined to determine the operation efficiency. In addition, the input characters may be classified into types (alphabet, hiragana, katakana, kanji, numbers, symbols, emoticons, etc.), and the operation efficiency of the frequency of use of each type of character may be calculated.

In the above example of calculating operation efficiency, the operation time was the continuous time from opening the file to closing (saving), but operation efficiency may be calculated by excluding unnecessary time that is not considered to be related to operation efficiency. As a specific example of key input, an example of a series of operations in which the "half-width/full-width" key is used to switch to kana input, "yokohama" is input, "Space" is used to convert it to "ヨコハマア", and "Enter" is used to confirm is given below. An example of the time to be excluded from operation time t is shown below. Figures 12(a)-(c) show an example of what is excluded from operation time. Figure 12(a) is an example of a case where user 200 does not perform any operation for a predetermined time Tb or more. Figure 12(a) shows a case where the time (no operation time) Ta from inputting key "a" to inputting key "m" is equal to or longer than the predetermined time Tb.

In such a case, it is highly likely that the user 200 is not performing file creation operations during the no-operation time (for example, thinking about the input content itself, working on another terminal, leaving his/her desk, etc.). For this reason, the efficiency determination unit 450 excludes the time Tc (Tc = Ta - Tb) obtained by subtracting Tb from the no-operation time Ta from the operation time. When the input content is decided, the predetermined time Tb is set to a time (for example, 10 seconds) longer than the interval between key inputs of a typical user 200. By subtracting the predetermined time Tb from the no-operation time Ta, it is possible to prevent a user 200 who has a long no-operation time from having a shorter apparent operation time. However, if it is desired to simplify the process, the no-operation time Ta may be excluded from the operation time without calculating the time Tc.

Also, as shown in FIG. 12(b), when determining operation efficiency by focusing on the efficiency of character input conversion, the time from deciding on conversion with Enter to starting the next character input may be excluded from the operation time. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 12(c), the efficiency determination unit 450 may exclude the time taken to input characters before conversion from the operation time, assuming that the key input speed of the user 200 is not related to the efficiency of character conversion due to differences in the contents of the dictionary registration. In other words, the operation efficiency may be calculated using only the operation times related to the conversion key "Space" and the confirmation key "Enter" in the kana-kanji conversion operation. Return to FIG. 10.

In S8220, the efficiency determination unit 450 calculates the operation efficiency of each user 200 using the data calculated in step S8210. Specifically, for the files operated by the user 200, a representative value of the operation efficiency for each file is calculated, and this is set as the operation efficiency of the user 200. The representative value can be an average value, a median value, a mode value, or the like. For example, if the target user 200x has created three files, file 1, file 2, and file 3, and the operation efficiency indexes E of the files are "8.5", "9.0", and "9.5", the calculation is "average value = (8.5 + 9.0 + 9.5) ÷ 3 = 9.0", and this is set as the index of the target user 200x. In this way, the index of each user 200 is calculated. Note that S8210 and S8220 are collectively referred to as "efficiency calculation processing" or "operation efficiency calculation processing".

In S8230, the efficiency determination unit 450 compares the operation efficiency of the target user 200x with the operation efficiency of the other users 200, and determines whether or not there is a user 200 whose operation efficiency is better than that of the target user 200x. That is, the efficiency determination unit 450 calculates an index indicating operation efficiency for each user 200 based on the information of the deliverable and the operation history, and identifies other users 200 whose operation efficiency is higher than that of the target user 200x. If there is a user 200 whose operation efficiency is better than that of the target user 200x (Yes in S8230), proceed to S8240, and if not (No in S8230), proceed to S8250. In S8240, the efficiency determination unit 450 creates recommended setting information, that is, recommended information, based on the setting information (registered dictionary) of the user 200 whose operation efficiency is better than that of the target user 200x. For this reason, the efficiency determination unit 450 functions as a creation unit (not shown) that creates recommended information. Other users 200 with higher operational efficiency than the target user 200x can be said to be users with relatively high operational efficiency (index) based on the target user 200x. Therefore, it can be said that the efficiency determination unit 450 creates recommendation information based on the setting information of users with relatively high operational efficiency (index).

Specifically, the recommended information (recommended setting information) is created in the following manner. For this process, the acquisition unit 440 acquires setting information for each of the multiple users 200, i.e., the registered dictionary.

(Method 1) The efficiency determination unit 450 sets the registered dictionary of the user 200 with the best operational efficiency as the recommended setting information. This method requires the least amount of processing.

(Method 2) The efficiency determination unit 450 creates recommended setting information based on the registered dictionaries of multiple users 200 with better operation efficiency than the target user 200x. For example, if there are 10 users 200 with better operation efficiency than the target user 200x, the registered dictionaries of all 10 users are combined to create the recommended setting information. Alternatively, only the registered dictionaries of the top three of the 10 users may be used. In other words, a predetermined number of users 200 may be selected in order of highest operation efficiency, and recommended information may be created based on the setting information of the selected users. If multiple "phrases" are registered for the same "reading" in the registered dictionaries of multiple users 200, the registered dictionary of the user 200 with the highest operation efficiency may be adopted. Alternatively, a phrase may be selected according to the number of users (number of registrations). For example, if three people have registered "phrase 1" for "reading 1" and five people have registered "phrase 2", the "phrase 2" with the greater number of registrations may be adopted.

(Method 3) The efficiency determination unit 450 creates recommended setting information based on the registered dictionary of a user 200 who has a better operation efficiency than the target user 200x and whose difference from the operation efficiency of the target user 200x is within a predetermined range. In other words, the user 200 may be selected to be limited to a user whose operation efficiency is somewhat close to that of the target user 200x, and the recommended information may be created based on the setting information of that user. This is a process based on the knowledge that the setting information of a user (a very advanced user) whose operation efficiency is significantly higher than that of the target user 200x may be difficult for the target user 200x to understand or use, and rather, the setting information of a user whose operation efficiency is slightly higher than that of the target user 200x is often more useful for the target user 200x. However, if you want to create recommended information based on the setting information of a user whose operation efficiency is as high as possible, you do not need to use the upper limit of the predetermined range. In other words, you may identify a user whose index is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and use the setting information of that user. If multiple users 200 are included within the predetermined range, the efficiency determination unit 450 may use the registered dictionary of the user 200 with the best operational efficiency as the recommended setting information as in method 1, or may create the recommended setting information based on the registered dictionaries of multiple users 200 as in method 2. In this way, in methods 1 to 3, a predetermined number of other users 200, or other users 200 with operational efficiency within a predetermined range, are identified from among other users 200 with higher operational efficiency than the target user 200x.

(Method 4) The efficiency determination unit 450 creates recommended setting information taking into consideration the similarity with the target user 200x. For example, if there are 10 users 200 (higher-ranked users 200) with better operational efficiency than the target user 200x, the similarity between the target user 200x and each of the higher-ranked users 200 is calculated. For example, the similarity between the users 200 is calculated according to formula (1). Alternatively, the similarity between the users 200 may be calculated using the application used, the file size, the number of characters in the file, and the like. The more similar the user 200 is to the target user 200, the more of the registered dictionaries are included in the recommended setting information (recommended dictionaries). In method 4, among other users 200 with higher operational efficiency than the target user 200, other users 200 whose deliverables have a similarity equal to or greater than a threshold value are identified. Note that in the above-mentioned methods 1 to 4, the file used to calculate the index E in the efficiency calculation process is identified, and the dictionary contents registered before the file was created are included in the recommended setting information.

Figure 13 shows an example of the operation efficiency for each user. When creating recommended setting information using method 1, that is, when using the setting information of the user 200 with the best operation efficiency, the operation efficiency E = 10.0 of the second user 200b is the largest value among the first user 200a to the third user 200c, and the second user 200b is determined to have the best operation efficiency. Therefore, when the first user 200a or the third user 200c is the target user 200x, the setting information (registered dictionary) of the second user 200b is notified. Also, the recommended setting information may be transmitted and provided only to the user 200 whose operation efficiency is determined to be lower than the specified value (poor efficiency). Return to Figure 10. Proceed from S8240 to S8260.

In S8250, the efficiency determination unit 450 creates recommendation information indicating that the operation efficiency of the target user 200x is the best. That is, information (message) is created indicating that the target user 200x has created a deliverable (file) most efficiently using the setting information (dictionary) set by the target user 200x compared to other users 200. In this case, the setting information of the target user 200x is setting information that should be recommended, and becomes recommendation information. With such information, the target user 200x can recognize that his/her setting information is superior. The process proceeds from S8250 to S8260.

In S8260, the efficiency determination unit 450 transmits (outputs) the recommendation information created in S8240 or S8250 to the terminal device 100 used by the target user 200x via the transmission/reception unit 410. That is, the combination of the efficiency determination unit 450 and the transmission/reception unit 410 functions as an output unit (not shown) that outputs the recommendation information. The transition from S8240 to S8260 corresponds to recommending the setting information of the other user 200 identified by the efficiency determination unit 450 to the target user 200x.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing the information provision process in the terminal device 100. In S8310, the transmission/reception unit 180 receives recommended information (recommended setting information) from the processing device 400. There are two types of recommended information: one is information provided by the process of S8240, and the other is information provided by the process of S8250. The former is recommended information with better operation efficiency than the setting information used by the target user 200x. In S8320, the user 200 (target user 200x) operates the terminal device 100. In S8330, the control unit 160 determines whether a specific application has been started by the operation of the user 200. In this embodiment, the specific application is an email software, word processing software, text editor, spreadsheet software, etc. that uses a registered dictionary. If the application has not been started (No), the process waits until the application is started by the operation of the user 200. If the specific application has been started (Yes), the process proceeds to S8340. In S8340, the display unit 190 displays the received recommended setting information.

Figure 15(a) is a screen when there is a user 200 with better operation efficiency than the target user 200x, and Figure 15(b) is a screen when the operation efficiency of the target user 200x is the best. In the following description, when there is a user 200 with better operation efficiency than the target user 200x, the target user 200x may be called a "user 200 with poor operation efficiency". Therefore, "user 200 with poor operation efficiency" does not mean the user with the worst operation efficiency. Figure 15(a) is a screen that provides efficient dictionary registration contents to a user 200 with poor operation efficiency. On the other hand, Figure 15(b) shows a screen that provides a user 200 with the best operation efficiency with the fact that his/her dictionary registration contents were good. Figures 16(a)-(b) show screens that provide efficient dictionary registration contents to a user 200 with poor operation efficiency. Figures 17(a)-(b) show another screen that provides efficient dictionary registration contents to a user 200 with poor operation efficiency. Figures 18(a)-(c) show yet another screen that provides efficient dictionary registration contents to a user 200 with poor operational efficiency. Of these, Figures 15(a), 16(a)-(b), 17(a)-(b), and 18(a)-(c) are recommendation information provided by the processing of S8240. In other words, this is recommendation information provided to target user 200x when there is a user 200 with better operational efficiency than target user 200x.

As shown in FIG. 15(a), when the application is started, the display unit 190 displays a pop-up window indicating that there is a dictionary registration content with better operation efficiency. In addition, a "Dictionary Registration" button is displayed. The user 200 checks the displayed dictionary registration content, and if satisfied, presses the "Dictionary Registration" button. The dictionary registration content with better operation efficiency is then registered in the dictionary 140. In the example shown in this figure, "reading 21" and "phrase 2" are associated and registered (added or updated) in the dictionary 140. In this way, the user 200 who has checked the recommended information can easily incorporate it into his or her environment (setting information), thereby improving user convenience. In addition, the display unit 190 may display in the corner of the screen, as shown in FIG. 16(a)-(b), that there is a dictionary (dictionary registration content) that is more efficient than the dictionary of the target user 200, and when the user clicks on it using the operation unit 110, detailed information is displayed. Furthermore, the display unit 190 may display the dictionary registration contents of the inefficient target user 200x in comparison with the efficient dictionary registration contents, as shown in Figs. 17(a)-(b). In the example shown in Fig. 17(b), the dictionary registration contents registered by the target user 200x are displayed in comparison with the dictionary registration contents registered by other users 200 of "efficient" users 200, making it very easy for the target user 200x to understand. In addition, detailed information is not displayed suddenly, but only when the target user 200x requests it, so unnecessary display space is not taken up, making it easier for the target user 200x to concentrate on the operations that should be performed.

As shown in FIG. 18(a), the display unit 190 shows that the dictionary registration contents registered by the target user 200x were the fifth most efficient among the 35 users 200 who were compared for efficiency. By displaying the number of users 200 who were compared for efficiency in this way, it is possible to motivate the target user 200x, i.e., the user 200 currently browsing, to "try to put more effort into performing more efficient operations," etc.

When the target user 200x clicks "Click here" in FIG. 18(a), the screen in FIG. 18(b) is displayed. In the example in this figure, information on the top five users 200 who performed efficient operations is displayed. The user name is displayed as a name (nickname or real name) registered in advance for each user 200. The ranking may be displayed for all users 200 for which the index was calculated, or may be limited to a predetermined number of the top users (5 out of 35) as shown in this figure. In addition, the results of aggregating data for a specific period, such as the top five today or the top ten this week, may be displayed. For details of the operation, a details button may be displayed in the row of each ranking, and detailed information may be displayed by clicking the button. The dictionary registration contents to be presented may be all registration contents that the target user 200x has not registered in the dictionary, or only words and phrases contained in files created in a predetermined period in the past may be presented.

Also, among the dictionary registration contents of the top users 200, contents registered by multiple users (e.g., two or more users) may be presented, or weighted according to rank and presented when the total weight of the registered users 200 exceeds a threshold value. Also, among the top users 200, only the dictionary registration contents of users 200 who are highly similar to the target user 200x may be presented. The similarity may be compared with the similarity of the application used, or may be the amount of input characters, the presence or absence of figures, the color used, etc. Alternatively, the content of the input sentence may be analyzed, and if it is in the same genre, the similarity may be considered to be high. Clicking the "Click for details" button in FIG. 18(b) displays the screen in FIG. 18(c). On this screen, the dictionary registration contents of the specified user 200 are displayed in detail.

As shown in Figs. 16(b), 17(b), and 18(c), a UI may be displayed that allows the dictionary information of other users 200 included in the recommended setting information to be easily added to the dictionary 140 of the target user 200x. In these cases, a check box is attached next to the reading of each word for efficient dictionary registration, and the user 200 is prompted to confirm the reading before pressing the "Dictionary Registration" button to register the word. The user 200 can uncheck the check box for words that he does not want to register and register only the readings that he wants to register. The user 200 can easily register the words in his own dictionary 140 after confirming the contents, which improves the convenience of the user 200. Note that if a word with the same "reading" has already been registered in the dictionary 140 of the target user 200x, it may be deleted before a new registration, or both may be registered without deleting the word. In the latter case, it is desirable to set the priority of the word to be newly registered higher than that of the old registration. When the dictionary 140 is added or updated, the date and time (update date and time) for each word is registered in the dictionary 140. In addition, when another user's dictionary information is registered in the dictionary 140, the user's user ID may also be registered in the dictionary 140.

In addition, for example, a window with a message "Do you want to add the dictionary included in the recommended setting information to your dictionary?" and buttons "Yes" and "No" is displayed to allow the user 200 to make a selection. If the target user 200x selects "Yes," the dictionary included in the recommended setting information is automatically registered in the user's dictionary. In other words, when the user 200 operates the operation unit 110 to select the "Dictionary registration" button displayed in FIG. 16(b), FIG. 17(b), or FIG. 18(c), the control unit 160 reflects the recommended setting information in the dictionary 140. This corresponds to reflecting the recommended setting information in the dictionary 140 when the operation unit 110 accepts a selection operation of the recommended setting information displayed on the display unit 190.

On the other hand, FIG. 15(b) is an example of a screen displayed on the display unit 190 when the terminal device 100 receives information indicating that the operation efficiency of the target user 200x is the best by the processing of S8250. The user 200 using this terminal device 100, that is, the target user 200x, is the user 200 who performed the most efficient operation. In FIG. 15(b), information indicating that the dictionary contents of the target user 200x were the most efficient is displayed. In addition, the target user 200x may select whether or not to make the dictionary contents public to other users 200. If public is selected, the dictionary contents are made public to other users 200. If private is selected, the dictionary contents are not made public to other users 200. By displaying such a screen, the target user 200x can easily make his/her dictionary contents public. In addition, by making the efficient dictionary contents public, effects such as improving the operation efficiency of other users 200 who see it and activating communication between users 200 (user community) can be obtained. It may also be shown that the dictionary contents of the target user 200x were the most efficient among the "35" users 200 who were compared for efficiency. In this way, by displaying the number of users 200 who were compared for efficiency, it is possible to motivate the browsing user 200 to "try to make more efficient operations with more ingenuity." The screen of FIG. 15(b) may be provided not only to the user 200 with the best operation efficiency, but also to other users 200. For example, it may be provided to the top N users 200 with the best operation efficiency. Alternatively, it may be provided to all users 200, including the user 200 with the worst operation efficiency. For example, a message such as "You were the user with the worst operation efficiency out of 35 users. Let's take the setting information of other users into consideration" may be displayed to the user 200 with the worst operation efficiency.

By displaying in this way, the target user 200x can not only know the contents of the efficient dictionary, but also know about the users 200 who performed efficient operations. For example, each user 200 may be allowed to set whether or not to disclose his/her contact information, and for the users 200 who have allowed the disclosure of their contact information, the contact information may be displayed on the screen of FIG. 18(b). That is, in the list of users 200 with good operation efficiency, contact information such as email addresses, SNS accounts, and telephone numbers may be displayed. In addition, the processing device 400 may provide a function (such as a message exchange function) for communicating with users 200 with good operation efficiency. The users 200 who view such a display can directly contact the efficient users 200 and exchange information with each other, so that they can directly learn more efficient setting information and operation procedures from other users 200. In addition, the user community that uses the application is activated, which increases the number of "fans" who like the application, leading to long-term profits for the application. Users 200 who provide (teach) other users 200 with setting information, operation procedures, etc. may be given points or coupons according to the quantity and quality of the information provided. Points or coupons may also be given to users 200 (efficient users) who are the basis of recommended information provided to target user 200x. Efficient users who are the basis of recommended information are indirectly providing useful information to other users. In other words, rewards such as points or coupons may be given to users 200 who provide useful information that may directly or indirectly improve the operation efficiency of other users. By giving such rewards, each user 200 naturally becomes motivated to "improve his/her own operation efficiency so that he/she will be featured in the recommended information and receive a reward," which results in an effect of improving the operation efficiency of many users.

In the example shown, the recommended setting information is provided to the user 200 when the application is launched, but it may also be provided when a new file is created, when the application is closed, or immediately after logging in. Furthermore, the target users 200 to whom the recommended setting information is provided by the processing of S8240 may be all users 200, or only users 200 whose efficiency values are worse than a predetermined condition, such as users 200 whose index is less than a predetermined value.

As for the operation of the terminal device 100, a keyboard and mouse have been given as examples assuming a PC, but for a smartphone or tablet terminal, operations such as tapping or flicking a touch panel can be considered. Also, there are no particular limitations on the operation interface as long as it is an input device such as a camera or microphone.

In the above description, in S8230, it is determined whether or not there is a user 200 whose operation efficiency is higher than that of the target user 200x, and the processing is changed depending on the result of the determination. However, another method can be used. For example, after S8210 and S8220 are executed in the flowchart of FIG. 10, S8230 to S8260 are not executed, and S8235 (not shown) is executed. In S8235, the efficiency determination unit 450 identifies users whose operation efficiency (index) is relatively high. For example, it identifies (selects) users 200 whose index E is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or a predetermined number of users 200 in descending order of index E. The users identified here are users whose operation efficiency (index) is relatively high among a group (set) of users 200 (based on the entire set of users 200). After executing S8235, it executes S8245 (not shown). In S8245, the efficiency determination unit 450 creates recommendation information based on the setting information of the user identified in S8235. Specifically, the recommendation information may be created in a similar manner to S8240. From S8245, the process proceeds to S8265 (not shown). S8265 is the same as S8260. That is, in S8265, the efficiency determination unit 450 transmits (outputs) the recommendation information created in S8245 to the terminal device 100 via the transmission/reception unit 410. At that time, the user ID of the user identified in S8235 is also included in the recommendation information and transmitted. The terminal device 100 that has received the recommendation information displays a screen similar to that shown in FIG. 15 to FIG. 18 on the display unit 190. For example, the terminal device 100 may change the information to be displayed depending on whether the user ID of the user with relatively high operation efficiency included in the recommendation information matches the user ID of the user using the terminal device 100. In addition, the same recommendation information may be displayed on all terminal devices 100, regardless of whether the terminal device 100 is used by the user identified in S8235. For example, a display similar to that shown in FIG. 15(a) may be displayed on all terminal devices 100. In other words, the same recommended information may be provided to all users 200 without identifying the target user 200x. Notifying users of the setting information of users with high operational efficiency is beneficial to all users, since even users who are already using the setting information can check its effectiveness once again.

According to this embodiment, an index indicating operation efficiency is calculated for each user based on the information on the deliverables and the operation history, and recommended setting information of other users with higher operation efficiency than the target user is presented to the target user, thereby improving the accuracy of information that can improve operation efficiency. In addition, since the recommended setting information is created based on the setting information of users who are similar to the target user and have good operation efficiency, it is possible to provide useful information to the target user. In addition, since the administrator (or operator) does not need to create the recommended setting information in advance, an increase in the burden on the administrator can be suppressed.

In addition, since an index indicating operation efficiency is calculated by dividing the amount of the product by an operation cost such as an operation time or the number of operations, the calculation accuracy of the index can be improved. In addition, since the index can be calculated without making the user perform a special operation for measuring the operation efficiency, the convenience for the user is high. In addition, since a predetermined number of other users or other users with a predetermined range of operation efficiency are identified among other users with higher operation efficiency than the target user, other users suitable for creating recommended setting information can be identified. In addition, since other users with a similarity of the product equal to or greater than a threshold value are identified among other users with higher operation efficiency than the target user, other users suitable for creating recommended setting information can be identified. In addition, since the setting information is a registered dictionary for character conversion, the registered dictionary for improving operation efficiency can be easily added and updated. In addition, when a selection operation of recommended setting information with higher operation efficiency than the setting information used by the user (terminal device) is accepted, the recommended setting information is reflected in the setting information used by the terminal device, so that the user's operation efficiency can be easily improved.
Example 2
Next, a second embodiment will be described. As with the first embodiment, the second embodiment relates to a processing system in which a processing device and a plurality of terminal devices are connected via a network. The processing device collects setting information (registered dictionaries, shortcuts, macros, etc.) of a plurality of users who use a predetermined program, and collects information on deliverables (files) created by the users. The processing device sets a plurality of periods based on the registration date and time of the setting information, calculates an index indicating the "efficiency" of file creation in each period, and identifies a period in which the operational efficiency has been improved compared to a past period. Furthermore, the processing device provides the target user with the setting information (recommended setting information) registered in the identified period. The processing system 1000, the terminal device 100, and the processing device 400 according to the second embodiment are of the same type as those in Figs. 1 to 3. Here, the differences from the previous embodiments will be mainly described.

Figure 19 is a flowchart showing the provision information creation process by the processing device 400. Here, a user 200 whose operation efficiency has been improved compared to past operation efficiency is identified, and recommended setting information is created based on the setting information of the identified user 200. First, S8400 is executed. S8400 is the same as S8210 described above. That is, the efficiency determination unit 450 calculates the operation efficiency for each corresponding file for the operation history selected in step S8010. Next, in S8410, the efficiency determination unit 450 calculates the operation efficiency for each period. The period here is a period determined by dividing each user 200 by the dictionary registration date and time.

Figures 20 (a)-(c) show periods for each user 200, separated by the timing of dictionary registration. For example, the first user 200a makes dictionary registrations at five points in time (five timings), from time 1 to time 5. Furthermore, times 1 to 5 are, for example, the dates shown in Figure 4. For this reason, with the horizontal axis as the time axis, six periods are set for the first user 200a, with period 1 being before time 1 (2010/3/15), period 2 being from time 1 (2010/3/15) to time 2 (2010/5/10), period 3 being from time 2 (2010/5/10) to time 3 (2015/7/5), period 4 being from time 3 (2015/7/5) to time 4 (2015/9/30), period 5 being from time 4 (2015/9/30) to time 5 (2015/11/25), and period 6 being after time 5 (2015/11/25). For the second user 200b shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 20, six periods, period 1 to period 6, are set because there are similarly time 1 to time 5. Similarly, for the third user 200c, a period is set with the dictionary registration date and time as a boundary. Return to Figure 19.

The efficiency determination unit 450 calculates the representative value of the operation efficiency index E calculated in S8400 for each period for the files created by the user 200 in each period. The representative value can be the average value, median value, mode value, etc. For example, if the first user 200a creates three files in period 1 and the indexes E of each file are "4.0", "5.0", and "9.0", if the average value is used as the representative value, "(4.0 + 5.0 + 9.0) ÷ 3 = 6.0" becomes the representative value for the first user 200a in period 1. In the same manner, the index for each period of each user 200 is calculated. Note that multiple periods may be integrated to create one period. For example, if the length of a period is shorter than a predetermined standard (e.g., 10 days), multiple periods may be integrated into one period. In that case, the dictionary registration date and time may be changed to the previous dictionary registration date and time or the next dictionary registration date and time. Also, if the number of dictionary entries at a time point is less than a predetermined number (e.g., three), multiple periods may be combined into one period rather than being treated as independent periods.

Next, in S8420, the efficiency determination unit 450 calculates the amount of improvement in operation efficiency for each period. The amount of improvement in operation efficiency (operation improvement amount) is calculated as the difference (difference) between the indices for adjacent periods for the same user 200. Specifically, the amount of operation improvement ΔE[i] for period i is calculated according to formula (6).

Here, i≧2. In other words, if the operation efficiency of a certain period is significantly improved compared to the previous period, the operation improvement amount will be a large positive value. For example, if six periods are set for the first user 200a, and the indexes of each period are E[1] to E[6], ΔE[2] is calculated as E[2]=E[2]-E[1], ΔE[6]=E[6]-E[5], and so on. The operation improvement amount is not calculated for period "1".

The efficiency determination unit 450 may also calculate the amount of operation improvement according to equation (7).

Here, T[i] is the length of the period i. As the unit of the period, any time unit such as days, hours, minutes, and seconds can be used. According to formula (7), the operation improvement amount per unit time can be calculated. That is, in S8420, the operation improvement amount ΔE[i] of the period i is calculated according to formula (6) or formula (7). In addition, the operation improvement amount may be calculated by other methods, not limited to the difference value of the index of the adjacent period. For example, ΔE[3]=(E[3]+E[4])/2-(E[1]+E[2])/2, etc. may be used. When the length of one period is short and the number of deliverables created within the period is small, it may be better to create the operation improvement amount using the index of three or more periods.

In S8430, the efficiency determination unit 450 identifies a period in which the amount of operation improvement satisfies a predetermined condition. This is equivalent to identifying a period in which operation efficiency has improved compared to past periods. Here, any of the following conditions can be used as the predetermined condition. Note that, if the result of executing step S8430 shows that there is no period that satisfies the predetermined condition, the process ends without proceeding to step S8440.

(Condition 1) A predetermined number of periods with the largest amount of operation improvement The larger the amount of operation improvement, the more the operation efficiency of the user 200 has improved compared to the past (the period immediately preceding). Here, the predetermined number is an arbitrary number equal to or greater than 1. The efficiency determination unit 450 may set the predetermined number to "1" and identify one period with the largest amount of operation improvement, or may set the predetermined number to "10."

(Condition 2) Period during which the amount of operation improvement is equal to or greater than a predetermined value The efficiency determination unit 450 specifies a period during which the amount of operation improvement is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (threshold value) θ1. Any positive value can be used as the predetermined value θ1. In addition, when the amount of operation improvement of the target user 200 can be calculated (when the target user 200x performs an operation over two or more periods), the amount of operation improvement of the target user 200x may be set as a predetermined value, and a period having a value greater than the amount of operation improvement of the target user 200x may be specified. That is, in Condition 1 and Condition 2, the efficiency determination unit 450 specifies a predetermined number of periods from the one with the highest improvement in operation efficiency, or a period during which the improvement in operation efficiency is included in a predetermined range.

(Condition 3) A period in which the index E has a value close to the most recent index of the target user 200x and the amount of operation improvement is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. First, the efficiency determination unit 450 extracts a period in which the difference between the index E[i-1] (i≧2) of each period calculated in S8410 and the most recent (latest) index Et of the target user 200x (reference index) is equal to or less than a predetermined value ε. In other words, a period that satisfies |E[i-1]-Et|≦ε is extracted. E[i-1] may be greater or smaller than Et. For example, if the most recent index Et of the target user 200x is "5.0" and ε is "0.5", a period in which the index E is equal to or greater than "4.5" and equal to or less than "5.5" is extracted. Here, since Et is a reference index, it can be said that the efficiency determination unit 450 extracts a period in which the difference from the reference index is equal to or less than a threshold value ε. Next, the efficiency determination unit 450 targets the next period i of the extracted period (i-1) and identifies a period in which the operation improvement amount ΔE[i] is equal to or greater than the predetermined value θ2, as in condition 2. Here, θ1 and θ2 may be the same value, or may be different values. For example, θ2<θ1 may be used. According to condition 3, when the operation efficiency of another user 200, which was close to the most recent operation efficiency of the target user 200x in the past, has improved since then, the setting information of the user 200 is reflected in the recommended setting information, so that useful information suited to the current level of the target user 200x can be provided. In other words, it can be said that the efficiency determination unit 450 identifies a period in which the difference from the target (standard) operation efficiency is equal to or less than the first threshold value (ε) and the improvement amount of the operation efficiency is equal to or greater than the second threshold value (θ2).

In conditions 1 to 3, the recency of the period may be taken into consideration. For example, in condition 1, if there are multiple periods with the same amount of operation improvement, the newer period (the period with the most recent registration date and time of the setting information) may be identified with priority. Alternatively, an index may be calculated that has a higher value the greater the amount of operation improvement and that has a higher value the newer the period, and a predetermined number of periods may be identified in descending order of the index. Alternatively, periods with the index equal to or greater than a predetermined value may be identified.

In addition, in conditions 1 to 3, the index Et of the latest period of the target user 200x may be taken into consideration. For example, in condition 1, a predetermined number of periods may be specified in order of increasing operation improvement amount, targeting the period i in which the index E[i] is greater than the index Et. In addition, in condition 2, a period in which the index is greater than Et and the operation improvement amount is greater than a predetermined value may be specified. In addition, in condition 3, a period in which the past index is close to the most recent index of the target user 200x and the operation improvement amount is greater than a predetermined value may be specified, targeting the period of the user 200 in which the most recent index is greater than Et. By performing such processing, it is possible to carefully select the user 200 to be reflected in the recommended setting information. However, since the operation purpose and operation conditions of each user 200 are not completely the same, the index contains a certain degree of error. In other words, it is considered that the improvement of the index of the same user 200 is more significant than the slight difference in the index between different users 200. For this reason, the recommended setting information may be created based on the setting information of the user 200 having an index lower than the target user 200x. In addition, when creating a recommendation setting value based on the setting information of multiple users 200, the number or percentage of users 200 having an index lower than that of the target user 200x may be limited. For example, the percentage of users 200 having an index lower than that of the target user 200x may be set to be less than 30%.

In S8430, users 200 other than the target user 200x may be the processing targets, or all users 200 including the target user 200x may be the processing targets. If all users 200 are the processing targets, the period of the target user 200x may meet a predetermined condition, and the setting information of the target user 200x may be notified to the target user 200x. For example, if the target user 200x has changed the contents of the dictionary many times and the operation efficiency of the target user 200x in the previous period is higher than the most recent operation efficiency, the target user 200x can be notified that it would be better to restore the dictionary contents to the previous state. It is beneficial for the target user 200x to be notified not only of the setting information of other users 200 but also of his/her own past setting information.

Next, in S8440, the efficiency determination unit 450 selects the setting information corresponding to the period i identified in S8430. The setting information corresponding to the period i is the setting information that was set at the start of the period i. Also, the setting information corresponding to the period i is the setting information that was set before the time when the deliverable was created in the period i. For example, in the example of FIG. 20(a)-(c), as described above, there are six periods for the first user 200a, but if the period 3 (setting ID 2 (2010/5/10) to setting ID 3 (2015/7/5)) for the first user 200a is identified in S8430, the setting information of setting ID 2 (2010/5/10) shown in FIG. 4 corresponds. If multiple periods are identified in S8430, multiple setting information corresponding to them is selected. Also, if many periods are identified in S8430, the setting information of some of those periods may be selected.

In S8450, the efficiency determination unit 450 creates recommended setting information based on the setting information selected in S8440. For example, in the example of FIG. 20(a)-(c), when setting information of setting ID 2 is selected in S8440, setting information such as "Reading 2: Phrase 20" of setting ID 2 is set as recommended setting information. Also, for example, when three setting information of setting IDs "2", "3", and "6" are selected in S8440, information that combines the three setting information, that is, setting information such as "Reading 2: Phrase 20, Reading 3: Phrase 30, Reading 6: Phrase 60" is set as recommended setting information. Recommended setting information. In S8460, the efficiency determination unit 450 transmits the recommended setting information created in S8450 to the terminal device 100 of the target user 200x via the transmission/reception unit 410. In other words, the transmission/reception unit 410 recommends the setting information registered during the period specified by the efficiency determination unit 450 to the target user 200x.

In the above description, a period is set for each of the multiple users 200, and an index for each period is calculated, but this embodiment can be applied even when there is only one user 200. For example, when only the data of the target user 200x exists in the dictionary DB 430, multiple periods are set based on multiple points in time when the target user 200x registered the dictionary, and an index and an operation improvement amount are calculated for each period. Then, as in the above description, a period in which the operation improvement amount satisfies a predetermined condition is identified, and information about the identified period and dictionary contents (setting information) corresponding to the identified period are presented to the target user 200x. For example, a message such as "Your improvement in operation efficiency was the highest in period 3 (2010/5/10 to 2015/7/5). This is thought to be due to the effect of the dictionary (reading 2: phrase 20) registered just before period 3" is displayed on the display unit 190 of the terminal device 100 used by the target user 200x. Such a message (information) is an important hint when the target user 200x considers the dictionary contents to be newly registered. For example, if the target user 200x has deleted the dictionary "Reading 2: phrase 20," it is easy to see that it would be better to re-register it. In other words, even when processing is performed using the data of a single user 200, it is possible to provide useful information for improving the operational efficiency of that user.

According to this embodiment, for each of a plurality of periods, an index indicating operation efficiency is calculated based on information on the deliverables and the operation history, and recommended setting information registered in a period in which operation efficiency has improved compared to a past period is presented to the target user, so that the accuracy of information capable of improving operation efficiency can be improved. In addition, since an index indicating operation efficiency is calculated by dividing the amount of deliverables by an operation cost such as an operation time or the number of operations, the accuracy of calculation of the index can be improved. In addition, since the index can be calculated without making the user perform a special operation for measuring operation efficiency, the convenience for the user is high. In addition, since a predetermined number of periods in the order of the higher improvement amount of operation efficiency or a period in which the improvement amount of operation efficiency is included in a predetermined range is specified, the accuracy of specifying the period can be improved. In addition, since a period in which the difference from the target operation efficiency is equal to or less than a first threshold value and the improvement amount of operation efficiency is equal to or more than a second threshold value is specified, the accuracy of specifying the period can be improved. In addition, since the setting information is a registered dictionary for character conversion, the registered dictionary for improving operation efficiency can be easily added and updated.
Example 3
Next, a third embodiment will be described. Up to now, a registered dictionary used for kana-kanji conversion and the like has been used as an example of setting information, but the present invention is not limited to this. In the third embodiment, registration information related to keyboard shortcuts combined with specific keys such as the CTRL key and function keys is used as setting information. The processing system 1000, terminal device 100, and processing device 400 according to the third embodiment are of the same type as those shown in Figs. 1 to 3. Here, the differences from the previous embodiments will be mainly described.

In this embodiment, a text editor is used as an example of an application. In this text editor, keyboard shortcuts (key bindings) can be set for each user 200. FIG. 21 shows an example of a shortcut according to the third embodiment. This is an example of shortcuts that are excerpts of settings related to cursor movement. The first user 200a has no unique settings. In a state where there are no unique settings, when moving the cursor, it is necessary to use the arrow keys to move the cursor one character at a time. In other words, the default is to move one line up with the "↑" key, move one line down with the "↓" key, move one character forward with the "←" key, and move one character back with the "→" key, but other movements are not possible.

The second user 200b has set his own shortcuts for cursor movement in four directions: up, down, left, and right. "Ctrl-p" means pressing the "p" key while pressing the "Ctrl" key. The same applies to the notation of other shortcuts. In a normal keyboard, the arrow keys are often located away from the alphabet keys, so in order to move the cursor using the arrow keys, the hand position must be moved from the home position. For this reason, frequent cursor movement slows down the character input speed. On the other hand, when moving the cursor using "Ctrl-p" or the like, the "Ctrl" key and the "p" key can be pressed without changing the hand position from the home position, so the character input speed does not decrease much even if the cursor is moved frequently. For this reason, the second user 200b is more likely to be able to create a file with the same number of characters in a shorter time than the first user 200a.

The third user 200c sets four more shortcut keys in addition to the settings of the second user 200b. For example, "Ctrl-a" is set to move the cursor to the beginning of a line. For example, if there are 100 characters in one line and the cursor is at the end of the line and the first user 200a wants to move it to the beginning of the line, the first user 200a needs to press the "←" key 100 times or hold down the "←" key for a certain period of time or more. Similarly, the second user 200b needs to press the "Ctrl" key and the "b" key simultaneously 100 times or hold down the "Ctrl" key and the "b" key for a certain period of time or more. In other words, the settings of the first user 200a and the second user 200b require many operations and a lot of time to move the cursor. In contrast, the third user 200c only needs to press the "Ctrl" key and the "a" key once. The setting to move the cursor word by word also greatly improves the operation efficiency. Therefore, compared to the second user 200b, the third user 200c is more likely to be able to create a file with the same number of characters in a shorter time.

In this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, an operation history DB 420 as shown in FIG. 7 is created. However, the contents to be saved in the "save" type need only be the file size, the number of characters, and the number of keystrokes. In other words, the breakdown by character type and the number of conversions are omitted. Alternatively, details of each keystroke may be saved as shown in FIG. 8.

In step S8010, the acquisition unit 440 acquires (selects) an operation history related to a file created using the text editor. That is, the operation history is selected by using the method 2, with the user 200 using the text editor as the target user 200x. At this time, any of the following conditions may be added to the selection.
(1) Operation history for all files created using the text editor (2) Operation history when a new file is created using the text editor (3) Operation history when an existing file is updated using the text editor By using the above condition (3), it may be possible to more directly reflect the efficiency of cursor movement in the index E. This is because cursor movement tends to be used more frequently when updating an existing file.

In step S8210, the efficiency determination unit 450 calculates an index E indicating the operation efficiency for each file according to equation (2) or equation (8). In equation (8), λ is a positive constant, r and s are monotonically increasing functions, n is the number of characters in the file, and nk is the number of keystrokes including key operations required to move the cursor.

By carrying out the above process, it is possible to provide recommended setting information regarding shortcut keys to user 200, similar to the display examples of Figures 15 to 18. In the example shown in Figure 21, for example, when third user 200c has the highest operational efficiency, setting information regarding shortcut keys of third user 200c is provided to first user 200a and second user 200b as recommended setting information.

In this embodiment, the shortcut keys of a text editor are used as an example of the setting information of the user 200, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, in a GUI application, a menu item that is normally selected using a mouse or the like may be selected using a keyboard shortcut. For beginners, mouse operation is easier to understand, but for advanced users, menu items can be selected without moving the position of the hand from the home position for character input, thereby reducing operation time. Furthermore, registration information of a template in word processing software may be used as setting information. Furthermore, registration information of a macro (script) in spreadsheet software may be used as setting information. Furthermore, an address book in email software may be used as setting information.

According to this embodiment, the setting information is keyboard shortcut settings, so that keyboard shortcuts can be easily added and updated to improve operational efficiency.
Example 4
Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, biometric information of a user is used when calculating the operation efficiency. A processing system 1000 and a processing device 400 according to the fourth embodiment are of the same type as those shown in Figs. 1 and 3. Here, the differences from the previous embodiments will be mainly described.

Figure 22 shows the configuration of the terminal device 100. The terminal device 100 includes an operation unit 110, a memory area 120, a program storage unit 130, a control unit 160, a timer 170, a transmission/reception unit 180, a display unit 190, and a biometric information processing unit 600. The terminal device 100 can also be connected to a biometric information acquisition device 500, which includes a camera 510, a heart rate sensor 520, a blood pressure sensor 530, an acceleration sensor 540, a sweat sensor 550, and a thermometer 560. The terminal device 100 and the biometric information acquisition device 500 are connected, for example, by wireless communication, but may also be connected by wired communication. The terminal device 100 and the biometric information acquisition device 500 may also be configured as an integrated unit.

The biometric information acquisition device 500 is a device capable of measuring biometric information of the user 200. The camera 510 monitors the line of sight of the user 200 and outputs the measurement result to the biometric information processing unit 600. The heartbeat sensor 520 measures the heart rate of the user 200 and outputs the measurement result to the biometric information processing unit 600. The blood pressure sensor 530 measures the blood pressure of the user 200 and outputs the measurement result to the biometric information processing unit 600. The blood pressure sensor 530 or another sensor may also measure blood oxygen saturation. The acceleration sensor 540 measures the body movement (acceleration) of the user 200 and outputs the measurement result to the biometric information processing unit 600. For example, it detects the movement of the head, arms, fingers, etc. of the user 200. The sweat sensor 550 measures the amount of sweat of the user 200 and outputs the measurement result to the biometric information processing unit 600. The thermometer 560 measures the body temperature of the user 200 and outputs the measurement result to the biometric information processing unit 600. These measurement results are the biometric information of the user 200 in the operation for creating the product. The biometric information processing unit 600 transmits the measurement results from the biometric information acquisition device 500 to the processing device 400 via the transmission/reception unit 180. That is, the terminal device 100 records the biometric information of the user 200 at the time of creating the file and transmits it to the processing device 400. Note that the sensors (measuring devices) shown in FIG. 22 are merely examples, and the biometric information acquisition device 500 may include sensors other than these. In addition, the biometric information acquisition device 500 may omit any sensor (e.g., the camera 510) shown in FIG. 22. That is, the biometric information acquisition device 500 only needs to be able to measure one or more types of biometric information of the user 200.

The efficiency determination unit 450 of the processing device 400 in FIG. 3 calculates the fatigue level of the user 200 during operation based on the measurement results from the biometric information acquisition device 500, and determines that an operation with a low fatigue level is an efficient operation. For example, the efficiency determination unit 450 measures the amount of gaze movement, heart rate, amount of sweating, body temperature, blood pressure, body movement, blood oxygen saturation, etc., and calculates the fatigue level based on the measurement results. Specifically, the efficiency determination unit 450 calculates the fatigue level of the user 200 involved in creating a file. For example, the fatigue level z is calculated based on the amount of gaze movement, heart rate, amount of sweating, body temperature, blood pressure, body movement, blood oxygen saturation, etc., when creating one file. For example, when the amount of gaze movement is large, the heart rate is large, the amount of sweating is large, the body temperature is high, the blood pressure is high, the body movement is large, and the blood oxygen saturation is low, the fatigue level z is a high value. Conversely, when the amount of gaze movement is small, the heart rate is small, the amount of sweating is small, the body temperature is low, the blood pressure is low, the body movement is small, and the blood oxygen saturation is high, the fatigue level z is a low value. Note that calories burned may be used as fatigue level z. Efficiency determination unit 450 calculates operation efficiency E of user 200 based on fatigue level z, for example, by replacing h(t) with f(z) in equation (2) or (3). Here, f is a predetermined monotonically increasing function. In other words, the more characters in the file and the lower the fatigue level of user 200, the better the operation efficiency of user 200 is determined to be.

However, in some cases, the characteristics of the function f may be changed to consider that the greater the user 200's fatigue level (calories burned), the better the operation efficiency of the user 200. For example, in a case where the user 200 writes in a diary file what meals he or she ate and what kind of exercise he or she did every day in order to lose weight, it is preferable for the user 200 to burn more calories when creating the file. If such a purpose is shared between the users 200, the greater the calories burned when creating the file, the better the operation efficiency may be considered, and setting information that increases the calories burned (usually setting information that is considered to have poor operation efficiency) may be notified to the other users 200. For example, since the more characters are input, the higher the calories burned, setting information that increases the number of characters input may be provided to the user 200. Since the greater the amount of operation (operational man-hours) of the user 200, the greater the fatigue level z, the greater the operation man-hours or operation cost. In this way, the efficiency determination unit 450 can be said to calculate an index indicating operation efficiency by dividing the amount of the product by the operation cost (operational man-hours) indicated by the biometric information.

In this embodiment, the index indicating the operation efficiency is calculated by dividing the size of the product by the biometric information, so the accuracy of the index calculation can be improved.

The present invention has been described above based on examples. These examples are merely illustrative, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention.

100 terminal device, 110 operation unit, 120 memory area, 130 program storage unit, 140 dictionary, 150 operation recording unit, 160 control unit, 170 timer, 180 transmission/reception unit, 190 display unit, 200 user, 300 network, 400 processing device, 410 transmission/reception unit, 420 operation history DB, 430 dictionary DB, 440 acquisition unit, 450 efficiency determination unit, 460 control unit, 1000 processing system.

Claims (5)

a storage unit that stores a first identifier for identifying a user who uses the terminal device, setting information set by the user, and an operation history when the user performs an operation to create a deliverable using the setting information;
a transmission unit that transmits the first identifier, the setting information, and the operation history;
a receiving unit that receives from the information processing device a second identifier for identifying a user determined to have relatively high operational efficiency in the information processing device that determines the level of operational efficiency based on operation histories received from a plurality of terminal devices, and recommendation information based on setting information set by the user;
a control unit that causes a display device to display the recommended information when the first identifier and the second identifier are different, and causes a display device to display a message indicating that the user of the terminal device has good operational efficiency when the first identifier and the second identifier are identical;
A terminal device comprising: When the first identifier and the second identifier are different, the control unit causes a display device to display the setting information stored in the storage unit and the setting information included in the recommendation information in a contrast manner.
The terminal device according to claim 1 . Further comprising an operation unit for receiving an operation from a user,
when the first identifier and the second identifier are different, the control unit causes a display device to display a list of a plurality of pieces of setting information set by a plurality of users determined to have relatively high operational efficiency based on the recommendation information in order of highest operational efficiency, and then causes the display device to display details of the setting information selected by the operation unit.
The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2. the control unit, when the first identifier and the second identifier are different, causes a display device to display contact information of each of a plurality of users determined to have relatively high operational efficiency based on the recommendation information.
The terminal device according to claim 1 or 2. The computer of the terminal device
storing a first identifier for identifying a user who uses the terminal device, setting information set by the user, and an operation history of an operation performed by the user to create a product using the setting information;
transmitting the first identifier, the setting information, and the operation history;
receiving, from the information processing device, a second identifier for identifying a user determined to have relatively high operational efficiency in the information processing device that determines the level of operational efficiency based on operation histories received from a plurality of terminal devices, and recommendation information based on setting information set by the user;
a step of displaying the recommended information on a display device when the first identifier and the second identifier are different, and displaying a message indicating that the operation efficiency of a user of the terminal device is good on a display device when the first identifier and the second identifier are identical;
A program that executes the following.