JPH07336436A - Information system and method thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide an information system/method which can offer the desired information and the relative information to each other among many unspecified users. CONSTITUTION:An information system/method includes plural terminals 101, a switchboard 102, a service controller 107 which controls the execution of services, and an information storing/reproducing device 103 which can register, refer to and delete the information by the control of the controller 107. The controller 107 contains a means which additionally registers the information related to the registered information as the identification relative information ID. The device 103 includes an area 104 which stores a field where the information to be registered belongs, an area 105 which stores the information on each information field registered in an information field list area, and a registered information number list area 106 which shows the information fields stored in an information list area.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an information providing system and an information providing method using a network, and in particular,
The present invention relates to an information providing system and an information providing method by which each user can mutually provide desired information among a large number of unspecified users.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, communication service technology has improved, and many network services for mutually providing information among a plurality of users have been put into practical use. The following network services are known as typical ones depending on the way information is provided. (1) Unidirectional information provision from a specific information provider to a large number of specific or unspecified users. There are various types of this form, for example, from time reports, weather forecasts, traffic information, to fee collection type information providing services (NTT dial Q2). (2) Bidirectional information provision between a specific information provider and a large number of specific or unspecified users. There are various types of forms such as seat reservation for transportation, ticket reservation for theaters and concerts, tele-shopping, telephone questionnaire, telephone voting. (3) Bidirectional information provision between specific users. Examples of this form include an electronic bulletin board by personal computer communication and a computer network, electronic mail and electronic voice mail (NTT message dial).

[0003]

As described above, conventionally, there are various types of network services for the purpose of providing information among a plurality of users. But,
These include those that perform interactive information selection on a telephone terminal or a dedicated terminal when a user receives information from an information provider (unidirectional information provision), or a user who receives information from a specific information provider. There are those that send / return limited data defined in advance to information providers, but an unspecified number of users send information to an unspecified number of users based on audio media from general telephone terminals. There is no network service that can be publicly provided / posted and that can arbitrarily refer to information registered by other users.

Further, as an existing network service for providing information between a plurality of users, a service in which a plurality of users having the same personal identification number record a message in a voice storing / reproducing apparatus or reproduce the message (a message dial of NTT) ), A video exchange service (a captain of NTT), and other mail exchange services. These are services between multiple users, but they were services closed between specific users. .

Further, there is an electronic bulletin board service in which an unspecified number of users provide / post information, but this is limited to the fields of personal computer communication and computer networks.
It was not based on voice media from a typical telephone terminal. Therefore, when each user provides / posts information to an unspecified number of users by using a voice medium from a general telephone terminal or the like, the reaction (response / answer / response) of the unspecified number of other users who referred to the information. Information could not be provided / posted by expecting in advance to be newly provided / posted as related information or by intentionally prompting. An object of the present invention is to solve the above problems and provide an information providing system and an information providing method by which each user can provide / post desired information and related information among an unspecified number of users. It is to provide, in particular, an information report providing system and an information providing method using a voice medium by a general telephone terminal or the like.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises a plurality of terminals (101 in FIG. 1) and one or more exchanges (102) connected to the plurality of terminals. A network, a service control device (107) that is connected to an exchange and controls execution of information services, and is connected to the exchange or service control device, and registers information under control of the service control device based on an instruction from an arbitrary terminal. , An information storage / reproduction device (103) capable of referring to information and deleting information. The service control unit
The related information of the registered information is identified as such (related information I
D) and additionally register in the information storage / reproduction device. The information storage / playback apparatus also stores an information field list area (104) for storing fields to which information to be registered belongs, an information list area (105) for storing information for each information field registered in the information field list area, and information. The service control device has a registration information number list area (106) for each information field registered in the list area, and the service control device has the information field list area, the information list area, and the registration information number list area. Necessary information is extracted by referring to the contents of.

[0007]

According to the present invention, by having the above means, the user can register information in any information field in the information storage / reproduction device by an instruction from the terminal, at which time the information to be registered has already been registered. In the case of information related to the specific information that has been registered or response / answer / commentary information to the specific information that has already been registered, it is possible to additionally register that it is indicated. Also,
The user can arbitrarily refer to the information in the information storage / reproduction device registered by an unspecified number of users including himself / herself by an instruction from the terminal. Further, the user can delete the information in the information storage / reproduction device registered by the requesting user himself / herself by an instruction from the terminal.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of an information providing service realizing system according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The "information" referred to in the specification of the present application is basically an audio medium in a telephone terminal, but may be a multimedia in a FAX, a video terminal, a data terminal, or another dedicated terminal. FIG. 1 is a configuration example of a network for realizing the information providing service in the present invention. In the figure, 101 is a terminal owned by each user (telephone terminal,
FAX, video terminal, data terminal, other dedicated terminal), 102 is an exchange, 103 is an information storage / reproduction device, 1
Reference numeral 04 is an information field list, 105 is an information list, 106 is a registered information number list, and 107 is a service control device. Service control device (107) for controlling execution of information exchange service
And a plurality of terminals (101) are connected via an exchange (102). In addition, the service control device (107)
It is connected to an information storage / playback device (103) that manages information handled by this service.

In the figure, the service control unit (10
7) is for controlling execution of this service, and the information storage / playback device (103) is for storing / playing back information handled by this service. Basically, it may be a voice storage / playback device.
It is also possible to replace with an information storage / playback device / multimedia database compatible with multimedia.
The information storage / reproduction device (103) may be divided into a plurality of units according to the scale of storage, or may be directly connected to the exchange (102) independently of the service control device (107). is there. Further, the service control device (107) can be connected to any number of exchanges (102) greater than or equal to 1 (FIG. 1 shows an example in which two exchanges are connected).

Each user who can execute this service is a user ID that can uniquely identify the user from the service provider in advance.
And a plurality of information fields are defined in advance by the service provider, or additional fields are added at any time. The information field here is, for example, an academic field, a hobby field, or the like, and if necessary, the academic field is subdivided into an information processing field, a biological field, and the hobby field is divided into a music field, a sports field, a gardening field, and the like. You can also Each defined information field is an information field list (104) in which an information field ID for identifying the information field and an information field name are uniquely associated with each other.
Are stored and managed in the information storage / playback apparatus (103). FIG. 3 shows a configuration example of the information field list (104). Further, the information storage area corresponding to each information field stored in the information field list (104) is an information storage / reproduction device (10).
3), and is managed as an information list (105). There are as many information fields (105) as there are information fields. The information list (105) corresponding to the information field is a set of information in the same information field, and the information I for each information field ID.
It is a list of D, registered user IDs, and information, and has a configuration as shown in FIG. 4, for example.

As shown in FIG. 5, the format of each information in the information list (105) is composed of a related information ID, an information title, and an information body which is the substance of the information. Here, the related information ID is an information ID of another information related to or referenced / cited by the content of the information (information body).
The information title is a title / headline that briefly represents the outline of the information (information body). Further, the information storage / reproduction device (103) has an information list (10) for each information field.
The registered information number list (106) for managing the number of information registered in 5) is also managed. This registration information list (1
06) is for each information field ID of each information list (105),
Among the registered information, the information ID of the oldest information, that is, the youngest number ID, the information ID of the newest information, that is, the oldest number ID, and the number of registrations indicating the number of registered information are managed. FIG. 6 shows a configuration example of the registration information number list (106).

The execution of this service is started by a call from the terminal (101) to the service control unit by the user, and until the execution is completed, the terminal (101), the service control unit (107), and the information storage / reproduction are performed. Device (10
It is realized by transmitting and receiving control signals and information among the three parties of 3). The content of this service basically consists of the following three types. (1) Reference of information (2) Registration of new information (provision / posting) (3) Registration of related information (provision / posting) (4) Deletion of registration information FIG. 2 shows (1) to (4) above. It shows how to realize it. This service will be described with reference to FIG. However, only the outline of the operation after the user calls the service from the terminal (101), substantially the service control device (107), and the service is started will be described.

(1) Reference of information: (see (1) of FIG. 2) Each user can refer to any information registered in the information storage / reproduction device (103). 1) The user uses the service control device (1) from the terminal (101).
07) to issue an information reference request. At this time, the user specifies the information field name of the information to be referred to and, if necessary, the information ID range of the information to be referred to. 2) The service control device (107) and the information storage / reproduction device (103) cooperate with each other to search and specify the set of information specified in 1) above. 3) The service control device (107) and the information storage / reproduction device (103) cooperate with each other to transmit the set of information obtained in 2) to the terminal (101). As described above, the user can refer to the desired information.

(2) Registration of new information (provision / posting):
(See FIG. 2 (2)) Each user can newly register arbitrary information in the information storage / reproduction device (103). This is for the user to provide / post information to an unspecified number of other users, and to encourage other users to provide / post information related to the information. 1) The user uses the service control device (1) from the terminal (101).
07) to issue a new information registration request. At this time, the user specifies to which information field the new information to be registered belongs. 2) The user controls the service control unit (1) from the terminal (101).
07), or new information is transmitted to the information storage / reproduction device (103). 3) The service control device (107) and the information storage / playback device (103) cooperate with each other to register (store) the information in a designated area corresponding to the information field in the information storage / playback device (103). As described above, the user can newly register arbitrary information.

(3) Registration (provision / posting) of related information:
(Refer to FIG. 2 (3)) Each user can register related information for specific information in the information storage / playback apparatus (103). This is for providing / posting relevant information for the user himself / herself arbitrarily referred to by the user or specific information registered by another user. 1) The user uses the service control device (1) from the terminal (101).
07) to issue an information reference request. At this time, the user specifies the information field name of the information to be referred to and, if necessary, the information ID range to be referred to. 2) The service control device (107) and the information storage / reproduction device (103) cooperate with each other to search and specify the set of information specified in 1) above. 3) The service control device (107) and the information storage / reproduction device (103) cooperate with each other to transmit the set of information obtained in 2) to the terminal (101). 4) The user selects the service control device (1) from the terminal (101).
07) to issue a related information registration request. At this time, the user designates which information in which information field the related information to be registered relates to. 5) The user selects the service control device (1) from the terminal (101).
07) to send relevant information. 6) The service control device (107) and the information storage / playback device (103) cooperate with each other to register (store) the information in a designated area corresponding to the information field in the information storage / playback device (103). At this time, it is recorded that the information is related information of the specified specific information. From the above, the user can register any related information for any information. However, the above 1) to 3) are procedures only when necessary.

(4) Deletion of registration information: (see (4) in FIG. 2) Each user can delete any information in the information storage / playback apparatus (103) registered by the user himself. This is to stop providing / posting the specific information registered by the user to an unspecified number of other users. 1) The user uses the service control device (1) from the terminal (101).
07) to issue an information deletion request. At this time, the user specifies the information field name of the information to be deleted and the information ID. 2) The service control device (107) and the information storage / reproduction device (103) cooperate with each other to search and identify the information specified in 1) above. 3) The service control device (107) and the information storage / playback device (103) cooperate with each other to obtain the information obtained in 2) above from the terminal (10
Send to 1). 4) The user selects the service control device (1) from the terminal (101).
A deletion confirmation signal is issued to 07). 5) The service control device (107) and the information storage / playback device (103) cooperate with each other to delete the specified information in the information storage / playback device (103). However, the execution of deletion is performed by the user I who is the deletion request source when the registered user ID of the information is
It is possible only when it matches with D. As described above, the user can delete any information registered by the user himself.

FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 show a flow chart of an embodiment of this service. 7 and 8,
In the following description, SCE represents the service control device (107) and IRE represents the information storage / reproduction device (103). Hereinafter, FIG. 7 (steps 1 to 12) and FIG.
The information providing service according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of (steps 12 to 31). (Step 1): The user calls the SCE from the terminal. In the present embodiment, the user ID of the user is assumed to be the ID of the calling terminal (hereinafter simply referred to as the terminal) at the time of calling, so that the SCE receiving the call is the user I at that time.
Assume that D is recognized. (Step 2): The SCE sends the terminal guidance to notify the start of the service. (Step 3): From the terminal to the SCE, the user
Specify the guidance mode and send. The guidance mode is a guidance mode for allowing the user to perform an operation on the terminal by a voice instruction from the SCE, and is familiar with the detailed guidance mode and the operation method that allow a user who does not know the operation method to understand at all. Provide a simple guidance mode for users who are doing Therefore, all user operations on the terminals described below are SC
Follow the guidance from E. In the following description, the guidance from SCE is omitted, and is also omitted in FIG. 7. It should be noted that when the terminal is a telephone terminal, the user specifies the guidance mode by dialing numbers corresponding to the guidance mode (for example, # 1 key and # 0 key).
Key) transmission. After that, the user makes SC from the terminal.
The signal transmitted to E is performed by this method except for the information body to be registered.

(Step 4): The user makes the SC from the terminal.
E is designated and transmitted as to whether or not the transmission of the information field list is requested. (Step 5): It is determined whether or not the designation from the user is a transmission request for the information field list. (Step 6): The SCE reproduces and transmits the information list in the IRE to the terminal only when the terminal requests the information list transmission. This allows the user to refer to the list of information fields existing in the terminal. When the terminal is a telephone terminal, the user repeatedly listens to the terminal by a set of information field IDs and information field names for the number of all information fields. The list of information fields is
It is also possible for the service provider to distribute to each user on another medium, for example, on paper, without going through the network. (Step 7): The user responds to SCE from the terminal.
The information field ID of the information field to which the information desired to be referred to, registered, or deleted belongs is specified and transmitted. (Step 8): The SCE reproduces the information registration number of the designated information field in the IRE and the information ID of the youngest number and reproduces and transmits the information ID of the oldest number to the terminal. (Step 9): The user responds to the SCE from the terminal.
Before performing reference, registration, and deletion, the range of the title list transmitted from the SCE is designated using the information ID and transmitted. As the designation method, not only the method of designating the youngest number information ID and the oldest number information ID within the designated range but also a method of designating some information retroactively from the latest information is possible. (Step 10): The SCE transmits the information title in the specified information ID range in the IRE to the terminal.
As a result, the user can refer to the list of information titles of information registered in the terminal. If the terminal is a telephone terminal, the user
The set of D, the related information ID, and the information title is repeated by the number of all information fields and heard by voice. (Step 11): The user specifies the operation mode from the terminal and sends it to the SCE. Operation modes include
There are “reference”, “registration”, and “deletion”, which refer to information, register new information or related information, and delete information, respectively. (Step 12): If the operation mode designated in Step 11 is "reference", proceed to Step 13, if "registration", proceed to Step 16, and if "delete", proceed to Step 23.

In the case of "reference": (steps 13 to 15) (step 13): The user designates the range of the information ID of the information to be referred to the SCE and transmits it. The designation method is the youngest ID and the oldest I within the specified range.
In addition to the method of designating D, a method of designating some information retroactively from the latest information is possible. (Step 14): The information in the specified information ID range in the IRE is reproduced. (Step 15): SCE instructs the terminal to perform Step 1
The information reproduced in 4 is transmitted. This allows the user to refer to the desired information on the terminal. If the terminal is a telephone terminal, the user
D, the related information ID, the user name or user ID that registered the information, and the set of the information body will be heard by voice.

In the case of "registration": (steps 16 to 22) (step 16): The user designates the new information registration or the related information registration from the terminal and sends it to the SCE. (Step 17): It is determined whether the user designation is new information registration or related information registration. (Step 18): When the user has designated the registration of the related information, the user designates the information ID of the related / referenced / quoted information of the related information to be registered and transmits it to the SCE. (Step 19): The user transmits the information to be registered from the terminal to the SCE. If the terminal is a telephone terminal,
The user will send the voice information or message. (Step 20): The SCE adds the information ID to the received information.
Is added and added to the information list in the IRE and accumulated (recorded). (Step 21): Update the list of registered information numbers in the IRE. (Step 22): The SCE transmits the information ID of the registered information to the terminal. When the terminal is a telephone terminal, the user hears the information ID at the terminal and can confirm that the information has been registered. As described above, the user can newly register or additionally register desired information from the terminal.

In the case of "deletion": (steps 23 to 30) (step 23): The user designates the information ID of the information to be deleted from the terminal and sends it to the SCE. (Step 24): The information of the specified information ID in the IRE is reproduced. (Step 25): The SCE transmits the reproduced information to the terminal. (Step 26): The user specifies the deletion confirmation (a signal indicating deletion execution or deletion cancellation) from the terminal and sends it to the SCE. (Step 27): The SCE determines whether the deletion confirmation is deletion execution or cancellation specified by the user. (Step 28): If the designation from the user indicates execution of deletion, the user ID of the registered user of the information.
Is determined to match the user ID of the delete request source user. (Step 29): The information in the IRE is deleted only when the judgment is made in Step 28 when they match. (Step 30): Update the list of registration information numbers in the IRE. If the deletion is confirmed as a result of the deletion confirmation in step 27, or if the user ID of the registered user of the information does not match the user ID of the deletion request source user in step 28, the deletion is not executed. As described above, the user can delete the desired information registered by the user from the terminal. (Step 31): When the “reference” process of steps 13 to 15, the “registration” process of steps 16 to 22, or the “delete” process of steps 23 to 31 is completed, the call is disconnected and the process of the present embodiment is performed. finish. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the user can refer to information registered by another user in the information storage / reproduction device from any terminal, additionally register new information or related information,
It is possible to delete it, so that each user can provide desired information among unspecified number of users.
It becomes possible to post each other.

As a concrete example of the use of the above embodiment, a user who desires to obtain information on a specific matter in a certain field from a large number of other unspecified users may want to refer to the information in the information field. If the information is not present in the list and the wishes are not satisfied, by newly registering (posting) that the content of the information you want to obtain is requested as additional information, There is a possibility that another user who has referred to the information requesting certain information) will register (provide / post) the information desired by the previous request source user. When the information in the same information field is referred to again after a certain amount of time has passed, the chances of fulfilling hope increase. Also,
As another application example, it is possible to perform public opinion exchange and discussion in a desired information field of a specific user among unspecified large number of users who are interested in the field.

[0023]

When the information providing service realizing method according to the present invention is used, information (basically voice information, that is, a message) of an arbitrary field is provided / posted among an unspecified number of users at an arbitrary time. It becomes possible to fit.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a network configuration example for realizing information provision according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of information reference, information registration, related information registration, and information deletion according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration example of an information field list according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a configuration example of an information list in the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a format of information in an information list according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a structural example of a registered information number list according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an information providing process according to the present invention (No. 1).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart of an information providing process according to the present invention (No. 2).

[Explanation of symbols]

101 ... Terminal, 102 ... Exchange, 103 ... Information storage / reproduction device, 104 ... Information field list, 105 ... Information list, 10
6 ... List of registered information number, 107 ... Service control device

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of terminals having a voice input / output function,
A network having one or more exchanges connected to the plurality of terminals, a service control device connected to the exchanges to execute and control a voice information service, and any one of the terminals connected to the exchanges or the service control device. An information storage system capable of registering voice information, referring to voice information, and deleting voice information under the control of the service control device based on a user's instruction. 2. The information providing system according to claim 1, wherein the service control device further comprises means for additionally registering the related information of the registered voice information in the information storage / reproduction device with an identification to that effect. Information provision system characterized by. 3. A network having a plurality of terminals, one or more exchanges connected to the plurality of terminals, a service control device connected to the exchanges for executing and controlling an information service, the exchanges or the service control. Connected to the device, based on user instructions from any of the terminals,
An information providing system comprising an information storage / reproduction device capable of registering information, referencing information, and deleting information under the control of the service control device, wherein the service control device comprises:
An information providing system characterized by further comprising means for additionally registering relevant information of registered information in the information storage / reproduction device with an identification to that effect. 4. The information providing system according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the information storage / reproduction device stores an information field list area for storing fields to which information to be registered belongs, and each information field registered in the information field list area. Of information registered in the information list area and an information number list area for each information field registered in the information list area. The service control device includes the information field list area and the information list area. , And the necessary information is extracted by referring to the contents of the registration information number list area. 5. A terminal owned by each user and a service control apparatus for controlling execution of network services are connected through one or more exchanges, and information transmitted from the terminals can be registered, reproduced, and deleted. In an information providing method in a system in which an information storage / playback device is connected to the service control device or the exchange, the information from the terminal is registered in the information storage / playback device according to an instruction from a user terminal, and When the information to be registered is information related to the registered specific information, the step of registering the information indicating that effect together with the instruction from the user's terminal allows an unspecified number of unspecified users including the user himself / herself. Make a request by arbitrarily referring to information in the information storage / playback device registered by the user and by an instruction from the user's terminal And a step of deleting information in the information storage / reproduction device registered by the user himself / herself.