Web conference system

Abstract

To improve the security of a Web conference by preventing an improper guest from continuously logging in.SOLUTION: A Web conference system comprises an administrator setting part (31) that sets a specific account for an administrator and a guest account setting part (32) that sets a guest account, and in which a determination button (71) is arranged, enabling to display the face of a guest who logs in to the guest account on equipment (11) of an administrator who logs in or outputs the voice of the guest from a loudspeaker (46), to the account set by the administrator setting part, and an action to let the guest continuously log in or log out.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a Web conference system for communicating and sharing information between a plurality of information terminals. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, Web conferencing systems that connect multiple information terminals for two-way communication and hold online conferences have become widespread. In most Web conferencing systems, an administrator (host) sets up the conference, and guests who are participants other than the administrator log in using the conference information (conference ID, Web address, etc.) and account information (participant ID, password, etc.) provided by the administrator to participate in the conference.

[0003] As disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3, existing Web conference systems have a function for transferring administrator authority to other participants during the conference, allowing the conference to continue. In such Web conference systems, an account including a conference ID is communicated to participants, and multiple participants participate in the conference using the same account, allowing for flexible response to changes in conference participants. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-057709 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2011-524572 [Patent Document 3] JP 2015-230532 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, with conventional web conferencing systems, if an outsider logged in to a conference due to an account being leaked or stolen, the outsider could continue to participate in the conference without appearing on the screen, posing a security problem.

[0006] Therefore, in a Web conferencing system, there is a problem to be solved of ensuring security by determining whether or not to allow a guest participating in a Web conference to continue logging in to the conference after confirming whether the guest is a member who is authorized to participate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A Web conferencing system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises an administrator setting unit that sets a specific account as an administrator, and a guest account setting unit that sets a guest account, and is characterized in that a decision button is provided on the device of an administrator who is logged in using an account set in the administrator setting unit to display the face of the guest who has logged in using the guest account, or to output the guest's voice from a speaker, enabling the guest to continue logging in or to exit.

[0008] The device may also be provided with a private calling feature that allows at least two of the multiple logged-in accounts to make calls separately from the other accounts. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the Web conferencing system of the present invention, after checking the face and voice of a guest who has logged in with a guest account, the administrator can select on his / her device whether to allow the guest to continue logging in or to have the guest exit, thereby ensuring security. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a Web conference system. [Diagram 2]1 is a flowchart showing the process of the Web conference system. [Diagram 3] 11 is a flowchart showing a process related to a time condition for automatic logout of the Web conference system. [Figure 4] 13A and 13B are diagrams illustrating examples of an administrator registration format and a guest registration format. [Diagram 5] 1 is an example of the screen configuration of a display unit in a web conference. [Figure 6] The screen of the display unit of the administrator terminal displays a notification icon for prompting guest approval. [Figure 7] The judgment button and the alert display are displayed on the screen of the display unit of the administrator terminal. [Figure 8] The judgment button and the alert display are displayed on the screen of the display unit of the administrator terminal. [Figure 9] The alert message is displayed on the screen of the display unit of the guest terminal. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a Web conference system 10 according to this embodiment. The Web conference system 10 is an electronic conference system for transmitting and receiving various data such as images, text, and audio between multiple information terminals, and for users of the terminals to communicate with each other in real time. A person who holds and manages a Web conference in the Web conference system 10 is called an administrator. A person who is invited to participate in a Web conference by the administrator and participates in the Web conference is called a guest.

[0012] The Web conference system 10 includes at least one administrator terminal 11, which is an electronic device operated by an administrator, and at least one guest terminal 12, which is an electronic device operated by a guest. The Web conference system 10 may include multiple administrator terminals 11 and multiple guest terminals 12. FIG. 1 shows an example of one administrator terminal 11 and two guest terminals 12, and components other than a communication unit 51 of the second guest terminal 12 are omitted from the illustration. When the Web conference system 10 includes multiple guest terminals 12, a determination of whether or not to continue login, which will be described later, may be made for all guest terminals 12, or may be made for only a specific guest terminal 12.

[0013] The Web conference system 10 includes a system control unit 13. The system control unit 13 comprehensively controls and manages the entire Web conference, such as setting up a Web conference, managing the login of each terminal to the Web conference, managing communication and information sharing between each terminal during the Web conference, and ending the Web conference.

[0014] The system control unit 13 is mounted on any device constituting the Web conference system 10. For example, a server to which all the manager terminals 11 and guest terminals 12 are connected may be provided, and this server may function as the system control unit 13. Alternatively, the manager terminal 11 may be capable of communicating with the guest terminals 12 without going through the server, and the manager terminal 11 may have the functions of the system control unit 13.

[0015] The system control unit 13 includes, as its hardware configuration, a controller 20, a read only memory (ROM) 21, a random access memory (RAM) 22, a storage unit 23, and a communication unit 24.

[0016] The controller 20 includes a calculation device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and controls the operation of each unit according to a control program stored in a ROM 21. In other words, the Web conference system 10 of this embodiment is controlled by the control program stored in the ROM 21 of the system control unit 13. The RAM 22 is used as a working area for temporary data expansion.

[0017] The storage unit 23 is configured with a readable / writable storage medium such as a hard disk or a flash memory, and is used to store conference information and account information for Web conferences, data communicated during Web conferences, and the like.

[0018] The communication unit 24 is a communication interface that communicates with each terminal and network that constitute the Web conference system 10. The communication performed by the communication unit 24 may be wired communication or wireless communication.

[0019] The system control unit 13 includes, as functional blocks, a conference setting unit 30, an administrator setting unit 31, a guest account setting unit 32, a login management unit 33, and a communication control unit 34. The functions of these functional blocks are realized by the cooperation of the controller 20, ROM 21, RAM 22, storage unit 23, and communication unit 24.

[0020] Based on information input from an administrator, the conference setting unit 30 determines or generates the conference ID, conference content (title), and conference date and time of the Web conference to be held, and stores this information related to the conference in the storage unit 23.

[0021] The administrator setting unit 31 has a function of setting an account for an administrator. Based on information input to the administrator registration format 15 shown in Fig. 4, the administrator setting unit 31 sets an administrator account and stores the administrator account information in the storage unit 23. The administrator account information includes an administrator ID and an administrator password.

[0022] The guest account setting unit 32 has a function of setting an account for a guest. Based on information inputted to a guest registration format 16 shown in Fig. 4, the guest account setting unit 32 sets a guest account and stores the guest account information in the storage unit 23. The guest account information includes a guest ID and a guest password. When there are multiple guests, individual guest account information (guest ID, guest password) is set for each guest.

[0023] The login management unit 33 manages login and logout of the administrator and guests to the Web conference being held. With reference to the administrator ID and administrator password input from the administrator terminal 11, the login management unit 33 determines whether or not login from the administrator terminal 11 is permitted. With reference to the guest ID and guest password input from the guest terminal 12, the login management unit 33 determines whether or not login from the guest terminal 12 is permitted. The login management unit 33 is also responsible for control and processing related to determining whether or not login can be continued, which will be described later.

[0024] The communication control unit 34 controls communication between each terminal participating in the Web conference. Data communication of images, text, and audio, management of information sharing between multiple terminals, permission or denial of image display and audio input / output at each terminal, etc. are managed by the communication control unit 34. The communication control unit 34 is also responsible for control and processing related to private calls, which will be described later.

[0025] The administrator terminal 11 and the guest terminal 12 are each any electronic device capable of inputting and outputting image information and audio information, such as a personal computer, a tablet computer, a smartphone, etc. As shown in Fig. 1, the administrator terminal 11 and the guest terminal 12 each include, as hardware configurations, a controller 40, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 41, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 42, a display unit 43, a display control unit 44, an imaging unit 45, an audio output unit 46, an audio input unit 47, an audio control unit 48, an operation input unit 49, a storage unit 50, and a communication unit 51.

[0026] The controller 40 includes a calculation device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the operation of each component in accordance with a control program stored in a ROM 41. The RAM 42 is used as a working area for temporary data development.

[0027] The display unit 43 is a dot-matrix image display device such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display, etc. The display control unit 44 is a display driver that controls image display on the display unit 43 based on an image signal.

[0028] The imaging unit 45 is a camera that receives an object image optically formed by an optical system such as a lens with an image sensor, performs photoelectric conversion, and outputs an image signal.

[0029] The audio output unit 46 is a speaker that converts an electric signal into vibration of a diaphragm and outputs it as sound. The audio input unit 47 is a microphone that converts the vibration of the diaphragm that receives sound into an electric signal. The audio control unit 48 is an audio driver that controls the audio output from the audio output unit 46 and the audio input from the audio input unit 47.

[0030] The operation input unit 49 is an operation unit through which a user inputs information and instructions when operating the administrator terminal 11 or the guest terminal 12, and is composed of operation devices such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a touch panel.

[0031] The display unit 43, the imaging unit 45, the audio output unit 46, the audio input unit 47, and the operation input unit 49 may be mounted on the terminal body of the administrator terminal 11 or the guest terminal 12, or may be configured as external devices separate from the terminal body. If they are external devices, the terminal body of the administrator terminal 11 or the guest terminal 12 is provided with a connection interface capable of signal communication with these external devices.

[0032] The storage unit 50 is configured with a readable / writable storage medium such as a hard disk or a flash memory, and is used to store image data, text data, audio data, and the like.

[0033] The communication unit 51 is a communication interface that communicates with each terminal and a network in the Web conference system 10. The communication performed by the communication unit 51 may be wired communication or wireless communication.

[0034] The administrator terminal 11 and the guest terminal 12 may be the same type of electronic device or different types of electronic devices. For example, the administrator terminal 11 may be a personal computer and the guest terminal 12 may be a smartphone.

[0035] When the functions of the system control unit 13 are installed in the administrator terminal 11, the controller 40, ROM 41, RAM 42, memory unit 50, and communication unit 51 in the administrator terminal 11 may function as the controller 20, ROM 21, RAM 22, memory unit 23, and communication unit 24 in the system control unit 13.

[0036] The Web conference system 10 has a private call function that allows at least two of the multiple accounts logged in to the Web conference to make calls separately from the other accounts. A private call can be made either between the administrator terminal 11 (administrator account) and the guest terminal 12 (guest account), or between multiple guest terminals 12 (guest accounts). A private call can also be made between three or more accounts.

[0037] The communication control unit 34 of the system control unit 13 sets up a dedicated data communication path for private calls between terminals that have requested a private call among the terminals logged in to the Web conference, and controls the communication of predetermined data (particularly, voice data) only between terminals included in the dedicated data communication path. Voice data and image data during a private call are not distributed to terminals that are not included in the dedicated data communication path.

[0038] The screen configuration displayed on the display unit 43 of each terminal logged in to the Web conference is shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is an example of the screen configuration in the administrator terminal 11. Note that this screen configuration is just an example, and the contents displayed on the display unit 43 are not limited to this. In addition, the Web conference system 10 may have functions other than the functions realized by the screen configuration in Fig. 5.

[0039] A main display area 60 on the screen of the display unit 43 displays real-time images captured by the imaging unit 45 of another terminal, the contents of a file whose display is being shared among a plurality of terminals, and the like.

[0040] A sub-display area 61 on the screen of the display unit 43 displays information on the content corresponding to a tab selected in a tab area 62 at the top. In the example of Fig. 5, the "Participant List" tab is selected in the tab area 62, and simple information on each participant (account other than the participant's own) who is logged in to the Web conference is displayed in a list in the sub-display area 61.

[0041] When chatting (exchanging messages in real time) with other participants, the “Chat” tab is selected in the tab area 62, and the contents of the chat are displayed in the sub-display area 61.

[0042] A lower area 63 of the screen of the display unit 43 displays icons and buttons for various operations.

[0043] The video button 64 is used to switch the operation of the imaging unit 45 of the terminal on and off. When the operation of the imaging unit 45 is turned on, the imaging unit 45 of the terminal captures images and distributes the captured images in real time, which are displayed on the display unit 43 of the other terminal that is logged in. When the operation of the imaging unit 45 is turned off, the imaging by the imaging unit 45 of the terminal stops, and the captured images in real time on the terminal's side are no longer displayed on the display unit 43 of the other terminal that is logged in.

[0044] The mute button 65 is used to switch on / off the operation of the audio input unit 47 of the terminal. When the operation of the audio input unit 47 is turned on, audio input to the audio input unit 47 of the terminal is distributed and output from the audio output unit 46 of the other terminal that is currently logged in. When the operation of the audio input unit 47 is turned off, audio input to the audio input unit 47 of the terminal is stopped, and real-time audio from the terminal is no longer output from the audio output unit 46 of the other terminal that is currently logged in.

[0045] The screen sharing button 66 makes it possible to share the screen displayed in the main display area 60 of the display unit 43 with other terminals that are currently logged in.

[0046] The private call button 67 is used when making a private call with another logged-in terminal. For example, a private call can be started by selecting any account (multiple accounts are possible) from the participant list displayed in the sub-display area 61 and then operating the private call button 67. The private call can be ended by operating the private call button 67 again.

[0047] The logout button 68 is used when exiting the conference to which the user is currently logged in (when logging out of the user's own terminal).

[0048] Next, the operation and control of the Web conference system 10 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3 and the screen display examples of FIGS.

[0049] In step 100, an administrator account and a guest account are set up as a preparation for holding a Web conference.

[0050] When setting up a Web conference, an administrator (strictly speaking, a person who will be the administrator when the Web conference is held) displays the administrator registration format 15 and guest registration format 16 shown in Fig. 4 on a specified terminal and inputs information into each item. The terminal that displays the registration formats 15 and 16 and inputs information may be the administrator terminal 11 or a terminal other than the administrator terminal 11 (such as a computer for a server).

[0051] When the administrator inputs information into each item of administrator registration format 15 and operates the "Create" button on administrator registration format 15 after inputting each item, administrator setting unit 31 of system control unit 13 sets up an administrator account based on the administrator information (employee number and name in the example of FIG. 4) input into administrator registration format 15 and issues an administrator ID and an administrator password. The administrator account information including the administrator ID and administrator password is stored in memory unit 23 of system control unit 13. In addition, conference setting unit 30 of system control unit 13 sets up a conference ID for the Web conference based on the input information in administrator registration format 15 and stores it in memory unit 23 of system control unit 13 as conference information together with information on the conference content (title) and the date and time of the conference.

[0052] When the administrator inputs information into each item of guest registration format 16 and operates the "Create" button of guest registration format 16 after inputting each item, guest account setting unit 32 of system control unit 13 sets up a guest account based on the guest information inputted into guest registration format 16 (in the example of FIG. 4, the guest's display name and company name (organization name)), and issues a guest ID and a guest password. The guest account information including the guest ID and guest password is stored in memory unit 23 of system control unit 13.

[0053] The administrator notifies the guests (or more precisely, those who will be guests when the Web conference is held) of the issued conference ID, guest ID, and guest password. The conference ID can be notified in the form of a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) or a two-dimensional code.

[0054] When there are multiple guests, a guest account is created for each guest, and each guest is notified of an individual guest ID and guest password.

[0055] In step 101, each member logs in to the Web conference specified by the conference ID. In the Web conference system 10, a terminal that logs in to the Web conference by entering an administrator ID and an administrator password becomes the administrator terminal 11, and a person operating the administrator terminal 11 becomes the administrator. A terminal that logs in to the Web conference by entering a guest ID and a guest password becomes the guest terminal 12, and a person operating the guest terminal 12 becomes the guest. Note that with regard to the administrator terminal 11, it is possible to link the device information of the administrator terminal 11 with an administrator account in advance, and omit the input of the administrator ID and administrator password when logging in (automate logging in).

[0056] The login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 compares the ID and password for each of the administrator terminal 11 and the guest terminal 12, and if the ID and password match, allows login to the Web conference, and if they do not match, denies login to the Web conference.

[0057] In step 102, under the control of the communication control unit 34 of the system control unit 13, each terminal that has logged in to the Web conference is caused to display an image on the display unit 43, capture an image using the imaging unit 45, output audio from the audio output unit 46, and input audio from the audio input unit 47.

[0058] In detail, the imaging unit 45 and the audio input unit 47 of the guest terminal 12 are operated to capture an image of the guest and input the guest's audio, and the captured image of the guest is displayed on the display unit 43 (main display area 60) of the administrator terminal 11, and the guest's audio is output from the audio output unit 46 of the administrator terminal 11. This makes it possible for the administrator to check the image and audio of the guest.

[0059] At this stage, if the guest terminal 12 is set to stop image capture by the imaging unit 45 and audio input by the audio input unit 47 by operating the video button 64 or mute button 65, the administrator can contact the guest to request permission for image capture and audio input by using a private call (step 105 in Figure 2) described below.

[0060] Alternatively, the imaging by the imaging unit 45 and the audio input by the audio input unit 47 on the guest terminal 12 side may be configured to be externally controllable, and the communication control unit 34 of the system control unit 13 may control the imaging by the imaging unit 45 and the audio input by the audio input unit 47 on the guest terminal 12 to be automatically (forcibly) performed until the guest login continuation process (step 110) described below is performed.

[0061] In step 103, with both the administrator terminal 11 and the guest terminal 12 logged in, the login management unit 33 and communication control unit 34 of the system control unit 13 control the administrator terminal 11 only to display details regarding guest approval.

[0062] In detail, as shown in Fig. 6, a notification icon 70 is displayed together with a message urging the administrator to approve the guests in the sub-display area 61 of the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11. In addition, a number in a circle indicating the number of unapproved guest accounts (the number of guest terminals 12) is displayed near the notification icon 70. In the example screen display of Fig. 6, one of two guest accounts is in an unapproved state.

[0063] 7, the login management unit 33 causes a decision button 71 to be displayed in the sub-display area 61 of the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11 together with the name of the unapproved guest. The decision button 71 is composed of a continue button 72 and an exit button 73. In other words, the login management unit 33 places the decision button 71 in the administrator terminal 11, which enables an action to continue the login of the guest or to exit the guest.

[0064] For example, when an operation such as clicking the notification icon 70 shown in Fig. 6 with a pointer (mouse cursor) is performed, a screen transition is performed so that the decision button 71 shown in Fig. 7 is displayed. Alternatively, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the display of the notification icon 70, the decision button 71 may be automatically displayed.

[0065] The administrator can confirm whether a guest is permitted to participate in the conference based on physical characteristics such as the guest's image (especially the face) displayed on the display unit 43 (main display area 60) of the administrator terminal 11 and the guest's voice output from the audio output unit 46 of the administrator terminal 11, and can determine whether or not to allow the guest to continue logging in, and select the result of the determination by inputting (action) into the determination button 71.

[0066] This selection is made via the operation of the operation input unit 49. For example, if the display unit 43 is a touch panel type display device and also functions as the operation input unit 49, the input is made by the administrator touching the location of the continue button 72 or the exit button 73 displayed on the screen of the display unit 43. If the operation input unit 49 is a mouse or keyboard, the input is made by moving the pointer (mouse cursor) displayed on the screen of the display unit 43 to the location of the continue button 72 or the exit button 73 by operating the mouse or keyboard, and clicking the mouse or pressing a predetermined key on the keyboard.

[0067] Alternatively, if the administrator terminal 11 has an input function using voice recognition, it is possible to make an input equivalent to the operation of the continue button 72 or the exit button 73 by voice input (voice recognition) to the voice input unit 47 of the administrator terminal 11. Such operations using voice input are also included in the input to the determination button 71.

[0068] The above processes from displaying the notification icon 70 to displaying the decision button 71 are carried out in step 103. After step 103, the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 determines whether or not there has been an input to the decision button 71 in the administrator terminal 11 (step 106). If there has been an input to the decision button 71 (YES in step 106), the login management unit 33 determines whether the continue button 72 or the exit button 73 has been operated (step 107).

[0069] When an operation input is made to the continue button 72 in the administrator terminal 11, the process proceeds to "Continue" in step 107, and the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 carries out the continuation process in step 110. In the continuation process, the login of the guest terminal 12 is maintained. Also, if an alert display 74 (FIG. 7) or an alert display 75 (FIG. 8) based on an automatic exit function described later is displayed on the display unit 43, the display of the alert display 74 or the alert display 75 is terminated in the continuation process in step 110.

[0070] When the exit button 73 is operated in the administrator terminal 11, the process proceeds to "Exit" in step 107, and the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 performs the exit process in step 109. In the exit process, under the control of the communication control unit 34 of the system control unit 13, the guest account of the unauthorized guest terminal 12 is forcibly logged out of the conference, and communication with the guest terminal 12 is cut off. In addition, the guest ID and guest password of the guest account that has been forcibly logged out are invalidated to prohibit re-entry to the conference, and a process is performed to refuse connection of the guest account unless permission is given from the administrator terminal 11.

[0071] In this way, the administrator can check the face and voice of a guest who logs in to a Web conference, and if the administrator determines that the guest is an invited guest, the guest account is given permission to participate in the Web conference. This prevents uninvited guests from impersonating others to participate in the Web conference, thereby strengthening the security of the Web conference.

[0072] In this embodiment, before determining whether or not the guest should continue participating, the administrator terminal 11 both displays the image of the guest and outputs the guest's voice, but it is also possible to only display the image of the guest or output the guest's voice. In other words, the administrator may make a decision based on only one of the image and voice of the guest.

[0073] The Web conferencing system 10 of this embodiment is equipped with an additional approval support function to strengthen security and improve the accuracy of the decision when the administrator decides whether or not to allow a logged-in guest to participate in the conference.

[0074] [Auto exit function] When a guest account logs in and the administrator does not operate the decision button 71 even after a predetermined time has elapsed since login, that is, when the administrator does not actively approve participation, the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 performs control so that the guest account is automatically logged out after the predetermined time has elapsed. The determination of whether the time condition is met in step 108 in Fig. 2 corresponds to this function, and if the administrator does not operate the decision button 71 even after a predetermined time has elapsed since the guest account logged in, the process proceeds to YES in step 108 and executes the exit process in step 109 for the guest account. Specifically, the automatic exit function is realized as follows.

[0075] A grace period until the guest terminal 12 is automatically logged out is set in advance, and this grace period is stored in the memory unit 23 of the system control unit 13. As an example, the grace period is set to three minutes. When the guest terminal 12 logs in, the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 starts counting the time and transmits a notification signal to the administrator terminal 11 via the communication control unit 34, causing the administrator terminal 11 to notify the administrator terminal 11 of the grace period.

[0076] 7, the notification of the grace period is made in the sub-display area 61 of the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11 as an alert display 74 together with the display of the judgment button 71. The alert display 74 displays an explanatory text to the effect that if the administrator does not perform an approval operation (operation of the continue button 72) within the grace period, the guest terminal 12 will be forcibly logged out. Note that, in addition to displaying the alert display 74 on the display unit 43, the notification of the grace period may be made by audio output from the audio output unit 46.

[0077] Fig. 3 is a subroutine showing details of the determination of whether the time condition is satisfied in step 108 in Fig. 2. A first time and a second time obtained by dividing the above-mentioned grace period are set and stored in the storage unit 23 of the system control unit 13. As an example, of the grace period of 3 minutes, the first time is set to 2 minutes and the second time is set to 1 minute.

[0078] 3, the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 determines whether or not a first time has elapsed since the login of the guest terminal 12. If the first time has elapsed (YES), a notification signal is transmitted via the communication control unit 34, and notification processing of step 201 is performed.

[0079] This notification is made as an alert display 75 on the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11 and the display unit 43 of the guest terminal 12, as shown in Fig. 8 and Fig. 9. Fig. 8 shows a state in which the alert display 75 is displayed on the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11, and Fig. 9 shows a state in which the alert display 75 is displayed on the display unit 43 of the guest terminal 12. These alert displays 75 show an explanation that the guest terminal 12 will be forcibly logged out after the second time has elapsed. Note that in each of the administrator terminal 11 and the guest terminal 12, in addition to displaying the alert display 75 on the display unit 43, the notification may be made by audio output from the audio output unit 46.

[0080] Also, as shown in FIG. 8, the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11 continues to display the decision buttons 71 (continue button 72, exit button 73) near the alert display 75, maintaining a state in which the administrator can select whether or not to keep the guest terminal 12 logged in.

[0081] If the administrator operates the judgment button 71 before the first time has elapsed since the login of the guest terminal 12, the judgment in step 200 in FIG. 3 becomes NO, and the process proceeds to step 204. In step 204, the time condition for automatically logging out the guest account is not satisfied, and as a result, the judgment in step 108 in FIG. 2 becomes NO, and the process returns to step 104. Since the administrator has already operated the judgment button 71, the judgment in step 106 becomes YES, and the process proceeds to step 107. If the administrator operates the continue button 72 of the judgment buttons 71, the process proceeds to the continuation process in step 110, where the login of the guest terminal 12 continues. If the administrator operates the exit button 73 of the judgment buttons 71, the process proceeds to the exit process in step 109, where the guest terminal 12 is logged out. That is, the logout of the guest terminal 12 in this case is performed based on the administrator's intention (active operation).

[0082] After the notification process in step 201 in FIG. 3, the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 judges in step 202 whether the second time has elapsed. If the administrator operates the judgment button 71 before the second time has elapsed, the judgment in step 202 becomes NO, and the process proceeds to step 204. In step 204, the time condition for automatically logging out the guest account is not established, and as a result, the judgment in step 108 in FIG. 2 becomes NO, and the process returns to step 104. Since the administrator has already operated the judgment button 71, the judgment in step 106 becomes YES, and the process proceeds to step 107. If the administrator operates the continue button 72 of the judgment buttons 71, the process proceeds to the continuation process in step 110, where the login of the guest terminal 12 continues. If the administrator operates the continue button 72 of the judgment buttons 71, the process proceeds to the exit process in step 109, where the guest terminal 12 is logged out. That is, the logout of the guest terminal 12 in this case is performed based on the administrator's intention (active operation).

[0083] When the second time has passed after the first time has passed, the determination in step 202 becomes YES, and the process proceeds to step 203. In step 203, the time condition for automatically logging out the guest account is met, and as a result, the determination in step 108 in Fig. 2 becomes YES, and the process proceeds to the exit process in step 109, where the guest terminal 12 is logged out. In this case, the logout of the guest terminal 12 is not performed by an active operation of the administrator, but is performed automatically under the control of the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13.

[0084] In other words, if the administrator does not perform an operation to approve continued login (operation of continue button 72) until the grace period has elapsed since the login of the guest terminal 12, the guest terminal 12 is automatically logged out under the control of the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13. As a result, if the administrator recognizes that an uninvited guest has logged in but forgets to operate the exit button 73, or if the administrator neglects to confirm that the guest is an invited guest, the guest terminal 12 is automatically logged out to ensure security, and security is improved because the process is performed in a fail-safe manner.

[0085] In addition, when the guest terminal 12 logs in and after the first time has elapsed, alert display 74 and alert display 75, which are messages urging the guest to verify their identity along with the time remaining until forced automatic logout, are displayed on the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11 (see Figures 7 and 8), thereby prompting the administrator to decide whether or not to allow the guest terminal 12 to continue logging in and to take appropriate action.

[0086] Furthermore, the alert display 75 issued after the first time has elapsed is displayed not only on the administrator terminal 11 but also on the display unit 43 of the guest terminal 12 (see FIG. 9), so that if the administrator forgets to approve the guest's participation, the guest can urge the administrator to approve their participation.

[0087] [Approval support via private call] The administrator can use the private call function to verify the identity of the guest before operating the determination button 71 or before the automatic exit function forcibly logs out the guest terminal 12. When the administrator operates the private call button 67 displayed on the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11 to select a private call with a specific logged-in guest account, the process proceeds to YES in step 104 in FIG. 2, and the private call is established in step 105.

[0088] The other party in the private call here may be the guest who is the subject of the verification, or a third guest other than the guest.

[0089] The contents of private calls between the administrator and the third-party guest cannot be heard by the guest who is the subject of the verification, so the administrator can decide whether or not to allow the guest to continue logging in, taking into consideration the opinions of the third-party guest, without worrying about the contents of the call being leaked.

[0090] In a private call made directly with the guest who is the subject of the confirmation, the administrator can determine with greater accuracy whether the person on the other end of the call is an invited guest, since the administrator can judge not only the guest's face displayed on the display unit 43 (main display area 60) of the administrator terminal 11 and the guest's voice heard from the audio output unit 46, but also the content of the conversation with the guest.

[0091] Furthermore, when it is difficult to determine whether a guest is an invited guest or not, such as when the image quality of the guest terminal 12 displayed on the display unit 43 of the administrator terminal 11 is poor, when the audio quality of the guest terminal 12 heard from the audio output unit 46 of the administrator terminal 11 is poor, or when the audio input of the guest terminal 12 is muted and a call cannot be established with the guest, the administrator may use a private call to request the guest to improve the image and audio quality. If no improvement is made in response to the request, the administrator can operate the exit button 73 to exit the guest on the grounds that the identity of the guest cannot be verified.

[0092] As described above, the private call function in the Web conference system 10 is useful when an administrator decides whether to accept or leave a guest, but it can also be used in other situations. For example, when people from multiple departments are participating in a Web conference, it is possible to use a private call to hold a temporary meeting (small conference) between only the people in specific departments without having to leave the conference.

[0093] [Other approval support functions] The memory unit 23 of the system control unit 13 may store data such as the guest's past login history, face data and voiceprint data of the guest, and based on this data, the login management unit 33 of the system control unit 13 may support the administrator in deciding whether or not to allow the guest to continue logging in.

[0094] For example, if the display name of a guest entered into the guest registration format 16 shown in FIG. 4 has a history of participating in past Web conferences, the login management unit 33 may recognize it as a highly reliable guest account and may set a long grace period before automatic logout occurs, or may inform the administrator of the guest's past conference participation history when displaying the judgment button 71.

[0095] When using face data and voiceprint data of a guest, the system control unit 13 is provided with a judgment unit that judges the degree of match between preregistered face data and voiceprint data of the guest and the face and voice of the guest who has logged in this time (guest reliability). Based on the judgment result of the judgment unit, the login management unit 33 changes the grace period until automatic logout is performed, or provides guest reliability information to the administrator when displaying the judgment button 71.

[0096] In this way, by accumulating data about guests over multiple Web conferences, the data can be used by the administrator to decide whether or not the guest should continue to log in.

[0097] The embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments and modifications, and may be modified, substituted, or altered in various ways without departing from the spirit of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. Furthermore, if the technical idea of ​​the present invention can be realized in a different way due to technological progress or a derived technology, the present invention may be implemented using that method. Therefore, the claims cover all embodiments that may be included within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. [Industrial Applicability]

[0098] As described above, the Web conferencing system of the present invention allows an administrator to check the face and voice of a guest who has logged in with a guest account and select whether to allow the guest to continue logging in or to exit. This ensures security even if a guest account is leaked or stolen, thereby improving the convenience and safety of Web conferences. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 10: Web conferencing system 11: Administrator terminal (Administrator's device) 12: Guest terminal 13: System control section 15:Administrator registration format 16:Guest registration format 20: Controller 21 :ROM 22: RAM 23: Storage section 24: Communications Department 30: Conference setup section 31:Administrator settings section 32: Guest account settings section 33: Login Management Department 34: Communication control section 40: Controller 41: ROM 42: RAM 43:Display section 44: Display control section 45: Imaging section 46: Audio output unit (speaker) 47: Audio input section 48: Audio control section 49: Operation input section 50: Storage section 51: Communications Department 60: Main display area 61: Sub display area 62: Tab area 63 :Lower area 64: Video button 65: Mute button 66: Screen sharing button 67: Private call button 68: Logout button 70: Notification icon 71: Judgment button 72: Continue button 73: Exit button 74: Alert display 75: Alert display

Claims

1. A Web conference system, An administrator setting section for setting a specific account as an administrator; a guest account setting unit for setting an account for a guest; a decision button is provided on an apparatus of an administrator who has logged in with an account set in the administrator setting section, which allows the face of the guest who has logged in with the guest account to be displayed or the voice of the guest to be output from a speaker, thereby enabling an action to continue the login of the guest or to cause the guest to exit; Web conferencing system.

2. 2. The Web conferencing system according to claim 1, further comprising a private call function that enables at least two of the multiple logged-in accounts to make calls separately from the other accounts.

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