Conference management system, conference management method, document preparation system, and document preparation method

Abstract

To provide a conference management system and a conference management method capable of further efficiently proceeding, operating, or managing a conference, and a document preparation system and a document preparation method for assisting the preparation of documents related to the conference.SOLUTION: A conference management system is provided with at least one computer including: conference setting means for setting a plurality of conferences; data storage means for storing data that can be viewed or acquired by a user in association with the conference; conference selecting means for selecting a conference through the operation of an input device by the user; and data acquisition enabling means for selecting the conference to enable the viewing or acquisition of data corresponding to the conference selected. The conference management system is provided with at least one computer including conference setting means for setting a plurality of conferences, and conference information display means for displaying conference information about the plurality of conferences in a list.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conference management system, a conference management method, a document creation system, and a document creation method. [Background technology]

[0002] Managing a meeting requires various administrative tasks, such as adjusting the schedule, preparing and managing meeting materials, etc. After the meeting, it is necessary to carry out the prescribed procedures within a deadline depending on the content of the agenda. Furthermore, meeting participants must prepare and approve the agenda and minutes depending on the content of the meeting. Among meetings, the Board of Directors meetings in particular are required by the Companies Act to be held at least once every three months, and in many companies, they are held once a month. As meetings are held frequently and there are many processes that arise as a result of meetings, the burden on organizers and participants is extremely large. Therefore, there is a demand for more efficient management of meetings.

[0003] In order to improve the efficiency of managing meetings, for example, a schedule management system has been disclosed that can manage the schedules of multiple users and reduce the workload of people who arrange meeting dates (see Patent Document 1). However, this system only makes arrangements for one meeting, and even if it arranges multiple meetings, it does not display management information in a list. Therefore, there has been a demand for a system that can efficiently manage multiple meetings.

[0004] Also, for example, a technique has been disclosed in which a minutes template is analyzed and minutes are created based on the results of speech recognition in order to increase the efficiency of creating minutes (see Patent Document 2). However, although using a minutes template to create minutes can reduce the effort required to create minutes to some extent, users would find it easier to create minutes if they could create a draft of the minutes from a topic that can be selected according to the type of meeting, since the content to be discussed is more or less fixed depending on the type of meeting. However, until now, there has been no means to select a topic and create a draft of the minutes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-182237 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-138103 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve these problems. That is, a first object of the present invention is to provide a conference management system and a conference management method that can more efficiently proceed, operate, or manage a conference. A second object of the present invention is to provide a document creation system and a document creation method that assist in the creation of documents related to a conference. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The object of the present invention is to [1] A conference management system comprising at least one computer device, a conference setting means for setting up a plurality of conferences, a data storage means for storing data associated with the conferences and viewable or obtainable by a user, a conference selection means for selecting a conference by a user's operation on an input device, and a data obtainment means for enabling the viewing or obtainment of data corresponding to the selected conference by selecting a conference; [2] A conference management system according to [1], comprising an agenda setting means for setting an agenda in association with a conference, and an agenda selection means for selecting an agenda by a user's operation on an input device, a data storage means for storing data that can be viewed or acquired by a user in association with the agenda, and a data acquisition means for enabling a user to view or acquire data corresponding to the selected agenda by selecting the agenda; [3] A conference management system comprising at least one computer device, a conference setting means for setting a plurality of conferences, and a conference information display means for displaying a list of conference information relating to the plurality of conferences; [4] The conference management system according to [3], further comprising: a conference attribute selection means for selecting conference attributes for a conference by a user's operation on an input device; and a participant etc. specification means for specifying, for the conference, the participants of the conference, the chairperson of the conference, the minutes approver and / or a deadline for notifying the conference information regarding the conference in accordance with the selected conference attribute; [5] A conference management system according to [3] or [4], further comprising: a conference group setting means for setting a conference group including a plurality of conferences, the conference setting means setting a conference in association with the conference group, and the conference information display means displaying a list of conference information relating to a plurality of conferences associated with one conference group; [6] The conference management system according to any one of [3] to [5], wherein the conference information is information regarding a conference date, a conference location, a conference status, and / or an action to be performed in relation to the conference; [7] The conference management system according to [6], wherein the action to be performed in relation to the conference is an action to be performed by a participant, and the information about the status of the conference is a number of participants who have performed said action; [8] The conference management system according to [6], wherein the action to be performed in relation to the conference is an action to be performed by a conference organizer, and the information regarding the action to be performed in relation to the conference is a response status of the action; [9] The conference management system according to any one of [3] to [8], wherein the conference information display means displays, in a list, only conference information related to the conference in which the user is participating, among the conference information related to the set conferences;

[10] A conference management system according to any one of [3] to [9], comprising: an action selection means for selecting an action to be executed in relation to a displayed conference by a user's operation on an input device; and a conference notification means for notifying terminals corresponding to pre-registered conference participants of conference information regarding the holding of the conference when the selected action is a convening notice to the conference participants;

[11] A conference management system according to any one of [5] to

[10] , comprising: a conference group display means for selectably displaying conference groups; a conference group selection means for selecting a displayed conference group; and a conference selection means for selectably displaying conferences associated with the conference group when a conference group is selected, wherein the conference group display means displays a plurality of conference groups according to a priority determined by the schedule and / or status of the conference associated with the conference group;

[12] A conference management system comprising at least one computer device, the conference management system comprising: a conference setting means for setting a conference; an agenda type selection means for selecting an agenda type for the conference; and an action display means for displaying an action to be performed corresponding to the selected agenda type;

[13] A meeting management system comprising a plurality of computer devices, a pro / proposition input means for inputting pro or con for each agenda item of a meeting by operating an input device, and a tabulation means for tabulating the pros and cons input for each agenda item of the meeting;

[14] A meeting management system comprising a plurality of computer devices, comprising: a minutes application means for applying for approval of minutes by an applicant operating an input device; an electronic signature selection means for selecting whether or not to set the minutes to be approved with an electronic signature; an approval registration means for registering the approval of the minutes by an approver operating the input device; and an electronic signature assignment means for assigning the approver's electronic signature to minutes for which the setting to be assigned with an electronic signature is selected when the minutes are approved;

[15] A conference management system according to any one of [1] to

[14] , wherein information displayed on a display device of a computer device is associated with a URL;

[16] A conference management system comprising at least one computer device, a first participant storage means for storing conference participants in association with a conference group including a plurality of conferences, a response input means for inputting a first evaluation response for the conference group at a terminal corresponding to the conference participants stored in the first participant storage means, a second participant storage means for storing conference participants in association with a conference, and a response input means for inputting a second evaluation response for the conference at a terminal corresponding to the conference participants stored in the second participant storage means;

[17] The conference management system according to

[16] , wherein the first evaluation is a numerical evaluation and / or a free-form evaluation of the conference group, and the second evaluation is a numerical evaluation and / or a free-form evaluation of the conference;

[18] A conference management system comprising at least one computer device, comprising a conference information storage means for storing conference participants and / or an agenda of the conference, and a speaker storage means for storing character information converted from the voice of the conference in association with the speaker of the voice and / or the agenda, wherein the speaker of the voice is selected from the participants of the conference, or the agenda is selected from the agenda of the conference;

[19] A conference management method executed in a conference management system having at least one computer device, the conference management method comprising: a conference setting step of setting a plurality of conferences; a data storage step of storing data that can be viewed or obtained by a user in association with the conferences; a conference selection step of selecting a conference by a user operating an input device; and a data acquisition enabling step of enabling the viewing or acquisition of data corresponding to the selected conference by selecting a conference;

[20] A conference management method executed in a conference management system having at least one computer device, the conference management method comprising: a conference setting step of setting a plurality of conferences; and a conference information display step of displaying a list of conference information relating to the plurality of conferences;

[21] A conference management method executed in a conference management system having at least one computer device, the conference management method comprising: a conference setting step of setting a conference; an agenda type selection step of selecting an agenda type for the conference; and an action display step of displaying an action to be performed corresponding to the selected agenda type;

[22] A conference management method executed in a conference management system having a plurality of computer devices, the conference management method comprising: a pro / proposition input step of inputting pro / proposition for each agenda item of a conference by operating the computer devices; and a counting step of counting the pros and cons inputted for each agenda item of the conference;

[23] A conference management method executed in a conference management system having a plurality of computer devices, the conference management method comprising: a minutes application step of an applicant operating an input device to apply for approval of minutes; an electronic signature selection step of selecting whether or not to set the minutes to be approved with an electronic signature; an approval registration step of an approver operating an input device to register that the minutes have been approved; and an electronic signature attachment step of attaching the approver's electronic signature to the minutes for which the setting for attaching an electronic signature has been selected when the minutes are approved;

[24] A conference management method executed in a conference management system having at least one computer device, comprising: a first participant storage step of storing conference participants in association with a conference group including a plurality of conferences; and a response input step of inputting a response to a first evaluation regarding the conference group at a terminal corresponding to the conference participant stored in the first participant storage step; a conference management method comprising: a second participant storage step of storing participants of the conference in association with the conference; and an answer input step of inputting an answer to a second evaluation regarding the conference at a terminal corresponding to the participant of the conference stored in the second participant storage step;

[25] A conference management method executed in a conference management system having at least one computer device, the conference management method comprising: a conference information storage step of storing conference participants and / or an agenda of the conference; and a speaker storage step of storing text information converted from the voice of the conference in association with the speaker of the voice and / or the agenda, wherein the speaker of the voice is selected from the participants of the conference, or the agenda is selected from the agenda of the conference;

[26] A document creation system comprising at least one computer device, an agenda type selection means for selecting an agenda type for a meeting, and a document creation means for creating an agenda and / or minutes based on template text corresponding to the selected agenda type;

[27] The document creation system according to

[26] , wherein a meeting attribute selection means selects an attribute of a meeting, and the types of agenda selectable by the agenda type selection means vary depending on the selected meeting attribute;

[28] A document creation method executed in a conference management system having at least one computer device, the document creation method comprising an agenda type selection step of selecting an agenda type for a conference, and a document creation step of creating an agenda and / or minutes based on sample text corresponding to the selected agenda type; This can be achieved by: Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a conference management system and a conference management method that can more efficiently proceed, operate, or manage a conference. According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a document creation system and a document creation method that assist in creating documents related to a conference. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conference management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3]1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a schedule setting process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a related party information table according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a conference body table according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the conference management system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a participation reply process according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a schedule determination process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a display screen in the conference management system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a draft creation process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a schedule input process according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a conference voice recording screen according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described, however, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments as long as they are within the scope of the present invention.

[0011] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conference management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the conference management system is composed of a plurality of computer devices 1 (computer devices 1a, 1b, ... 1z) operated by a plurality of users, a server device 2, and a communication network 3. For example, the computer device 1 is owned by a user who is a conference organizer and a conference participant, and is operated by the user. The computer device 1 can be communicatively connected to the server device 2 via the communication network 3.

[0012] The computer device 1 is not particularly limited as long as it has a display screen and an input unit. The computer device 1 may be a stationary type or a portable type that can be carried by a user when moving around. Examples of the computer device 1 include conventional mobile phones, tablet terminals, smartphones, and desktop and notebook personal computers.

[0013] [Server device] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The server device 2 includes at least a control unit 21, a RAM 22, a storage unit 23, and a communication interface 24, which are connected to each other via an internal bus.

[0014] The control unit 21 is composed of a CPU and a ROM, and executes programs stored in the storage unit 23 to control the server device 2. The control unit 21 also has an internal timer that measures time. The RAM 22 is a work area for the control unit 21. The storage unit 23 is a storage area for saving programs and data. The control unit 21 reads out the programs and data from the RAM 12, and performs program execution processing based on information received from the computer device 1, etc.

[0015] [Computer equipment] 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a computer device according to an embodiment of the present invention. The computer device 1 includes a control unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, a graphics processing unit 14, a communication interface 15, and an interface unit 16, which are connected to each other via an internal bus.

[0016] The control unit 11 is composed of a CPU and a ROM. The control unit 11 executes programs stored in the storage unit 13 and controls the computer device 1. The RAM 12 is a work area for the control unit 11. The storage unit 13 is a memory area for saving programs and data. The control unit 11 reads out the programs and data from the RAM 12 and performs processing. The control unit 11 processes the programs and data loaded into the RAM 12, and outputs drawing commands to the graphics processing unit 14.

[0017] The graphics processing unit 14 is connected to the display unit 18. The display unit 18 has a display screen 19. When the control unit 11 outputs a drawing command to the graphics processing unit 14, the graphics processing unit 14 outputs a video signal for displaying an image on the display screen 19. Here, the display unit 18 may be a touch panel equipped with a touch sensor. The touch panel of the display unit 18 functions as an input unit.

[0018] The communication interface 15 can be connected to the communication network 3 wirelessly or via a wire, and can transmit and receive data to and from the server device 2 via the communication network 3. Data received via the communication interface 15 is loaded into the RAM 12, and arithmetic processing is performed by the control unit 11. An external memory 17 (e.g., an SD card, etc.) is connected to the interface unit 16. In addition, an input unit (e.g., a microphone, a mouse, or a keyboard, etc.) can be connected to the interface unit 16. Information input by a user from the input unit is stored in the RAM 12, and the control unit 11 executes various arithmetic processing based on the input information.

[0019] The conference management system according to an embodiment of the present invention provides a system for efficiently and simply managing a conference for the conference organizer and conference participants. The conference management system adjusts and manages the schedule of the conference. The conference management system can also manage a conference group including multiple conferences. One or more conferences can be set by specifying the frequency and duration of the conference. Conference participants can respond to the set conference regarding their attendance. The organizer and / or participants can easily check the response status and the status of the conference on the system. Furthermore, materials can also be associated with the set conference and saved.

[0020] Here, a meeting group is a group that includes multiple meetings that have related characteristics and attributes and are held during a certain period of time. For example, groups such as "2021 Board of Directors" and "2020 Board of Auditors" can be set. A meeting group can be set in association with a meeting body. A meeting body is a collection of meetings that have a common characteristic or attribute. Information that can be set in association with a meeting body includes the name of the meeting body, the chairperson of the meeting, the participants of the meeting, the minutes approver, the deadline for sending the meeting collection notice, and the type of agenda. By registering the above information in association with a meeting body, it is possible to easily set schedule management and document creation, which will be described later. A meeting is held with the participation of multiple people, regardless of whether they are inside or outside the company. In addition, the content and roles of meetings held in the meeting management system are not particularly limited, and include, for example, executive meetings such as the board of directors and the board of auditors, as well as various meetings and meetings held within the company, such as sales, human resources, and finance. The person who manages the meeting is the person involved in the management of the meeting, and is also called the secretariat. A conference participant is a person who participates in a conference, and may be an employee of the company using the conference management system, or an external person in charge such as an external director, and is not particularly limited. In addition, the organizer of a conference and the participants in the conference who use the conference management system of the present invention are called users.

[0021] The document creation system can create a draft agenda (also called a motion) and / or minutes by selecting an agenda from the agenda type. Templates (sample text) of motions and / or minutes that correspond to the content of the agenda are registered in advance in the document creation system. For one meeting, the manager or participants can select multiple agenda items. A draft agenda and / or minutes is created according to the agenda items selected by the manager or participants. Furthermore, the presence or absence of procedures is associated with each registered agenda item, and if procedures are required, a reminder can be sent to the manager.

[0022] Here, a proposal document is a written record of the agenda items (also called proposals) to be discussed or decided at a meeting, and minutes are a written record summarizing the contents discussed at a meeting. Furthermore, the type of agenda item refers to the type of agenda item discussed at a meeting. Examples of agenda item types include competitive transaction reports, monthly financial reports, convening an annual general meeting of shareholders, and new stock issuance (public offering). The contents of the agenda item can be set as appropriate. Furthermore, the agenda item types may be registered separately as items to be reported and items to be resolved. Furthermore, the agenda item types may be registered in association with the meeting body. The types of agenda items related to report items and the types of agenda items related to resolution items may differ depending on the meeting body.

[0023] [Scheduled Processing] First, the schedule setting process in the conference management system will be described. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the schedule setting process according to an embodiment of the present invention. The organizer logs into the conference management system by accessing the server device 2 from the computer device 1 via a Web browser (step S10). Logging into the conference management system may also be performed by starting an application program (hereinafter, referred to as a dedicated app) downloaded to the computer device 1 and accessing the server device 2.

[0024] In the conference management system, information on related parties such as the organizer and participants is registered in advance. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a related party information table according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the related party information table 100, a job title 102, an attribute 103, and / or an authority 104 are registered in association with a related party's name 101. In addition to the above, it is preferable that an email address is also registered in association. It is also preferable that an account number and a password are assigned to each related party. The related party information table 100 is preferably stored in the storage unit 23 of the server device 2.

[0025] The position 102 indicates the position of the person concerned. The attribute 103 indicates the attribute of the registered person concerned. For example, it is possible to select whether the person is a member who will be a participant of the conference or a secretariat who will be the manager. The members include members who are required participants of the conference and other members who can participate voluntarily. Generally, company executives are required participants of the conference, and are the minutes approvers and respondents to the questionnaire, which will be described later. The authority 104 indicates information regarding the restrictions on the range of operations and the range of access in the conference management system. For example, in the authority 104, if a member is a member, he or she can read the conference materials in the conference management system. Also, it may be possible to view or read only the conference materials and conference information in which the member himself or herself participates. If an administrator, he or she can have the authority to manage all the conference information in the conference management system. The authority of the range of operations may be changed depending on the work in charge in the secretariat. For example, a person with the attribute of the secretariat can view or read the conference materials and / or conference information according to the authority, regardless of whether he or she participates in the conference. This allows the administrator to prepare for the conference even if he or she does not participate in the conference. Also, for example, even if the attribute is a person in the secretariat, it may be possible to associate the person with participation in the conference and to view or read the conference materials and / or conference information. The settings of these related person information can be changed as appropriate.

[0026] When the operator logs in to the conference management system, information on conference settings is sent from the server device 2 to the computer device 1, and the details of the conference settings can be entered on the computer device 1. The operator enters the name of a conference group that includes multiple conferences (step S11). In order to identify the attributes of the conferences included in the conference group and associate necessary information with the conference, such as the conference participants, the conference chairperson, the minutes approver, or the deadline for notifying the conference information, the operator selects one of multiple conference bodies (step S12). As the conference body, for example, a "board of directors" or a "board of auditors" can be selected.

[0027] When setting up a conference group or a conference, a conference entity can be registered in advance. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a conference entity table according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the conference entity table 200, a chairperson 202, a conference participant 203, a minutes approver 204, a deadline 205 for sending the convening notice, and / or a type of agenda 206 are registered in association with a conference entity name 201. Examples of the conference entity name 201 include a board of directors and a board of auditors. The conference participant 203 may appropriately select a specific person registered in the related party information table, or may select a position, display the corresponding person in that position, and then select a person to participate. The minutes approver 204 may select a position registered in the related party information table, or may select a specific person. For example, if the position "Director" is selected for the minutes approver 204, a person with the position of "Director" among the conference participants 203 can approve the minutes. The deadline 205 for sending the convening notice indicates how many days before the conference is to be held to send the convening notice to the participants. The deadline is registered in the schedule in the conference management system, so that the server device 2 can send a reminder to the organizer when the set deadline arrives. This allows the organizer to prevent forgetting to send the convening notice to the participants. The agenda type 206 refers to the type of agenda in which the agendas that are often discussed for each type of conference are collectively registered, and the agenda type can be appropriately selected according to the conference body. When the conference body is selected in step S12, the conference body table is referenced, and the chairperson 202, conference participants 203, minutes approver 204, deadline 205 for sending the convening notice, and / or agenda type 206 corresponding to the selected conference body are associated with the conference to be set.

[0028] Next, the operator inputs candidate meeting dates (step S13). The candidate meeting dates can be set by appropriately selecting the period and frequency. For example, multiple candidate meeting dates can be registered at once, such as holding the meeting on the third Wednesday of each month from April 2021 to March 2022. This allows multiple meetings such as board meetings scheduled to be held in the fiscal year to be set with simple operations. In addition, candidate meeting dates may be set for one meeting. This also makes it possible to accommodate meetings held on an ad-hoc basis. In addition, multiple candidate dates may be selected for one meeting. Furthermore, the agenda to be discussed at the meeting may be selected.

[0029] Next, the manager inputs the participant information (step S14). The participant information input screen displays the participants set by the conference body. The manager can add other participants in addition to the participants set by the conference body. The input screen displays a list of participants registered in the related party information table, and the manager may select participants who will attend the conference by pressing a check box. When inputting the participant information, the manager can also remove participants who have been set in advance by the conference body from the conference participants. Furthermore, when inputting the participant information, the manager can select whether the participant is "required" or "available" to participate in the conference for each participant who is requested to participate in the conference. This allows the schedule confirmation process described later to focus on the response status from the "required" participants and confirm the conference schedule. Furthermore, depending on whether the participant is "required" or "available" to participate in the conference, the authority to view or obtain materials in the conference management system may be changed.

[0030] Next, the organizer inputs detailed settings for the conference (step S15). When inputting detailed settings, the schedule candidates and participant information selected in steps S13 and S14 can be edited. The location of the conference may also be input. The location of the conference may be input at any time from steps S11 to S15. A specific conference room may be specified as the location of the conference, or, if the conference is held online, the URL of the online conference may be registered. If the conference is held online, the online conference may be set up and the URL of the online conference may be obtained at the same time as registering the conference information described below.

[0031] After inputting the detailed settings of the conference, the organizer inputs an instruction to send an attendance confirmation notice (step S16), and transmits the information input in steps S11 to S16 to the server device 2 (step S17). The server device 2 receives the input information (step S18). The server device 2 registers the conference information based on the input information (step S19). The server device 2 transmits an attendance confirmation notice to the participants (step S20), and the schedule setting process ends.

[0032] The attendance confirmation notice is a notice for notifying the participants that the conference has been set and requesting them to enter a response to whether or not they will attend the conference. The conference management system is preferably provided with a messenger function capable of sending and receiving messages between the participants and the organizer. In step S20, the attendance confirmation notice may be sent to the messenger function of the conference management system, or to an email address registered in the related party information table. If a dedicated app is downloaded, when the messenger function in the dedicated app is notified, a display indicating that the notification has been received may be displayed on the icon of the dedicated app installed on the computer device 1 used by the participant. The attendance confirmation notice preferably includes a URL associated with the conference information displayed on the conference management system. When the notification is sent to an email address, the URL is preferably included in the email body. Alternatively, a button with a URL link attached thereto is preferably displayed in the email body, and the conference information can be displayed by pressing the button. This allows the participant who receives the attendance confirmation notice to easily access the conference information and input the attendance response without any trouble. In addition, notifications are sent via the messenger function of the conference management system, preventing important messages from getting lost in the default email application.

[0033] The conference information registered in step S19 will now be described. In steps S11 to S15, when multiple conferences are set, conference information is registered for each of the set conferences, and a conference information window is created. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a window of tab 300 relating to conference information 301 in a conference management system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 7, the display screen 19 displays a window of a conference information tab 300 related to conference information 301, and information related to the conference can be confirmed in a list. For example, basic information 310, agenda 350, etc. are displayed as the information related to the conference. In the basic information 310, a conference name 311, conference body 312, conference date and time 313, venue 314, participants 315, remarks 316, conference materials 317, etc. are displayed. By pressing an edit button 318, an edit screen is displayed and the basic information 310 can be edited. In addition, by pressing a cancel button 340, the displayed conference can be canceled. By canceling the conference, a cancellation notice can be sent to the participants, similar to the convening notice in step S20.

[0035] When there are multiple candidates for the meeting date, all the candidate dates are displayed in meeting date and time 313. In the diagram shown in Fig. 7, since the schedule has not yet been finalized, "unconfirmed" is displayed in meeting date and time 313. Once the schedule is finalized, the finalized meeting date and time is displayed.

[0036] In the "conference material folder" of the conference material 317, materials related to the conference can be stored. The conference material folder is created in association with the conference information after the conference information is registered. The materials in the conference material folder can be edited, viewed, or obtained according to the authority of the related party information table. For example, General A, who has the authority to manage materials, is permitted to save, delete, edit, etc. materials in the conference material folder. Also, for example, a member who is a participant can view or obtain materials in the conference material folder of the conference he or she is participating in. This allows materials related to the conference to be gathered in one place, and the effort of searching for materials can be saved. In addition, since materials are managed in a folder in the conference management system, it is possible to prevent leakage of important information due to mailing errors or erroneous sending of emails. Furthermore, since materials are stored in association with the conference information, the location of materials related to past conferences is clear, and materials can be confirmed smoothly. In addition, it is preferable that the conference material folder has a function of searching the text in the materials. This makes it possible to search for materials more easily. Also, a material folder may be created in association with a conference group or a conference body.

[0037] A configuration may be adopted in which materials in a meeting materials folder are made public with the approval of a person other than the poster. For example, materials are not made public simply by posting them by a general person A who has the authority to manage materials. When a manager A, who has the authority to make materials public, checks the materials and approves the publication of the materials through the operation of the manager A, the materials are made public and the members can view the materials. This allows the manager A, who has the authority to make materials public, to review the materials in advance. Also, when a material is posted, the person with the authority to make materials public may be notified. Furthermore, when a person with the authority to make materials public posts and publishes the materials, the person who posted the materials may not be notified.

[0038] Items such as report items 351 and resolution items 352 are displayed on the agenda 350. Pressing the edit button 356 displays an edit screen, and when the agenda of the meeting is edited, the contents of report items 351 and resolution items 352 are registered or changed, and an agenda draft button 353 and minutes draft button 354 are displayed. Details of these processes will be described in detail in the draft creation process.

[0039] Furthermore, in addition to the conference information tab 300, the conference information 301 displays an attendance response tab 320 and / or a minutes tab 330. When the attendance response tab 320 is pressed, an attendance response window is displayed, and the candidate conference dates, participants, and the response status of each participant can be confirmed. Also, attendance responses can be input. When the minutes tab 330 is pressed, a minutes window is displayed, and information related to the minutes can be confirmed. Also, it is possible to perform operations related to application and approval of minutes. Details of the minutes tab 330 will be described later.

[0040] Furthermore, the conference information 301 may be provided with a comment tab that allows comments to be posted. By pressing the comment tab, a window that allows comments to be posted and viewed is displayed. Comments can be posted for the conference itself, the agenda, materials, etc. Comments can be posted and viewed by participants or by authorized persons. For example, participants can check the distributed agenda and materials and ask questions. The content of the questions is not particularly limited to information on the counterparty of a new transaction, details of the contract terms, expert evaluation in the acquisition of assets, and the opinion of a lawyer in cases where legal judgment is required. In addition, for example, when a participant is clearly opposed or thinks that conditions are necessary to approve, the participant can communicate the reasons and conditions in advance in anticipation of the response of the executive department. Furthermore, a post-mortem report of the conference may be made in the comment tab. Post-mortem reports can include necessary procedures, reports on the execution of resolved matters, continued deliberation, and conditional approval. A configuration may be adopted in which a notification is sent to the administrator when a comment is posted. This allows reports or questions to be made efficiently.

[0041] Also, the conference information 301 may display a memo button that allows a memo (also called minutes memo). By pressing the memo button, a window in which a memo can be written is displayed. The written memo is stored in association with the displayed conference. The memo can be written after step S19. That is, the timing of writing the memo may be before the conference, during the conference, or after the conference. The person who can write and view the memo may be the organizer or the participant. Also, the memo may be viewable by a person with the same attribute as the person who wrote the memo, or may be viewable only by the account of the person who wrote the memo. In the conference management system, the memos stored in association with each conference can be displayed as a list. Also, the conference information 301 stored in association with the memo displayed in the list can be displayed.

[0042] In the above-described schedule setting process, steps S10 to S17 are described as being performed by the manager who manages the conference, but there are no particular limitations on who can set up the conference. For example, the conference can be set up by a person who is authorized to set up the conference, or by the conference participants themselves. In addition, the conference participants may not be able to set up the conference. This is preferable because it reduces the risk that a conference participant who is not involved in the management of the conference will set up the conference freely.

[0043] [Attendance response processing] Next, the attendance response process in the conference management system will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a flowchart of the attendance response process according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step S20 of the schedule setting process, an attendance confirmation notice is sent from the server device 2, and the participant receives the attendance confirmation notice (step S30). As described above, since the attendance confirmation notice includes a URL associated with the conference information, the participant accesses the server device 2 from the computer device 1 via a Web browser using the URL to log in to the conference management system (step S31). When the participant logs in to the conference management system, a window of the attendance response tab 320 is displayed. The participant inputs whether or not he or she will attend the conference (step S32), and the attendance response process ends.

[0044] When responding to attendance, participants can select "Can attend" or "Cannot attend." In addition to responding to attendance, participants may also enter a comment for the organizer. Comments entered by participants may be viewable only by the organizer. If the set candidate date is unavailable, an alternative date may be suggested. If there are multiple meetings for which attendance responses are required, it may be possible to respond in bulk. In meetings held at regular intervals, participants may have adjusted their schedules in advance. Therefore, being able to respond in bulk can reduce the effort required for participants to respond.

[0045] [Schedule confirmation process] Next, the schedule confirmation process will be described. Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a flowchart of schedule response process according to an embodiment of the present invention. First, the organizer logs into the conference management system by accessing the server device 2 from the computer device 1 via a Web browser (step S40). The organizer checks the response status and inputs the confirmation of the conference schedule (step S41). The server device 2 receives the confirmation of the conference schedule and registers the confirmed conference schedule (step S42).

[0046] The conference schedule may be finalized after all participants have responded, or after responses from "required" participants have been received. The conference schedule can also be finalized before all participants have responded. This allows the conference schedule to be finalized without waiting for responses to the conference management system when responses from participants have already been obtained from outside the system, or when a conference whose holding has already been confirmed is registered. In addition, in the case of a conference whose holding has already been confirmed, step S20 and the attendance response process may be omitted.

[0047] When the meeting schedule is registered, the server device 2 transmits a request to send a convocation notice to the computer device 1 (step S43). The computer device 1 receives the request to send a convocation notice (step S44) and transmits an instruction to send the convocation notice to the server device 2 (step S45). The server device 2 receives the instruction to send the convocation notice (step S46) and transmits the convocation notice to the participants (step S47). Through the processes of steps S40 to S47, the schedule confirmation process is completed.

[0048] The convening notice to the participants in step S47 may be sent to the messenger function of the conference management system, as in step S20, or may be sent to the email addresses registered in the related party information table. The convening notice preferably includes a URL associated with the conference information displayed in the conference management system. When sending to email addresses, the URL is preferably included in the email body. Alternatively, it is preferable that a button with a URL link is displayed in the email body, and the conference information can be displayed by pressing the button. This allows the participants who receive the convening notice to easily access and check the conference information. In addition, since the notice is sent via the messenger function of the conference management system, it is possible to prevent important messages from being lost in a default email application.

[0049] In the schedule confirmation process, after step S42, a schedule confirmation notice may be sent to the participants. The schedule confirmation notice may be sent to the messenger function of the conference management system, or may be sent to the email addresses registered in the related party information table. The request to send the convening notice in step S43 may be sent twice, once after the conference schedule is registered and once at the convening notice sending deadline set for the conference body. It is preferable to send a sending request after the conference schedule is registered, and if the convening notice has not been sent by the convening notice sending deadline set for the conference body, to send the convening notice sending request again to the computer device 1 operated by the manager. By sending a request to send the convening notice at the convening notice sending deadline, the manager is reminded to send the convening notice to the participants, preventing them from forgetting to send it.

[0050] Information related to the conference, such as the conference information registered in the schedule setting process, the response status of the participants entered in the attendance response process, the conference schedule status confirmed in the schedule confirmation process, etc., is displayed in a list. Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a list display of conferences according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0051] The list display of meetings may display a list of all meetings managed by the meeting management system, or may display a list by meeting group. When displaying a list by meeting group, related meetings held during a certain period are displayed, allowing managers and participants to easily refer to the meetings. FIG. 10 shows an example of a list display of meetings included in the meeting group 400 of "2021 Board of Directors Meeting." The list display of meetings included in the meeting group 400 displays the meeting name 401, meeting schedule 402, meeting status 403, action 404, etc.

[0052] The meeting name 401 displays the meeting name 411 of the meeting registered in the meeting group of the board of directors for 2021. In addition, when the meeting name 411 is pressed, a window of the meeting information of the meeting name 411 is preferably displayed. In the schedule 402, the schedule 412 of each meeting is displayed. In the schedule 412 before the schedule of the meeting is fixed, it is preferable that the "number of candidates" is displayed. In addition, if there are multiple candidates, it is preferable to display that fact. The status 403 of the meeting indicates the status of the meeting, and the status 413 and the response status 414 are displayed. For example, the status 413 displays the status of the meeting, such as minutes approved, convening notice not yet sent, schedule adjustment in progress, etc. In addition, the response status 414 indicates how many people have responded and how many people have approved in the status of responding to attendance or minutes being approved. For example, if the response status is 1 / 8, it indicates that one out of eight people has responded. In other words, the response status 414 is displayed when there is an action that the participant should take. This makes it easy to check the status of each meeting.

[0053] In action 404, the next action to be taken for each conference is displayed in action button 415. Action button 415 displays actions to be taken by the organizer, such as requesting minutes, sending a convening notice, and confirming the schedule. Actions to be taken by participants, such as replying to the schedule and approving the minutes, are also displayed. When action button 415 is displayed, pressing the displayed action 415 allows the user to proceed to an operation screen for taking the necessary action. The list display of conferences displays not only fixed information such as the conference name and schedule, but also information that changes depending on the situation at the time, such as the conference status and action, so that the organizer can easily check the status of the conference and easily manage the conference.

[0054] The conference list display may be provided with an add conference button 405. A new conference can be added using the add conference button 405. Specifically, by pressing the add button 405, input for schedule setting processing from step S11 can be performed.

[0055] The list of meetings may also be displayed so that the confirmation items for each meeting can be confirmed at a glance. For example, when the meeting information is changed, "Meeting information changed" is displayed; when the agenda of the meeting is updated, "Agenda updated" is displayed; when the minutes are registered, "Minutes registered" is displayed; and when there are matters that require a response to the meeting information as a result of the meeting but have not yet been addressed, the word "Follow up required" is displayed near the meeting name 411. These displays may be displayed for a specified period from when the change or update is made, or when there are matters that have not yet been addressed, they may be displayed until they are addressed. This allows the meetings and matters that need to be confirmed to be identified without displaying the meeting information window.

[0056] FIG. 10 describes the display of a list of meetings included in the meeting group "2021 Board of Directors", but it is possible to display a list of meetings for all the set meeting groups. The set meeting groups may also be displayed in a list. When a meeting group 1 is selected from the meeting groups displayed in the list, a list of meetings included in the meeting group as shown in FIG. 10 is displayed. The meeting groups displayed in the list may be displayed according to the priority of each meeting group. For example, a "Current attribute" may be set for the 2021 board of directors and a "Past attribute" may be set for the 2020 board of directors, and the meeting group of the 2021 board of directors may be displayed preferentially. By assigning a high-priority "Current attribute" to a meeting group that includes a meeting to be held in the future and displaying the meeting group with the "Current attribute" preferentially, the administrator and participants can easily check the schedule of the upcoming meetings. A meeting group with a low-priority "Past attribute" may not be displayed in the list of meeting groups, for example. For example, conference groups by year, such as "2020 conferences" and "2019 conferences," can be set together in the "Past attribute" to create an item that includes multiple conference groups. Note that the priority level assigned to the conference group can be set appropriately by the administrator or a person with authority. For example, the priority level may be set according to the schedule of the conferences included in the conference group, or according to the status of the conference.

[0057] The conference group list display may display only conferences that the participant can attend. Also, for all conferences managed by the conference management system, only conferences that the participant can attend may be displayed. A conference that the participant can attend is a conference for which attendance is entered as "required" or "allowed" in the participant information setting in step S15. Also, the contents of the list display may be set appropriately according to the authority of the people involved.

[0058] The registered conference information can be displayed on the calendar of the conference management system. Conferences displayed on the calendar may be displayed by conference group, or all conferences managed in the system may be displayed. Also, conferences may be color-coded according to their status. For example, conferences before the schedule is fixed may be displayed in yellow, and conferences after the schedule is fixed may be displayed in blue. Furthermore, various procedures such as sending convening notices, registration, and announcement may be displayed on the calendar. This allows the manager to respond without forgetting various procedures related to the conference. It is preferable that the conference information and information on various procedures displayed on the calendar are displayed in a window of the corresponding conference information tab 300 by pressing the display on the calendar. It is preferable that the information displayed on the calendar is changed according to the authority of the person concerned. For example, only the conferences that the participant will participate in may be displayed on a computer device operated by the participant, and all conferences may be displayed on a computer device operated by the manager. Also, information on various procedures may not be displayed on the participant's calendar. It is preferable that the conference information displayed on the calendar is the same as the conference information displayed in a list.

[0059] When the conference management system of the present invention is used by multiple companies and there are participants participating in conferences of multiple companies, the calendar of the conference management system may display conferences of all participating companies, or may display only conferences for each company.

[0060] [Evaluation process] Next, the evaluation process of a conference in the conference management system will be described. When a conference that requires evaluation processing ends, a questionnaire for evaluating the conference or conference group is sent to the participant's computer device 1, and a message is displayed indicating that the participant is requested to answer the questionnaire. The participant may be notified by email or the like that the questionnaire has been received. When the notification is received, the participant logs into the conference management system by accessing the server device 2 from the computer device 1 via a web browser using a URL associated with the conference information to be evaluated. When the participant logs into the conference management system, a window for entering the questionnaire is displayed.

[0061] The participant inputs an evaluation according to the contents of the questionnaire, and the evaluation process ends. The evaluation is preferably performed in a free-form format that allows free entry of numerical evaluation and / or text. In addition to answering the questionnaire, the participant may input a comment for the administrator. Here, the subject of evaluation in the questionnaire may be one conference, or two or more conferences in total. For example, the evaluation may be performed for each conference included in the conference group, or the effectiveness of the conference group or the entire conferences included in the conference group may be evaluated. In the case of evaluation for each conference, the evaluation process can be requested or requested from the participant who is a user defined as an officer or minutes approver. The questionnaire at this time is also called feedback. In the evaluation for each conference, after the end of the conference, the participant is requested to respond to feedback. In the case of evaluation for a conference group, the evaluation process can be requested or requested from the participant of the conference group. The participant in question refers to a participant who has participated in a conference included in the conference group at least once. In the evaluation of a conference group, the participant is requested to respond to a questionnaire after the end of all conferences included in the conference group, or every time a predetermined number of conferences are completed. The participants to whom the questionnaire is sent may be determined based on their attributes, or may be selected arbitrarily by the administrator. For example, in a conference included in a conference group, the questionnaire may be sent to participants who have attended the conference at least once, or participants who have attended the conference at least once may be extracted and the administrator may select the participants to whom the questionnaire is sent.

[0062] A questionnaire template registered in advance can be used to create the questionnaire. In addition to the questionnaire template, multiple questions may be registered and any question may be selected to create the questionnaire. The administrator can create the questionnaire by appropriately modifying the questionnaire template and questions registered in advance. The created questionnaire may be registered for each conference group. Furthermore, the questionnaire registered in advance can be set to be sent to the terminal of the participant when the conference requiring the questionnaire is completed. The administrator can check the answers and comments to the questionnaire entered by the participant for each conference, attribute, or member. That is, the answer status and answer results of the questionnaire can be displayed on the administrator's terminal. Furthermore, the participant who answers the questionnaire may be able to check the answers and comments to the questionnaire entered by the participant for the conference related to the answer for each conference, attribute, or member. Furthermore, the administrator and the participant who answers the questionnaire may be able to check the information recorded in the conference information of the conference related to the answer (the date and time of the conference, the location, the attendance rate of the conference, the agenda, the attendance rate of the members, the viewing rate of the materials, the feedback response rate, etc.). This allows the user to check the evaluation results of each conference when making an overall evaluation of a conference group or a plurality of conferences contained in the conference group, making it possible to make an effective evaluation.

[0063] [Draft creation process] Next, a draft creation process in the document creation system will be described with reference to Fig. 11, which is a flowchart showing the draft creation process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0064] First, the organizer logs into the conference management system by accessing the server device 2 from the computer device 1 via a web browser (step S50). The organizer may proceed to an agenda editing screen by pressing the edit button 356 of the agenda 350 displayed in the conference information tab 300. Next, the organizer selects whether the agenda scheduled for the conference is related to a report item or a resolution item, and further selects an agenda item from among the agenda types (step S51). The information selected in step S51 is transmitted to the server device 2 (step S52).

[0065] In step S51, an agenda is selected from the agenda type. The type of agenda that can be input may differ depending on whether it is a report item or a resolution item. Frequently discussed agenda items are preregistered as the agenda type. In addition, a template of the agenda and / or minutes according to the agenda item, and information on procedures required after the meeting are registered in association with the agenda item. Furthermore, information on materials required for the meeting may be registered in association with the agenda item. In addition, it is preferable that multiple types of agenda items are registered. For example, type A is a collection of multiple agenda items to be discussed at the board of directors meeting, and type B is a collection of multiple agenda items to be discussed at the board of auditors meeting. The agenda type can be registered in association with the meeting body. Therefore, depending on the meeting body selected in the schedule setting process, an agenda item included in the agenda type registered in association with the meeting body can be selected. That is, when "Board meeting" is selected in step S12 of the schedule setting process, the types of topics that can be selected in inputting the items to be reported and / or the items to be resolved are the topics included in "Type A."

[0066] Agenda types can be set as appropriate by the administrator or a person with authority. In addition, the information on templates, procedures, and documents associated with the agenda can be changed as appropriate. This allows the latest templates to be used, and enables the system to respond to company-specific rules on formats, procedures, documents, etc., and legal changes.

[0067] The topic may be selected from the topics included in the topic types displayed in the pull-down menu, or the topic selection section may have a search function, and a word may be entered to search for the topic and select the desired topic. When inputting the report items or resolution items in step S51, in addition to selecting the topic, the title of the topic to be discussed in each of the report items and resolution items may be entered.

[0068] The server device 2 receives the input information (step S53), and creates a proposal draft and a minutes draft based on the received input information (step S54). The proposal draft and the minutes draft are created, for example, by registering a proposal draft and minutes draft template for each agenda item in advance, and using the corresponding proposal draft and minutes draft template according to the agenda item selected in step S51. It is also possible to select multiple agenda items in step S51, and in this case, a file can be created in which the proposal draft templates corresponding to the multiple selected agenda items are input in text format from the top. Similarly, it is possible to create a file in which the minutes draft templates corresponding to the multiple selected agenda items are input in text format from the top. The created proposal draft can include, for example, whether it is a report item or a resolution item, the title of the agenda item, and the content of the agenda item, “Report items No. 1 Report 1 The chairman will report on the status of monthly financial statements based on financial statements. Resolutions No. 1 Resolution 1 The Chairperson will provide an explanation of the financial statements for the ●th period based on the relevant documents, and then submit the matter to the assembly for approval. Similarly, the minutes of the meeting draft will include information such as whether the agenda is a report or a resolution, the title of the agenda, and the contents of the minutes. “Report items No. 1 Report 1 The chairman reported on the status of monthly financial statements based on financial statements. Resolutions No. 1 Resolution 1 The chairman explained the financial statements for the ●th period based on the relevant documents, and then asked the assembly for approval, which was approved without any objections by anyone. is input. The agenda draft and / or the minutes draft are transmitted from the server device 2 to the computer device 1 (step S55). The computer device 1 receives the agenda draft and / or the minutes draft (step S56), and the draft creation process is terminated.

[0069] The received agenda draft and / or minutes draft are displayed in the agenda 350 of the meeting information tab 300. When the agenda draft button 353 is pressed, the agenda draft created in step S54 can be downloaded. When the minutes draft button 354 is pressed, the minutes draft created in step S54 can be downloaded. In the agenda draft and minutes draft, basic information 310 of the meeting and a template corresponding to the content of the selected agenda are described in text format. By editing using the downloaded file, the person who creates the minutes can save the trouble of creating the agenda and minutes from scratch and can create materials efficiently. In addition, since a template corresponding to the content of the report items and resolution items is output, the document can be completed simply by entering the specific values ​​and contents discussed in the meeting.

[0070] The draft creation process can be performed after the conference information is registered in step S19. In the above, the manager performed the draft creation process, but the participants may perform the draft creation process, or the participants may be set not to perform the draft creation process. Also, the persons who can perform the draft creation process may be set based on the authority registered in the related party information table. The authority setting in the related party information table may be changed as appropriate. The above-mentioned draft creation process may be performed for multiple conferences. For example, any conference displayed in the conference list can be selected and the same agenda can be set.

[0071] The processes of steps S50 to S53 can be used for setting or editing the agenda of the conference information. When the server device 2 receives input information in step S53, the information of the agenda 350 of the conference information is set or edited. The process of setting or editing the agenda of the conference information can be executed for a plurality of conferences. For example, any conference can be selected from the conferences displayed in the conference list, and the same agenda can be set. For example, any conference can be selected from the conferences displayed in the conference list, and different agendas can be set for each conference. This makes it possible to set the agendas collectively while checking the comprehensiveness of the agendas for a certain period. Also, when the same agenda is discussed every month, it is possible to set the agenda more efficiently than setting it for each conference.

[0072] In step S53, when the server device 2 receives the input information, a material folder for each agenda may be created. For example, by pressing an agenda displayed in the report items 351 or the resolution items 352, a material folder for each agenda may be displayed. Information on materials registered in association with the agenda may be displayed in the material folder. Materials in the material folder can be edited, viewed, or acquired according to the authority of the related party information table. For example, general A who has the authority to manage materials is permitted to save, delete, edit, etc. materials in the material folder. Also, for example, members who are participants can view or acquire materials in the material folder. Also, explanations can be added to the set agenda. Furthermore, in an actual meeting, materials and explanations registered in association with the agenda can be viewed, and deliberation results, minutes memos, audio recordings, etc. can be input and recorded in association with the meeting information and agenda 350.

[0073] Furthermore, a voting function may be provided for each agenda item. For example, by pressing an agenda item displayed in report items 351 or resolution items 352, a screen may be displayed in which votes can be entered for each agenda item. Voting is preferably performed by participants. Participants input their approval or disapproval for the agenda item. The voting response status may be displayed as only the number of people who have responded, or may be viewable only by the organizer. The voting function allows participants to vote before the meeting and to tally up the number of participants who voted for and against. Also, approvals and disapprovals can be tallied in the meeting hall and a record kept.

[0074] The minutes draft received in step S56 may cite the agenda, materials, explanations, deliberation results, minutes memos, and / or audio recordings, etc., stored in association with the meeting information and agenda 350. In other words, a configuration may be adopted in which an updated minutes draft is received when the agenda of the meeting information is edited, or when materials, explanations, deliberation results, minutes memos, and / or audio recordings, etc. are recorded. Also, the information to be quoted in the minutes draft may be appropriately selected by the minutes creator.

[0075] [Schedule input process] A schedule input process in the conference management system will now be described with reference to Fig. 12, which is a flowchart of the schedule input process according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] The processes from step S50 to S53 are similar to those in the draft creation process, and therefore the explanation will be omitted. When input information is received in step S53, if the agenda requires post-conference schedule management (YES in step S57), a schedule input request is sent to the computer device 1 (step S58). The computer device 1 receives the schedule input request (step S59), the organizer inputs the schedule (step S60), and the schedule input process ends. If post-conference schedule management is not required (NO in step S57), the process ends there. The input schedule is stored in the server device 2, and is displayed as an action to be executed in association with the corresponding conference on a display screen such as that shown in FIG. 10. The action to be executed here refers to an action to be executed by the organizer of the conference.

[0077] The determination of YES in step S57 is made, for example, when an agenda item requiring registration, taxation, or public notice after the meeting is entered. Specific agenda items include, for example, relocation of the head office, issuance of new shares, and business transfer. By entering a schedule in step S60, a reminder is sent to the manager on the day of the registered schedule, so that the manager can perform various procedures after the meeting without forgetting. When schedule management is required, a procedure button 355 is displayed next to the agenda item requiring schedule management in the agenda 350 of the meeting information tab 300. The procedure button 355 displays the contents of the required procedures. The schedule may be input by pressing the procedure button 355. The input schedule may also be displayed on the above-mentioned calendar.

[0078] In addition, in the embodiment of the present invention, when an additional action becomes necessary in a conference, the additional action can be stored in association with the conference information and / or the agenda, and the progress of the action can be managed. Examples of cases in which an additional action becomes necessary include cases in which it becomes necessary to obtain competitive quotations and cases in which it becomes necessary to report the results. The manager registers the additional action in association with the conference information. Next, the manager inputs the status of the additional action (not yet handled, in progress, handled). The manager can update the input status as appropriate when the additional action progresses. When the status of the additional action is input as handled, the participant may be notified that the additional action has been handled. The registered additional action may be displayed as an action to be performed by the manager in association with the corresponding conference on a display screen such as that shown in FIG. 10. The status of the additional action may be displayed in association with the corresponding conference on a display screen such as that shown in FIG. 10.

[0079] The application and approval of minutes according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The application for minutes is made from the window of the minutes tab 330. The minutes creator applies for minutes approval by pressing the minutes tab 330 of the meeting information of the meeting for which the minutes were created, displaying a window, and uploading the created minutes. The minutes applicant may set up the minutes approval before uploading the created minutes. In the setting for the minutes approval, the minutes approver can be selected. In the selection of the minutes approver, a person other than the minutes approver registered in advance in the meeting body may be added, or the minutes approver registered in advance in the meeting body may be deleted. The uploaded minutes are converted into a PDF file regardless of the format of the uploaded file, and a new PDF file is generated. The minutes approver can circulate the generated PDF file. The converted PDF can be named appropriately, for example, "meeting group + meeting name + meeting body name.pdf".

[0080] The minutes tab 330 displays basic information regarding the minutes application and the status regarding the minutes approval. The basic information regarding the minutes application includes the applicant of the minutes, the application date and time, one's own confirmation status, minutes confirmation, minutes reapplication, etc. The own confirmation status indicates the status of one's own confirmation of the applied minutes. For example, unconfirmed, approved, sent back, etc. are displayed. Note that the own confirmation status may be displayed only to the minutes approver. In the minutes confirmation, when a button displayed in the minutes confirmation field is pressed, the applied minutes are displayed and the contents can be confirmed. If the minutes approver, the contents of the minutes uploaded to the meeting management system can be confirmed in the minutes confirmation and the approval or send back can be selected. The status regarding the minutes approval is displayed as a list of the minutes approval status and minutes approvers, and the confirmation status of each is displayed. In the minutes tab 330, a record from the minutes application to approval may be displayed as an activity.

[0081] The minutes approved by all the minutes approvers are automatically stored in a specified folder for legal storage purposes, and it is preferable that the minutes cannot be deleted or edited. It is preferable that a specified folder is set for each meeting body.

[0082] Furthermore, the approver can affix an electronic signature to the submitted minutes when approving them in the conference management system. When an electronic signature is affixed, it is preferable that the electronic signature and a timestamp are affixed at the same time as approving the minutes. Also, a notice such as "If approved, an electronic signature will be affixed" may be displayed in a window when the minutes approver selects whether to approve or send back the minutes. Furthermore, a configuration may be adopted in which, when each minutes approver selects approval, their respective electronic signatures are affixed, and when the final minutes approver selects approval, a timestamp is affixed.

[0083] Also, electronic signatures can be affixed only to certain minutes. In this case, the minutes applicant sets the minutes approval before uploading the created minutes. In the minutes approval settings, the minutes approver and whether or not to affix an electronic signature when approving the minutes can be selected. The setting of whether or not to affix an electronic signature when approving the minutes can basically be set to not affix an electronic signature, or can be set to affix an electronic signature when necessary. An example of minutes to be affixed with an electronic signature is a case where a registration application is required. When an agenda item that requires an electronic signature is selected, an electronic signature can be automatically affixed at the time of approval. That is, information on the presence or absence of an electronic signature can be associated with the agenda item and stored. A name can be set appropriately for a PDF that requires an electronic signature, for example, "(signature) meeting group + meeting name + meeting body name.pdf". By making a file with an electronic signature the official minutes, the obligation to sign and store the minutes of the board of directors under the Companies Act is fulfilled. This eliminates the need to print minutes and store signed (signed and stamped) minutes. Also, if an agenda item requires registration, the registration procedure must be completed within two weeks of the resolution. However, since a copy of the signed minutes is required for the application documents for the registration procedure, there is a risk that the collection of stamps will not be completed in time if printed minutes are used. By using minutes with an electronic signature, various procedures can be completed more quickly. This allows application documents for various procedures to be prepared within the time limit.

[0084] The conference audio recording process in the document creation system of the present invention will now be described. First, the organizer logs into the conference management system in the same manner as above. Next, the conference audio of the conference for which minutes are to be created is imported into the server device 2, and the conference audio is converted into text. It is preferable to use a general voice recognition application for converting the conference audio into text. Next, the topic being discussed and the speaker are identified for the converted remarks (hereinafter also referred to as the "text of the remarks"). The text of the remarks is associated with the topic and the speaker, and further associated with the conference, stored in the server device 2, and the conference audio recording process ends. The text of the remarks associated with the topic and the speaker can be inserted into the minutes draft created in the draft creation process.

[0085] A mode of identifying the topic being discussed and the speaker of a textualized comment will be described. The topic and participants of a conference are stored in association with conference information. Therefore, identification of the topic being discussed and the speaker of a textualized comment can be achieved, for example, by a selection operation by the administrator. Also, a configuration can be adopted in which the voices of the conference participants are registered in advance and the speaker is automatically identified. Also, when a conference is held online, a configuration can be adopted in which the terminal of the participant who is speaking is detected and the participant of the terminal is identified as the speaker. Also, a conference generally proceeds in a predetermined order of topics. Therefore, when text related to one topic is detected, the comments until the text related to the next topic is detected may be identified as related to the one topic.

[0086] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a conference voice recording screen according to an embodiment of the present invention. A conference voice recording screen 500 displays conference information 501, a conference voice recording section 510, a text display section 520, a save button 527, and an edit column transcribe button 528.

[0087] Conference information related to the displayed conference voice is displayed in the conference information 501. The displayed content is the information in the basic information 310.

[0088] The conference audio recording unit 510 displays a record start button 511 for starting recording of the conference audio, and a proceedings column 512. The proceedings column 512 displays the agenda 513 of the conference. That is, the agenda entered in step S51 is displayed as the agenda 513 of the conference in the proceedings column 512. The conference organizer can start recording the conference audio by pressing the record start button 511 as appropriate while the conference is in progress. When the conference organizer starts recording the conference audio, the conference organizer selects the agenda being discussed at that time from the proceedings column 512, and the recorded conference audio and the agenda 513 of the conference are associated and displayed in the text display unit 520. When recording of the conference audio is started, the display of the record start button 511 is changed to "End recording", and the recording of the conference audio may be ended by pressing the record end button. The conference audio may be recorded while the conference is in progress, or the recorded data may be captured after the conference is ended.

[0089] In the text display section 520, time 521, speaker 522, comment content 523, and agenda 524 are displayed. Time 521 indicates the time when comment content 523 was spoken in the conference. Time 521 may be anything that indicates the time when comment content 523 was spoken in the conference, and may be the time that has elapsed since the conference started until comment content 523 was spoken, or the time when comment content 523 was spoken in the conference. In Fig. 13, time 521 indicates the time that has elapsed since the conference started.

[0090] Speaker 522 indicates the person who made the statement 523. Furthermore, statement content 523 displays the audio of the conference recorded as described above converted into text. That is, for example, in FIG. 13, since "00:12:53" is displayed as time 525 and "Director C" is displayed as speaker 526, it is understood that Director C made the statement "The investment amount is controllable and the risk is..." when 12 minutes and 53 seconds had elapsed since the start of the conference. Since the participants are displayed in the speaker 526 field using a pull-down menu, the operator can select any participant as the speaker.

[0091] One of the agenda items 513 of the meeting is displayed in the agenda item 524. As described above, the remarks 523 in the recorded voice are displayed in the agenda item 524 field corresponding to the agenda item 513 of the meeting that was selected when the organizer started recording the voice. This allows the text of the remarks to be organized by agenda item.

[0092] By pressing a save button 527, the time 521, speaker 522, comment content 523, and agenda 524 displayed in the text display section 520 can be associated with the conference and recorded as minutes.

[0093] When the edit field transcription button 528 is pressed, the text of the utterance is displayed in an edit field (not shown) for editing the text of the utterance. The text of the utterance displayed in the edit field may be selected as appropriate, such as by agenda, by utterance, or all utterances during the meeting. In the edit field, the administrator can edit the text of the utterance as appropriate. As utterances made during a meeting are not suitable for inclusion in the minutes of a meeting as is, the text of the utterance can be modified and saved so that it can be reflected in the minutes, making it easy to insert it into the minutes draft created in the draft creation process. This makes it possible to organize the content of utterances by meeting, speaker, and agenda.

[0094] In the above embodiment, a cloud-based conference management system in which the server device 2 performs processing has been described. However, the processing performed in the server device 2 may be executed in the computer device 1 instead.

[0095] In the conference management system of the present invention, the schedule adjustment, exchange of materials, application and approval of minutes, etc. are all completed in the conference management system, so that the conference can be managed efficiently. In addition, the exchange of materials related to the conference is completed in the conference management system, so the confidentiality of information is maintained. As a result, the conference management system of the present invention can be suitably used in board meetings, which are a place for important management decisions.

[0096] In addition, since the conference management system of the present invention centrally manages information related to conferences, it is possible to search by various search methods and efficiently extract and analyze necessary information. For example, it is possible to search for conferences during a specific period, for conferences attended by a specific person in the past, for past or upcoming agendas, and for dates on which a specific agenda was discussed in the past and their minutes. Furthermore, it is possible to search for specific text from messages posted to the message function in the conference management system and for text within documents stored in a document folder. In addition, it is possible to compile information necessary for evaluating conferences and improving management operations (date and location of the conference, attendance rate of the conference, agenda, attendance rate of members, document viewing rate, feedback response rate, etc.) by conference group, conference body, conference, position, attribute, and agenda.

[0097] Furthermore, a company providing the conference management system of the present invention can cross-reference information from multiple companies that have introduced the conference management system of the present invention to extract statistical information from the composition of participants in the conference body, the frequency of the conference schedule, the type of agenda, the frequency of each agenda, the time when the agenda is discussed, the status of approval or disapproval of the agenda, voting behavior according to the attributes and positions of the participants, agendas scheduled for future discussion, etc. Using this statistical information, improvements can be made, such as adding agenda items or providing more detailed templates for agenda items with high importance, thereby providing a more efficient conference management system. Furthermore, by expanding the procedures required for registration in association with agenda items according to the above-mentioned statistical information and amendments to rules such as laws and regulations, a conference management system that allows for easier management of meetings can be provided.

[0098] According to the present invention, a system is provided with at least one computer device, and data that a user can view or obtain is stored in association with a number of set conferences. By selecting a conference, it is possible to view or obtain data corresponding to the selected conference. Therefore, data associated with conferences is stored together, and data can be easily viewed or obtained.

[0099] According to the present invention, data that a user can view or obtain is stored in association with an agenda that is set in association with a meeting, and by selecting an agenda, the data corresponding to the selected agenda can be viewed or obtained. Therefore, data associated with the agenda is stored together, and the data can be easily viewed or obtained.

[0100] According to the present invention, at least one computer device is provided and conference information relating to a plurality of set conferences is displayed in a list, so that the conference can be smoothly managed with excellent visibility.

[0101] According to the present invention, the attributes of a meeting can be selected for a meeting, and depending on the selected attributes of the meeting, the deadline for notifying the meeting participants, the meeting chairperson, the minutes approver and / or the meeting information regarding the holding of the meeting is specified, so there is no need to input the above information each time a meeting is set up, thereby reducing the burden on the administrator in setting up a meeting.

[0102] According to the present invention, a conference is set in association with a conference group that includes multiple conferences, and conference information regarding multiple conferences associated with one conference group is displayed in a list, making it possible to check at a glance multiple conferences that have related characteristics and attributes and are taking place during a certain period of time.

[0103] According to the present invention, information about a meeting can be easily checked since the meeting information is information about the date of the meeting, the location of the meeting, the status of the meeting, and / or actions to be taken in relation to the meeting.

[0104] According to the present invention, the actions to be performed in relation to a conference are actions to be performed by the participants, and the information regarding the status of the conference is the number of participants who performed an action, making it easy to grasp the number of participants who performed an action.

[0105] According to the present invention, the actions to be performed in relation to a conference are actions to be performed by the conference manager, and information relating to the actions to be performed in relation to the conference is the response status of the actions, so that the response status of the actions to be performed by the manager can be easily grasped.

[0106] According to the present invention, only conference information related to conferences in which the user will participate is displayed in a list among conference information related to set conferences, so that only information on conferences in which the user will participate can be provided.

[0107] According to the present invention, an action to be executed in relation to a displayed conference is selected, and if the selected action is to notify conference participants of the conference, information regarding the conference is sent to terminals corresponding to pre-registered conference participants, eliminating the need to contact the conference participants individually and reducing the burden on the conference manager in managing the conference.

[0108] According to the present invention, in the conference groups displayed as selectable groups, multiple conference groups are displayed according to the priority determined by the schedule and / or status of the conferences associated with the conference groups, so that the user can select any conference group from the conference groups displayed according to the priority of the conference groups.

[0109] According to the present invention, a computer device is provided that allows a user to select an agenda type for a set meeting and display actions to be taken corresponding to the selected agenda type, thereby enabling a user to easily confirm actions to be taken.

[0110] According to the present invention, a plurality of computer devices are provided, and the votes for and against input for each agenda item are tallied, making it possible to confirm the voting results for each agenda item.

[0111] According to the present invention, a plurality of computer devices are provided, and a user can select whether or not to set the minutes of a meeting to be submitted to be electronically signed when the minutes are approved. For minutes for which the setting to be electronically signed is selected, the approver's electronic signature is added when the minutes are approved, thereby allowing electronic signatures to be added only to necessary minutes.

[0112] According to the present invention, by associating information displayed on a display device of a computer system with a URL, a user can access the information displayed on the display device of a computer system more easily than with a URL.

[0113] According to the present invention, a system is provided with at least one computer device, and it is possible to evaluate the conference group and the conferences by inputting a first evaluation response about the conference group at a terminal corresponding to the stored conference participants in association with the conference group including a plurality of conferences, and inputting a second evaluation response about the conference at a terminal corresponding to the stored conference participants in association with the conference.

[0114] According to the present invention, the first evaluation is a numerical evaluation and / or a free-form evaluation of the conference group, and the second evaluation is a numerical evaluation and / or a free-form evaluation of the conference, thereby making it possible to specifically evaluate the conference group and the conference.

[0115] According to the present invention, a system is provided that includes at least one computer device, which stores the meeting participants and / or the meeting agenda, and the audio speaker is selected from the meeting participants, or the agenda is selected from the meeting agenda, thereby easily associating the text information with the meeting participants and / or the agenda and storing it.

[0116] According to the present invention, the present invention is equipped with at least one computer device and creates an agenda and / or minutes based on sample text corresponding to the agenda type selected for the meeting, making it easy to create the agenda and / or minutes.

[0117] According to the present invention, the selectable agenda types vary depending on the attributes of the selected meeting, so that an agenda type suitable for the attributes of the meeting can be set. [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1, 1a, 1b, 1z: computer device 2: server device 3: communication network 11: Control unit 12: RAM 13: Storage unit 14: Graphics processing unit 15: Communication interface 16: Interface section 17: External memory 18: Display unit 19: Display screen 21: Control unit 22: RAM 23: Storage unit 24: Communication interface 100: Person involved information table 101: Name 102: Position 103: Attributes 104: Permissions 200: Meeting table 201: Meeting name 202: Chairperson 203: Meeting participant 204: Minutes approver 205: Deadline for sending convening notices 206: Types of agenda 300: Meeting information tab 301: Meeting information 310: Basic information 311: Meeting name 312: Meeting body 313: Meeting date and time 314: Venue 315: Participants 316: Remarks 317: Meeting materials 318, 356: Edit button 320: Attendance response tab 330:Minutes tab 340:Cancel button 350:Agenda 351:Items to report 352: Resolutions 353: Agenda draft button 354: Minutes draft button 355: Procedure button 400: Conference group 401, 411: Conference name 402, 412: Meeting schedule 403: Meeting status 404: Actions 405: Add meeting button 413: Status 414: Response status 415: Action button 500: Conference audio recording screen 501: Conference information 510: Conference audio recording section 511: Recording start button 512: Meeting agenda section 513: Agenda 520: Text display section 521, 525: Time 522, 526: Speaker 523: Remarks 524: Agenda 527: Save button 528: Edit column transcription button

Claims

[Claim 1] At least one computer device, A conference setting means for setting up a plurality of conferences; a data storage means for storing data associated with a conference that can be viewed or obtained by a user; a conference selection means for selecting a conference by a user's operation on an input device; a data acquisition enabling means for enabling viewing or acquisition of data corresponding to a selected conference by selecting the conference; The conference management system includes:

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