Conference support device, conference support system, conference support method, and program

Abstract

To prevent leakage of conference contents.SOLUTION: A conference support device is connected to a decision making support system for presenting support information to support decision making of a participant in a conference. The device includes: input reception means for receiving an input of voice of a participant of a conference or handwritten characters by a participant of the conference; transmission propriety determination means for determining whether text data indicating the voice or handwritten characters received by the input reception means is to be transmitted to the decision making support system; transmission means for transmitting text data when the transmission propriety determination means determines that the text data is to be transmitted to the decision making support system; and display means for displaying support information transmitted from the decision making support system in accordance with the transmission of text data by the transmission means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a conference support device, a conference support system, a conference support method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] Decision support systems have been known for some time and are used in the management, operation, planning, etc. of organizations to support decision-making in, for example, meetings, etc. In recent years, services using such decision support systems (decision support services) have begun to be provided as cloud-based services.

[0003] Also, there is known an electronic whiteboard device that allows handwritten characters to be input using an electronic pen or the like on a touch panel (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such an electronic whiteboard device is used, for example, to record remarks made in a meeting, minutes, and the like. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Here, for example, by transmitting meeting contents such as the contents of comments input to the electronic whiteboard device and the minutes of the meeting to a decision support service, it is possible to support decision-making at the meeting body or the like.

[0005] However, by transmitting the meeting contents input to the electronic whiteboard device to the decision support service, there is a possibility that confidential information contained in the meeting contents may be leaked, for example.

[0006] An embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above points, and aims to prevent the contents of a conference from being leaked. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one embodiment of the present invention is a conference support device connected to a decision-making support system that presents support information to support decision-making by participants in a conference, and includes an input receiving means that receives input of voice or handwritten characters from the participants of the conference, a transmission feasibility determination means that determines whether text data indicating the voice or handwritten characters received by the input receiving means should be transmitted to the decision-making support system, a transmission means that transmits the text data when the transmission feasibility determination means determines that the text data should be transmitted to the decision-making support system, and a display means that displays the support information transmitted from the decision-making support system in response to the transmission of the text data by the transmission means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent the contents of a conference from being leaked. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a system configuration of an example of an interactive whiteboard system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of an interactive whiteboard device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of a character conversion device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an example of an interactive whiteboard system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a process for inputting handwritten characters according to the first embodiment; [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of transmission permission information. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which decision support information is displayed. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which an icon indicating that the contents of the conference will not be transmitted is displayed. [Figure 9]FIG. 4 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a voice input process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen on which information indicating that speech-to-text conversion is not possible is displayed. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram showing another example of the voice input process according to the first embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an example of an interactive whiteboard system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of input processing of handwritten characters according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for selecting whether to transmit the contents of the conference. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a voice input process according to the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an example of an interactive whiteboard system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of input processing of handwritten characters according to the third embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for selecting whether or not to cancel transmission of the conference contents. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a voice input process according to the third embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of an example of an interactive whiteboard device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of confidential word information. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of input processing of handwritten characters according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of a voice input process according to the fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0011] [First embodiment] <System configuration> First, the system configuration of an interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the system configuration of an example of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0012] 1, an interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment includes an interactive whiteboard device 10 and a character conversion device 20. The interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment is communicatively connected to a speech conversion service 30 and a decision support service 40 via a wide-area network N1 such as the Internet.

[0013] The electronic whiteboard device 10 is used, for example, in meetings, classes, etc., and is a device that displays electronic files, etc. on a display, and also allows handwritten input of characters using an electronic pen, etc., and audio collection (input) using a microphone, etc. Such an electronic whiteboard device 10 is also called an interactive whiteboard (IWB).

[0014] Furthermore, the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays on the display various pieces of information provided by the decision support service 40 (that is, for example, various pieces of information for supporting decision-making by a meeting body in a meeting using the interactive whiteboard device 10).

[0015] The character conversion device 20 is an information processing device that converts data indicating handwritten characters (handwritten character data) input to the interactive whiteboard device 10 into text data using, for example, a technique such as character recognition.

[0016] The electronic whiteboard device 10 and the character conversion device 20 are communicably connected via a network such as an in-house LAN (Local Area Network). However, the electronic whiteboard device 10 and the character conversion device 20 may also be communicably connected via a network N1, for example.

[0017] The voice conversion service 30 is an external system or device that provides a service of converting data representing voice input to the interactive whiteboard device 10 (voice data) into text data using a technology such as voice recognition.

[0018] The decision support service 40 is an external system or device that provides a service to support users in making decisions by using technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent agents (IA). That is, the decision support service 40 provides the interactive whiteboard device 10 with various information for supporting decision-making in, for example, a meeting body, based on text data received from the character conversion device 20, the speech conversion service 30, etc.

[0019] In this embodiment, the voice conversion service 30 and the decision-making support service 40 are cloud-based external services. However, the voice conversion service 30 and the decision-making support service 40 are not limited to this and may be, for example, a service provided by an ASP (Application Service Provider) or a Web service.

[0020] 1 is merely an example and may have other configurations. For example, the character conversion device 20 may be included in the electronic whiteboard device 10. In this case, the electronic whiteboard device 10 converts handwritten character data into text data. Also, for example, the voice conversion service 30 may be included in the electronic whiteboard system 1, or the character conversion device 20 may be an external device that provides a cloud-based character conversion service.

[0021] <Hardware configuration> Next, the hardware configuration of the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment.

[0022] 2, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment includes an input device 11, a display device 12, an external I / F 13, a communication I / F 14, and a ROM (Read Only Memory) 15. The interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment also includes a RAM (Random Access Memory) 16, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 17, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 18, and a sound collection device 19. Each of these pieces of hardware is connected to one another via a bus B1.

[0023] The input device 11 is a touch panel or the like, and is used for inputting various operations by the user (for example, inputting handwritten characters). The display device 12 is a display or the like, and displays various information (for example, handwritten characters, various texts, various icons, etc.).

[0024] The external I / F 13 is an interface with an external device. The external device may be a recording medium 13a or the like. This allows the interactive whiteboard device 10 to read from and write to the recording medium 13a or the like via the external I / F 13. The recording medium 13a may be, for example, a USB memory, a CD, a DVD, or an SD memory card.

[0025] The communication I / F 14 is an interface for connecting the electronic whiteboard device 10 to the network N1, etc. This allows the electronic whiteboard device 10 to communicate with other devices (for example, the character conversion device 20, the voice conversion service 30, etc.) via the communication I / F 14.

[0026] The HDD 18 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data, including an operating system (OS) that is the basic software that controls the entire interactive whiteboard device 10, and application programs that provide various functions on the OS.

[0027] The HDD 18 manages stored programs and data using a predetermined file system and / or DB (database). Note that the interactive whiteboard device 10 may have a drive device (e.g., a solid-state drive: SSD) that uses flash memory as a storage medium instead of the HDD 18.

[0028] The ROM 15 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. The ROM 15 stores programs and data such as a BIOS (Basic Input / Output System) that is executed when the interactive whiteboard device 10 starts up, OS settings, and network settings. The RAM 16 is a volatile semiconductor memory that temporarily retains programs and data.

[0029] The CPU 17 is a computing device that reads programs and data from storage devices such as the ROM 15 and the HDD 18 onto the RAM 16 and executes processing to realize the overall control and functions of the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0030] The sound collection device 19 is, for example, a microphone, and collects sounds around the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0031] The interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment has the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 2, and can thereby realize various processes as will be described later.

[0032] Next, the hardware configuration of the character conversion device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the character conversion device 20 according to this embodiment.

[0033] 3, the character conversion device 20 according to this embodiment includes an input device 21, a display device 22, an external I / F 23, and a communication I / F 24. The character conversion device 20 according to this embodiment also includes a ROM 25, a RAM 26, a CPU 27, and an HDD 28. These pieces of hardware are connected to each other via a bus B2.

[0034] The input device 21 is a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and is used for inputting various operations by the user. The display device 22 is a display, etc., and displays various information. Note that the character conversion device 20 may be configured such that at least one of the input device 21 and the display device 22 is connected to the bus B2 when necessary.

[0035] The external I / F 23 is an interface with an external device. The external device may be a recording medium 23a or the like. This allows the character conversion device 20 to read from or write to the recording medium 23a or the like via the external I / F 23. The recording medium 23a may be, for example, a USB memory, a CD, a DVD, or an SD memory card.

[0036] The communication I / F 24 is an interface for connecting the character conversion device 20 to the network N1, etc. This allows the character conversion device 20 to communicate with other devices (e.g., the electronic whiteboard device 10, the decision support service 40, etc.) via the communication I / F 24.

[0037] The HDD 28 is a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data, including the OS, which is the basic software that controls the entire character conversion device 20, and application programs that provide various functions on the OS.

[0038] The HDD 28 manages stored programs and data using a predetermined file system and / or DB (database). Note that the character conversion device 20 may have a drive device (e.g., a solid state drive: SSD) that uses flash memory as a storage medium instead of the HDD 28.

[0039] The ROM 25 is a non-volatile semiconductor memory that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. The ROM 25 stores programs and data such as BIOS, OS settings, and network settings that are executed when the interactive whiteboard device 10 is started up. The RAM 26 is a volatile semiconductor memory that temporarily retains programs and data.

[0040] The CPU 27 is a computing device that controls the entire character conversion device 20 and realizes its functions by reading programs and data from storage devices such as the ROM 25 and HDD 28 onto the RAM 26 and executing the processes.

[0041] The character conversion device 20 according to this embodiment has the hardware configuration shown in FIG. 3, and can thereby realize various processes as will be described later.

[0042] <Functional configuration> Next, the functional configuration of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment.

[0043] 4, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment includes an input receiving unit 101, a display control unit 102, an authentication processing unit 103, a communication unit 104, a handwritten character data generation processing unit 105, a voice input unit 106, a voice data generation processing unit 107, and a transmission permission determination unit 108. Each of these functional units is realized by a process in which one or more programs installed in the interactive whiteboard device 10 are executed by the CPU 17.

[0044] The interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment also includes a transmission permission information storage unit 109. This storage unit can be realized, for example, using the HDD 18. Note that this storage unit may also be realized using a storage device or the like connected to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via a network.

[0045] The input accepting unit 101 accepts input of various operations by the user. That is, the input accepting unit 101 accepts input of handwritten characters by the user, various selection operations, etc. The input accepting unit 101 also accepts input of authentication information for the user to start using the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0046] The display control unit 102 displays various types of information. That is, the display control unit 102 displays handwritten characters, various screens, etc. The display control unit 102 also displays text indicated by text data converted by the speech conversion service 30. Furthermore, the display control unit 102 displays decision support information indicated by decision support data transmitted from the decision support service 40.

[0047] The authentication processing unit 103 performs authentication based on the authentication information whose input is accepted by the input accepting unit 101. That is, the authentication processing unit 103 performs authentication processing by, for example, determining whether or not a set of a user ID and a password (authentication information) whose input is accepted by the input accepting unit 101 matches a set of a user ID and a password that has been set in advance.

[0048] The communication unit 104 communicates various data with other devices (for example, the character conversion device 20, the speech conversion service 30, etc.). That is, the communication unit 104 transmits, for example, handwritten character data generated by the handwritten character data generation processing unit 105 to the character conversion device 20. This allows the interactive whiteboard device 10 to convert the handwritten character data into text data in the character conversion device 20 and transmit the text data to the decision support service 40.

[0049] Furthermore, the communication unit 104 transmits, for example, the voice data generated by the voice data generation processing unit 107 to the voice conversion service 30. This allows the interactive whiteboard device 10 to convert the voice data into text data by the voice conversion service 30 and transmit the text data to the decision support service 40.

[0050] Furthermore, the communication unit 104 receives decision support data from the decision support service 40 via the character conversion device 20 or the speech conversion service 30. The decision support data is data indicating information for supporting decision making (for example, information presenting solutions or alternatives to problems that are on the agenda of a meeting).

[0051] When the input operation of handwritten characters is accepted by the input accepting unit 101, the handwritten character data generating unit 105 generates data indicating the handwritten characters (handwritten character data). Furthermore, the handwritten character data generating unit 105 transmits the generated handwritten character data to the character conversion device 20 via the communication unit 104 according to the determination result by the transmission permission determining unit 108.

[0052] The audio input unit 106 inputs audio. That is, the audio input unit 106 inputs the sound (audio) collected by the sound collection device 19.

[0053] The voice data generation processing unit 107 generates data (voice data) representing the voice input by the voice input unit 106. Furthermore, the voice data generation processing unit 107 transmits the generated voice data to the voice conversion service 30 via the communication unit 104 in accordance with the determination result by the transmission permission determination unit 108.

[0054] The transmission possibility determination unit 108 refers to the transmission possibility information stored in the transmission possibility information storage unit 109 and determines whether or not to transmit, for example, the contents of the conference (i.e., handwritten character data and voice data) to the character conversion device 20 and the voice conversion service 30.

[0055] Here, as will be described later, the transmission permission information is associated with the user ID of the user who uses the interactive whiteboard device 10 and information for determining whether transmission is permitted (for example, the user's job title, etc.). Therefore, the transmission permission determination unit 108 determines whether handwritten character data and voice data are permitted to be transmitted, for example, according to the job title, etc. associated with the user ID of the user authenticated by the authentication processing unit 103.

[0056] The transmission permission information storage unit 109 stores transmission permission information for the transmission permission determination unit 108 to determine whether or not handwritten character data and voice data can be transmitted. The transmission permission information will be described in detail later.

[0057] 4, the character conversion device 20 according to this embodiment includes a communication unit 201 and a character conversion processing unit 202. These functional units are realized by processing that is executed by the CPU 27 of one or more programs installed in the character conversion device 20.

[0058] The communication unit 201 communicates various data with other devices (e.g., the interactive whiteboard device 10, the decision-making support service 40, etc.). That is, the communication unit 104 transmits, for example, text data converted by the character conversion processing unit 202 to the decision-making support service 40. The communication unit 104 also transmits decision-making support data received from the decision-making support service 40 to the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0059] The character conversion processing unit 202 converts handwritten character data received via the communication unit 201 into text data. The character conversion processing unit 202 converts handwritten character data into text data using, for example, OCR (Optical character recognition) technology or the like.

[0060] <Processing details> Next, the details of the processing of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0061] First, a case where, for example, a participant of a meeting inputs the contents of the meeting in handwritten characters in a meeting or the like using the interactive whiteboard device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a handwritten character input process according to this embodiment.

[0062] First, the input receiving unit 101 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 receives an input operation of authentication information for a user, such as a participant of a meeting, to start using the interactive whiteboard device 10 (step S501). Note that the input operation of the authentication information can be performed by the user inputting a set of a user ID and a password (authentication information) on a predetermined screen displayed by the display control unit 102, for example.

[0063] The authentication information may be input by the user holding an IC (Integrated Circuit) card over a predetermined position on the interactive whiteboard device 10. In this case, the input receiving unit 101 receives the input of the authentication information recorded on the IC card.

[0064] Next, the authentication processing unit 103 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 performs authentication based on the authentication information whose input has been accepted by the input accepting unit 101 (step S502). That is, the authentication processing unit 103 performs the authentication process by, for example, determining whether or not the pair of user ID and password (authentication information) whose input has been accepted by the input accepting unit 101 matches a pair of user ID and password that has been set in advance.

[0065] In the following, the explanation will be continued assuming that the authentication in the above step S502 is successful. Note that the authentication process in the above step S502 does not have to be performed. That is, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment only needs to accept the input of at least the user ID in the above step S501.

[0066] Next, the transmission possibility determination unit 108 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 refers to the transmission possibility information stored in the transmission possibility information storage unit 109 and determines whether or not to transmit the handwritten character data to the character conversion device 20 (transmission possibility) (step S503).

[0067] Here, the transmission permission information stored in transmission permission information storage unit 109 will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the transmission permission information stored in transmission permission information storage unit 109.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 6, the transmission permission information stored in the transmission permission information storage unit 109 includes data items such as "user ID," "name," and "position." "User ID" is identification information that identifies a user who uses the interactive whiteboard device 10. "Name" is the name of the user. "Position" is the position of the user (for example, department manager, section chief, etc.). In this way, the transmission permission information is associated with the user ID and information such as position.

[0069] Here, the transmission permission determination unit 108 determines whether transmission is possible by, for example, determining whether the job title associated with the user ID included in the authentication information whose input is accepted by the input accepting unit 101 is a specified job title.

[0070] That is, transmission permission determination unit 108 refers to the transmission permission information stored in transmission permission information storage unit 109, and determines that transmission is not permitted if, for example, the position associated with the user ID included in the authentication information is a position of department manager or higher. On the other hand, transmission permission determination unit 108 determines that transmission is permitted if, for example, the position associated with the user ID included in the authentication information is a position lower than department manager.

[0071] In addition, in the above step S501, if multiple pieces of authentication information are input (for example, if all participants in the meeting swipe their IC cards), the transmission permission determination unit 108 only needs to determine whether the job title associated with at least one of the user IDs included in the multiple pieces of authentication information is a specified job title.

[0072] Furthermore, the transmission permission determination unit 108 is not limited to determining whether transmission is possible based on the user's job title, but may also determine whether transmission is possible based on, for example, the organization, department, team, division, etc. to which the user belongs. Furthermore, the transmission permission determination unit 108 may determine whether transmission is possible based on, for example, the device ID or installation location of the electronic whiteboard device 10, rather than the user who uses the electronic whiteboard device 10. Note that "name," "job title," "organization," "department," "team," "division," etc. are examples of user attribute information in the claims. Also, "job title" is an example of job title information in the claims.

[0073] If the transmission possibility determination unit 108 determines in step S503 that transmission is possible, the electronic whiteboard system 1 of this embodiment performs the processing of steps S504 to S509 described below each time a handwritten character input operation is performed on the electronic whiteboard device 10.

[0074] That is, the input receiving unit 101 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 receives an input operation of handwritten characters by a user. Then, the handwritten character data generation processing unit 105 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 generates data (handwritten character data) indicating the handwritten characters received by the input receiving unit 101 (step S504).

[0075] At this time, the handwritten character data generation processing unit 105 may generate image data representing each handwritten character input by the user as handwritten character data, or may generate stroke data representing each stroke of each handwritten character as handwritten character data. Note that the input operation of handwritten characters can be performed by the user writing characters on the display device 12 using, for example, a dedicated electronic pen.

[0076] The display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays the handwritten characters indicated by the handwritten character data generated by the handwritten character data generation processing unit 105 on the display device 12 (step S505). As a result, the handwritten characters input by the user are displayed.

[0077] Next, the handwritten character data generation processing unit 105 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 transmits the handwritten character data to the character conversion device 20 via the communication unit 104 (step S506).

[0078] When the character conversion processing unit 202 of the character conversion device 20 receives the handwritten character data via the communication unit 201, it converts the handwritten character data into text data (step S507).

[0079] Next, the character conversion processing unit 202 of the character conversion device 20 transmits the text data converted in step S507 to the decision support service 40 via the communication unit 201 (step S508). Note that the text data can be transmitted using, for example, a WebAPI (Application Programming Interface) provided by the decision support service 40.

[0080] Then, the decision support service 40 transmits the decision support data to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via the character conversion device 20.

[0081] In step S508, the character conversion device 20 may return the text data to the interactive whiteboard device 10. In this case, the interactive whiteboard device 10 transmits the text data returned from the character conversion device 20 to the decision support service 40.

[0082] When the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 receives the decision support data via the communication unit 104, it displays the decision support information (step S509).

[0083] That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the display control section 102 displays decision support information G110 indicated by the decision support data on a screen G100 displayed on the display device 12.

[0084] In the example shown in FIG. 7, decision support information G110 is displayed, which indicates that another project (○× project) is working on plan B, which is similar to the handwritten characters "Plan A" input by the user.

[0085] In this way, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to the present embodiment converts handwritten characters input by a user into text and transmits it to the decision-making support service 40, thereby displaying information for supporting decision-making in, for example, a conference on the interactive whiteboard device 10. As a result, in a conference using the interactive whiteboard device 10, it is expected that unnecessary discussions will be reduced and quick decision-making will be achieved.

[0086] On the other hand, if the transmission permission determination unit 108 determines in step S503 that transmission is not permitted, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the process of step S510, which will be described later. After that, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the processes of step S511 and step S512, which will be described later, every time an input operation of handwritten characters is performed on the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0087] That is, the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays an icon indicating that the meeting contents will not be transmitted (that is, the handwritten data will not be transmitted to the character conversion device 20) (step S510).

[0088] That is, for example, as shown in Fig. 8, the display control unit 102 displays an icon G210 indicating that the contents of the meeting will not be transmitted (i.e., the contents of the meeting are confidential) on a screen G200 displayed on the display device 12. This allows, for example, meeting participants to know that the contents handwritten on the interactive whiteboard device 10 will not be transmitted to the outside (decision-making support service 40). Therefore, for example, meeting participants can discuss agenda items containing confidential information without hesitation. The icon G210 is an example of a display component within the scope of the claims.

[0089] In addition, on the screen G200 shown in FIG. 8, for example, when the user presses the icon G210 (operation to remove "confidential"), the electronic whiteboard device 10 may transmit the contents of the meeting (i.e., transmit the handwritten character data to the character conversion device 20).

[0090] Next, the input accepting unit 101 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 accepts an input operation of handwritten characters by the user. Then, the handwritten character data generating processing unit 105 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 generates data (handwritten character data) indicating the handwritten characters accepted by the input accepting unit 101 (step S511).

[0091] Next, the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays the handwritten characters indicated by the handwritten character data generated by the handwritten character data generation processing unit 105 on the display device 12 (step S512). As a result, the handwritten characters input by the user are displayed.

[0092] In this way, the electronic whiteboard device 10 of this embodiment determines whether or not to send the handwritten meeting content to an external party (such as the decision-making support service 40) depending on the position, etc. of the participant (user) using the electronic whiteboard device 10.

[0093] Therefore, according to the electronic whiteboard system 1 of this embodiment, it is possible to prevent situations in which confidential information is leaked to the decision support service 40, for example, when the contents of a meeting attended by company executives or the like are handwritten and entered into the electronic whiteboard device 10.

[0094] Furthermore, the decision support service 40 may provide optimal decision support data based on accumulated past information. In such a decision support service 40, confidential information (or information based on the confidential information) transmitted to the decision support service 40 may be provided to other users of the interactive whiteboard device 10 as decision support information.

[0095] Therefore, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment can prevent a situation in which confidential information or the like is provided to other users of the interactive whiteboard device 10 as decision-making support information.

[0096] Next, a case where audio collected from, for example, speech spoken by participants in a conference using the interactive whiteboard device 10 is input will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a sequence diagram showing an example of audio input processing according to this embodiment. Note that the processing in steps S901 to S903 is the same as the processing in steps S501 to S503 in Fig. 5, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0097] If the transmission possibility determination unit 108 determines in step S903 that transmission is possible, the electronic whiteboard system 1 of this embodiment performs the processing of steps S904 to S908 described below each time audio is collected by the sound collection device 19 of the electronic whiteboard device 10.

[0098] That is, the voice input unit 106 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 inputs the voice collected by the sound collection device 19. Then, the voice data generation processing unit 107 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 generates data (voice data) indicating the voice input by the voice input unit 106 (step S904).

[0099] Next, the voice data generation processing unit 107 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 transmits the voice data to the voice conversion service 30 via the communication unit 104 (step S905). Then, the voice conversion service 30 converts the voice data into text data and returns it to the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0100] Next, the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays the text indicated by the text data returned from the speech conversion service 30 (step S906). As a result, for example, the content of remarks made by the participants of the meeting is displayed as text on the display device 12 of the interactive whiteboard device 10. Note that, for example, if a plurality of pieces of text data and the reliability of these pieces of text data (index values indicating the likelihood of conversion) are returned from the speech conversion service 30, the display control unit 102 may simply display the text indicated by the text data with the highest reliability.

[0101] Meanwhile, the speech conversion service 30 transmits the text data to the decision support service 40 (step S907). Then, the decision support service 40 transmits the decision support data to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via the speech conversion service 30.

[0102] If the text data transmission process in step S907 is not performed, the interactive whiteboard device 10 may transmit the text data to the decision support service 40.

[0103] When the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 receives the decision support data via the communication unit 104, it displays the decision support information (step S908). As a result, the decision support information is displayed on the display device 12 of the interactive whiteboard device 10, similar to step S509 in FIG.

[0104] On the other hand, if the transmission permission determining unit 108 determines in step S903 that transmission is not permitted, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the process of step S909, which will be described later.

[0105] That is, the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays, for example, a screen G300 shown in Fig. 10 (step S909). The screen G300 shown in Fig. 10 is a screen that displays information indicating that speech cannot be converted into text.

[0106] In this way, when the transmission permission determining unit 108 determines that transmission is not possible, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment notifies the user that speech cannot be converted into text.

[0107] As described above, the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment determines whether to transmit handwritten data or voice data depending on the user who uses the electronic whiteboard device 10. As a result, the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment can prevent, for example, the contents of a meeting from being transmitted depending on the attributes (e.g., job title, department, etc.) of the user who uses the electronic whiteboard device 10.

[0108] Therefore, the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment can prevent situations in which, for example, the contents of statements or handwritten inputs made in highly confidential meetings attended by company executives or the like are leaked to the outside (such as the decision support service 40).

[0109] Although the above description uses different sequence diagrams for inputting handwritten characters and inputting voice, these may be performed simultaneously. That is, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment may input handwritten characters simultaneously with inputting voice.

[0110] Here, it may be possible to control whether or not to send text data to the decision-making support service 40 by sending a flag (transmission permission flag) to the voice conversion service 30 along with the voice data, indicating whether or not to allow the text data to be sent to the decision-making support service 40.

[0111] Therefore, hereinafter, the voice input process when the interactive whiteboard device 10 transmits a transmission permission flag together with voice data will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a sequence diagram showing another example of the voice input process according to this embodiment. Note that the processes of steps S1101 to S1103 are the same as the processes of steps S901 to S903 in Fig. 9, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0112] If the transmission possibility determination unit 108 determines in step S1103 that transmission is possible, the electronic whiteboard system 1 of this embodiment performs the processing of steps S1104 to S1108 described below each time audio is collected by the sound collection device 19 of the electronic whiteboard device 10.

[0113] That is, the voice input unit 106 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 inputs the voice collected by the sound collection device 19. Then, the voice data generation processing unit 107 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 generates data (voice data) indicating the voice input by the voice input unit 106 (step S1104).

[0114] Next, the voice data generation processing unit 107 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 transmits the voice data and the transmission permission flag to the voice conversion service 30 via the communication unit 104 (step S1105). At this time, the voice data generation processing unit 107 sets the value of the transmission permission flag to "1", which indicates that transmission of text data to the decision support service 40 is permitted, and transmits the flag.

[0115] Then, the voice conversion service 30 converts the voice data into text data and returns it to the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0116] Next, the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays the text indicated by the text data returned from the speech conversion service 30 (step S1106).

[0117] On the other hand, since the value of the transmission permission flag is "1", the speech conversion service 30 transmits the text data to the decision support service 40 (step S1107). Then, the decision support service 40 transmits the decision support data to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via the speech conversion service 30.

[0118] When the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 receives the decision support data via the communication unit 104, it displays the decision support information (step S1108).

[0119] On the other hand, if the transmission permission determining unit 108 determines in step S1103 that transmission is not permitted, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S1109 to S1111, which will be described later.

[0120] That is, similar to step S1104 described above, the voice input unit 106 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 inputs the voice collected by the sound collection device 19. Then, the voice data generation processing unit 107 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 generates data (voice data) indicating the voice input by the voice input unit 106 (step S1109).

[0121] Next, the voice data generation processing unit 107 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 transmits the voice data and the transmission permission flag to the voice conversion service 30 via the communication unit 104 (step S1110). At this time, the voice data generation processing unit 107 sets the value of the transmission permission flag to "0" which indicates that transmission of text data to the decision support service 40 is not permitted.

[0122] The speech conversion service 30 then converts the speech data into text data and returns it to the interactive whiteboard device 10. Note that the speech conversion service 30 does not transmit the text data to the decision support service 40 because the value of the transmission permission flag is "0".

[0123] Next, the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays the text indicated by the text data returned from the speech conversion service 30, similar to step S1106 above (step S1111).

[0124] In this way, when it is possible to control the transmission of text data to the decision support service 40 by transmitting a transmission permission flag to the speech conversion service 30, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment transmits the transmission permission flag together with the voice data to the speech conversion service 30. As a result, as described above in steps S1109 to S1111, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment can display the text data converted from the voice data even when the transmission permission determination unit 108 determines that transmission is not permitted.

[0125] [Second embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the second embodiment, a case will be described in which, for example, before the start of a meeting, a user can select whether or not to transmit the contents of the meeting in the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0126] <Functional configuration> First, the functional configuration of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 12. Fig. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment. Note that the description of the functional configuration that is the same as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0127] 12, the interactive whiteboard device 10 of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment has a transmission permission determination unit 108A. The transmission permission determination unit 108A determines whether to transmit handwritten character data and voice data to the character conversion device 20 and the voice conversion service 30, depending on a selection made on a predetermined screen (a screen on which the user selects whether to transmit the meeting contents) displayed by the display control unit 102.

[0128] <Processing details> Next, the details of the processing of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0129] First, a case where, for example, a participant of a meeting inputs the contents of the meeting by handwriting in a meeting using the interactive whiteboard device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a handwritten character input process according to this embodiment. Note that the processes of steps S1301 and S1302 are similar to the processes of steps S501 and S502 in Fig. 5, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0130] Following step S1302, the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays a screen G400 for the user to select whether or not to transmit the meeting contents, as shown in FIG. 14, for example (step S1303).

[0131] Here, the screen G400 shown in FIG. 14 includes a "YES" button G410 for selecting whether to send the conference contents (transmission allowed) and a "NO" button G420 for selecting whether to not send the conference contents (transmission not allowed).

[0132] Next, the transmission permission determination unit 108A of the interactive whiteboard device 10 determines whether or not to transmit the handwritten character data to the character conversion device 20 (transmission permission or not) (step S1304). That is, the transmission permission determination unit 108A determines whether or not to transmit by determining whether the "YES" button G410 or the "NO" button G420 has been selected on the screen G400 shown in Fig. 14, for example.

[0133] If the transmission permission determination unit 108A determines in step S1304 that transmission is permitted, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S1305 to S1310 every time an input operation for handwritten characters is performed on the interactive whiteboard device 10. Note that the processes of steps S1305 to S1310 are similar to the processes of steps S504 to S509 in FIG. 5, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0134] On the other hand, if the transmission permission determination unit 108A determines in step S1304 that transmission is not permitted, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the process of step S1311. Thereafter, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S1312 and S1313 every time a handwritten character input operation is performed on the interactive whiteboard device 10. Note that the processes of steps S1311 to S1313 are the same as the processes of steps S510 to S512 in FIG. 5, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0135] In this way, in the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to the present embodiment, whether or not handwritten character data is to be transmitted can be controlled by the user selecting whether or not to transmit the data on the interactive whiteboard device 10. Therefore, in a meeting using the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to the present embodiment, for example, participants in the meeting can select whether or not to transmit handwritten character data according to the agenda to be discussed before the meeting starts.

[0136] Next, a case where audio collected from speech made by participants in a conference or the like in a conference using the interactive whiteboard device 10 is input will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a sequence diagram showing an example of audio input processing according to this embodiment. Note that the processing in steps S1501 and S1502 is the same as the processing in steps S901 and S902 in Fig. 9, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0137] Following step S1502, the display control unit 102 of the electronic whiteboard device 10 displays a screen G400 for the user to select whether or not to transmit the meeting contents, as shown in FIG. 14, in the same manner as in step S1303 above (step S1503).

[0138] Next, the transmission permission determination unit 108A of the interactive whiteboard device 10 determines whether or not to transmit the voice data to the voice conversion service 30 (transmission permission or not) (step S1504). That is, the transmission permission determination unit 108A determines whether or not to transmit by determining whether the "YES" button G410 or the "NO" button G420 has been selected on the screen G400 shown in FIG. 14, for example.

[0139] If the transmission permission determination unit 108A determines that transmission is permitted in step S1504, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S1505 to S1509 every time sound is collected by the sound collection device 19 of the interactive whiteboard device 10. Note that the processes of steps S1505 to S1509 are the same as the processes of steps S904 to S908 in FIG. 9, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0140] On the other hand, if the transmission permission determination unit 108A determines in step S1504 that transmission is not permitted, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the process of step S1510. Note that the process of step S1510 is the same as the process of step S909 in FIG. 9, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0141] In this way, in the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to the present embodiment, whether or not handwritten character data is to be transmitted can be controlled by the user selecting whether or not to transmit the data on the electronic whiteboard device 10. Therefore, in a meeting using the electronic whiteboard device 10 according to the present embodiment, for example, participants in the meeting can select whether or not to transmit voice data according to the agenda to be discussed before the meeting starts.

[0142] As described above, in the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment, the user of the electronic whiteboard device 10 can select, for example, before the start of the meeting, whether or not to transmit the contents of the meeting to the decision-making support service 40. As a result, in the electronic whiteboard system according to this embodiment, it is possible to select whether or not to transmit the contents of the meeting to the decision-making support service 40, depending on, for example, the agenda of the scheduled meeting.

[0143] [Third embodiment] Next, a third embodiment will be described. In the third embodiment, when a pre-registered term (confidential word) or a term similar to the pre-registered term (similar word) is included in the text data, the decision support service 40 returns decision support data indicating that confidential information is included in the meeting content.

[0144] Therefore, for example, when the electronic whiteboard device 10 of this embodiment receives decision support data indicating that confidential information is included in the meeting content during a meeting, it displays a specified screen and allows the user to select whether or not to stop transmitting the meeting content thereafter.

[0145] <Functional configuration> First, the functional configuration of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 16. Fig. 16 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an example of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment. Note that the description of the functional configuration that is the same as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0146] 16, the interactive whiteboard device 10 of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment has a decision support data determination unit 110. Moreover, the interactive whiteboard device 10 of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment does not have the transmission permission determination unit 108. The decision support data determination section 110 determines whether the decision support data received via the communication section 104 indicates that confidential information is included in the conference contents.

[0147] <Processing details> Next, the details of the processing of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0148] First, a case where, for example, a participant of a meeting inputs the contents of the meeting by handwriting in a meeting using the interactive whiteboard device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 17. Fig. 17 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a handwritten character input process according to this embodiment. Note that the processes of steps S1701 and S1702 are similar to the processes of steps S1301 and S1302 in Fig. 13, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0149] The interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S1703 to S1709 every time a handwritten character input operation is performed on the interactive whiteboard device 10. Note that the processes of steps S1703 to S1706 are the same as the processes of steps S1305 to S1308 in FIG. 13, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0150] Following step S1706, the text data converted in step S1706 is transmitted to the decision support service 40 via the communication unit 201 of the character conversion device 20 (step S1707).

[0151] The decision support service 40 then transmits decision support data to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via the character conversion device 20. At this time, the decision support service 40 determines, for example, whether or not the text indicated by the text data received from the character conversion device 20 contains a confidential word or a similar word. If the decision support service 40 determines that the text indicated by the text data contains a confidential word or a similar word, it transmits decision support data indicating that confidential information is included to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via the character conversion device 20.

[0152] Here, confidential words are terms registered in advance in the decision support service 40 by users of the electronic whiteboard device 10, such as terms related to confidential matters, such as "lawsuit," "business plan," and "patent." Similar words are terms that are semantically similar or related to confidential words, such as "court action," "judgment," and "lawsuit," which are similar to the confidential word "lawsuit." The similar words are determined by the decision support service 40, for example, using technology such as artificial intelligence or intelligent agents based on the confidential words registered by users.

[0153] The decision support data determination unit 110 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 determines whether the decision support data received via the communication unit 104 indicates that confidential information is included (step S1708).

[0154] If it is determined in step S1708 that the decision support data indicates that confidential information is included, the display control unit 102 displays a screen G500 for selecting whether to stop sending the conference contents (step S1709), as shown in Fig. 18. Note that the screen G500 shown in Fig. 18 is an example of a selection screen in the claims.

[0155] Here, the screen G500 shown in FIG. 18 includes a "YES" button G510 for selecting to cancel the transmission of the conference content, and a "NO" button G520 for selecting not to cancel the transmission of the conference content.

[0156] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1708 that the decision support data does not contain confidential information, the display control unit 102 displays the decision support determination information (step S1710).

[0157] In this way, in the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the user of the electronic whiteboard device 10 can prevent the subsequent transmission of the meeting contents (handwritten character data) by pressing the "YES" button G510 on the screen G500 shown in Fig. 18. On the other hand, in the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the user of the electronic whiteboard device 10 can continue transmitting the meeting contents (handwritten character data) by pressing the "NO" button G520 on the screen G500 shown in Fig. 18.

[0158] Next, a case where audio collected from speech made by participants in a conference or the like in a conference using the interactive whiteboard device 10 is input will be described with reference to Fig. 19. Fig. 19 is a sequence diagram showing an example of audio input processing according to this embodiment. Note that the processing in steps S1901 and S1902 is similar to the processing in steps S1501 and S1502 in Fig. 15, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0159] The interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S1903 to S1909 every time a sound is collected by the sound collection device 19 of the interactive whiteboard device 10. Note that the processes of steps S1903 to S1905 are the same as the processes of steps S1505 to S1507 in FIG. 15, and therefore, a description thereof will be omitted.

[0160] The speech conversion service 30 converts the speech data received from the interactive whiteboard device 10 into text data and transmits the converted data to the decision support service 40 (step S1905). Then, the decision support service 40 transmits the decision support data to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via the speech conversion service 30.

[0161] At this time, the decision-making support service 40 determines, for example, whether or not confidential words or similar words are included in the text indicated by the text data received from the speech conversion service 30. If the decision-making support service 40 determines that confidential words or similar words are included in the text indicated by the text data, it transmits decision-making support data indicating that confidential information is included to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via the speech conversion service 30.

[0162] The decision support data determination unit 110 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 determines whether the decision support data received via the communication unit 104 indicates that confidential information is included (step S1907).

[0163] If it is determined in step S1907 that the decision support data indicates that confidential information is included, the display control unit 102 displays, for example, the screen G500 shown in FIG. 18, as in step S1709 above (step S1908).

[0164] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S1907 that the decision support data does not contain confidential information, the display control unit 102 displays the decision support determination information (step S1909).

[0165] In this way, in the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the user of the electronic whiteboard device 10 can prevent the subsequent transmission of the meeting contents (audio data) by pressing the "YES" button G510 on the screen G500 shown in Fig. 18. On the other hand, in the electronic whiteboard system 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the user of the electronic whiteboard device 10 can continue transmitting the meeting contents (audio data) by pressing the "NO" button G520 on the screen G500 shown in Fig. 18.

[0166] As described above, in the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment, a screen for selecting whether or not to cancel transmission of the meeting contents is displayed on the interactive whiteboard device 10 based on the decision support data received from the decision support service 40. As a result, the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment makes it possible to cancel transmission of the meeting contents midway through the meeting, for example, if the agenda of the meeting becomes confidential midway through the meeting.

[0167] [Fourth embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment will be described. In the fourth embodiment, the interactive whiteboard device 10 converts handwritten character data and voice data into text data, and determines whether the text data contains confidential information.

[0168] <Functional configuration> First, the functional configuration of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 20. Fig. 20 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of an example of an interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment. Note that the description of the functional configuration that is the same as that of the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0169] 20, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment includes a voice conversion processing unit 111, a character conversion processing unit 112, and a confidentiality determination unit 113. These functional units are realized by the CPU 17 executing one or more programs installed in the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0170] Moreover, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment does not have a transmission permission determination unit 108. Furthermore, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment has a confidential word information storage unit 114. This storage unit can be realized using, for example, the HDD 18. Note that this storage unit may also be realized using a storage device or the like connected to the interactive whiteboard device 10 via a network.

[0171] The voice conversion processing unit 111 converts the voice data generated by the voice data generation processing unit 107 into text data using a technique such as voice recognition.

[0172] The character conversion processing unit 112 converts the handwritten character data generated by the handwritten character data generation processing unit 105 into text data using, for example, OCR technology.

[0173] The confidentiality determination unit 113 refers to the confidential word information stored in the confidential word information storage unit 114 and determines whether or not the text data converted by the voice conversion processing unit 111 or the character conversion processing unit 112 contains confidential words or similar words.

[0174] The confidential word information storage unit 114 stores confidential word information. Here, the confidential word information stored in the confidential word information storage unit 114 will be described with reference to Fig. 21. Fig. 21 is a diagram showing an example of confidential word information stored in the confidential word information storage unit 114.

[0175] As shown in FIG. 21, the confidential word information stored in the confidential word information storage unit 114 associates each confidential word with a similar word, which is a term similar or related to the confidential word.

[0176] The confidential words are registered by, for example, a user of the electronic whiteboard device 10. The similar words are determined by, for example, the electronic whiteboard device 10 or a system connected to the electronic whiteboard device 10 via a network or the like, using technology such as artificial intelligence or intelligent agents based on the confidential words registered by the user or the like.

[0177] <Processing details> Next, the details of the processing of the interactive whiteboard system 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0178] First, a case where, for example, a participant of a meeting inputs the contents of the meeting by handwriting in a meeting using the interactive whiteboard device 10 will be described with reference to Fig. 22. Fig. 22 is a sequence diagram showing an example of a handwritten character input process according to this embodiment. Note that the processes of steps S2201 and S2202 are similar to the processes of steps S1701 and S1702 in Fig. 17, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0179] The interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S2203 to S2209 every time a handwritten character input operation is performed. Note that the processes of steps S2203 and S2204 are the same as the processes of steps S1703 and S1704 in FIG. 17, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0180] Following step S2204, the character conversion processing unit 112 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 converts the handwritten character data generated in step S2203 into text data (step S2205).

[0181] Next, the confidentiality determination unit 113 of the electronic whiteboard device 10 refers to the confidential word information stored in the confidential word information storage unit 114 and determines whether at least one of the confidential word and the similar word is included in the text indicated by the text data (step S2206).

[0182] If it is determined in step S2206 that the confidential word and similar words are not included, the communication unit 104 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 transmits the text data to the decision-making support service 40 (step S2207). Then, the decision-making support service 40 transmits the decision-making support data to the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0183] When the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 receives the decision support data via the communication unit 104, it displays the decision support information (step S2208).

[0184] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2206 that confidential words and similar words are included, the display control unit 102 of the electronic whiteboard device 10 displays a screen G500 for selecting to stop sending the meeting content, as shown in FIG. 18, for example (step S2209).

[0185] In this way, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment converts handwritten character data into text data and determines whether the text indicated by this text data contains confidential words, etc. As a result, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment can transmit only text data containing confidential words, etc. to the decision support service 40.

[0186] Next, a case where audio collected from speech made by participants in a conference or the like in a conference using the interactive whiteboard device 10 is input will be described with reference to Fig. 23. Fig. 23 is a sequence diagram showing an example of audio input processing according to this embodiment. Note that the processing in steps S2301 and S2302 is similar to the processing in steps S1901 and S1902 in Fig. 19, and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0187] The interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment performs the processes of steps S2303 to S2309 every time a sound is collected by the sound collection device 19. Note that the process of step S2303 is the same as the process of step S1903 in FIG. 19, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0188] Following step S2304, the voice conversion processing unit 111 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 converts the voice data generated in step S2303 into text data (step S2304).

[0189] Next, the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 displays the text indicated by the text data converted in step S2304 (step S2305).

[0190] Next, the confidentiality determination unit 113 of the electronic whiteboard device 10 refers to the confidential word information stored in the confidential word information storage unit 114 and determines whether at least one of the confidential word and the similar word is included in the text indicated by the text data (step S2306).

[0191] If it is determined in step S2306 that the confidential word and similar words are not included, the communication unit 104 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 transmits the text data to the decision-making support service 40 (step S2307). Then, the decision-making support service 40 transmits the decision-making support data to the interactive whiteboard device 10.

[0192] When the display control unit 102 of the interactive whiteboard device 10 receives the decision support data via the communication unit 104, it displays the decision support information (step S2308).

[0193] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S2306 that confidential words and similar words are included, the display control unit 102 of the electronic whiteboard device 10 displays a screen G500 for selecting to stop sending the meeting content, as shown in FIG. 18, for example (step S2309).

[0194] In this way, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment converts voice data into text data and determines whether the text indicated by this text data contains confidential words, etc. As a result, the interactive whiteboard device 10 according to this embodiment can transmit only text data containing confidential words, etc. to the decision support service 40.

[0195] In the above, the first to fourth embodiments have been described as an example of inputting handwritten characters or voice into the electronic whiteboard device 10, but this is not limited to this, and each of the above embodiments can also be applied to devices other than the electronic whiteboard device 10.

[0196] For example, the above-described embodiments can also be applied to a scanner device that scans a document to generate image data. In this case, for example, in the second embodiment, before scanning a document with the scanner device, the user can select whether or not to transmit the image data to the decision support service 40. Also, for example, in the fourth embodiment, if the image data generated by the scanner device contains confidential words or the like, the user can select whether or not to transmit the image data to the decision support service 40.

[0197] Furthermore, for example, each of the above embodiments can also be applied to a projector device that projects an image based on image data. In this case, for example, in the second embodiment, the user can select whether or not to transmit image data of the image to be projected to the decision support service 40. Furthermore, for example, in the fourth embodiment, if the image data of the image to be projected includes confidential words or the like, the user can select whether or not to transmit the image data to the decision support service 40.

[0198] Furthermore, for example, each of the above embodiments can also be applied to a video conference terminal for transmitting and receiving image data and audio data between multiple terminals. In this case, for example, in the above second embodiment, a user can select whether or not to transmit image data and audio data transmitted and received between multiple terminals to the decision support service 40. Also, for example, in the above fourth embodiment, if the image data and audio data transmitted and received between multiple terminals contains confidential words or the like, a user can select whether or not to transmit the image data and audio data to the decision support service 40.

[0199] In addition, in each of the above embodiments, the interactive whiteboard system 1 is connected to the decision support service 40 via the network N1, but this is not limiting. For example, the decision support service 40 may be included in the interactive whiteboard system 1.

[0200] Furthermore, for example, the interactive whiteboard device 10 may have a function for realizing the service provided by the decision-making support service 40 (i.e., a decision-making support function). In this case, the transmission permission determination unit 108 or the like of the interactive whiteboard device 10 may use text data indicating voice data, handwritten character data, or the like to determine whether or not to provide decision-making support using the decision-making support function. In this case, the decision-making support function (an example of the decision-making support means in the claims) of the interactive whiteboard device 10 creates support information based on the text data.

[0201] The electronic whiteboard device 10 is an example of a meeting support device in the claims. The electronic whiteboard system 1 is an example of a meeting support system in the claims. The decision-making support service 40 is an example of a decision-making support system in the claims. The input receiving unit 101 is an example of an input receiving means in the claims. The display control unit 102 is an example of a display means in the claims. The communication unit 104 is an example of a transmitting means in the claims. The transmission permission determination unit 108 and the transmission permission determination unit 108A are examples of a transmission permission determination means in the claims. The confidentiality determination unit 113 is an example of a confidentiality determination means in the claims. The voice conversion processing unit 111 is an example of a voice conversion means in the claims. The character conversion processing unit 112 is an example of a character conversion means in the claims. The transmission permission information storage unit 109 is an example of a storage means in the claims.

[0202] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments specifically disclosed, and various modifications, changes, and combinations are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0203] 1. Electronic whiteboard system 10. Electronic whiteboard device 20 Character conversion device 30 Voice conversion services 40 Decision Support Services 101 Input reception unit 102 Display control unit 103 Authentication processing section 104 Communications Department 105 Handwritten character data generation processing unit 106 Audio input section 107 Audio data generation processing unit 108 Transmission permission determination unit 109 Transmission permission information storage unit 201 Communications Department 202 Character conversion processing unit [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0204] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5644266

Claims

1. A conference support device connected to a decision support system that presents support information to support decision-making by participants in a conference, an input receiving means for receiving input of voices or handwritten characters of the participants of the conference; a transmission permission determination means for determining whether or not to transmit the text data representing the voice or handwritten characters received by the input reception means to the decision support system; a transmitting means for transmitting the text data when the transmission determination means determines that the text data should be transmitted to the decision support system; a display means for displaying the support information transmitted from the decision support system in response to the transmission of the text data by the transmission means; A conference support device having the above configuration.

2. a confidentiality determination means for determining whether or not confidential information is included in the text data representing the voice or handwritten characters received by the input receiving means, The transmission permission determination means If the confidentiality determination means determines that the text data contains confidential information, it determines not to transmit the text data to the decision support system; 2. The conference support device according to claim 1, wherein when the confidentiality determination means determines that the text data does not contain confidential information, it determines that the text data is to be transmitted to the decision support system.

3. a voice conversion means for converting the voice data representing the voice received by the input receiving means into text data; The confidentiality determination means The conference support device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a step of determining whether or not the text data converted by the voice conversion means contains confidential information.

4. character conversion means for converting character data representing the handwritten characters received by the input receiving means into text data; The confidentiality determination means The conference support device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the text data converted by the character conversion unit contains confidential information.

5. The confidentiality determination means The conference support device according to claim 3 , further comprising: determining whether the text data includes a term indicating confidential information or a term similar to the term.

6. The input receiving means accepting an operation for selecting whether to permit transmission of the text data to the decision support system; The transmission permission determination means When the input receiving means receives an operation indicating that transmission of the text data is permitted, it is determined that the text data is to be transmitted to the decision support system; 6. The conference support device according to claim 1, wherein when the input accepting means accepts an operation indicating that the transmission of the text data is not permitted, it determines that the text data will not be transmitted to the decision support system.

7. a storage means for storing a user ID of a user who uses the conference support device and attribute information of the user in association with each other; The input receiving means accepting input of authentication information for using the conference support device; The transmission permission determination means 6. The conference support device according to claim 1, wherein the device determines whether to transmit the text data to the decision support system based on attribute information stored in the storage means in association with a user ID included in the authentication information received by the input receiving means.

8. the attribute information is job title information indicating a job title of the user, The transmission permission determination means determining not to transmit the text data to the decision support system when the position indicated by the position information stored in the storage means in association with the user ID included in the authentication information received by the input receiving means is a predetermined position or higher; 8. The conference support device according to claim 7, wherein if the position indicated by the position information stored in the storage means in association with the user ID included in the authentication information received by the input receiving means is not a predetermined position or higher, it determines to send the text data to the decision support system.

9. a confidentiality determination means for determining whether or not the support information transmitted from the decision support system in response to the transmission of the text data by the transmission means is information indicating that the text data contains confidential information, The display means 9. The conference support device according to claim 1, wherein, when the confidentiality determination means determines that the support information is information indicating that the text data contains confidential information, a selection screen is displayed for selecting whether or not to stop the transmission of the text data by the transmission means.

10. The display means 10. The conference support device according to claim 1, wherein when the transmission permission determination means determines that the text data should not be transmitted to the decision support system, a display component indicating that the contents of the conference are confidential is displayed.

11. A conference support device that supports decision-making by participants in a conference, an input receiving means for receiving input of voices or handwritten characters of the participants of the conference; a determination means for determining whether to provide the decision-making support using text data representing the voice or handwritten characters received by the input receiving means; a decision support means for creating support information for supporting decision-making of participants in the conference based on the text data when the determination means determines that the decision support should be performed using the text data; and a display means for displaying the support information created by the decision support means; A conference support device having the above configuration.

12. A conference support system connected to a decision support system that presents support information to support decision-making by participants in a conference, an input receiving means for receiving input of voices or handwritten characters of the participants of the conference; a transmission permission determination means for determining whether or not to transmit the text data representing the voice or handwritten characters received by the input reception means to the decision support system; a transmitting means for transmitting the text data when the transmission determination means determines that the text data should be transmitted to the decision support system; a display means for displaying the support information transmitted from the decision support system in response to the transmission of the text data by the transmission means; A conference support system having:

13. A conference support system that supports decision-making by participants in a conference, an input receiving means for receiving input of voices or handwritten characters of the participants of the conference; a determination means for determining whether to provide the decision-making support using text data representing the voice or handwritten characters received by the input receiving means; a decision support means for creating support information for supporting decision-making of participants in the conference based on the text data when the determination means determines that the decision support should be performed using the text data; and a display means for displaying the support information created by the decision support means; A conference support system having:

14. 1. A conference support method used in a conference support device connected to a decision support system that presents support information to support decision-making by participants in a conference, comprising: an input receiving step of receiving input of voices or handwritten characters by the participants of the conference; a transmission permission determination step of determining whether or not to transmit the text data representing the voice or handwritten characters received in the input reception step to the decision support system; a transmission step of transmitting the text data when it is determined in the transmission permission determination step that the text data should be transmitted to the decision support system; a display step of displaying the support information transmitted from the decision support system in response to the transmission of the text data in the transmission step; A meeting support method having the above.

15. a conference support device connected to a decision support system that presents support information to support decision-making by participants in a conference; an input receiving means for receiving input of voices or handwritten characters of the participants of the conference; a transmission permission determination means for determining whether or not to transmit the text data representing the voice or handwritten characters received by the input reception means to the decision support system; a transmitting means for transmitting the text data when the transmission permission determining means determines that the text data should be transmitted to the decision support system; a display means for displaying the support information transmitted from the decision support system in response to the transmission of the text data by the transmission means; A program to function as a

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