Interactive business support system and interactive business support method

Abstract

To provide an interactive business support system capable of understanding previous correspondence regarding an inquiry and future questions, and capable of improving convenience for user use.SOLUTION: An interactive business support system 100 comprises a user terminal 20 to display an inquiry screen, a storage part 64 to store all confirmation questions associated with each case adapted to various inquiry contents and response contents including a flow chart representing an implementation flow of all the confirmation questions, an extraction part 63 to extract the response contents associated with the case adapted to the user inquiry content from the storage part, and a control part 62 to control so that the response contents of the case extracted by the extraction part are displayed on the inquiry screen.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an interactive task support system and an interactive task support method. [Background technology]

[0002] An interactive business support system applied to chatbots and the like automatically creates content for dialogue in a mechanism that provides answers to customer inquiries while guiding the customer through a dialogue based on reflective listening. A technology for automatically creating such content for dialogue is disclosed, for example, in Patent Document 1.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a method of acquiring data from an information source, acquiring the portions of the data that are presumed to contain inquiries and answers for each type and format, and outputting the acquired data as content candidates, determining whether there are any overlaps for each content candidate, and outputting each piece of content without overlaps, and assigning slot information to each piece of content that will be used as a parameter when asking for clarification, and registering the content as dialogue content. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-207648 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the technology described in Patent Document 1 that presents answers while guiding through a dialogue based on reflective listening, the user may not know whether the chatbot or other similar device will provide an answer to their inquiry until the exchange is over. Furthermore, the user may not know how many exchanges of questions and answers they will have to go through before receiving an answer, which can be stressful. Furthermore, if the chatbot or other similar device cannot solve the problem and the user is instead directed to an operator, the exchange of questions and answers with the chatbot or other similar device becomes meaningless, and the time spent on the exchange is wasted.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide an interactive business support system that can grasp the previous exchanges regarding an inquiry and future questions, thereby improving the convenience of use for users. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the interactive business support system of the present invention comprises a user terminal that displays an inquiry screen, a memory unit that stores response content including all confirmation questions linked to each case that matches the content of various inquiries and a flowchart showing the flow of implementing all confirmation questions, an extraction unit that extracts cases that match the content of the user's inquiry from the memory unit, and a control unit that controls the response content linked to the cases extracted by the extraction unit to be displayed on the inquiry screen. The interactive task support system described above is one aspect of the present invention, and an interactive task support method that reflects one aspect of the present invention is configured in the same manner as the interactive task support system described above. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention having the above configuration, it is possible to provide an interactive business support system that can grasp the previous exchanges regarding inquiries and future questions, thereby improving the convenience of use for users. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating an operation state of an interactive business support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an interactive business support system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a processing server of the interactive business support system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a processing server of an interactive business support system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a user terminal of an interactive business support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display of an inquiry screen in the interactive business support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a display of an inquiry screen in the interactive business support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 3 is a flowchart showing the procedure of a task support process in the interactive task support system according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functions or configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0011] <One embodiment> First, the operational state of an interactive work support system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the operational state of the interactive work support system according to this embodiment. Hereinafter, an example will be described in which the interactive work support system is applied to a chatbot. Here, chatbots include various chatbots, such as product inquiry chatbots, factory production status management chatbots, and chatbots for improving work efficiency, such as checking internal regulations. Note that the application of the interactive work support system is not limited to chatbots. The interactive work support system may also be applied to various interactive inquiry tools for products, services, solutions, etc.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, a user 10 engages in a question-and-answer session with a chatbot 30 on a display screen 21 displayed on the terminal (user terminal) that the user 10 holds. Based on the content of the inquiry from the user 10, the chatbot 30 retrieves the response content from a response content database (DB) 40 and automatically replies to the inquiry based on the response content. The chatbot 30 also saves the answered inquiries in the response content DB 40 as a response history.

[0013] If the chatbot 30 is unable to resolve an inquiry from the user 10, the unresolved inquiry is treated as a special case. When a special case occurs, the operator 50 responds to the special case and updates the response flow for the special case in the response content DB 40.

[0014] Next, a schematic configuration of the interactive task support system according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the interactive task support system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the interactive task support system 100 includes a plurality of user terminals 20 and a processing server 60. The plurality of user terminals 20 are each connected to the processing server 60 via a network 70 so as to be able to send and receive information data. The user terminals 20 are terminal devices such as smartphones, tablets, and PCs (Personal Computers) that are held by users and display inquiry screens (see FIGS. 6 and 7 described below). The processing server 60 is a server device that can automatically respond to inquiries from users. The network 70 is a closed circuit network such as a dedicated line, or a network configured using a public line such as the Internet.

[0015] Next, the functional configuration of the processing server 60 of the interactive work support system 100 will be described. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the processing server 60 of the interactive work support system 100 according to this embodiment. The network 70 is not shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the processing server 60 includes an inquiry reception unit 61, a control unit 62, an extraction unit 63, a storage unit 64, an answer presentation unit 65, and a writing unit 66. The inquiry reception unit 61 and the answer presentation unit 65 are each connected to a user terminal 20 external to the processing server 60. The inquiry reception unit 61 and the answer presentation unit 65 are each connected to the control unit 62. The control unit 62 is also connected to the extraction unit 63 and the writing unit 66, respectively. The extraction unit 63 and the writing unit 66 are also connected to the storage unit 64. The extraction unit 63 is also connected to the answer presentation unit 65.

[0016] The inquiry reception unit 61 receives the content of the inquiry and the answers to the confirmation questions input by the user on the inquiry screen from the user terminal 20. The inquiry reception unit 61 also outputs the received content of the inquiry and the answers to the confirmation questions to the control unit 62.

[0017] The control unit 62 extracts keywords from the content of the inquiry and outputs the extracted keywords to the extraction unit 63. The control unit 62 also controls the response content linked to the matching case (described later) extracted by the extraction unit 63 to be displayed on the inquiry screen (see FIGS. 6 and 7 described later). The control unit 62 also controls the flowchart included in the displayed response content to highlight the position of the currently executed confirmation question (see FIGS. 6 and 7 described later). The control unit 62 also controls the inquiry screen to display the longest number of confirmation questions remaining until the final confirmation question (see FIGS. 6 and 7 described later). The control unit 62 also stores the responded inquiry as a response history in the storage unit 64 via the writing unit 66.

[0018] The extraction unit 63 extracts, from the storage unit 64, response contents to be linked to cases (matching cases) that match the content of the user's inquiry, based on the keywords input from the control unit 62. The extraction unit 63 also outputs the response contents to be linked to the extracted matching cases of the inquiry to the answer presentation unit 65, and notifies the control unit 62 that the response contents have been output. The control unit 62 then outputs an instruction to present an answer to the answer presentation unit 65.

[0019] The memory unit 64 includes the response content DB 40 shown in Figure 1, and stores response content including all confirmation questions linked to each case that matches the content of various inquiries, and flowcharts showing the flow of implementing all confirmation questions.

[0020] The answer presentation unit 65, in accordance with instructions from the control unit 62, presents (transmits) to the user terminal 20 the configuration contents of an inquiry screen indicating the correspondence content to be linked to the matching case extracted by the extraction unit 63. A display device 20f (see FIG. 5), which will be described later, of the user terminal 20 displays the inquiry screen based on the configuration contents of the inquiry screen presented by the answer presentation unit 65. The display manner of the correspondence content on the inquiry screen will be described in detail later with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7.

[0021] The writing unit 66 follows instructions from the control unit 62 and registers the answered inquiries in the storage unit 64 as a response history.

[0022] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the processing server 60 of the interactive task support system 100. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the processing server 60 of the interactive task support system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the processing server 60 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 60a, a memory 60b, a storage 60c, and a communication IF (Interface) 60d.

[0024] The CPU 60a reads from the memory 60b and executes program code of software that realizes various functions of the processing server 60. The CPU 60a realizes the functions of the control unit 62, extraction unit 63, and writing unit 66 shown in Fig. 3. Note that a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) may be used instead of the CPU 60a, or the CPU 60a and a GPU may be used together.

[0025] The memory 60b is configured by a storage medium such as a volatile memory, and temporarily stores information (data) necessary for each process performed by the CPU 60a.

[0026] The storage 60c includes the storage unit 64 shown in FIG. 3 and is configured as a computer-readable, non-transitory recording medium storing the programs executed by the CPU 60a, such as a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive). The storage 60c stores programs for the CPU 60a to execute various functions, an OS (Operating System), controller programs, and data. The storage 60c also stores responses to various inquiries. The computer-readable, non-transitory recording medium storing the programs executed by the CPU 60a is not limited to an HDD, and may be, for example, a solid state drive (SSD), a compact disc (CD)-ROM, a digital versatile disc (DVD)-ROM, or other recording medium.

[0027] The communication IF 60d includes an inquiry receiving unit 61 and an answer presenting unit 65 shown in Fig. 3. The communication IF 60d uses, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Card) or the like, and can transmit and receive various data to and from the user terminal 20 via a LAN (Local Area Network), a dedicated line, or the like connected to a terminal of the NIC.

[0028] Next, a description will be given of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 20 of the interactive task support system 100. Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the user terminal 20 of the interactive task support system 100 according to this embodiment.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the user terminal 20 includes a CPU 20a, a memory 20b, a storage 20c, a communication IF 20d, an input device 20e, and a display device 20f.

[0030] The CPU 20a reads from the memory 20b and executes program code of software that realizes various functions of the user terminal 20. Note that a GPU may be used instead of the CPU 20a, or the CPU 20a and a GPU may be used together.

[0031] The memory 20b is configured by a storage medium such as a volatile memory, and temporarily stores information (data) necessary for each process performed by the CPU 20a.

[0032] The storage 20c is configured as a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing the programs executed by the CPU 20a, and is configured as a storage device such as an HDD. The storage 20c stores programs for the CPU 20a to execute various functions, programs for the OS, controllers, and other programs, and data. Furthermore, the computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing the programs executed by the CPU 20a is not limited to an HDD, and may be, for example, an SSD, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, or other recording medium.

[0033] The communication IF 20d may be, for example, a NIC, and various data may be transmitted and received between the communication IF 20d and the processing server 60 via a LAN, a dedicated line, or the like connected to a terminal of the NIC.

[0034] The input device 20e is configured with a mouse, a touch sensor, or the like. The display device 20f is configured with a display device, such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an organic EL (Electro-luminescence) display. The input device 20e and the display device 20f may be integrally formed as, for example, a touch panel. The input device 20e generates an input signal representing the content of an input from a user and supplies the input signal to the CPU 20a. Furthermore, the display device 20f displays a query screen shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, which will be described later, on the display device 20f based on a display signal supplied from the CPU 20a.

[0035] Next, we will explain one display example of an inquiry screen in the interactive work support system 100. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a display example of an inquiry screen in the interactive work support system 100 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 6, the inquiry screen U1 has a question and answer display section U11, an inquiry input section U12, a response status display section U13, and a remaining question number display section U14.

[0036] The question and answer display section U11 displays the content of the inquiry from the user, the confirmation question included in the response content linked to the matching case of the inquiry, and the answer to the confirmation question by the user. The inquiry input section U12 has a text input area U121 for the user to input the content of the inquiry, answers to confirmation questions, etc., and a "Send" button U122.

[0037] The response status display unit U13 displays a flowchart showing the implementation flow of all confirmation questions associated with the matching case of the inquiry. In this embodiment, the implementation flow of the confirmation questions is displayed as a flowchart, but the present invention is not limited to this. The implementation flow of the confirmation questions may be, for example, a list showing the implementation order of the confirmation questions. In addition, in the flowchart displayed in the response status display unit U13, the position of the currently executed confirmation question is highlighted, for example, by surrounding it with a dashed line as shown in the figure. The user can understand the progress of the inquiry response by checking the highlighted position of the currently executed confirmation question. Note that the manner in which the position of the currently executed confirmation question is highlighted is not limited to surrounding it with a dashed line, and may be displayed in other ways, such as highlighting or color coding. In addition, the user can operate the input device of the user terminal 20 to scroll the flowchart displayed in the response status display unit U13 to check the exchanges that have taken place so far and the remaining exchanges.

[0038] The remaining questions display section U14 displays the longest number of confirmation questions remaining until the final confirmation question, i.e., the number of remaining questions. The number of remaining questions is the longest number of questions from the position of the currently executed confirmation question to the final confirmation question in the flowchart displayed in the response status display section U13. By checking the number of remaining questions displayed in the remaining questions display section U14, the user can understand how many questions and answers must be exchanged until the final answer is reached.

[0039] Next, the operation of the inquiry screen when a problem is solved during the process of responding to an inquiry will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the display of an inquiry screen in the interactive business support system 100 according to this embodiment. The inquiry screen U1 shown in Fig. 7 is the same as the inquiry screen U1 shown in Fig. 6, so a duplicated description will be omitted.

[0040] During the process of responding to an inquiry, for example, if the problem is resolved at the current location (the confirmation question "Reboot?") highlighted in the response status display section U13, the user can end the inquiry by performing a predetermined operation on the inquiry screen U1. Here, the predetermined operation is, for example, inputting the answer "Resolved" into the inquiry input section U12 and pressing the "Send" button U122. Note that if each block of the flowchart displayed in the response status display section U13 can be selected by clicking or pressing, the predetermined operation may be clicking or pressing the "Resolved" block and then pressing the "Send" button U122. Note that when the "Resolved" block is selected, the answer "Resolved" is automatically entered into the inquiry input section U12.

[0041] Furthermore, if the user solves the problem by performing one of the steps in the flowchart displayed in the response status display section U13 during the process of responding to an inquiry, the user can end the inquiry by performing a predetermined operation on the inquiry screen U1. Here, the predetermined operation is to enter the name of the step that solved the problem and "Solved" into the inquiry input section U12 and press the "Send" button U122.

[0042] For example, if the user solves the problem by following the procedure for [Modify the configuration file] displayed in the response status display section U13, the user can end the inquiry by entering "[Modify the configuration file] Solved" in the inquiry input section U12 and pressing the "Send" button U122.

[0043] If each block of the flowchart displayed in the response status display unit U13 can be selected by clicking, pressing, or other operations, the predetermined operation may be to select the block of the procedure that solved the problem and enter "solved" in the query input unit U12. In this case, when the block of the procedure that solved the problem is selected, the name of the procedure is automatically entered in the query input unit U12.

[0044] After the user performs the above-mentioned predetermined operation and presses the "Send" button U122, the user terminal 20 transmits the problem-solving response entered by the user to the processing server 60. If the inquiry reception unit 61 of the processing server 60 receives a problem-solving response from the user terminal 20 while responding to an inquiry, the control unit 62 controls the processing server 60 to terminate the inquiry. Specifically, the control unit 62 determines that the problem has been resolved based on the received problem-solving response, saves the inquiry in the response history, and terminates the inquiry. Here, the response history includes information on the interaction regarding the handled inquiry, status information on whether the problem has been resolved, date and time information on the response, etc., and is stored in the memory unit 64 of the processing server 60.

[0045] [Business support processing procedures] Next, we will explain the procedure of the business support processing in the interactive business support system 100. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the business support processing in the interactive business support system 100 according to this embodiment. The processing described below starts when the user starts an inquiry on the inquiry screen U1 displayed on the user terminal 20.

[0046] First, the inquiry reception unit 61 (see FIG. 3) of the processing server 60 receives and accepts a user inquiry from the user terminal 20 (step S10). In this process, the inquiry reception unit 61 also outputs the content of the accepted inquiry to the control unit 62.

[0047] Next, the processing server 60 selects a case that matches the content of the inquiry (matching case) (step S11). In this process, the control unit 62 extracts keywords from the content of the inquiry and outputs the extracted keywords to the extraction unit 63. The extraction unit 63 selects a matching case for the inquiry from the storage unit 64 based on the keywords. The extraction unit 63 also extracts all confirmation questions linked to the selected matching case and a flowchart showing the implementation flow of all confirmation questions, i.e., the response content. The extraction unit 63 also outputs the extracted response content to the answer presentation unit 65.

[0048] Next, the processing server 60 asks confirmation questions to be linked to the matching cases (step S12). In this process, the answer presenting unit 65, in accordance with instructions from the control unit 62, presents the confirmation questions to be linked to the matching cases in order so that they are displayed in the question and answer display unit U11 of the inquiry screen U1. In addition, in accordance with instructions from the control unit 62, the answer presenting unit 65 presents a flowchart showing the flow of implementing the confirmation questions to be linked to the matching cases so that they are displayed in the response status display unit U13 of the inquiry screen U1 of the user terminal 20.

[0049] Next, the inquiry receiving unit 61 receives and accepts the answer to the confirmation question from the user terminal 20 (step S13). The inquiry receiving unit 61 also outputs the accepted answer to the control unit 62.

[0050] Next, the control unit 62 determines whether the received answer is an answer that solves the problem or an answer to the final question (step S14).

[0051] In step S14, if the control unit 62 determines that the received answer is not an answer that solves the problem and is not an answer to the final question (NO in step S14), it controls the displayed flowchart to be scrolled (step S15). In this process, the control unit 62 outputs an instruction to the answer presenting unit 65 to scroll the displayed flowchart. Furthermore, in accordance with the instruction from the control unit 62, the answer presenting unit 65 scrolls the flowchart so that the confirmation question following the currently executed confirmation question moves to the top of the response status display unit U13 of the inquiry screen U1. Furthermore, the answer presenting unit 65 changes the highlighted current position to the position of the next confirmation question.

[0052] Next, the processing server 60 updates the number of remaining questions displayed in the remaining question number display section U14 of the inquiry screen U1 (step S16). In this process, the control unit 62 calculates the number of remaining questions and outputs the calculated number of remaining questions and an update instruction to the answer presenting unit 65. Furthermore, the answer presenting unit 65 updates the number of remaining questions displayed in the remaining question number display section U14 of the inquiry screen U1 in accordance with the instruction of the control unit 62. After the process of step S16, the control unit 62 returns to the process of step S12 and repeats the processes of steps S12 to S14.

[0053] On the other hand, in step S14, if the control unit 62 determines that the received answer is an answer that solves the problem or an answer to the final question (YES in step S14), the control unit 62 saves the inquiry in the response history (step S17). After the processing of step S17, the business support processing ends.

[0054] If the inquiry receiving unit 61 does not receive a problem-solving response from the user terminal 20 until the final confirmation question is completed, the control unit 62 notifies the terminal device held by the operator that the inquiry is a special case. After handling the special case, the operator 50 registers all of the confirmation questions used in handling the case and the flow of implementing all of the confirmation questions in the storage unit 64 as the handling details for that case. By registering the handling details for the special case in the storage unit 64, the interactive business support system 100 can automatically handle the next time the same case occurs.

[0055] [effect] As described above, the interactive business support system 100, when automatically responding to a user's inquiry, displays on the inquiry screen a flowchart showing the flow of confirmation questions, the position of the currently being executed confirmation question (current position), and the number of remaining questions. By checking the above information displayed on the inquiry screen, the user can understand the exchanges that have taken place so far and how many questions and answers remain until a final answer is reached. Therefore, the interactive business support system 100 allows the user to understand the exchanges that have taken place so far regarding the inquiry and future questions, thereby improving user convenience.

[0056] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it goes without saying that various other applications and modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention as set forth in the claims. For example, the above-described embodiment provides a detailed and specific description of the configuration of an interactive business support system in order to clearly explain the present invention, and is not necessarily limited to a system including all of the described configurations. Furthermore, it is possible to replace part of the configuration of the embodiment described here with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is also possible to add, delete, or replace part of the configuration of an embodiment with other configurations. In addition, the control lines and information lines shown are those that are considered necessary for the explanation, and do not necessarily show all the control lines and information lines in the product. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0057] 20...user terminal, 30...chatbot, 40...response content DB, 60...processing server, 61...inquiry reception unit, 62...control unit, 63...extraction unit, 64...storage unit, 65...answer presentation unit, 66...writing unit, 70...network, 100...interactive business support system

Claims

1. A user terminal that displays an inquiry screen; a storage unit that stores all confirmation questions associated with each case that matches the content of various inquiries, and response content including a flowchart showing the implementation flow of all the confirmation questions; an extraction unit that extracts, from the storage unit, the response content that is linked to a case that matches the content of the inquiry from the user; a control unit that controls the response content linked to the case extracted by the extraction unit to be displayed on the inquiry screen. Interactive business support system.

2. The control unit controls the display of the flowchart so that the position of the currently executed confirmation question is highlighted. The interactive task support system according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit controls the inquiry screen so that the longest number of remaining confirmation questions up to the final confirmation question is displayed. The interactive task support system according to claim 2.

4. an inquiry reception unit that receives the content of the inquiry and an answer to the confirmation question input by the user on the inquiry screen from the user terminal; an answer presentation unit that presents, on the user terminal, the configuration content of the inquiry screen that indicates the response content linked to the case extracted by the extraction unit; The interactive business support system according to claim 3.

5. When the inquiry reception unit receives a response to solve the problem from the user terminal during the process of responding to the inquiry, The control unit performs control to end the response to the inquiry.

5. The interactive task support system according to claim 4.

6. If the inquiry reception unit does not receive a response to solve the problem from the user terminal until the final confirmation question is completed, The control unit notifies the inquiry as a special case to a terminal device held by an operator.

5. The interactive task support system according to claim 4.

7. The details of the special case handled by the operator are registered in the storage unit. The interactive task support system according to claim 6.

8. An interactive work support method in an interactive work support system including a user terminal that displays an inquiry screen, and a storage unit that stores all confirmation questions associated with each case that matches the content of various inquiries, and response content including a flowchart showing a flow of implementing all of the confirmation questions, extracting from the storage unit the response content associated with a case that matches the content of the inquiry from the user; and controlling the response content linked to the extracted case to be displayed on the inquiry screen. Interactive business support method.

Images