Remote support system

Abstract

To provide a remote support system capable of performing bidirectional communication with an operator while suppressing accidental and unnecessary inquiry.SOLUTION: A remote support system responds to a trouble with respect to an electronic procedure using a portable information terminal 4, acquires location information of an access source with respect to an inquiry from a URL displayed at a specific location, and authenticates the inquiry when the acquired location information matches the specific location. Then, a response is made by bidirectional communication to an owner of the portable information terminal that has accessed the URL from an operator 10. By authenticating the inquiry when the location information of the access source of the acquired URL matches the specific location, it is possible to suppress an accidental or unnecessary inquiry, and to perform bidirectional communication with the operator using the portable information terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a remote support system for dealing with problems related to electronic procedures using mobile information terminals such as smartphones, and in particular to a remote support system that allows two-way communication with an operator when a problem occurs in the digital ticket system at an unmanned station. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, due to the increasing difficulty in finding employment, the need to reduce labor costs, and the need to simplify facilities to cut costs, stations are becoming more unmanned and are unmanned at certain times. While IC cards and magnetic tickets required physical processing using a reader, digital tickets using smartphones eliminate this need, making it possible to operate stations unmanned. It is expected that digital ticket systems using smartphones will become even more widespread in the future.

[0003] Conventionally, remote support in the event of a problem with this type of digital ticket system has been provided by using an intercom to communicate with staff via voice (see, for example, non-patent document 1), or by using a camera and monitor to communicate with staff or operators via video and voice (see, for example, non-patent document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Non-Patent Document 1] https: / / yokohamahodogaya.goguynet.jp / wp-content / uploads / sites / 71 / 2021 / 11 / IMG_1218.jpg [Non-patent document 2] https: / / yokohamahodogaya.goguynet.jp / wp-content / uploads / sites / 71 / 2021 / 11 / IMG_1222.jpg Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, since it is difficult to communicate using only voice information with an intercom, some form of image information needs to be shared, etc. While two-way communication is easy using a smartphone, there is a risk of pranks and unnecessary inquiries increasing.

[0006] Therefore, if prior user registration or the like is made mandatory in order to prevent unnecessary inquiries, the inquiry method becomes cumbersome and reduces user convenience.

[0007] In contrast, camera-equipped intercoms can share image information in addition to audio information, allowing for accurate confirmation of the situation and explanation of operation, shortening response times and increasing customer satisfaction, but they are expensive to install and maintain. Moreover, the more unmanned and quiet the station, the more likely it is that remote inquiries will be the only option, making it difficult for such stations to invest in equipment in order to cut costs.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a remote support system that enables two-way communication with an operator while suppressing pranks and unnecessary inquiries. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The remote support system of the present invention is a system for dealing with problems with electronic procedures using a mobile information terminal, and is characterized by the fact that it obtains location information from the access source in response to an inquiry from a URL displayed in a specific location, authenticates the inquiry when the obtained location information matches the specific location, and responds via two-way communication from the operator to the owner of the mobile information terminal that accessed the URL. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] By authenticating a query when the location information of the access source of a URL displayed in a specific location matches a registered specific location, pranks and unnecessary queries can be prevented. Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a remote support system that allows two-way communication with an operator while suppressing pranks and unnecessary inquiries. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a remote support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a remote support system, taking a railway as an example. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a portable information terminal. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an operation flow of the remote support system according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a beacon ID registration menu. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a location information registration menu. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display on a mobile information terminal when a problem occurs on a ticket website. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a portable information terminal when location authentication is performed. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a screen display of a portable information terminal when location authentication is not performed. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a call screen displayed on an operator's PC. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a call screen displayed on an operator's PC. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a remote support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. A beacon (e.g., a BLE beacon) 2 is installed in a station building (specific location) 1, and a two-dimensional code 3 for inquiries is posted on the beacon 2. A unique ID is assigned to each station, and the user's location is identified by authenticating this ID. The two-dimensional code 3 contains the call center's URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and station name. The user can access the call center by reading the two-dimensional code 3 using a mobile information terminal owned by the user, such as a smartphone 4.

[0013] At this time, the ID acquired by the smartphone 4 from the beacon 2, the URL and station name information acquired from the two-dimensional code 3, and the location information acquired by the GPS function of the smartphone 4 are each transmitted to a mobile phone communication network 6 via a base station 5. A digital ticket web server 7 and a remote support web server 8 are connected to the mobile phone communication network 6. The digital ticket web server 7 issues digital tickets (digital passenger passes) and authenticates entry and exit at ticket gates. The remote support web server 8 is used for two-way communication with a call center attendant or operator in the event of a problem with the digital passenger pass system, and is installed, for example, on a cloud. A PC 10a for a call center attendant or operator 10 is connected to the remote support web server 8 via the Internet 9.

[0014] The beacon ID, URL, station name information, and location information acquired by smartphone 4 are input via mobile phone communication network 6 to remote support web server 8, which records and registers them. In response to an inquiry from a URL posted at a station, the ID acquired from beacon 2 or the location information of the access source is acquired using the GPS function of smartphone 4, and the inquiry is authenticated if the acquired location matches the station name.

[0015] Once the inquiry is authenticated by the remote support web server 8, a response is sent via two-way communication from the PC 10a for the call center staff member or operator 10 to the owner of the smartphone 4 who accessed the inquiry URL. This communication allows for exchange of images and audio using the camera, display, microphone, and speaker of the smartphone 4 and PC 10a, and allows communication by sharing the screen.

[0016] 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the above-mentioned remote support system, taking a railway system as an example. Digital ticket web server 7 and remote support web server 8 are connected to stations A 100, B 110, and so on, respectively, via a mobile phone communication network 6. Users' smartphones 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, and so on are located at stations A 100, B 110, and so on, respectively. Smartphones 4-1 and 4-2 at station A 100 can obtain unique IDs from beacon 2-1, and smartphone 4-3 can obtain unique IDs from beacon 2-2.

[0017] The remote support Web server 8 is also connected via the Internet 9 to an operator's PC 10 a in a call center at a base 200 of the railway company. Furthermore, the GPS signals transmitted from the GPS satellites 300 are received by the smartphones 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, . . . to obtain location information.

[0018] As shown in Figure 2, by connecting smartphones 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, ... and the operator's PC 10a via the mobile phone communication network 6 and the Internet 9 using the remote support web server 8, owners of smartphones 4-1, 4-2, 4-3, ... of different station users can engage in two-way communication with the operator.

[0019] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a mobile information terminal. In the above example, a smartphone 4 is used as the mobile information terminal, but various other devices can be used. The mobile information terminal 20 shown in Fig. 3 includes a processing device 21, a ROM 22, a RAM 23, a storage unit 24, a wireless communication unit 25, a beacon communication unit 26, a touch panel 27, a camera 28, a video processing unit 29, a microphone 30, a speaker 31, and an audio processing unit 32, and each device is connected via a bus 33. Although not shown, the mobile information terminal also includes a battery and a power supply circuit.

[0020] The processing device 21 is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and is composed of an input device, an output device, a control device, an arithmetic device, a storage device, and the like. The ROM 22 is a non-volatile memory that stores programs and control data to be executed by the processing device 21. These programs and control data are stored in advance.

[0021] The RAM 23 also functions as a working memory that temporarily stores data, and is used to load programs to be executed and store data being processed by the processing unit 21. The RAM 23 also functions as a buffer memory that temporarily stores communication data and the like. The storage unit 24 is configured with a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory or an SSD (Solid State Drive).

[0022] The processing unit 21, ROM 22, and RAM 23 cause the mobile information terminal 20 to function as a computer. The processing unit 21 loads programs and data stored in the ROM 22 or the storage unit 24 into the RAM 23 and executes them to realize processing functions. Necessary programs and data can also be downloaded from a server.

[0023] The wireless communication unit 25 is used for two-way communication with an operator using video and audio, and has the functions of wirelessly transmitting and receiving video and audio. On the other hand, the beacon communication unit 26 is for wireless communication with the beacon 2 and is a receiving unit that receives radio waves emitted from the beacon 2. The beacon communication unit 26 receives radio waves from the beacon 2 and also transmits radio waves that the beacon 2 can receive.

[0024] The touch panel 27 is an operation panel that allows operations such as tapping and sliding, and is, for example, a capacitance type liquid crystal display. The touch panel 27 displays a GUI (Graphical User Interface) form and accepts operations performed by the user's fingertip. The camera 28 is used to capture the facial expression of the user and the state of the problem, and the captured image (which may be a still image) is processed by the image processing unit 29 and used for two-way communication between the user and the operator. A microphone 30 and a speaker 31 are used for voice communication, and the voice signal is processed by an audio processing unit 32 .

[0025] 4 shows the operation flow of the remote support system according to an embodiment of the present invention. The unique ID set in the beacon 2 is pre-registered in the remote support Web server 8. The beacon ID registration menu recorded in the remote support Web server 8 corresponds, for example, to the ID and station name as shown in FIG. 5 (S1). The remote support Web server 8 also records a GPS location information registration menu that corresponds the latitude, longitude, and station name as shown in FIG. 6 (S1').

[0026] When a usage problem occurs between the smartphone 4 and the digital ticket web server 7, for example, when a system error occurs as shown in Fig. 7 and entry is not possible, the owner of the smartphone 4 accesses the remote support web server 8 using a URL (including a parameter that identifies the station) obtained from the two-dimensional code 3 for inquiries posted on the station building 1 (S2). At this time, the smartphone 4 has acquired an ID from the beacon 2 (S3) and location information from the GPS satellite 300 (S3'), and sends at least one of the beacon ID and the GPS location information to the remote support web server 8 (S4).

[0027] As a result, the remote support Web server 8 checks the consistency of the beacon ID or GPS location information with the inquired station, and if the beacon ID or GPS location information matches the inquired station, the location is authenticated (S5). If authenticated, a message such as that shown in Fig. 8 is displayed on the display screen of the smartphone 4, the inquiry is authenticated, and a call is made from the remote support Web server 8 to the PC 10a of the operator 10 (S6).

[0028] On the other hand, if the beacon ID or GPS location information does not match a specific station, the smartphone 4 displays "Location authentication NG" as shown in FIG. 9, and inquiries are not permitted.

[0029] 10 shows an example of a call screen of the PC 10a of the operator 10. If there is no contradiction in the location information, the screen of the PC 10a displays a call button, indicating that a call has been made and that the call can be made by pressing the call button. Also displayed is information about the next customer, such as the number of people waiting for a response from the operator 10, the name of the railway, the name of the line, the names of the stations, a route map, and a map.

[0030] When the operator 10 who has received the call presses the call button, two-way communication using video and audio begins between the user and the operator 10. The PC 10a of the operator 10 is connected to the smartphone 4 via the remote support web server 8, and troubleshooting is carried out through a web call using video and audio (two-way communication with screen information shared) as shown in Fig. 11.

[0031] With the remote support system described above, users can make inquiries using their own smartphones, minimizing capital investment at stations. Furthermore, because the only equipment required at stations is the installation of beacons 2 and the posting of an inquiry URL using a two-dimensional code 3, capital investment at stations can be minimized while allowing for flexibility in the installation layout. Because capital investment is minimal, remote manned response is possible even at quiet stations where it has been difficult to respond in the past. Moreover, because the website authenticates that the inquiry is from the station, pranks and unnecessary inquiries can be curbed.

[0032] In addition, by authenticating the ID of Beacon 2, authentication is possible even in places where GPS signals are difficult to reach. Because location authentication is performed, unnecessary inquiries can be prevented, improving the efficiency of remote response. Furthermore, smartphone screen sharing is possible when communicating with an operator, making it easy to respond to problems related to digital tickets. Therefore, it is possible to have two-way communication with the operator while suppressing pranks and unnecessary inquiries.

[0033] The circuit configurations, control procedures, etc. described in the above embodiments are merely schematic illustrations to enable understanding and implementation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and can be modified in various forms without departing from the scope of the technical idea set forth in the claims.

[0034] For example, the electronic procedures using portable information terminals have been described in the case of a digital ticket system, but the same can be applied to other systems.

[0035] Furthermore, although the case where location information is obtained using a global positioning system (GPS) has been described, other global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) can also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0036] 1...Station building, 2...Beacon (BLE beacon), 3...Two-dimensional code, 4...Smartphone (mobile information terminal), 5...Base station, 6...Mobile phone network, 7...Digital ticket web server, 8...Remote support web server, 9...Internet, 10...Operator, 10a...Operator PC, 20...Mobile information terminal, 100, 110...Station, 200...Railway operator's base, 300...GPS satellite

Claims

1. A system for dealing with problems related to electronic procedures using mobile information terminals, In response to a query from a URL displayed in a specific location, the location information of the access source is acquired, authenticating the query when the acquired location information matches the particular location; A remote support system characterized in that an operator responds to the owner of the portable information terminal who accessed the URL through two-way communication.

2. 2. The remote assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic procedure using the portable information terminal is a digital ticket system, and the specific location is a station.

3. 3. The remote support system according to claim 2, wherein the location information is acquired from a beacon installed in a station or from a GPS of a portable information terminal that has accessed the URL.

4. 4. The remote support system according to claim 3, wherein the URL is displayed as a two-dimensional code.

5. The remote assistance system according to claim 4 , wherein the URL includes a parameter that identifies a station.

6. 2. The remote support system according to claim 1, wherein the two-way communication is a call in which screen information is shared.

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