Information processing system, server device, notification method, and program

Abstract

This invention provides an information processing system, server device, notification method, and program that can set a group of potential target groups for speech and notify an administrator. [Solution] The information processing system disclosed herein comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires the content of conversations within a group of multiple people; a storage unit that stores reference information relating to evaluation criteria for specific words set in advance; an extraction unit that extracts the specific words from the conversation content; an evaluation unit that performs an evaluation of the extracted specific words based on the reference information; and a notification unit that provides a notification based on the evaluation to an administrator who manages the conversations in the conversation group.

Description

Technical Field

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[0005] , , ,

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing system capable of group conversations such as group calls, a server device included in the information processing system, a notification method in the information processing system, and a program executed by a computer included in the information processing system.

Background Art

[0002] Systems that enable group calls using a plurality of terminal devices held by a plurality of individuals are widespread. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for identifying important messages among a plurality of messages in a client device that receives a plurality of messages and displaying them in a message viewing area. According to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, important messages can be viewed without changing the conversation interface that the user is currently viewing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003] [[ID=一次]]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In an information processing system that enables group calls, the administrator of the group call may interrupt and speak during the group call as needed while listening to the content being spoken within the group. Such an information processing system is useful, for example, in a store where the administrator, such as the store manager, listens to the call content of group calls prepared for each department, and when the administrator determines that it is necessary to give an instruction to a certain group based on the call content, conveys the instruction by interrupting and speaking to that group.

[0005] In such information processing systems, if there are multiple groups making group calls, a single administrator can only speak to one group at a time. Therefore, the administrator must instantly decide which group to prioritize while listening to the call content. However, instantly deciding which group to speak to while listening to the call content of multiple groups places a significant burden on the administrator. Furthermore, even if the administrator can instantly decide which group to speak to, they still need to select the target group from among multiple groups when making a call. For the administrator, this selection process prevents them from speaking immediately when they want to, which is inconvenient.

[0006] In light of this situation, this disclosure aims to provide an information processing system, server device, notification method, and program that can set up a group of candidates for speech targets and notify an administrator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An information processing system according to one aspect of this disclosure includes: an acquisition unit that acquires the content of conversations within a group of multiple people; a storage unit that stores reference information relating to evaluation criteria for specific words set in advance; an extraction unit that extracts the specific words from the conversation content; an evaluation unit that performs an evaluation of the extracted specific words based on the reference information; and a notification unit that provides a notification based on the evaluation to an administrator who manages the conversations in the conversation group.

[0008] A server device according to one aspect of this disclosure includes a storage unit that stores standard information relating to evaluation criteria for specific words set in advance, an evaluation unit that performs an evaluation of specific words extracted from conversation content within a conversation group consisting of multiple people based on the standard information, and a notification unit that provides a notification based on the evaluation to an administrator who manages the conversation in the conversation group.

[0009] A notification method relating to one aspect of this disclosure is a method executed by a computer included in an information processing system that provides conversations within a conversation group consisting of multiple people, the computer acquires the content of a conversation within the conversation group, extracts specific words from the conversation content, evaluates the extracted specific words based on pre-set criteria information relating to evaluation criteria for specific words, and notifies the administrator who manages the conversation in the conversation group of the evaluation based on the evaluation.

[0010] A program according to one aspect of this disclosure is a program executed by a computer included in an information processing system that provides conversations within a conversation group consisting of multiple people, and causes the computer to execute the following steps: a step to acquire the content of a conversation within a conversation group consisting of multiple people; a step to extract specific words from the conversation content; a step to perform an evaluation of the extracted specific words based on pre-set criteria information relating to evaluation criteria for specific words; and a step to notify an administrator who manages the conversation in the conversation group based on the evaluation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to this disclosure, it is possible to set up groups that are candidates for the target of the utterance and notify the administrator. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This figure shows an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] A flowchart illustrating an example of operation of the information processing system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] A diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4] Block diagram to explain the functional configuration of a call terminal. [Figure 5] Block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the administrator terminal. [Figure 6]Block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the server device. [Figure 7] Sequence diagram illustrating an example of operation of the information processing system in the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Each embodiment of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. In addition, common components in each embodiment will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0014] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the functions of an information processing system 100 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 100 includes an acquisition unit 101, an extraction unit 102, an evaluation unit 103, a notification unit 104, and a storage unit 105.

[0015] As a premise, the information processing system 100 is a system that provides specific functions or services to an administrator who manages group conversations in each of multiple groups. In this disclosure, conversation includes voice calls using terminal devices with communication functions, and conversations using text (such as text chat). In the following embodiments, the information processing system 100 will be described as a system that performs group calls using voice calls. In the following embodiments, the call is an example of a conversation in this disclosure.

[0016] Information processing system 100 will be installed in various facilities that utilize group calls. Examples of such facilities include retail stores, public facilities such as government offices and train stations, and corporate offices. Hereafter, facilities in which information processing system 100 is installed will be referred to as "installation facilities."

[0017] Each of the plurality of call groups is composed of one or more personnel. The personnel constituting the plurality of call groups are, for example, personnel belonging to different departments of the introduction facility. As an example of a department, when the introduction facility is a retail store, departments in charge of cash registers, security and guard duties, customer service, sales floor management, product strategy, etc. can be cited.

[0018] The administrator is the person in charge of the introduction facility. The administrator listens to all the contents of the group calls being made in each of the plurality of call groups, and gives instructions, advice, etc. as necessary. When the administrator gives instructions or advice, the information processing system 100 can interrupt the speech of the administrator to any of the call groups during the group call according to the request of the administrator. Thereby, the administrator can give appropriate instructions and advice based on the contents of what the plurality of call groups are talking about using the group call.

[0019] The acquisition unit 101 acquires the call content within a call group composed of multiple people. The acquisition unit 101 may acquire the call content as data in audio format, or may acquire the call content as data texturized by known speech recognition technology or the like.

[0020] The extraction unit 102 extracts specific phrases from the call contents of the plurality of call groups. The specific phrases are phrases related to topics that are expected to be talked about in the call group and are phrases that become the theme of the call content. For example, when the call group is composed of cashiers in a store such as a retail store, specific examples of the specific phrases include "retail sale", "claim", "suspicious person", "inquiry", etc. The specific phrases may include words, combinations of words, or short sentences.

[0021] The extraction unit 102 extracts specific words based on reference information stored in the storage unit 105. The reference information includes information indicating multiple specific words related to content that is expected to be spoken in the call group, and information regarding the evaluation of the multiple specific words. The information regarding the evaluation of each of the multiple specific words may include information regarding the relative relationships between the multiple specific words, for example, information regarding the importance of each specific word. The importance of a specific word is, for example, a value indicating how important each word is to the store that is implementing it. The importance may be determined by a score, for example, or by the relative relationship between multiple specific words. An example of importance being determined by a score is "suspicious person" at 6 points, "complaint" at 5 points, and "inquiry" at 4 points. An example of importance being determined by the relative relationship between specific words is that "complaint" is more important than "inquiry" and less important than "suspicious person." Note that the examples given here are merely examples within this disclosure.

[0022] The reference information is pre-set by a person with higher authority at the facility where the information processing system 100 is installed, such as an administrator.

[0023] If the content of a call group contains multiple specific terms, the extraction unit 102 only needs to extract one term based on the reference information. Specifically, the extraction unit only needs to extract the term with the highest importance from among the multiple specific terms contained in the content of a call group. However, this disclosure is not limited to this, and for example, the extraction unit may extract all of the multiple terms contained in the content of a call group.

[0024] The evaluation unit 103 performs an evaluation of the specific words extracted by the extraction unit 102 based on the reference information. Specifically, the evaluation unit 103 performs the evaluation by comparing the importance of the specific words extracted from each of the multiple call groups. The evaluation by the evaluation unit 103 involves, for example, ranking each of the multiple call groups based on the importance of the specific words.

[0025] For example, suppose a first call group is having a group call about "complaints," and a second call group is having a group call about "inquiries." And suppose that the standard information determines that "complaints" are of higher importance than "inquiries." Note that having a group call about "complaints" means that "complaints" are included as a specific term in the content of that group call. In this case, the evaluation unit 103 should evaluate the first call group, which contains a more important specific term in its content, to be ranked higher than the second call group.

[0026] The notification unit 104 provides the administrator with an evaluation-based notification. An example of an evaluation-based notification is a notification indicating which call group the administrator should prioritize speaking to. In this example, the notification unit 104, based on the evaluation by the evaluation unit 103, provides a notification indicating that the administrator should prioritize speaking to the call group with the highest ranking. Such notifications allow the administrator to accurately understand which of multiple call groups they should prioritize speaking to.

[0027] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing system 100 according to the first embodiment.

[0028] In step S1, the acquisition unit 101 acquires the contents of the group call.

[0029] In step S2, the extraction unit 102 extracts specific words from the call content.

[0030] In step S3, the evaluation unit 103 performs an evaluation of the extracted specific words.

[0031] In step S4, the notification unit 104 issues a notification based on the evaluation.

[0032] This operation of the information processing system 100 allows the administrator to accurately identify the call group to which they should speak. Therefore, even if the administrator misses some of the content of calls in multiple call groups, they can accurately determine which call group should be prioritized for communication. Because the administrator can easily and accurately identify the call group that should be prioritized, the burden on the administrator in managing group calls can be reduced.

[0033] Furthermore, the processes from steps S1 to S4 may be repeated at predetermined intervals. If the content of a conversation in a certain call group changes at some point, specific words included in the conversation content of that call group may change, and therefore the call group to which the administrator should prioritize speaking may also change. By repeatedly executing the processes from steps S1 to S4, the administrator will always receive up-to-date notifications indicating which call group to prioritize speaking to, based on the latest content being discussed in each call group.

[0034] <Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, a more specific configuration example of the information processing system 100 described in the first embodiment will be described. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment of this disclosure. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing system 100 includes a plurality of call terminals 10 and an administrator terminal 20.

[0035] The communication terminal 10 is a terminal device that has the function of making group calls. For example, the communication terminal 10 may be a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, notebook PC (Personal Computer), desktop PC, transceiver, handheld terminal, etc.

[0036] Multiple call terminals 10 are used by different personnel, each belonging to a different call group. In the example shown in Figure 3, three call groups A, B, and C are configured. Note that the number of call groups in this disclosure is not limited to three; there may be one, two, or four or more.

[0037] In the following explanation, when a certain call terminal 10 is used by a certain person belonging to a certain call group, it may be stated that a certain call terminal 10 belongs to a certain call group.

[0038] In the example shown in Figure 3, call groups A, B, and C each have three call terminals 10. In this disclosure, the number of call terminals 10 belonging to a call group is not limited to three; it may be one, two, or four or more.

[0039] Each call terminal 10 belonging to a call group has a group call function that enables group calls within that call group. Specifically, each call terminal 10 has application software (also called an application program) installed to enable group calls. Based on the operation of the user using each call terminal 10, each call terminal 10 executes the application software, thereby realizing the group call function.

[0040] The administrator terminal 20 is a terminal device used by an administrator who manages group calls. For example, the administrator terminal 20 may be a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet, notebook PC, desktop PC, or handheld terminal, and is a type of computer.

[0041] The administrator terminal 20 can receive all group calls in each of the multiple call groups included in the information processing system 100. In the example shown in Figure 3, the administrator terminal 20 can receive the content of group calls taking place in call group A, in call group B, and in call group C.

[0042] This allows administrators using the administrator terminal 20 to understand the content of all group calls being made in each of the multiple call groups.

[0043] Furthermore, the administrator terminal 20 can interrupt and speak to any of the multiple call groups at the administrator's request. This allows the administrator to speak to each of the call terminals 10 belonging to each call group, as needed, based on the content of the group call being spoken in each of the multiple call groups. This function of the administrator terminal 20 is useful when the administrator needs to give instructions to any of the call groups based on the content of the group call.

[0044] The server device 30 is a device that provides various functions, including an evaluation function and a notification function, which are characteristic functions of the information processing system 100. The server device 30 is a type of computer, such as a tablet terminal, notebook PC, desktop PC, or workstation. The evaluation function is a function that evaluates specific words included in the content of group calls conducted in each call group. The notification function is a function that notifies the administrator terminal 20 of the call groups that the administrator should prioritize speaking to, based on the evaluation function's results.

[0045] (Functional configuration of the call terminal 10) Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the call terminal 10. As shown in Figure 4, the call terminal 10 comprises a group call execution unit 11 and a communication unit 12.

[0046] The group call execution unit 11 is executed based on the actions of the personnel belonging to the call group and realizes group calls within that call group. Specifically, the group call execution unit 11 realizes group calls by starting the group call application software installed on the call terminal 10 and communicating with a server device that provides group call functionality.

[0047] In this disclosure, the server device that provides the group call function may or may not be included in the information processing system 100. If the server device that provides the group call function is included in the information processing system 100, for example, the server device 30 shown in Figure 3 may provide the group call function, or another server device different from server device 30 may be included in the information processing system 100.

[0048] The communication unit 12 communicates with a server device that provides group calling functionality via a public network such as the Internet, for example, using wired communication or wireless communication.

[0049] By having such a configuration, the call terminal 10 enables group calls among call terminals 10 belonging to the same call group.

[0050] (Functional configuration of administrator terminal 20) Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the administrator terminal 20. As shown in Figure 5, the administrator terminal 20 comprises a group call execution unit 21, a notification unit 22, a call destination setting unit 23, a call reception unit 24, and a communication unit 25.

[0051] The group call execution unit 21 receives the content of all group calls in the facility where it is installed, and, in response to a request from the administrator, interrupts the group call of the target call group with the administrator's own message.

[0052] The call content received by the group call execution unit 21 may be played back by an audio device such as a speaker, or it may be transcribed into text and displayed on a display device for each call group. This allows administrators using the administrator terminal 20 to understand the content of all group calls in the facility where the system is installed.

[0053] Furthermore, when an administrator wishes to interrupt a call group, the call reception unit 24 (described later) receives the administrator's request to speak. The group call execution unit 21 then sends a request to the server device providing the group call function to speak to that call group. As a result, the administrator's instructions and advice are sent to each of the call terminals 10 participating in the group call, as needed. This allows the administrator to speak instructions and advice to call groups that require them.

[0054] When the notification unit 22 receives a notification from the server device 30, it notifies the administrator of the content of the notification. The notification by the notification unit 22 may be done, for example, by displaying the notification content on a display device or by reading the notification content aloud using an audio device. If the notification sent from the server device 30 indicates which call group should be prioritized for speaking, the notification unit 22 should notify the administrator of the call group to which they should prioritize speaking.

[0055] In the following explanation, the call groups that the administrator should prioritize speaking to, as indicated in the notification from the server device 30, will be referred to as candidate groups.

[0056] The call destination setting unit 23 sets the call destination based on the administrator's operation. The call destination refers to the call group to which the administrator's utterance will be sent when the call reception unit 24 receives the administrator's utterance request. For example, if the administrator receives notification of a candidate group indicated by a notification from the server device 30 and performs the operation to set that candidate group as the call destination, the call destination setting unit 23 sets the candidate group as the call destination.

[0057] Furthermore, if the administrator has given prior approval, the call destination setting unit 23 may automatically set the candidate group indicated by the notification from the server device 30 as the call destination, regardless of whether the administrator takes any action. In this configuration, the administrator does not need to set the call destination themselves, thus reducing the burden on the administrator in managing group calls.

[0058] However, if the candidate group indicated by the notification from the server device 30 is different from the call group that the administrator intends to set through their operation, the call destination setting unit 23 should set the call destination based on the administrator's operation. This prevents situations where the administrator sends a message to a call group they did not intend.

[0059] The call reception unit 24 receives a call request from the administrator. A call request means a request from the administrator to interrupt and speak into one of the call groups. While listening to the conversations of each call group, the administrator may need to give instructions or advice to the personnel belonging to one of the call groups. In such cases, when the administrator performs an operation to make a call request using the operation device of the administrator terminal 20, the call reception unit 24 receives the call request. Upon receiving the call request, the call reception unit 24 instructs the group call execution unit 21 to send the call request to the server device that provides the group call function.

[0060] The communication unit 25 communicates with a server device that provides group calling functionality and a server device 30, for example, using wired communication or wireless communication via a public network such as the Internet.

[0061] By having the administrator terminal 20 configured in this way, the administrator can understand the content of conversations taking place in each of the multiple call groups, and can also appropriately determine which of the multiple call groups should be prioritized for communication.

[0062] (Functional configuration of server device 30) Figure 6 is a block diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the server device 30. As shown in Figure 6, the server device 30 comprises an acquisition unit 31, an extraction unit 32, an evaluation unit 33, a notification unit 34, an update unit 35, a storage unit 36, and a communication unit 37.

[0063] The acquisition unit 31 acquires the content of a call within a call group consisting of multiple people. The acquisition unit 31 in the second embodiment has a configuration equivalent to the acquisition unit 101 described in the first embodiment.

[0064] The extraction unit 32 extracts specific phrases from the call content of each of the multiple call groups based on the reference information stored in the storage unit 36. The extraction unit 32 in the second embodiment has a configuration corresponding to the extraction unit 102 described in the first embodiment.

[0065] Similar to the first embodiment, the reference information includes information indicating a plurality of specific terms related to content that is expected to be discussed in the call group, and information regarding the evaluation of the plurality of specific terms. The information regarding the evaluation of each of the plurality of specific terms may include information regarding the relative relationships between the plurality of specific terms, for example, information regarding the importance of each of the specific terms. The importance of a specific term is, for example, a value indicating how important each term is to the store that is implementing it. The importance may be determined, for example, by a score, or by the relative relationships between the plurality of specific terms.

[0066] The evaluation unit 33 performs an evaluation of the specific words extracted by the extraction unit 32 based on the reference information. The evaluation unit 33 in the second embodiment has a configuration corresponding to the evaluation unit 103 described in the first embodiment. The evaluation unit 33 performs the evaluation by comparing the importance of the specific words extracted from each of the multiple call groups. Similar to the first embodiment, the evaluation unit 33 may perform the evaluation, for example, by ranking each of the multiple call groups based on the importance of the specific words.

[0067] The notification unit 34 provides the administrator with a notification based on the evaluation. The notification unit 34 in the second embodiment has a configuration equivalent to the notification unit 34 described in the first embodiment. Similar to the first embodiment, the notification unit 34, based on the evaluation of the evaluation unit 33, should provide a notification indicating that the administrator should prioritize speaking to the call group that is discussing call content containing the most important specific phrase. Such notifications allow the administrator to accurately understand which of the multiple call groups should be prioritized for speaking.

[0068] Furthermore, if there are multiple call groups, each containing a different specific phrase of the highest importance, the notification unit 34 may notify which call group should be prioritized for speaking, according to a pre-set priority order.

[0069] The update unit 35 updates the reference information stored in the memory unit 36 ​​when the administrator actually makes a utterance to a call group. Specifically, when the administrator makes a utterance to a call group discussing call content containing a particular phrase, the update unit 35 updates the information regarding the evaluation of that particular phrase included in the reference information. More specifically, when the administrator makes a utterance to a call group discussing call content containing a particular phrase, the update unit 35 increases the importance of that particular phrase within the entire phrase. The extent to which the update unit 35 increases the importance is not particularly limited in this disclosure.

[0070] Let's explain with a specific example. Suppose the initial baseline information includes the specific terms "suspicious person," "complaint," "sell-off," and "inquiry," and that the importance of these specific terms is set to be the same. First, suppose the administrator makes a call to a call group that was having a group call that included the term "suspicious person." In this case, the update unit 35 increases the importance of "suspicious person" in the baseline information by one level. As a result, for example, the importance of "suspicious person" in the baseline information becomes the highest, while the importance of "complaint," "sell-off," and "inquiry" becomes the same.

[0071] Next, suppose the administrator makes a call to a call group that was having a group call containing a "complaint." In this case, the update unit 35 increases the importance level of "complaint" in the reference information by one level.

[0072] Here, the update unit 35 may maintain a state in which the "suspicious person" corresponding to the content of the call group in which the administrator spoke first is considered more important than the "complaint" corresponding to the content of the call group in which the administrator spoke next.

[0073] With such updates, for example, in the criteria information, "suspicious person" will have the highest importance, followed by "complaint," and then "piecemeal sale" and "inquiry" will have the lowest importance.

[0074] The update unit 35 repeats this update process each time the administrator makes a statement, so that the reference information stored in the memory unit 36 ​​is updated based on the topics being discussed in the call group when the administrator has interrupted to make a statement. As a result, the reference information can be appropriately updated over time to match the actual operation of group calls at the facility where the system is implemented. This is expected to allow the evaluation by the evaluation unit 33 using the reference information to be performed more appropriately.

[0075] Here, the update unit 35 updates the reference information based on the actual call group spoken by the administrator, regardless of the evaluation results by the evaluation unit 33. Therefore, it can be expected that the subsequent evaluation by the evaluation unit 33 will be more appropriate.

[0076] The update method by the update unit 35 described above is just one example, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the update unit 35 may increase the importance level of specific words corresponding to the content of the call in the call group in which the administrator made an utterance by one level, regardless of the order in which the administrator actually made an utterance in the call group.

[0077] If increasing the importance of one specific term results in multiple specific terms having the highest importance, the update unit 35 may perform an update that lowers the importance of all other specific terms, including the most important one, by one level, instead of increasing the importance of the one specific term.

[0078] The update unit 35 may weight the importance of specific terms included in the reference information for each call group. For example, if the importance of "complaint" is the highest in the reference information, the update unit 35 may set the importance of "complaint" to be lower than other specific terms for a particular call group only.

[0079] Furthermore, the update unit 35 may reset the weighting in the reference information whenever a specific phrase in the content of a call spoken in a call group changes. For example, in a call group where weighting has been assigned to the importance of "complaint," if a group call about "complaint" ends and then a group call about "suspicious person" begins, the weighting for "complaint" may be reset.

[0080] Furthermore, the update unit 35 may accumulate updates to the reference information over time, or it may reset the reference information at predetermined intervals.

[0081] The memory unit 36 ​​has the aforementioned reference information stored in advance.

[0082] The communication unit 37 communicates with a server device that provides group call functionality and an administrator terminal 20 via a public network such as the Internet, for example, using wired communication or wireless communication.

[0083] With this configuration, the server device 30 can accurately notify the administrator terminal 20 which of the multiple call groups should be prioritized for communication.

[0084] (Example of operation of the information processing system 100 in the second embodiment) Next, an example of the operation of the information processing system 100 in the second embodiment will be described. Figure 7 is a sequence diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the information processing system 100 in the second embodiment. In the example shown in Figure 7, for simplicity, only one call terminal 10 is included, but in reality, multiple call terminals 10 belonging to multiple call groups perform similar operations.

[0085] In step S11, the call terminal 10 initiates a group call based on the actions of the person using the call terminal 10. At this point, the content of the ongoing group call is transmitted from the server device providing the group call function to the server device 30 and the administrator terminal 20 as it occurs.

[0086] In step S31, the server device 30 receives the content of the ongoing group call. Also, in step S21, the administrator terminal 20 receives the content of the ongoing group call.

[0087] In step S32, the server device 30 extracts specific words from the call content based on reference information.

[0088] In step S33, the server device 30 performs an evaluation of the extracted specific words based on the reference information.

[0089] In step S34, the server device 30 sets up candidate call groups (hereinafter referred to as candidate groups) that the administrator should prioritize speaking to, based on the evaluation in step S33.

[0090] In step S35, the server device 30 sends a notification to the administrator terminal 20 indicating the candidate group.

[0091] In step S22, the administrator terminal 20 receives a notification from the server device 30.

[0092] In step S23, the administrator terminal 20 notifies the administrator about the candidate group.

[0093] In step S24, the administrator terminal 20 sets the recipient of the call based on the administrator's operation. As described above, in step S24, the administrator terminal 20 may automatically set the recipient of the call based on the candidate group indicated by the notification from the server device 30, without any operation by the administrator.

[0094] In step S25, the administrator terminal 20 receives a speech request from the administrator.

[0095] In step S26, the administrator terminal 20 sends the content of the administrator's speech to the speech destination set in step S24.

[0096] In step S12, the call terminals 10 belonging to the call group from which the administrator terminal 20 sent the utterance will play back the utterance made by the administrator. This allows the members of that call group to hear the utterance made by the administrator. Note that the process in step S12 is not performed on call terminals 10 belonging to call groups other than the call group from which the administrator terminal 20 sent the utterance.

[0097] In step S27, the administrator terminal 20 transmits to the server device 30 speech destination information indicating the destination to which the utterance content was actually sent in step S26.

[0098] In step S36, the server device 30 updates the reference information based on the utterance destination information. Specifically, as described above, the server device 30 updates the importance of specific words in the reference information.

[0099] Furthermore, after the operation shown in Figure 7 is completed, it is desirable that each component of the information processing system 100 return to the beginning of Figure 7 and repeat the operation. This allows the server device 30 to set candidate groups based on the latest call content and to maintain the reference information in the most appropriate state at all times.

[0100] Through this operation, in the information processing system 100 according to the second embodiment, the server device 30 can appropriately evaluate which call group the administrator should prioritize speaking to, based on the content of conversations being held in multiple call groups. By the server device 30 sending a notification to the administrator terminal 20 indicating candidate groups to which the administrator should prioritize speaking, the administrator using the administrator terminal 20 can effectively understand which call group they should prioritize speaking to.

[0101] Furthermore, since the destination is set on the administrator terminal 20 based on the administrator's actions, the destination is already optimally set when the administrator wants to speak to a particular call group. This allows the administrator to quickly speak to the appropriate destination at the moment they want to speak.

[0102] Furthermore, the criteria information used for extracting and evaluating specific phrases can be updated as needed based on the call groups in which administrators actually speak. This allows the criteria information to be appropriately updated over time to match the actual operation of group calls at the facilities where the system is implemented. As a result, it is expected that the evaluation of specific phrases using the criteria information will be more accurate.

[0103] (Modified version of the second embodiment) In the second embodiment described above, a configuration in which the server device 30 has an acquisition unit 31 and an extraction unit 32 was described. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and a call terminal 10 may have, for example, a function to acquire the content of a group call and a function to extract specific words from the content of the call. In this case, the call terminal 10 stores the content of the group call it has made, extracts specific words from the content based on reference information, and transmits the extracted specific words to the server device 30. In this configuration, if the update unit 35 of the server device 30 updates the reference information, the updated reference information should be transmitted from the server device 30 to each call terminal 10.

[0104] Furthermore, in the second embodiment described above, a configuration was described in which one server device 30 comprises an acquisition unit 31, an extraction unit 32, an evaluation unit 33, a notification unit 34, an update unit 35, a storage unit 36, and a communication unit 37. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and the acquisition unit 31, extraction unit 32, evaluation unit 33, notification unit 34, update unit 35, storage unit 36, and communication unit 37 may each be provided in different server devices. Also, the server device 30 may be a so-called cloud server that makes one or more virtualized server functions available via a public network. [Industrial applicability]

[0105] This disclosure is useful in information processing systems that enable group conversations, such as group calls. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0106] 100 Information Processing Systems 10. Telephone terminal 11 Group Call Execution Unit 12 Communications Department 20 Administrator terminals 21 Group Call Execution Unit 22 Hochi Department 23. Speech destination setting section 24. Speech Reception Section 25 Communications Department 30 Server Devices 101,31 Acquisition Department 102,32 Extraction part 103,33 Evaluation Department 104,34 Notification Department 35 Update section 105,36 Storage section 37 Communications Department

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires the content of conversations within a group consisting of multiple people, A memory unit that stores standard information regarding evaluation criteria for specific words set in advance, An extraction unit that extracts the specific words from the conversation content, An evaluation unit that performs an evaluation of the specific words extracted based on the aforementioned standard information, A notification unit that provides notifications based on the evaluation to the administrator who manages the conversations in the aforementioned conversation group, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

2. The acquisition unit acquires the conversation content from each of the multiple conversation groups, The extraction unit extracts the specific phrase for each of the plurality of conversation groups, The evaluation unit performs the evaluation for each of the plurality of conversation groups. The information processing system according to claim 1.

3. The memory unit stores the reference information that has been set in advance for each of the plurality of conversation groups. The evaluation unit performs the evaluation of the conversation group based on the reference information for each conversation group. The information processing system according to claim 2.

4. Based on the above evaluation, the system further includes a setting unit that sets one of the plurality of conversation groups as a candidate group that is a candidate target for utterance by the administrator, The notification unit makes the notification regarding the candidate group. The information processing system according to claim 3.

5. A speech receiving unit that receives a speech request from the administrator targeting any of the multiple conversation groups, When the speech reception unit receives the speech request, the update unit updates the reference information regarding the specific words extracted in the target conversation group, The information processing system according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. The aforementioned notification unit, If the speech receiving unit has not received the speech from the administrator, it will issue the notification to the administrator prompting the candidate group to initiate the speech. If the speech receiving unit has already received the speech from the administrator, it will notify the administrator of the candidate group. The information processing system according to claim 5.

7. A memory unit that stores standard information regarding evaluation criteria for specific words set in advance, Based on the aforementioned criteria information, an evaluation unit performs an evaluation of specific words extracted from the content of conversations within a conversation group consisting of multiple people. A notification unit that provides notifications based on the evaluation to the administrator who manages the conversations in the aforementioned conversation group, A server device equipped with the following features.

8. A method performed by a computer included in an information processing system that provides conversations within a conversation group consisting of multiple people, Retrieve the content of conversations within a group of multiple people. Extract the specific phrases from the aforementioned conversation content, Based on pre-set criteria information regarding the evaluation criteria for specific words, an evaluation is performed on the extracted specific words. The administrator managing the conversations in the aforementioned conversation group will be notified based on the evaluation. Notification method.

9. A program executed by a computer included in an information processing system that provides conversations within a conversation group consisting of multiple people, Procedures for obtaining conversation content within a conversation group consisting of multiple people, A procedure for extracting the specific words from the conversation content, A procedure for performing an evaluation of the extracted specific words based on pre-set criteria information regarding the evaluation criteria of specific words, A procedure for notifying the administrator who manages the conversations in the aforementioned conversation group based on the aforementioned evaluation, A program that causes the aforementioned computer to execute.

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