Information processing device, information processing method, and program

Abstract

Traditionally, it has not been easy to help users obtain appropriate answers to their questions. [Solution] An information processing device 1 comprises an inquiry form management unit 111 that stores inquiry form information having two or more item information items, a reception unit 12 that receives question information in natural language entered by the user, an item determination unit 131 that determines one or more item information items corresponding to the question information received by the reception unit 12, an item-related information acquisition unit 132 that acquires item-related information using undetermined item information regarding item information that the item determination unit 131 did not determine among the item information items contained in the inquiry form information, and an item-related information output unit 141 that outputs the item-related information acquired by the item-related information acquisition unit 132. This information processing device 1 can support the user in obtaining an appropriate answer to a question.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and the like that assist a user in obtaining an appropriate answer to a question.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been a method for assisting in creating FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) that efficiently creates FAQs and effectively uses them (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the prior art, it has not been easy to assist a user in obtaining an appropriate answer to a question.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] The information processing apparatus of the first invention includes an inquiry form management unit that stores inquiry form information having two or more item information, a reception unit that receives question information in a natural language sentence input by a user, an item determination unit that determines one or more item information corresponding to the question information received by the reception unit, a related information acquisition unit that acquires item-related information using undetermined item information regarding item information not determined by the item determination unit among the item information included in the inquiry form information, and a related information output unit that outputs the item-related information acquired by the related information acquisition unit.

[0006] With such a configuration, it is possible to assist a user in obtaining an appropriate answer to a question.

[0007] Furthermore, the information processing device of this second invention is an information processing device in which, compared to the first invention, the item-related information is one or two types of information, which are either undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit did not determine, or the degree of understanding of the situation relating to the proportion of item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information.

[0008] This configuration helps users obtain appropriate answers to their questions.

[0009] Furthermore, the information processing device of this third invention, compared to the second invention, comprises: a related information acquisition unit comprising: an undecided item acquisition means for acquiring undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit has not determined among the item information contained in the inquiry form information; a situation understanding level acquisition means for acquiring a situation understanding level relating to the proportion of item information that the item determination unit has not determined among the item information contained in the inquiry form information; a related information output unit for outputting the undecided item information acquired by the undecided item acquisition means and the situation understanding level acquired by the situation understanding level acquisition means; a receiving unit for receiving undecided related information which is information relating to undecided item information and is information entered by the user; an item determination unit for determining new item information in response to the receipt of undecided related information; a situation understanding level acquisition means for acquiring a new situation understanding level in response to the determination of new item information; and a related information output unit for outputting the new situation understanding level.

[0010] This configuration helps users obtain appropriate answers to their questions.

[0011] Furthermore, the information processing device of the fourth invention further comprises an FAQ management unit that stores two or more FAQ information items associated with one or more item information items for any one of the first to third inventions, an FAQ selection unit that selects one or more FAQ information items associated with one or more item information items determined by the item determination unit, and an FAQ output unit that outputs one or more FAQ information items selected by the FAQ selection unit.

[0012] This configuration allows for the output of candidate FAQ information to help users obtain appropriate answers to their questions.

[0013] Furthermore, the information processing device of the fifth invention, compared to the first invention, is an information processing device comprising: an undecided item acquisition means for acquiring undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit has not determined among the item information contained in the inquiry form information; a situation understanding level acquisition means for acquiring a situation understanding level relating to the proportion of item information that the item determination unit has not determined among the item information contained in the inquiry form information; and a UI output unit that outputs a user interface to proceed with the inquiry by the user when the situation understanding level acquired by the situation understanding level acquisition means indicates 100%.

[0014] This configuration helps users obtain appropriate answers to their questions.

[0015] Furthermore, the information processing device of the sixth invention, compared to the first invention, is an information processing device in which the item determination unit provides inquiry form information and question information to a generating AI, and obtains information from the generating AI that identifies the item information corresponding to the question information.

[0016] This configuration helps users obtain appropriate answers to their questions.

[0017] Furthermore, in addition to the information processing device of the seventh invention, the information processing device of the seventh invention has an FAQ management unit that stores FAQ vectors which are vectors based on two or more FAQ pieces of information, and an FAQ selection unit that obtains a vector using one or more item pieces of information or question information determined by the item determination unit, calculates the similarity between the vector and the two or more FAQ vectors, and selects one or more FAQ pieces of information that correspond to the FAQ vector whose similarity satisfies the selection criteria.

[0018] This configuration allows the system to output relevant FAQ information as candidates, enabling users to obtain appropriate answers to their questions. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the information processing apparatus of the present invention, it is possible to assist a user in obtaining an appropriate answer to a question.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] Conceptual diagram of information system A in Embodiment 1 [Figure 2] Block diagram of the same information system A [Figure 3] Block diagram of the same information processing apparatus 1 [Figure 4] Flowchart for explaining an operation example of the same information processing apparatus 1 [Figure 5] Flowchart for explaining the first example of the same item determination process [Figure 6] Flowchart for explaining the second example of the same item determination process [Figure 7] Flowchart for explaining the third example of the same item determination process [Figure 8] Flowchart for explaining an example of the same undetermined item acquisition process [Figure 9] Flowchart for explaining an example of the same understanding degree acquisition process [Figure 10] Flowchart for explaining the first example of the same FAQ selection process [Figure 11] Flowchart for explaining the second example of the same FAQ selection process [Figure 12] Flowchart for explaining an example of the same screen information configuration process [Figure 13] Diagram showing an example of the same inquiry form management table [Figure 14] Diagram showing an example of the same FAQ management table [Figure 15] Diagram showing an example of the same prompt template [Figure 16] Diagram showing an example of the same screen [Figure 17] Diagram showing an example of the same screen [Figure 18] Diagram showing an example of the same prompt [Figure 19] Diagram showing an example of the same screen [Figure 20] Figure showing an example of the same screen. [Figure 21] Figure showing an example of the same screen. [Figure 22] Figure showing an example of the same screen. [Figure 23] Block diagram of the computer system [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] The embodiments of the information processing device, etc., will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments, components that are denoted by the same reference numerals perform the same operation, and therefore, further explanation may be omitted.

[0022] (Embodiment 1) In this embodiment, an information processing device is described that, in response to a user's question, detects an undecided item in an inquiry form having two or more items, acquires item-related information regarding the undecided item, and outputs it. The item-related information includes, for example, the undecided item and the situation understanding level, which will be described later.

[0023] This embodiment describes an information processing device that receives user input for undecided items and updates the level of situation understanding.

[0024] This embodiment describes an information processing device that uses a user question or inquiry form to retrieve and output information on candidate FAQs from a managed FAQ.

[0025] This embodiment describes an information processing device that outputs an inquiry button when the level of situation understanding reaches 100%, and obtains and outputs an answer to a question when it receives a command to press the inquiry button.

[0026] In this embodiment, we will describe an information processing device that detects items corresponding to user questions using the answers generated by the AI.

[0027] In this specification, information X being associated with information Y means that information Y can be obtained from information X, or information X can be obtained from information Y, and the method of association is irrelevant. Information X and information Y may be linked, may reside in the same buffer, may information X be contained in information Y, or information Y may be contained in information X, and so on.

[0028] Furthermore, in this specification, selecting or determining information Z means obtaining information Z, obtaining a pointer to information Z, obtaining the ID of information Z, setting a flag on information Z, etc., and it is sufficient to be able to access information Z.

[0029] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram of information system A in this embodiment. Information system A comprises an information processing device 1, one or more terminal devices 2, one or more generation AI devices 3, and one or more servers 4.

[0030] Information processing device 1 is a device that assists users in obtaining appropriate answers to their questions. Information processing device 1 is usually a server. Information processing device 1 may be, for example, a cloud server or an ASP server, but the type is not limited. Information processing device 1 may also be a terminal. If information processing device 1 is a terminal, it may be, for example, a so-called personal computer, smartphone, or tablet device, but the type is not limited. Furthermore, information processing device 1 may, for example, become a server that provides FAQ services to two or more servers 4 and terminal devices 2 that receive services from servers 4.

[0031] Terminal device 2 is a device used by the user. Terminal device 2 can be, for example, a personal computer, smartphone, or tablet device, but the type is not limited.

[0032] The generation AI device 3 is a device that has the function of a generation AI. In this context, the generation AI device 3 typically has the function of a text generation AI. The generation AI may be, for example, ChatGPT or Google Bard, but is not limited to that. Note that Google is a registered trademark. The generation AI device 3 may be, for example, a cloud server or an ASP server, but is not limited to that type. The generation AI device 3 will be referred to as the generation AI as appropriate. Furthermore, the information processing device 1 may also have the function of a generation AI. In such a case, the generation AI device 3 is not required for information system A.

[0033] Server 4 is a server that provides services to the user's terminal device 2. Server 4 can be, for example, a cloud server or an ASP server, but its type is not limited. Information processing device 1 may also be a server that provides services to terminal device 2, in which case server 4 is not required for information system A.

[0034] The information processing device 1 and one or more terminal devices 2, the information processing device 1 and one or more generating AI devices 3, and the information processing device 1 and one or more servers 4 can communicate with each other via a network such as the Internet.

[0035] Figure 2 is a block diagram of information system A in this embodiment. Figure 3 is a block diagram of information processing device 1.

[0036] The information processing device 1 comprises a storage unit 11, a reception unit 12, a processing unit 13, and an output unit 14. The storage unit 11 comprises an inquiry form management unit 111 and an FAQ management unit 112. The processing unit 13 comprises an item determination unit 131, a related information acquisition unit 132, and an FAQ selection unit 133. The related information acquisition unit 132 comprises an undecided item acquisition means 1321 and a situation understanding level acquisition means 1322. The output unit 14 comprises a related information output unit 141, an FAQ output unit 142, and a UI output unit 143.

[0037] The terminal device 2 includes a terminal storage unit 21, a terminal receiving unit 22, a terminal processing unit 23, a terminal transmission unit 24, a terminal receiving unit 25, and a terminal output unit 26.

[0038] The storage unit 11, which constitutes the information processing device 1, stores various types of information. These types of information include, for example, inquiry form information (described later), FAQ information (described later), one or more prompt templates, one or more screen templates, and inquiry objects.

[0039] A prompt template is a template for constructing a prompt. Here, a prompt template is information for constructing a prompt that determines one or more items of information corresponding to a user's question from among two or more items of information contained in the inquiry form. A prompt template, for example, has one or more variables. Here, a prompt is an instruction given to the generating AI. A prompt can also be called a request, query, or question. A prompt template can be, for example, a file, but it can also be an attribute value in a database; the data structure is not specified.

[0040] A screen template is information that serves as a template for structuring screen information. A screen template, for example, has one or more variables. Screen information is information used to construct a screen. Screen information can be written in HTML, XML, etc., but the means of implementation are not restricted. A screen template can be a file, for example, but it can also be attribute values ​​in a database, and the data structure is not restricted.

[0041] A query object is an object that receives instructions to obtain the final answer to a question from the user. A query object is typically a button. For example, a query object is the "query button" described later.

[0042] The inquiry form management unit 111 stores one or more inquiry form information. Inquiry form information is information that identifies an inquiry form. An inquiry form is a form for a user to submit a specific question or request to a website or service provider. Inquiry form information includes two or more item information items. Item information is information that identifies an item within the inquiry form. Item information may include, for example, an item title and two or more item options. Item information may be associated with, for example, an item identifier. An item title is a title that indicates the item. Item options are specific information about the item, and are information that can be selected when identifying the user's question. An item identifier may be, for example, the item ID or item name. The item identifier may also be the item title. Here, once all the item options for all items in the inquiry form are identified, the user can be presented with an answer.

[0043] It is preferable that each of the one or more inquiry form entries in the inquiry form management unit 111 is associated with the server 4 or the software that provides services to the user. The inquiry form information is associated, for example, with a server identifier or a software identifier.

[0044] The FAQ management unit 112 stores two or more FAQ information entries. FAQ information is information that identifies an FAQ. FAQ information includes configured question information. Preferably, FAQ information also includes answer information. Configured question information is a string indicating a configured question. Configured questions are usually common questions. Answer information is a string indicating the answer. Preferably, one or more FAQ information entries in the FAQ management unit 112 are determined when the item options for one or more item information entries are determined. Furthermore, it is preferable that each of the two or more FAQ information entries in the FAQ management unit 112 is associated with an FAQ identifier. An FAQ identifier is information that identifies an FAQ. An FAQ identifier is, for example, the ID of the FAQ information.

[0045] It is preferable that each of the two or more FAQ entries in the FAQ management unit 112 is associated with an FAQ vector, which is a vector based on the FAQ information. An FAQ vector is usually information that has been vectorized from a string that constitutes all or part of the FAQ information (for example, configuration question information). Note that the technique for vectorizing strings such as one or more sentences or words is publicly known.

[0046] The reception unit 12 receives various types of information and instructions. These types of information and instructions include, for example, question information entered by the user and undecided related information. The question information entered by the user is usually in natural language. Such natural language sentences do not need to be complete sentences. Undecided related information is information about the outputted undecided item information, which is information entered by the user. Undecided item information is information about the item information contained in the inquiry form information that the item decision unit 131 has not decided. Undecided item information includes, for example, the item title of the undecided item, the item information of the undecided item, or the item identifier of the undecided item.

[0047] In this context, "reception" usually refers to the reception of information transmitted via wired or wireless communication lines, but it may also include the reception of information input from input devices such as keyboards, mice, and touch panels, as well as the reception of information read from recording media such as optical discs, magnetic discs, and semiconductor memory.

[0048] The processing unit 13 performs various processes. These processes include, for example, those performed by the item determination unit 131, the related information acquisition unit 132, or the FAQ selection unit 133.

[0049] The item determination unit 131 determines one or more item information corresponding to the question information received by the reception unit 12. The item determination unit 131 usually uses the inquiry form information to determine one or more item information corresponding to the question information. The item information corresponding to the question information is the item information of the item from which the item options are determined from the question information. Determining item information involves, for example, obtaining item information, obtaining an item identifier, and obtaining an item title.

[0050] The item determination unit 131, for example, provides inquiry form information and question information to the generation AI, and obtains item information corresponding to the question information from the generation AI. The item determination unit 131, for example, places the inquiry form information and question information in the prompt template of the storage unit 11 to configure a prompt, provides the prompt to the generation AI, and obtains information from the generation AI that identifies one or more items corresponding to the question information.

[0051] The item determination unit 131 determines new item information in response to the reception unit 12 receiving undecided related information. The item determination unit 131 places the inquiry form information and undecided related information in the prompt template of the storage unit 11 to form a prompt, provides the prompt to the generation AI, and the generation AI determines one or more new item pieces corresponding to the question information.

[0052] The item determination unit 131 may determine one or more item information corresponding to the question information and undecided related information without using a generation AI, as will be described later. The algorithm used by the item determination unit 131 to determine the item information is not limited.

[0053] The related information acquisition unit 132 acquires item-related information using undecided item information related to item information that the item determination unit 131 did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information.

[0054] Item-related information includes, for example, one or two types of information such as undecided item information or situation understanding. Undecided item information is information about item information that the item decision unit 131 did not decide. Undecided item information includes, for example, an item identifier that identifies the item information that the item decision unit 131 did not decide, the item title of the item information that the item decision unit 131 did not decide, and the item information that the item decision unit 131 did not decide. Situation understanding is information about the proportion of item information that the item decision unit 131 did not decide among the item information contained in the inquiry form information. Situation understanding is calculated, for example, by the calculation formula "number of item information decided by the item decision unit 131 / number of item information contained in the inquiry form information" or the calculation formula "(number of item information decided by the item decision unit 131 / number of item information contained in the inquiry form information) * 100".

[0055] The undecided item acquisition means 1321 acquires one or more undecided item information related to item information that the item determination unit 131 has not determined from the item information contained in the inquiry form information.

[0056] The situation understanding acquisition means 1322 acquires a situation understanding level regarding the proportion of item information that the item determination unit 131 did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information.

[0057] The situation understanding acquisition means 1322 is preferable to acquire a new situation understanding level in response to the determination of new item information.

[0058] The FAQ selection unit 133 selects one or more FAQ items from the FAQ management unit 112 that correspond to one or more item items determined by the item determination unit 131.

[0059] The FAQ selection unit 133, for example, vectorizes one or more item information and / or question information determined by the item determination unit 131, calculates the similarity between the vector and two or more FAQ vectors, and selects one or more FAQ information corresponding to an FAQ vector whose similarity satisfies the selection criteria. The selection criteria is that the degree of similarity is high. For example, the selection criteria may be that the similarity is above or above a threshold, or that the similarity is above the top N (where N is a natural number of 1 or more).

[0060] The FAQ selection unit 133 may, for example, use a generation AI as described later to select one or more FAQ information. The algorithm used by the FAQ selection unit 133 to select one or more FAQ information is not limited.

[0061] The output unit 14 outputs various types of information. These types of information include, for example, item-related information, FAQ information, user interface information (described later), and screen information.

[0062] Output here typically refers to transmission to terminal device 2 or server 4, but it may also be a concept that includes display on a screen, projection using a projector, printing with a printer, sound output, transmission to devices other than terminal device 2 or server 4, storage on a recording medium, and delivery of processing results to other processing devices or other programs.

[0063] The related information output unit 141 outputs item-related information acquired by the related information acquisition unit 132. It is preferable for the related information output unit 141 to output undecided item information acquired by the undecided item acquisition means 1321 and the situation understanding level acquired by the situation understanding level acquisition means 1322. It is also preferable for the related information output unit 141 to output a new situation understanding level.

[0064] The FAQ output unit 142 outputs one or more FAQ information selected by the FAQ selection unit 133. The FAQ information output by the FAQ output unit 142 may be only a part of the information that makes up the FAQ information (for example, only the configuration question information).

[0065] The UI output unit 143 outputs a user interface that facilitates user inquiries when the situation understanding acquisition means 1322 indicates 100%. The user interface is, for example, a specific button. The user interface that facilitates user inquiries is, for example, the inquiry button described later. The UI output unit 143 outputs screen information.

[0066] The terminal storage unit 21, which constitutes the terminal device 2, stores various types of information. These types of information include, for example, a user identifier.

[0067] The terminal reception unit 22 receives input such as instructions and information from the user. Instructions and information include, for example, an inquiry start instruction, question information, undecided related information, inquiry instructions, FAQ instructions, and various operations.

[0068] An inquiry initiation instruction indicates the start of an inquiry regarding the target of the operation. The target of the operation can be, for example, an application used by the user, or a website or webpage visited by the user, but is not limited to any specific object.

[0069] Various operations refer to various operations performed on the target of the operation. Examples of various operations include operations performed on server 4. Examples of various operations include operations performed on information processing device 1.

[0070] The means of inputting instructions and information can be anything, such as a touch panel, keyboard, mouse, or menu screen.

[0071] The terminal processing unit 23 performs various processes. These processes include, for example, changing the instructions and information received by the terminal receiving unit 22 into instructions and information for transmission, and changing the information received by the terminal receiving unit 25 into an output structure.

[0072] The terminal transmission unit 24 transmits various information and instructions to the information processing device 1 or the server 4. These various information and instructions include, for example, a user identifier, question information, and undecided related information.

[0073] The terminal receiving unit 25 receives various types of information from the information processing device 1 or the server 4. These types of information include, for example, item-related information, FAQ information, screen information, and user interface information.

[0074] The terminal output unit 26 outputs various types of information. These types of information include, for example, item-related information, FAQ information, screens, and user interfaces. Here, output refers to, for example, display on a screen, but may also include projection using a projector, printing with a printer, sound output, storage on a recording medium, transmission to other processing devices, and delivery of processing results to other processing devices or other programs.

[0075] The storage unit 11, inquiry form management unit 111, FAQ management unit 112, and terminal storage unit 21 are preferably made of non-volatile recording media, but can also be made of volatile recording media.

[0076] The process by which information is stored in the storage unit 11, etc. is not relevant. For example, information may be stored in the storage unit 11, etc. via a recording medium, information transmitted via a communication line, etc. may be stored in the storage unit 11, etc., or information input via an input device may be stored in the storage unit 11, etc.

[0077] The reception unit 12 is preferably implemented by wireless or wired communication means, but may also be implemented by means of receiving broadcasts, device drivers for input means such as touch panels and keyboards, or control software for menu screens.

[0078] The processing unit 13, item determination unit 131, related information acquisition unit 132, FAQ selection unit 133, undecided item acquisition means 1321, and situation understanding acquisition means 1322 can typically be implemented using a processor, memory, etc. The processing procedures of the processing unit 13, etc., are typically implemented in software, and this software is recorded on a recording medium such as ROM. However, it may also be implemented in hardware (dedicated circuitry). The processor can be a CPU, MPU, GPU, etc., and the type is not limited.

[0079] The output unit 14, related information output unit 141, FAQ output unit 142, and UI output unit 143 are implemented, for example, by wireless or wired communication means.

[0080] The terminal reception unit 22 can be implemented using device drivers for input means such as touch panels and keyboards, or control software for menu screens, etc.

[0081] The terminal transmission unit 24 is usually implemented by wireless or wired communication means, but it may also be implemented by broadcasting means.

[0082] The terminal receiving unit 25 is usually implemented by wireless or wired communication means, but it may also be implemented by means of receiving broadcasts.

[0083] The terminal output unit 26 may or may not be considered to include output devices such as a display or speakers. The terminal output unit 26 can be implemented using driver software for an output device, or driver software for an output device and an output device.

[0084] Next, an example of the operation of the information processing device 1 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 4.

[0085] (Step S401) The reception unit 12 determines whether or not it has received the question information. If it has received the question information, it proceeds to step S402; if it has not received the question information, it proceeds to step S410.

[0086] (Step S402) The item determination unit 131 determines the items in the inquiry form that correspond to the question information received in step S401. An example of this item determination process will be explained using the flowcharts in Figures 5, 6, and 7. Note that the items corresponding to the question information are the items revealed by the question information.

[0087] (Step S403) The undecided item acquisition means 1321 performs a process to determine the undecided items using the items determined in step S402. An example of such an undecided item acquisition process will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 8. The undecided item acquisition process is the process of determining the items in the inquiry form that are currently undecided.

[0088] (Step S404) The situation understanding acquisition means 1322 acquires the situation understanding. An example of such understanding acquisition process will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0089] (Step S405) The processing unit 13 determines whether the situation understanding obtained in step S404 is 100% (the percentage can be "1"). If the situation understanding is 100%, proceed to step S406; otherwise, proceed to step S407.

[0090] (Step S406) The processing unit 13 obtains an "inquiry object" from the storage unit 11 to be used to construct the screen information when the understanding of the situation is 100%.

[0091] (Step S407) The FAQ selection unit 133 performs FAQ selection processing using the item information of the determined items. An example of FAQ selection processing will be explained using the flowcharts in Figures 10 and 11.

[0092] (Step S408) The processing unit 13 performs the process of configuring the screen information that constitutes the screen to be output. An example of such screen information configuration process will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 12.

[0093] (Step S409) The output unit 14 outputs the screen information configured in step S408. Return to step S401. Note that the output of screen information may also be the output of a screen configured using the screen information.

[0094] (Step S410) The reception unit 12 determines whether or not it has received undecided information. If it has received undecided information, it proceeds to step S411; if it has not received undecided information, it proceeds to step S412.

[0095] (Step S411) The item determination unit 131 acquires one or more item information corresponding to the received undetermined related information and temporarily stores the one or more item information in a buffer (not shown). Proceed to step S403.

[0096] (Step S412) The reception unit 12 determines whether or not it has received the inquiry instruction. If it has received the inquiry instruction, it proceeds to step S413; if it has not received the inquiry instruction, it proceeds to step S415.

[0097] (Step S413) In response to receiving an inquiry instruction, the processing unit 13 obtains response information from the FAQ management unit 112 that corresponds to one or more items of information temporarily stored in a buffer (not shown). Note that the response information may also be called a response.

[0098] (Step S414) The output unit 14 outputs the response information obtained in step S413. Return to step S401.

[0099] (Step S415) The reception unit 12 determines whether or not it has received the FAQ instruction. If it has received the FAQ instruction, it proceeds to step S416; if it has not received the FAQ instruction, it proceeds to step S418.

[0100] (Step S416) The processing unit 13 obtains the corresponding answer information for the setting question information that corresponds to the FAQ instruction from the FAQ management unit 112.

[0101] (Step S417) The output unit 14 outputs the response information obtained in step S416. Return to step S401.

[0102] (Step S418) The reception unit 12 determines whether or not it has received the instruction to start the inquiry. If it has received the instruction to start the inquiry, it proceeds to step S419; if it has not received the instruction to start the inquiry, it returns to step S401.

[0103] (Step S419) The processing unit 13 configures the screen information to be output in response to the receipt of the inquiry start instruction. An example of such screen information configuration process will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 12.

[0104] (Step S420) The output unit 14 outputs the screen information configured in step S419. Return to step S401.

[0105] In the flowchart shown in Figure 4, processing is terminated by power-off or processing termination interrupts.

[0106] Next, we will explain the first example of the item determination process in step S402 using the flowchart in Figure 5. Note that the first example of the item determination process is an example of a process that determines all items at once using a generation AI.

[0107] (Step S501) The item determination unit 131 obtains the first prompt template from the storage unit 11. The first prompt template has variables to which the question information and the inquiry form information are assigned, and is an item that corresponds to the question information, and is a prompt that allows the user to select an item in the inquiry form. An example of the first prompt template is shown in Figure 15, which will be described later.

[0108] (Step S502) The item determination unit 131 acquires the received question information.

[0109] (Step S503) The item determination unit 131 places the question information obtained in step S502 into the first prompt template obtained in step S501.

[0110] (Step S504) The item determination unit 131 obtains the inquiry form information from the inquiry form management unit 111.

[0111] (Step S505) The item determination unit 131 places the inquiry form information obtained in step S504 into the first prompt template. The first prompt is completed through the above process.

[0112] (Step S506) The item determination unit 131 provides the first prompt to the generation AI.

[0113] (Step S507) The item determination unit 131 determines whether or not it has received a response from the generating AI. If a response has been received, it proceeds to step S508; otherwise, it returns to step S507.

[0114] (Step S508) The item determination unit 131 uses the response received in step S507 to obtain one or more items of information and temporarily stores them in a buffer (not shown). It then returns to the higher-level processing. The item information obtained here may be a part of the item information stored in the inquiry form management unit 111 (for example, the item title) or an item identifier that identifies the item information.

[0115] Next, a second example of the item determination process in step S402 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 6. This second example of the item determination process uses a generation AI to determine whether each of the two or more item pieces corresponds to the question information.

[0116] (Step S601) The item determination unit 131 obtains a second prompt template from the storage unit 11. The second prompt template has variables to which all or part of the question information and item information (for example, the item title) are substituted, and is a prompt that causes the system to determine whether the item specified by the item information corresponds to the question information.

[0117] The second prompt template is, for example, "Please answer 'Yes / No' to indicate whether the following items that make up the inquiry form correspond to the following question from the user." item

[0118] {Items to focus on} Questions from users

[0119] {Question Information}" That is the case.

[0120] Furthermore, in the second prompt template, an item corresponds to a user question, meaning that the user question clarifies the item's options.

[0121] (Step S602) The item determination unit 131 obtains the received question information.

[0122] (Step S603) The item determination unit 131 places the question information obtained in step S602 into the second prompt template.

[0123] (Step S604) The item determination unit 131 obtains the inquiry form information from the inquiry form management unit 111.

[0124] (Step S605) The item determination unit 131 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0125] (Step S606) The item determination unit 131 determines whether or not the i-th item information exists. If the i-th item information exists, the process proceeds to step S607; otherwise, it returns to the higher-level process.

[0126] (Step S607) The item determination unit 131 obtains the i-th item information from the item information contained in the inquiry form information and places this item information into the second prompt template. The second prompt is completed through the above process.

[0127] (Step S608) The item determination unit 131 provides the second prompt completed in step S607 to the generation AI.

[0128] (Step S609) The item determination unit 131 determines whether or not it has received a response from the generating AI. If a response has been received, it proceeds to step S610; if a response has not been received, it proceeds to step S612.

[0129] (Step S610) The item determination unit 131 proceeds to step S611 if the response received in step S609 is a response indicating that the i-th item information corresponds to the question information (for example, "Yes"), and proceeds to step S612 if the response indicates that the i-th item information does not correspond to the question information (for example, "No").

[0130] (Step S611) The item determination unit 131 acquires the i-th item information and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown).

[0131] (Step S612) The item determination unit 131 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S606.

[0132] Next, a third example of the item determination process in step S402 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 7. This third example of the item determination process is one in which items are determined by natural language processing, without using a generation AI. Here, it is assumed that item vectors, which are vectors created using the item information and associated with each of the two or more item pieces contained in the inquiry form information, are stored in the inquiry form management unit 111. Note that the item vectors may be vectors created using all of the item information, or vectors created using only a part of the item information (only the item title).

[0133] (Step S701) The item determination unit 131 vectorizes the received question information and obtains a question vector.

[0134] (Step S702) The item determination unit 131 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0135] (Step S703) The item determination unit 131 determines whether the i-th item vector exists in the inquiry form management unit 111. If the i-th item vector exists, the process proceeds to step S704; otherwise, the process returns to the higher level.

[0136] (Step S704) The item determination unit 131 obtains the i-th item vector from the inquiry form management unit 111.

[0137] (Step S705) The item determination unit 131 calculates the similarity between the question vector and the i-th item vector.

[0138] (Step S706) The item determination unit 131 determines whether the similarity satisfies the acceptance criteria. If the acceptance criteria are met, the process proceeds to step S707; otherwise, the process proceeds to step S708. The acceptance criteria are conditions relating to the similarity of the two vectors, for example, that the similarity is equal to or greater than the first threshold.

[0139] (Step S707) The item determination unit 131 acquires the item information that is paired with the i-th item vector and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown).

[0140] (Step S708) The item determination unit 131 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S703.

[0141] Next, an example of the process for obtaining undecided items in step S403 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 8.

[0142] (Step S801) The undecided item acquisition means 1321 acquires inquiry form information from the inquiry form management unit 111.

[0143] (Step S802) The undecided item acquisition means 1321 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0144] (Step S803) The undecided item acquisition means 1321 determines whether or not the i-th item information exists in the inquiry form information acquired in step S801. If the i-th item information exists, the process proceeds to step S804; otherwise, it returns to the higher-level process.

[0145] (Step S804) The undecided item acquisition means 1321 refers to one or more item information stored in a buffer (not shown) and determines whether the item identified by the i-th item information is a determined item. If it is a determined item, proceed to step S806; otherwise, proceed to step S805.

[0146] (Step S805) The undecided item acquisition means 1321 temporarily stores the i-th item information as undecided item information in a buffer (not shown).

[0147] (Step S806) The undecided item acquisition means 1321 increments the counter i by 1. Return to step S803.

[0148] Next, an example of the comprehension acquisition process in step S404 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0149] (Step S901) The situation understanding acquisition means 1322 acquires the total number of items, which is the total number of item information items included in the inquiry form information of the inquiry form management unit 111.

[0150] (Step S902) The situation understanding acquisition means 1322 acquires the number of determined items, which is the number of item information for the determined items, and is item information temporarily stored in a buffer (not shown).

[0151] (Step S903) The situation understanding acquisition means 1322 calculates a situation understanding that identifies the ratio of the number of decided items to the total number of items, and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown). It then returns to the higher-level process. The situation understanding (%) is, for example, "(number of decided items / total number of items) * 100".

[0152] Next, we will explain the first example of the FAQ selection process in step S407 using the flowchart in Figure 10. The first example of the FAQ selection process is a process that selects FAQ information using natural language processing.

[0153] (Step S1001) The FAQ selection unit 133 obtains one or more determined item information from a buffer (not shown). The determined item information refers to the item information of the item determined by the item determination unit 131.

[0154] (Step S1002) The FAQ selection unit 133 constructs a vector using one or more decision item information. This vector is a decision item vector. A decision item vector is a vector created using all or part of the item information (for example, only the item title).

[0155] (Step S1003) The FAQ selection unit 133 assigns 1 to counter i.

[0156] (Step S1004) The FAQ selection unit 133 determines whether or not the i-th FAQ information exists in the FAQ management unit 112. If the i-th FAQ information exists, the process proceeds to step S1005; otherwise, the process returns to the higher level.

[0157] (Step S1005) The FAQ selection unit 133 obtains the FAQ vector corresponding to the i-th FAQ information from the FAQ management unit 112.

[0158] (Step S1006) The FAQ selection unit 133 calculates the similarity between the decision item vector and the FAQ vector.

[0159] (Step S1007) The FAQ selection unit 133 determines whether the similarity satisfies the selection criteria. If the selection criteria are met, the process proceeds to step S1008; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1009. The selection criteria are conditions relating to the similarity of the two vectors, for example, that the similarity is equal to or greater than the second threshold.

[0160] (Step S1008) The FAQ selection unit 133 obtains the setting question information contained in the i-th FAQ information from the FAQ management unit 112 and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown). Note that the FAQ selection unit 133 may temporarily store all of the i-th FAQ information in the buffer (not shown).

[0161] (Step S1009) The FAQ selection unit 133 increments counter i by 1. Return to step S1004.

[0162] Next, a second example of the FAQ selection process in step S407 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 11. The second example of the FAQ selection process is a process that uses a generation AI to select FAQ information all at once.

[0163] (Step S1101) The FAQ selection unit 133 obtains a third prompt template from the storage unit 11.

[0164] The third prompt template is a prompt that allows the user to select FAQ information using one or more predefined item information.

[0165] The third prompt template is, for example, "Select FAQ information from the following set of FAQ information that corresponds to one or more of the following determined item information, and list the configuration questions contained in the one or more selected FAQ information in bullet points." One or more item information

[0166] {item information} Collection of FAQ information

[0167] {FAQ Management Department 112: Information on 2 or more FAQs}

[0168] (Step S1102) The FAQ selection unit 133 obtains two or more FAQ information from the FAQ management unit 112.

[0169] (Step S1103) The FAQ selection unit 133 places two or more FAQ information obtained in step S1102 into the third prompt template.

[0170] (Step S1104) The FAQ selection unit 133 obtains one or more decision item information from a buffer (not shown).

[0171] (Step S1105) The FAQ selection unit 133 places one or more decision item information obtained in step S1104 into the third prompt template. The third prompt is completed through the above process.

[0172] (Step S1106) The FAQ selection unit 133 provides the third prompt completed in step S1105 to the generation AI.

[0173] (Step S1107) The FAQ selection unit 133 determines whether or not it has received an answer from the generating AI. If an answer has been received, it proceeds to step S1108; otherwise, it returns to step S1107.

[0174] (Step S1108) The FAQ selection unit 133 acquires one or more setting question information included in the answer from the generating AI and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown).

[0175] Furthermore, in the flowchart of Figure 11, following the operation explained using the flowchart of Figure 6, the generating AI may be instructed to determine, for each FAQ item, whether or not two or more FAQ items are selected using the one or more determined item information. In such a case, the prompt template for the fourth prompt template could be, for example, "Please answer with "Yes / No" whether or not the following FAQ information corresponds to one or more of the determined items below." FAQ Information

[0176] {FAQ information to focus on} One or more items

[0177] {Item information acquired by item determination unit 131}

[0178] Next, an example of the screen information configuration process in step S408 will be explained using the flowchart in Figure 12.

[0179] (Step S1201) The processing unit 13 obtains a screen template from the storage unit 11.

[0180] (Step S1202) The processing unit 13 determines whether or not it is the start of a query. If it is the start of a query, it proceeds to step S1209; otherwise, it proceeds to step S1203. Note that the start of a query usually occurs when a query start instruction is received.

[0181] (Step S1203) The processing unit 13 retrieves one or more undecided item information from a buffer (not shown). The processing unit 13 places one or more undecided item information on the screen template. Note that there are cases where no undecided item information is retrieved at this point. Undecided item information may include, for example, the item title of the undecided item, or the item title and two or more item options.

[0182] (Step S1204) The processing unit 13 obtains the acquired situation understanding level and places the situation understanding level on the screen template.

[0183] (Step S1205) The processing unit 13 determines whether FAQ information has been selected. If FAQ information has been selected, the unit proceeds to step S1206; otherwise, the unit proceeds to step S1207.

[0184] (Step S1206) The processing unit 13 obtains the configuration question information contained in each of the one or more selected FAQs and places the one or more configuration question information on the screen template.

[0185] (Step S1207) The processing unit 13 determines whether or not it has obtained the query object. If it has obtained the query object, it proceeds to step S1208; otherwise, it returns to the higher-level processing.

[0186] (Step S1208) The processing unit 13 places the inquiry object on the screen template. It returns to the higher-level processing. At this point, it is preferable for the processing unit 13 to delete unnecessary objects (for example, "answer objects") from the screen template.

[0187] (Step S1209) The processing unit 13 obtains initial information from the storage unit 11, which is information to be placed on the initial screen of the inquiry. The processing unit 13 places the initial information on the screen template and constructs the output screen information. It returns to the higher-level processing. The initial information is, for example, a status understanding level of "0%", and is various information for constructing the screen shown in Figure 16, which will be described later.

[0188] The following describes a specific example of the operation of information system A in this embodiment. Here, for example, the information processing device 1 of information system A functions as an FAQ server for software operated by one or more servers 4. In other words, here, the information processing device 1 controls the process from when a user using one or more servers 4 sends an inquiry start instruction from terminal device 2 to server 4 until the answer information is sent to the user's terminal device 2.

[0189] The inquiry form management unit 111 of the information processing device 1 stores the inquiry form management table shown in Figure 13. The inquiry form management table is a table that manages inquiry form information for each server 4. The inquiry form management table manages one or more records that have an "ID," "Server Identifier," and "Item Information." In this case, the "Item Information" includes "Item Title" and "Item Options."

[0190] The FAQ management unit 112 stores the FAQ management table shown in Figure 14. The FAQ management table is 1 Alternatively, it is a table that manages FAQ information for each of two or more servers. The FAQ management table manages one or more records that have an "ID," "Server Identifier," "FAQ Information," and "FAQ Vector." The "FAQ Information" includes "Configuration Question Information" and "Answer Information."

[0191] Furthermore, the storage unit 11 stores the prompt template shown in Figure 15. In the prompt template (Figure 15), strings enclosed in "{" and "}" are variables. That is, {Question Information} and {Inquiry Form Information} in Figure 15 are variables, and the question information and inquiry form information entered by the user are assigned to them, respectively. Note that the prompt template (Figure 15) is an item that is revealed from the question information and is a prompt that prompts the generating AI to select an item in the inquiry form.

[0192] In the above situation, the user is using terminal device 2 to access and use a server 4 that is equipped with the product "RightSupport" and providing services to the user. The user then sends an "inquiry start instruction" to server 4 because they have encountered something they don't understand.

[0193] Server 4 receives the query start instruction and, for example, pairs the server identifier "S02" with the IP address of terminal device 2 and sends the query start instruction to the information processing device 1.

[0194] Next, the receiving unit 12 of the information processing device 1 receives an inquiry start instruction. Next, the processing unit 13 acquires screen information that constitutes the initial screen corresponding to the inquiry start instruction. Next, the output unit 14 transmits the screen information to the terminal device 2, either directly or via the server 4.

[0195] Terminal device 2 receives the screen information, constructs a screen from that information, and outputs it. An example of such a screen is shown in Figure 16. As shown in 1601 of Figure 16, the initial value of the situation understanding level is "0%".

[0196] Next, the user enters the question information "I want to set RightSupport highlighting, but for some reason I can't, so I'd like to know how to fix it" on the screen shown in Figure 16 (1701 in Figure 17), and then clicks the "Answer" button 1702. The user's terminal device 2 then receives the question information and transmits it to the information processing device 1 either directly or via the server 4.

[0197] Next, the reception unit 12 of the information processing device 1 receives the question information. Next, the item determination unit 131 determines the items as follows. That is, the item determination unit 131 obtains the prompt template (Figure 15) from the storage unit 11. Next, the item determination unit 131 obtains the question information "I want to set RightSupport highlighting, but for some reason I can't, so I want to do something about it" and assigns it to the variable <question information> in the prompt template. The item determination unit 131 also obtains the inquiry form information (two or more items of information) that corresponds to the server identifier "S02" of the server 4 from the inquiry form management table (Figure 13) and assigns it to the variable <inquiry form information> in the prompt template. As a result, the item determination unit 131 obtains the prompt shown in Figure 18. Next, the item determination unit 131 provides the prompt (Figure 18) to the generation AI. The item determination unit 131 then obtains the answer "Product name (option: RightSupport) and inquiry details (options: How to use the product, Regarding malfunctions)" from the generating AI. The item determination unit 131 temporarily stores the information of the two determination items "Product name (option: RightSupport) and inquiry details (options: How to use the product, Regarding malfunctions)" in a buffer (not shown).

[0198] Next, the undecided item acquisition means 1321 obtains the item title "Widget Name" and "Verifiable Status" indicating the undecided item from the information of the two decided items acquired by the item determination unit 131 through the process described above, and the four item information of "ID=2" in the inquiry form management table (Figure 13).

[0199] Next, the situation understanding acquisition means 1322 acquires the situation understanding (50%). The situation understanding acquisition means 1322 calculates the situation understanding (50%) from the number of item information items "4" that are paired with the server identifier "S02" and the number of decision item information items "2".

[0200] Next, since the processing unit 13 does not have a 100% understanding of the situation, it does not obtain the "inquiry object" to be used to construct the screen information.

[0201] Next, the FAQ selection unit 133, for example, selects FAQ information with "FAQID=F21, F22" from the FAQ information paired with the server identifier "S02" using the FAQ selection process described in Figure 10.

[0202] Next, the processing unit 13 performs the screen information configuration process described using the flowchart in Figure 12 and acquires screen information.

[0203] Next, the output unit 14 transmits the screen information to the terminal device 2, either directly or via the server 4.

[0204] Next, terminal device 2 receives the screen information, constructs a screen from that information, and outputs the screen shown in Figure 19. In Figure 19, 1901 is a question using the item title "Widget Name" from the undecided item information. 1902 is the calculated level of understanding of the situation. 1902 is the setting question information from the selected FAQ information. Note that here, screen information is configured to ask the user only one of the two undecided items, "Widget Name," but screen information may be configured to ask the user about both undecided items.

[0205] Next, the user enters the widget name "Cart Screen Widget" on the screen shown in Figure 19 (2001), as shown in Figure 20, and then clicks the "Reply" button 2002. The terminal device 2 then configures the undecided related information "<Widget Name>Cart Screen Widget" and sends it to the information processing device 1, either directly or via the server 4.

[0206] Next, the receiving unit 12 of the information processing device 1 receives undecided related information "<widget name> cart screen widget".

[0207] Next, the item determination unit 131 of the information processing device 1 acquires the item information "widget name (option: cart screen widget)" corresponding to the undetermined related information and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown).

[0208] Next, the undecided item acquisition means 1321 refers to a buffer (not shown) and acquires the item title "Verifiable State" and three item options that indicate the undecided item.

[0209] Next, the situation comprehension acquisition means 1322 acquires a situation comprehension level of "75%".

[0210] Next, the FAQ selection unit 133, for example, selects FAQ information with "FAQID=F21, F22, F23" from the FAQ information paired with the server identifier "S02" using the FAQ selection process described in Figure 10.

[0211] Next, the processing unit 13 performs the screen information configuration process described using the flowchart in Figure 12 and acquires screen information.

[0212] Next, the output unit 14 transmits the screen information to the terminal device 2, either directly or via the server 4.

[0213] Next, terminal device 2 receives the screen information, constructs a screen from that information, and outputs the screen shown in Figure 21. 2101 in Figure 21 is a question to the user, including the item title "Confirmable Status" indicating an undecided item. 2102 are three item options that the user can select. 2103 is the current understanding level, "75%". 2104 is the setting question information associated with each of the three FAQ information selected by the FAQ selection unit 133. Note that while it is preferable for the item options to be included in the screen information, they are not required.

[0214] Then, the user selects the item option "No items highlighted" 2104 on the screen shown in Figure 21, and then clicks the "Answer" button 2105.

[0215] Then, terminal device 2 configures the undecided related information "<Confirmable status> No highlighted items" and transmits it to information processing device 1 directly or via server 4.

[0216] Next, the receiving unit 12 of the information processing device 1 receives the undecided related information "<Confirmable status> No highlighted items."

[0217] Next, the item determination unit 131 of the information processing device 1 acquires the item information "confirmable state (options: no highlighted items)" corresponding to the undetermined related information and temporarily stores it in a buffer (not shown).

[0218] Next, the undecided item acquisition means 1321 refers to a buffer (not shown) and determines that there are no undecided items.

[0219] Next, the situation understanding acquisition means 1322 acquires a situation understanding of "100%".

[0220] Next, since the acquired situation understanding level is 100%, the processing unit 13 retrieves the "inquiry object" to be used to construct the screen information from the storage unit 11.

[0221] Next, the FAQ selection unit 133, for example, selects FAQ information with "FAQID=F21, F22, F23" from the FAQ information paired with the server identifier "S02" using the FAQ selection process described in Figure 10.

[0222] Next, the processing unit 13 performs the screen information configuration process described using the flowchart in Figure 12 and acquires screen information.

[0223] Next, the output unit 14 transmits the screen information to the terminal device 2, either directly or via the server 4.

[0224] Next, terminal device 2 receives the screen information, constructs a screen from that information, and outputs the screen shown in Figure 22. Item 2201 in Figure 22 is a query obtained from the determined item information. Once all items in the inquiry form have been determined, the corresponding answer information can be obtained, for example, from the answer information in the FAQ.

[0225] Furthermore, 2202 in Figure 22 represents the current situation understanding level of "100%". 2203 is the setting question information associated with each of the three FAQ information selected by the FAQ selection unit 133. 2204 is the user interface output when the situation understanding level reaches "100%", and is the object "Contact Us" button.

[0226] Next, suppose the user clicks the "Contact Us" button 2204. Then, terminal device 2 configures the inquiry instruction "<Product Name>RightSupport <Inquiry Details>Regarding product usage, malfunctions) <Widget Name>Cart screen widget <Verifiable Status>No highlighted items", and sends the inquiry instruction to information processing device 1, either directly or via server 4.

[0227] Next, the reception unit 12 of the information processing device 1 receives the inquiry instruction "<Product name>RightSupport <Inquiry details>Regarding product usage and malfunctions) <Widget name>Cart screen widget <Confirmable status>No highlighted items".

[0228] Next, in response to receiving an inquiry instruction, the processing unit 13 obtains the corresponding answer information from the FAQ management table (Figure 14).

[0229] Next, the output unit 14 transmits the response information to the terminal device 2, either directly or via the server 4.

[0230] Next, terminal device 2 receives and outputs the response information.

[0231] In summary, this embodiment provides support for users to obtain appropriate answers to their questions.

[0232] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by outputting the level of situational understanding, the user can grasp to what extent the system understands the intent of the user's question.

[0233] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, candidate FAQ information can be output to help the user obtain an appropriate answer to a question.

[0234] The processing in this embodiment may be implemented by software. This software may be distributed by software download or the like. Alternatively, this software may be recorded on a recording medium such as a CD-ROM and distributed. This also applies to other embodiments in this specification. The software that implements the information processing device 1 in this embodiment is the following program. In other words, this program is a program that causes a computer that can access an inquiry form management unit that stores inquiry form information having two or more item pieces to function as a reception unit that receives question information in natural language entered by a user, an item determination unit that determines one or more item pieces corresponding to the question information received by the reception unit, a related information acquisition unit that acquires related item information using undetermined item information relating to item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information, and a related information output unit that outputs the related item information acquired by the related information acquisition unit.

[0235] Figure 23 is a block diagram of a computer system 300 that executes the program described herein to realize the various embodiments of the information processing device 1 described above.

[0236] In Figure 23, the computer system 300 includes a computer 301 with a CD-ROM drive, a keyboard 302, a mouse 303, and a monitor 304.

[0237] In Figure 23, the computer 301 includes, in addition to the CD-ROM drive 3012, an MPU 3013, a bus 3014 connected to the CD-ROM drive 3012, a ROM 3015 for storing programs such as boot-up programs, a RAM 3016 connected to the MPU 3013 for temporarily storing instructions for application programs and providing temporary storage space, and a hard disk 3017 for storing application programs, system programs, and data. Although not shown here, the computer 301 may further include a network card that provides connectivity to a LAN.

[0238] The program that causes the computer system 300 to execute the functions of the information processing device 1, etc., as described above, may be stored on the CD-ROM 3101, inserted into the CD-ROM drive 3012, and then transferred to the hard disk 3017. Alternatively, the program may be transmitted to the computer 301 via a network (not shown) and stored on the hard disk 3017. The program is loaded into the RAM 3016 during execution. The program may also be loaded directly from the CD-ROM 3101 or the network.

[0239] The program does not necessarily have to include an operating system (OS) or third-party program that causes the computer 301 to execute the functions of the information processing device 1, etc., as described above. The program only needs to include the instruction portion that calls the appropriate function (module) in a controlled manner and obtains the desired result. How the computer system 300 operates is well known, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0240] In the above program, steps such as sending information and receiving information do not include hardware-based processing, such as processing performed by a modem or interface card in the transmission step (processing that can only be performed by hardware).

[0241] Furthermore, the computer running the above program may be a single computer or multiple computers. In other words, it may perform centralized processing or distributed processing.

[0242] Furthermore, it goes without saying that in each of the above embodiments, two or more communication means present in a single device may be physically implemented in a single medium.

[0243] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, each process may be implemented by centralized processing by a single device, or by distributed processing by multiple devices.

[0244] It goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible, all of which are also included within the scope of the present invention. [Industrial applicability]

[0245] As described above, the information processing device 1 according to the present invention has the effect of being able to help users obtain appropriate answers to questions, and is useful as a server or the like that provides FAQ services. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0246] A Information Systems 1. Information Processing Device 2 Terminal devices 3 Generation AI device 4 servers 11 Storage Unit 12 Reception Department 13 Processing Unit 14 Output section 21 Terminal storage section 22 Terminal Reception Section 23 Terminal Processing Unit 24 Terminal transmission unit 25 Receiving part of the terminal 26 Terminal output section 111 Inquiry Form Management Department 112 FAQ Management Department 131 Item determination section 132 Related Information Acquisition Section 133 FAQ Selection Section 141 Related Information Output Unit 142 FAQ Output Section 143 UI Output Section 1321 Undecided item acquisition means 1322 Means of acquiring understanding of the situation

Claims

1. A contact form management unit stores contact form information that has two or more item information items. A reception desk that receives question information in natural language entered by the user, An item determination unit that determines one or more item information corresponding to the question information received by the reception unit, A related information acquisition unit acquires related item information using undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information, An information processing device comprising: a related information output unit that outputs the item-related information acquired by the related information acquisition unit.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the item-related information is one or two types of information: undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit did not determine, or the degree of understanding of the situation relating to the proportion of item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information.

3. The aforementioned related information acquisition unit, An undecided item acquisition means for acquiring undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information, The system comprises a means for acquiring a degree of situational understanding regarding the percentage of item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information, The aforementioned related information output unit is: The undecided item information acquired by the undecided item acquisition means and the situation understanding level acquired by the situation understanding acquisition means are output. The aforementioned reception unit is The system accepts undecided-related information, which is information about the aforementioned undecided items and is entered by the user. The aforementioned item determination unit, In response to the receipt of the aforementioned undecided related information, new item information will be determined, The means for obtaining the level of understanding of the situation is, In accordance with the determination of the new item information, a new level of understanding of the situation is obtained, The aforementioned related information output unit is: The information processing device according to claim 2, which outputs the aforementioned new level of situational understanding.

4. An FAQ management unit that stores two or more FAQ information items associated with one or more item information, An FAQ selection unit selects one or more FAQ information items that correspond to the one or more item information items determined by the item determination unit, The information processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: an FAQ output unit that outputs the one or more FAQ pieces of information selected by the FAQ selection unit.

5. The aforementioned related information acquisition unit, An undecided item acquisition means for acquiring undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information, A means for acquiring a level of understanding of the situation regarding the proportion of item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a UI output unit that outputs a user interface for the user to proceed with the inquiry when the situation understanding acquisition means has obtained information indicating 100% situation understanding.

6. The aforementioned item determination unit, The information processing device according to claim 1, which provides the inquiry form information and the question information to a generating AI and obtains information from the generating AI that identifies the item information corresponding to the question information.

7. The FAQ management unit stores an FAQ vector, which is a vector based on the two or more FAQ pieces of information. The FAQ selection unit is, The information processing apparatus according to claim 4, which obtains a vector using the one or more item information or question information determined by the item determination unit, calculates the similarity between the vector and the two or more FAQ vectors, and selects one or more FAQ information corresponding to the FAQ vector whose similarity satisfies the selection criteria.

8. An information processing method implemented by an inquiry form management unit that stores inquiry form information having two or more item information, a reception unit, an item determination unit, a related information acquisition unit, and a related information output unit, The aforementioned reception unit includes a reception step in which it receives question information in natural language entered by the user, The item determination unit performs an item determination step in which it determines one or more items of information corresponding to the question information received by the reception unit, The related information acquisition step involves the related information acquisition unit acquiring item-related information using undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information, An information processing method comprising: a related information output step in which the related information output unit outputs the item related information acquired by the related information acquisition unit.

9. A computer that can access the inquiry form management unit, which stores inquiry form information having two or more item details, A reception desk that receives question information in natural language entered by the user, An item determination unit that determines one or more item information corresponding to the question information received by the reception unit, A related information acquisition unit acquires related item information using undecided item information relating to item information that the item determination unit did not determine among the item information contained in the inquiry form information, A program to function as a related information output unit that outputs the item-related information acquired by the related information acquisition unit.

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