Information processing systems, information processing devices, programs and methods

Abstract

The challenge is to provide an information processing system that allows for flexible survey management without relying on existing data. [Solution] The above problem is solved by providing an information processing system for managing questionnaires conducted on multiple terminal devices, which includes means for managing questionnaire information including the status of the questionnaire and accepting editing operations for questionnaire information whose status is other than "in progress", means for transmitting information to the first terminal device for displaying the questionnaire results screen and for transmitting information to the second terminal device for displaying the questionnaire response screen, based on a questionnaire start request from the first terminal device for a questionnaire whose status is not yet completed, and means for transmitting information to the first terminal device for updating the questionnaire results screen displayed by the first terminal device based on the questionnaire response from the second terminal device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system, an information processing apparatus, a program, and a questionnaire operation method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, in order to reduce the cost and labor of printing and to conduct effective meeting operations and discussions, electronic meeting systems such as paperless meeting systems have come to be used.

[0003] For example, there is an electronic meeting system that can share a display screen on which input operations are reflected with a small amount of data by sharing display content in advance between information processing apparatuses and exchanging user operation information. In such an electronic meeting system, there is one that distributes a questionnaire set in association with materials by an information processing terminal of a presenter to information processing terminals of the audience and answers from the information processing terminals of the audience (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In a conventional electronic meeting system, a meeting client device acquires questionnaire information associated with material information together with the material information from a meeting server device when participating in a meeting. Therefore, in the conventional electronic meeting system, the material information and the questionnaire information associated with the material information must be registered before the start of the meeting, and it is not possible to add or edit a questionnaire without depending on the material information during the meeting after distributing the material information.

[0005] An embodiment of the present invention has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an information processing system capable of flexibly operating a questionnaire without depending on material information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above objective, claim 1 of the present application provides an information processing system for managing questionnaires conducted on multiple terminal devices using one or more information processing devices, comprising: information management means for managing questionnaire information including the status of the implementation of the questionnaire and accepting editing operations for questionnaire information other than those in progress; questionnaire information transmission means for transmitting to the first terminal device information for displaying a questionnaire results screen to the first terminal device based on a questionnaire start request from the first terminal device for a questionnaire that has not yet been implemented, and transmitting to a second terminal device other than the first terminal device included in the multiple terminal devices information for displaying a questionnaire response screen; and questionnaire result transmission means for transmitting to the first terminal device information for updating the questionnaire results screen displayed by the first terminal device based on a questionnaire response from the second terminal device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to embodiments of the present invention, questionnaires can be operated flexibly without relying on source information. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating an example of a conference system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a computer that constitutes the conference system according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a functional block diagram of an example of a conference system. [Figure 4] This is a functional block diagram of an example of the display control unit, communication unit, information processing unit, and information management unit of a client terminal. [Figure 5] This is a functional block diagram of an example of the communication and information processing units of a conference server device. [Figure 6] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of survey information. [Figure 7] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the structure of reference information associated with a questionnaire. [Figure 8] This is an example image of a screen used when registering and editing surveys from the administrator terminal. [Figure 9] This is an example image of a screen used when registering and editing surveys from the administrator terminal. [Figure 10] This is an example image of a screen used when registering and editing surveys from the administrator terminal. [Figure 11] This is an image illustrating an example of the screen used when registering and editing questionnaires from the presenter's terminal. [Figure 12] This is a sequence diagram of an example of the process for conducting a survey. [Figure 13] This is an example image of the survey list screen. [Figure 14] This is an example image of a survey response screen. [Figure 15] This is an example image of a survey results screen. [Figure 16] This is an example image of a screen displayed after completing a survey. [Figure 17] This is a diagram illustrating an example of the compiled survey results. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. In this embodiment, a conference system is shown as an example, but it can also be applied to other systems that share the display screen of materials, such as seminar systems and educational systems. [First Embodiment] <System Configuration> Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a conference system according to this embodiment. The conference system 1 in Figure 1 shows, as an example, a configuration in which a conference server device 10 and multiple client terminals 12 are connected to a network N1 such as a LAN.

[0010] The conference server device 10 receives registration requests for conferences, registration requests for material data, etc., and stores them as conference information. Also, the conference server device 10 conducts operations such as holding conferences and participation control. The conference server device 10 can be realized by software or services operating on one or more computers. Also, the conference server device 10 can be realized in the form of a so-called cloud service. The conference server device 10 is realized, for example, by a device dedicated to the conference system 1, or an information processing device such as a general workstation or PC.

[0011] The client terminal 12 includes an administrator terminal operated by a conference administrator (operator) and a participant terminal operated by a conference participant. An application called a management tool is installed on the client terminal 12 which is an administrator terminal. The management tool has functions such as registering conferences, material data, and questionnaires with the conference server device 10, and registering conference participants.

[0012] Also, the client terminal 12 which is a participant terminal is equipped with a conference application (hereinafter simply referred to as a conference app). The conference app has a function of displaying a list of conferences, materials, questionnaires, etc.

[0013] The client terminal 12 may be a terminal device such as a PC, tablet terminal, smartphone, mobile phone, PDA, wearable terminal, virtual machine, projector, electronic blackboard, or a device dedicated to the conference system 1. The application operating on the client terminal 12 may be a native application or a web application operating on a web browser.

[0014] Also, the client terminal 12 which is a participant terminal has a function of obtaining conference information from the conference server device 10, downloading material data, and participating in the conference. In the conference system 1, any user participating in the conference may be able to become a presenter.

[0015] Before the meeting, administrators and presenters register meeting information, document data, survey information, etc., from client terminals 12 to the meeting server device 10. Meeting participants log in to the meeting server device 10 from their client terminals 12. The meeting server device 10 authenticates users based on whether the authentication information, such as the login ID and password received from the client terminal 12, matches the authentication information stored in the user information DB (described later).

[0016] Upon successful authentication, a session associated with the login ID is established between the client terminal 12 and the conference server device 10. The conference server device 10 does not need to request authentication information from the client terminal 12 during login. In this case, the conference server device 10 can associate the established session with the communication ID by issuing a communication ID to identify the communication destination and assigning it to the client terminal 12.

[0017] Alternatively, after establishing a session with the conference server device 10 without using authentication information, the client terminal 12 may log in to the conference server device 10 using authentication information at a predetermined time. In this case, a session associated with a login ID will be established instead of a communication ID.

[0018] Subsequently, the participant's client terminal 12 can select the meeting it wishes to join from the meeting information received from the conference server device 10, and then send a participation request containing the meeting ID of the selected meeting to the conference server device 10, thereby joining that meeting.

[0019] Specifically, the conference server device 10 manages the conference participation status by associating the received conference ID with the login ID or communication ID corresponding to the client terminal 12 that sent the participation request. By managing in this way, the conference server device 10 can keep track of which client terminal 12 is participating in which conference. When the conference server device 10 receives a request to leave a conference from a client terminal 12, it updates the participation status of the client terminal 12 by changing the login ID or communication ID to a state where the conference ID is no longer associated with it. After updating the conference participation status, the conference server device 10 retrieves the document data associated with the conference ID from the conference information DB and sends the retrieved document data to the client terminal 12 that sent the participation request. The client terminal 12 of the conference participant that receives the document data will see the received document data.

[0020] While participating in a meeting, the client terminal 12, which is a participant terminal, synchronizes the display screen of the presentation materials with the participant terminal operated by the presenter in that meeting (hereinafter referred to as the presenter terminal). The presenter terminal has information indicating the presenter's authority as role information. Information indicating the presenter's authority may be obtained spontaneously through operations entered into the presenter terminal, or it may be obtained by being specified by another client terminal 12 and received from the conference server device 10.

[0021] Participant terminals operated by attendees other than the presenter (hereinafter referred to as "attendee terminals") receive operation information in real time via the session, indicating input operations (such as page turning or handwritten notes) transmitted from the conference server device 10 in response to operations on the presenter terminal. Based on the received operation information, the attendee terminals can share the display screen with the presenter terminal by reflecting similar operations on the display screen of the document data. The transmission of operation information can be achieved by the conference server device 10 sending it via the session to participating client terminals 12 corresponding to the login ID or communication ID associated with the same conference ID as the presenter terminal. Attendee terminals do not have information indicating the presenter's authority as role information. Client terminals 12 that do not have information indicating the presenter's authority may, for example, receive information indicating they are attendees as role information from the conference server device 10. Note that multiple client terminals 12 within a single conference may have information indicating the presenter's authority.

[0022] For example, when the presenter turns the page of the presentation data on their device, the same page is turned on the audience's device, and the same screen is shared. Also, if the presenter makes handwritten notes on their device using a stylus or mouse to draw marks or lines, or add text, these notes will be reflected on the audience's device screens.

[0023] Furthermore, the presenter can distribute questionnaires to the conference server device 10 in advance or during the conference. The results of the questionnaires are processed in real time by the conference server device 10 and reflected on the presenter's terminal display. The presenter can also close the questionnaire and display the results on the audience's terminal to share the results with the audience. Note that the distribution, closing, and sharing of questionnaire results can also be done from the administrator's terminal.

[0024] The administrator (operator) of the above meeting can support the presenter during the meeting. With the administrator's support, the presenter can concentrate on their explanation. In the meeting system 1 according to this embodiment, operations such as starting a survey, closing the survey, and sharing the survey results can be performed by either the administrator or the presenter.

[0025] In conference system 1, the conference server device 10 and client terminals 12 can communicate data via network N1. Network N1 may be a LAN, the internet, or a dedicated line, and may be wired or wireless.

[0026] The document data is electronic data in file formats such as PDF, PPT, WORD, EXCEL, JPEG, PNG, BMP, HTML, and XML, but it may also be in other formats. Furthermore, the document data may be electronic data in the form of images or videos. In this embodiment, the case where the document data is electronic data containing multiple pages will be explained as an example.

[0027] <Hardware Configuration> The conference server device 10 and client terminal 12 are implemented, for example, by the hardware configuration shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a computer that constitutes the conference system according to this embodiment.

[0028] The client terminal 12 shown in Figure 2 is equipped with an input device 501, a display device 502, an external interface 503, RAM 504, ROM 505, a CPU 506, a communication interface 507, an HDD 508, etc., and each of these is interconnected via bus B. The client terminal 12 may also be configured to include a camera, microphone, speaker, etc.

[0029] The input device 501 includes a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and is used by the user to input various operation signals. The display device 502 includes a display, etc., and displays the processing results of the computer. The communication interface 507 is an interface that connects the computer to various networks. This allows the computer to communicate data via the communication interface 507.

[0030] Furthermore, the HDD508 is an example of a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data. The programs and data stored in the HDD508 include the operating system (OS), which is the basic software that controls the entire computer, and application software (hereinafter simply referred to as "applications") that provides various functions on the OS. Note that the computer may use a drive device that uses flash memory as a storage medium (for example, a solid-state drive: SSD) instead of the HDD508.

[0031] External I / F 503 is an interface to external devices. External devices include recording media 503a. This allows the computer to read from and / or write to the recording media 503a via External I / F 503. Recording media 503a include flexible disks, CDs, DVDs, SD memory cards, USB memory sticks, SIM cards, etc.

[0032] ROM505 is an example of non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that can retain programs and data even when the power is turned off. ROM505 stores programs and data such as the BIOS, OS settings, and network settings that are executed when the computer starts up. RAM504 is an example of volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily holds programs and data.

[0033] The CPU 506 is a processing unit that reads programs and data from storage devices such as the ROM 505 and HDD 508 onto the RAM 504 and executes processing to realize the control and functions of the entire computer. The CPU 506 may be implemented by one processor or multiple processors. The client terminal 12 can perform various processes as described later by executing a program with the above hardware configuration, for example.

[0034] The conference server device 10 shown in Figure 2 includes an input device 601, a display device 602, an external interface 603, RAM 604, ROM 605, CPU 606, a communication interface 607, an HDD 608, etc., each interconnected via bus B. The hardware configuration of the conference server device 10 is the same as that of the client terminal 12, but the input device 601 and the display device 602 may be connected and used only when necessary. The conference server device 10 can perform various processes as described later by executing a program with the above hardware configuration, for example.

[0035] <Software Configuration> The conference server device 10 and client terminal 12 of the conference system 1 according to this embodiment are implemented by the following functional blocks.

[0036] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of an example of a conference system. Note that the functional blocks in Figure 3 show the functions necessary for explaining this embodiment from among the functions provided by the conference server device 10 and the client terminal 12, and other functions may also exist.

[0037] The conference server device 10 in Figure 3 implements a communication unit 20, an information processing unit 22, an authentication unit 24, and an information management unit 26 by executing a program. The client terminal 12 implements a UI control unit 30, a communication unit 32, an information processing unit 34, a login request unit 36, and an information management unit 38 by executing a program.

[0038] The communication unit 20 of the conference server device 10 controls communication with the client terminal 12. The information processing unit 22 performs information processing such as conference registration and conference control. The authentication unit 24 performs authentication-related processing. The information management unit 26 manages the user information database, conference information database, etc. The user information database stores user information. Specifically, user information is authentication information necessary for authentication, such as login ID and password. Note that the login ID includes the user ID and terminal ID. Users can log in to the conference server device 10 from the client terminal 12 and edit or add user information by accessing the user information database. The conference information database stores conference information.

[0039] The meeting information shown in Figure 3 is information about the meeting registered from the client terminal 12 by the meeting administrator or presenter. The meeting information in Figure 3 includes the meeting ID, meeting name, document data, authentication information, survey information, response information, and reference information. The response information shows the results of the survey.

[0040] The UI control unit 30 of the client terminal 12 includes a display control unit 40 and an input operation control unit 42, and performs control related to the display of the UI (user interface). The display control unit 40 controls the display of the UI. The input operation control unit 42 receives input operations from the user and performs control based on those operations. The communication unit 32 controls communication with the conference server device 10. The information processing unit 34 performs information processing such as the process of joining the conference as described above and the processing of operation information received during the conference. The login request unit 36 ​​receives login requests from users and sends login requests to the conference server device 10 to authenticate the user and terminal. The information management unit 38 manages the necessary information on the client terminal 12.

[0041] The display control unit 40, communication unit 32, information processing unit 34, and information management unit 38 of the client terminal 12 shown in Figure 3 are implemented by, for example, the functional blocks shown in Figure 4. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram of an example of the display control unit, communication unit, information processing unit, and information management unit of the client terminal.

[0042] Figure 4(A) is a functional block diagram of the display control unit 40. The display control unit 40 has a configuration that includes a survey registration screen display unit 51, a survey list screen display unit 52, a survey response screen display unit 53, and a survey results screen display unit 54. The survey registration screen display unit 51 controls the display of the survey registration screen. The survey list screen display unit 52 controls the display of the survey list screen. The survey response screen display unit 53 controls the display of the survey response screen. The survey results screen display unit 54 controls the display of the survey results screen.

[0043] Figure 4(B) is a functional block diagram of the communication unit 32. The communication unit 32 has a configuration that includes a questionnaire information transmission / reception unit 61. The questionnaire information transmission / reception unit 61 transmits and receives questionnaire information to and from the conference server device 10.

[0044] Figure 4(C) is a functional block diagram of the information processing unit 34. The information processing unit 34 has a configuration comprising a survey registration screen generation unit 71, a survey list screen generation unit 72, a survey response screen generation unit 73, and a survey results screen generation unit 74. The survey registration screen generation unit 71 generates the survey registration screen. The survey list screen generation unit 72 generates the survey list screen. The survey response screen generation unit 73 generates the survey response screen. The survey results screen generation unit 74 generates the survey results screen.

[0045] Figure 4(D) is a functional block diagram of the Information Management Unit 38. The Information Management Unit 38 has a configuration that includes a Questionnaire Information Management Unit 81. The Questionnaire Information Management Unit 81 manages the questionnaire information.

[0046] Furthermore, the communication unit 20 and information processing unit 22 of the conference server device 10 shown in Figure 3 are implemented by, for example, the functional blocks shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of an example of the communication unit and information processing unit of the conference server device.

[0047] Figure 5(A) is a functional block diagram of the communication unit 20. The communication unit 20 has a configuration that includes a survey information transmission / reception unit 91 and a survey result transmission / reception unit 92. The survey information transmission / reception unit 91 transmits and receives survey information with the client terminal 12. The survey result transmission / reception unit 92 transmits information to update the survey result screen displayed on the presenter terminal.

[0048] Figure 5(B) is a functional block diagram of the information processing unit 22. The information processing unit 22 has a configuration that includes a questionnaire information processing unit 101. The questionnaire information processing unit 101 processes information related to questionnaires.

[0049] Note that the functional blocks shown in Figures 3 to 5 are just examples. For example, some of the functional blocks of the conference server device 10 in Figure 3 may operate on other information processing devices or client terminals 12. In that case, the functional blocks will communicate with each other and exchange information as needed.

[0050] The meeting administrator (operator) registers survey information by operating the management tool installed on the administrator terminal. Survey information may also be registered by the presenter, for example, using the meeting application installed on the presenter's terminal. When the survey starts, the participant terminals operated by meeting participants generate screens according to the role information (presenter or audience) described above. For example, the presenter terminal generates a survey registration screen, a survey list screen, or a survey results screen. The audience terminal generates a survey response screen or a survey results screen.

[0051] Attendees complete the survey via a survey response screen. The attendee terminals send the survey responses to the conference server device 10. The conference server device 10 sends the survey responses to the presenter terminals in real time. The presenter terminals reflect the survey responses received in real time from the conference server device 10 on the survey results screen. The conference server device 10 also stores the survey responses from attendees as response information in the conference information database, associating them with the survey information.

[0052] This allows the conference server device 10 to display the survey results screen on the presenter's terminal and the audience's terminal after the survey has been conducted. In addition, the conference administrator (operator) can use the management tool installed on the administrator's terminal to download the survey responses from the audience from the conference server device 10.

[0053] 《Survey Information》 The survey information included in the meeting information in Figure 3 is structured as shown in Figure 6, for example. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of the survey information structure. The survey information in Figure 6 consists of meeting ID, survey ID, survey title, question content, answer choices, number of choices, display method, executable users, and status.

[0054] The meeting ID is an example of identification information that uniquely identifies a meeting. The survey ID is an example of identification information that uniquely identifies a survey. The survey title is the title of the survey. The question content is the content of the question in the survey. The question content corresponds to the "Explanation" item in the survey registration screen 1100 in Figure 9 and the survey registration screen 1300 in Figure 11, for example. The options are the choices that attendees can select as answers to the question.

[0055] The number of selections indicates the number of choices that the listener selects from the given options as their answer to a question. The question content corresponds to the "Number of Selections" item in, for example, the survey registration screen 1100 in Figure 9 and the survey registration screen 1300 in Figure 11.

[0056] The display method specifies how the survey results screen will be displayed, for example, a pie chart ("Pie") or a bar chart ("bar"). The executable users specify which users can run the survey. If "Any" is specified for the executable users, anyone can run the survey. Note that all surveys can be run from the management tool. The display method and executable users can be set from screens used when registering or editing surveys, such as the survey registration screen 1100 in Figure 9 or the survey registration screen 1300 in Figure 11.

[0057] The status of the survey can be set to "Not Conducted," "In Progress," or "Completed." Survey information for surveys with a status of "Not Conducted" or "Completed" is editable. On the other hand, survey information for surveys with a status of "In Progress" is not editable. If a survey with a status of "Completed" is selected, the presenter's terminal will generate and display the survey results information for that survey.

[0058] Furthermore, the reason why the survey information for completed surveys can be edited is to allow users to modify simple surveys created during the meeting (for example, those that briefly list the questions and answer choices) after the meeting. In the meeting system 1 of this embodiment, a survey with choices A, B, C, and D can be created during the meeting, and after the meeting, choices A, B, C, and D can be modified to the correct choices "red, blue, yellow, and green".

[0059] The survey information in Figure 6 is assigned a unique survey ID, which is also associated with the conference ID. Furthermore, each survey in Figure 6 may include reference data or images that participants should refer to when answering the survey. For example, in a medical seminar, participants might be asked to compare images of case studies while answering the survey.

[0060] Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of reference information associated with a questionnaire. The reference information in Figure 7 consists of a questionnaire ID, a reference image URL, a reference material ID, a page number, and a reference material URL. The reference information in Figure 7 is associated with the questionnaire ID. The reference image URL is the URL of the reference image stored in the conference server device 10. The reference material ID is the material ID used to identify the material data used in the conference. The page number is the page number of the material data for the material ID, and the page number that the participant should view is specified. If the entire material is reference material, the page number may be set to "none". If the page number is "none", the first page of the material will be displayed. The reference material URL is set if there are materials or web pages that are not registered in the conference but that the participant should refer to when answering the questionnaire. The reference material URL may be set to "none".

[0061] <Processing> 《Survey registration and editing》 Survey registration and editing can be performed, for example, from the screens shown in Figures 8 to 10 displayed on the administrator terminal. Figures 8 to 10 are illustrative images of example screens used when registering and editing surveys from the administrator terminal.

[0062] By pressing the "Add Questionnaire" button 1001 on the meeting management / new meeting registration screen 1000 in Figure 8, the meeting administrator can display the questionnaire registration screen 1100 in Figure 9 on the administrator terminal. The meeting administrator can add a questionnaire by entering the necessary information on the questionnaire registration screen 1100 and pressing the "Save" button 1101. The questionnaire registration screen 1100 in Figure 9 shows an example of entering the necessary information for adding a questionnaire, such as title, description, number of options, and number of choices.

[0063] Furthermore, for survey information that is not yet in progress, the meeting administrator can edit the survey information from the survey registration screen 1100. In other words, the meeting administrator can edit survey information that is not yet in progress before, during, or after the meeting. The meeting administrator can close the survey registration screen 1100 by pressing the save button 1101 on the survey registration screen 1100 in Figure 9.

[0064] Figure 10 shows an example of the meeting management / new meeting registration screen 1000 where materials and questionnaires have already been registered. The meeting management / new meeting registration screen 1000 in Figure 10 displays a list 1200 of the registered materials and questionnaires. The meeting administrator can change or delete the selected materials and questionnaires by selecting them from the list 1200 and pressing the change button 1201 or delete button 1202.

[0065] The registration and editing of questionnaires can also be performed, for example, from the screen shown in Figure 11 on the presenter's terminal. Figure 11 is an image of an example of a screen used when registering and editing questionnaires from the presenter's terminal. During the meeting, the presenter can start the questionnaire by displaying the questionnaire registration screen 1300 in Figure 11 on the presenter's terminal, entering the necessary information on the questionnaire registration screen 1300, and pressing the start button 1301. If the presenter's terminal 12A registers a questionnaire during the meeting, the presenter's terminal 12A registers the questionnaire information in Figure 6, associating it with the meeting ID it is currently participating in.

[0066] The survey registration screen 1300 in Figure 11 is displayed on the presenter's terminal when the "+" button on the survey list screen, which will be described later, is pressed. The survey registration screen 1300 in Figure 11 is an example of entering the survey title, description, number of options, and options as necessary information.

[0067] When creating and conducting a survey during a meeting, it can be time-consuming to enter all the necessary information. Therefore, the presenter's terminal will start the survey when the start button 1301 is pressed, even if the title and description are not filled in. Alternatively, the presenter can enter simple terms such as A, B, C, and D for the answer choices and conduct the survey by explaining the choices verbally. In this case, it becomes difficult to understand what the survey was about afterward, so it is possible to edit the survey information such as the title, description, and answer choices of the completed survey.

[0068] 《Conducting a survey》 The survey is administered using the procedure shown in the sequence diagram in Figure 12. Figure 12 is a sequence diagram of an example of the survey administration process. During the meeting, the presenter operates the presenter terminal 12A to display the survey list screen from the survey list acquisition UI.

[0069] In step S11, the presenter terminal 12A's questionnaire information transmission / reception unit 61 sends a request to the conference server device 10 to obtain the list of questionnaires. In step S12, the conference server device 10 receives the request to obtain the list of questionnaires from the presenter terminal 12A.

[0070] Upon receiving the request to retrieve the list of surveys, the conference server device 10 proceeds to step S13 and sends the survey information associated with the conference that the presenter terminal 12A is participating in to the presenter terminal 12A. If the presenter is already logged in, the conference server device 10 may also send the survey information for which the presenter is designated as an executable user to the presenter terminal 12A.

[0071] In step S14, the survey information management unit 81 of the presenter terminal 12A stores and manages the survey information received by the survey information transmission / reception unit 61. The survey list screen generation unit 72 of the presenter terminal 12A generates a survey list screen 1400, as shown in Figure 13, based on the survey information received by the survey information transmission / reception unit 61. The survey list screen display unit 52 displays the generated survey list screen 1400. Figure 13 is an image diagram of an example of a survey list screen. The survey list screen 1400 in Figure 13 includes a list of surveys 1402 registered in the conference server device 10 and a "+" button 1403 for transitioning to the survey registration screen 1300. The generation and display of the survey registration screen 1300 are performed by the survey registration screen generation unit 71 and the survey registration screen display unit 51 of the presenter terminal 12A. The presenter initiates the survey by selecting the survey they want to conduct from the survey list 1402 on the survey registration screen 1300 and pressing the start button 1401.

[0072] In step S15, the presenter terminal 12A's survey information transmission / reception unit 61 sends a survey start request for the survey selected by the presenter to the conference server device 10. In step S16, the conference server device 10 receives the survey start request.

[0073] Upon receiving a request to start the survey from the presenter terminal 12A, the conference server device 10 proceeds to step S17 and sends the survey information corresponding to the survey start request to the presenter terminal 12A and the listener terminal 12B participating in the conference.

[0074] In step S18, the survey information transmission / reception unit 61 of the listener terminal 12B receives survey information corresponding to the survey start request from the conference server device 10. The survey information transmission / reception unit 61 also receives reference information from the conference server device 10. The survey information management unit 81 stores and manages the survey information and reference information received by the survey information transmission / reception unit 61. The survey response screen generation unit 73 of the listener terminal 12B generates a survey response screen 1500 as shown in Figure 14 based on the received survey information shown in Figure 6. The survey response screen display unit 53 displays the generated survey response screen 1500. Figure 14 is an image diagram of an example of a survey response screen. The survey response screen 1500 in Figure 14 includes a choice 1501, a reference information button 1502, and a response submission button 1503.

[0075] Attendees can send their responses to the questionnaire to the conference server device 10 by selecting an option from the choices 1501 on the questionnaire response screen 1500 using the attendee terminal 12B and pressing the submit button 1503. Furthermore, as shown in the reference information in Figure 7, if reference information is associated with the questionnaire information, the reference information button 1502 will be displayed on the questionnaire response screen 1500 in a clickable state.

[0076] When a listener presses the reference information button 1502, the listener terminal 12B displays the reference information in a separate window or multiple windows. In the survey response screen 1500 of Figure 14, listeners can freely switch between the screen displaying the reference information and the survey response screen 1500 to answer the survey.

[0077] Furthermore, in step S19, the presenter terminal 12A's survey information transmission / reception unit 61 receives survey information corresponding to the survey start request from the conference server device 10. The survey information management unit 81 stores and manages the survey information received by the survey information transmission / reception unit 61. The presenter terminal 12A's survey result screen generation unit 74 generates a survey result screen 1600 as shown in Figure 15 based on the received survey information shown in Figure 6. The survey result screen display unit 54 displays the generated survey result screen 1600. Figure 15 is an image diagram of an example of a survey result screen.

[0078] The survey results screen in Figure 15 includes survey response information 1601, a results sharing button 1602, and an exit button 1603. The response information 1601 displays the survey responses from attendees using pie charts and bar graphs, according to the display method specified in Figure 6. Furthermore, the response information 1601 is updated in real time each time an attendee participating in the meeting answers the survey from their attendee terminal 12B.

[0079] When the presenter presses the results sharing button 1602, the presenter terminal 12A can request the conference server device 10 to share the survey results so that the survey results screen 1600 can be displayed on the listener terminals 12B. Also, when the presenter presses the end button 1603, the presenter terminal 12A can request the conference server device 10 to end the survey, and the survey can be ended.

[0080] In step S20, the attendee selects an option from the questionnaire response screen 1500 in Figure 14 and presses the submit button 1503. The questionnaire information transmission / reception unit 61 of the attendee terminal 12B transmits the option selected by the attendee as the questionnaire response result to the conference server device 10. In step S21, the conference server device 10 receives the questionnaire response result from the attendee terminal 12B. The questionnaire response result received by the conference server device 10 in step S21 is the login ID, questionnaire ID, and selected option information corresponding to the attendee terminal 12B, and is stored in the conference information DB. The conference server device 10 also transmits the received login ID, questionnaire ID, and selected option information corresponding to the attendee terminal 12B to the presenter terminal 12A.

[0081] The process proceeds to step S22, where the conference server device 10 sends a message to the survey information transmission / reception unit 61 of the listener terminal 12B that sent the survey response, indicating that it has completed receiving the survey response. The survey information management unit 81 stores and manages the survey response received by the survey information transmission / reception unit 61. In step S23, the survey response screen generation unit 73 and the survey response screen display unit 53 of the listener terminal 12B, which have received a message indicating that it has completed receiving the survey response, display a post-survey response screen 1700, for example, as shown in Figure 16.

[0082] Figure 16 is an illustrative image of an example of a screen after completing a questionnaire. The questionnaire completion screen 1700 in Figure 16 remains displayed until the result sharing button 1602 or the end button 1603 is pressed on the presenter terminal 12A. By continuously displaying the questionnaire completion screen 1700 in Figure 16 and not accepting other operations, the conference system 1 according to this embodiment can be expected to have the effect of allowing users to concentrate on the questionnaire.

[0083] Furthermore, in step S22, the conference server device 10 transmits the survey response results to the presenter terminal 12A. In step S24, the survey information transmission / reception unit 61 of the presenter terminal 12A receives the survey response results from the conference server device 10. The survey information management unit 81 of the presenter terminal 12A stores and manages the survey response results received by the survey information transmission / reception unit 61. The survey result screen generation unit 74 and the survey result screen display unit 54 update the display of the response result information 1601 on the survey result screen 1600 in Figure 15 based on the received survey response results. Note that the survey may allow for the selection of multiple options.

[0084] When the presenter presses the results sharing button 1602 on the survey results screen 1600, the survey information transmission / reception unit 61 of the presenter terminal 12A proceeds to step S25 and requests the conference server device 10 to share the survey results so that the survey results screen 1600 can be displayed on the listener terminal 12B. In step S26, the conference server device 10 receives the request to share the survey results.

[0085] The process proceeds to step S27, where the conference server device 10 transmits the survey responses to the listener terminals 12B participating in the conference. In step S28, the survey information transmission / reception unit 61 of the listener terminal 12B receives the survey responses from the conference server device 10. The survey information management unit 81 of the listener terminal 12B stores and manages the survey responses received by the survey information transmission / reception unit 61. The survey results screen generation unit 74 of the listener terminal 12B generates the survey results screen 1600 shown in Figure 15 based on the survey responses received from the conference server device 10. The survey results screen display unit 54 displays the generated survey results screen 1600. The survey results screen 1600 is forcibly displayed even to listener terminals 12B that have not responded to the survey.

[0086] Furthermore, when the presenter presses the end button 1603 on the survey results screen 1600, the presenter terminal 12A proceeds to step S29 and requests the conference server device 10 to end the survey. In step S30, the conference server device 10 receives the request to end the survey from the presenter terminal 12A. In step S31, the conference server device 10 sends a request to the presenter terminal 12A and the listener terminal 12B to transition from the survey results screen 1600 to the document viewing screen.

[0087] In step S32, the presenter's terminal 12A transitions its display from the survey results screen 1600 to the document viewing screen. Similarly, in step S33, the listener's terminal 12B transitions its display from the survey results screen 1600 to the document viewing screen. The series of processes for conducting the survey is completed when the displays on both the presenter's terminals 12A and 12B return to the document viewing screen.

[0088] Upon conducting the survey, the conference server device 10 stores the survey results, as shown in Figure 17, which summarizes the survey responses. Figure 17 is a diagram illustrating an example of the summarized survey results. For each survey, the number of people who selected an option and the attendees who selected an option are saved. However, in the case of responses from attendee terminals 12B that are not logged in, it is not possible to identify the attendees who selected an option, and therefore, the attendees who selected an option are not saved.

[0089] (summary) In the conference system 1 of this embodiment, questionnaires are registered in association with the conference, rather than in association with the conference materials. Furthermore, in the conference system 1 of this embodiment, questionnaire information is not distributed from the conference server device 10 to participant terminals along with the materials information at the start of the conference, but rather the questionnaire information is distributed from the conference server device 10 to participant terminals at a timing instructed by the presenter or others, without depending on the materials information. With this mechanism, the conference system 1 of this embodiment allows for the addition and editing of questionnaire information at any time before, during, or after the conference, enabling flexible operation of the questionnaire.

[0090] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments specifically disclosed above, and various modifications and changes are possible without departing from the scope of the claims. Client terminal 12 is an example of a terminal device described in the claims. Conference server device 10 is an example of an information processing device. Presenter terminal 12A is an example of a first terminal device. Attendees terminal 12B is an example of a second terminal device.

[0091] It should be noted that the conference system 1, which includes a conference server device 10 and one or more client terminals 12, is just one example, and there are various system configurations depending on the application and purpose.

[0092] Each of the functions of the embodiments described above can be realized by one or more processing circuits. Hereinafter, "processing circuit" as used herein includes processors programmed to execute each function by software, such as processors implemented by electronic circuits, as well as devices such as ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), DSPs (digital signal processors), FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays), and conventional circuit modules designed to execute each of the functions described above.

[0093] Furthermore, the term "meeting" in this embodiment, as described above, encompasses not only the usual meaning of a meeting but also concepts such as seminars, classes, and brainstorming sessions, which involve two-way or one-way communication between users. [Explanation of symbols]

[0094] 1. Conference System 10 Conference Server Equipment 12 client terminals 12A Presenter terminal 12B Audience Terminal 20 Communications Department 22 Information Processing Unit 24 Authentication Department 26 Information Management Department 30 UI Control Unit 32 Communications Department 34 Information Processing Section 36 Login Request Section 38 Information Management Department 40 Display Control Unit 42 Input Operation Control Unit 51. Questionnaire registration screen display section 52. Survey List Screen Display Section 53. Questionnaire response screen display section 54. Survey Results Display Section 61 Survey Information Transmission and Reception Department 71. Survey Registration Screen Generation Unit 72. Survey List Screen Generation Unit 73. Survey Response Screen Generation Unit 74. Survey Results Screen Generation Unit 81 Survey Information Management Department 91 Survey Information Transmission and Reception Department 101 Survey Information Processing Department 501, 601 Input Devices 502, 602 Display device 503, 603 External I / F 503a, 603a recording media 504, 604 RAM (Random Access Memory) 505, 605 ROM (Read Only Memory) 506、606 CPU(Central Processing Unit) 507, 607 Communication I / F 508, 608 HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 1000 Meeting Management / New Meeting Registration Screen 1100 Survey registration screen List of 1200 documents and questionnaires 1300 Survey registration screen 1400 Survey List Screen 1500 Survey response screen 1600 Survey Results Screen 1700 Screen after completing the survey B Bus N1 Network [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0095] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-27459

Claims

1. An information processing system that allows questions to be asked to participants of a meeting while a meeting is taking place with multiple terminal devices participating, Information including the content of the question is registered in association with a meeting, and while the meeting associated with the information is taking place, if the question is being asked to a second terminal device participating in the meeting in response to a question start request from a first terminal device participating in the meeting, the first terminal device is not allowed to edit the content of the question. If the aforementioned question has not been asked to the second terminal device, the first terminal device provides an information management means that enables editing of the question content, A transmission means that transmits information for displaying an answer screen of the question content included in the information to a second terminal device participating in the same meeting, based on the commencement request, It has, The information, including the question content and options registered by the information management means, is an information processing system in which information is entered via a registration screen displayed on the first terminal device in response to pressing the add button displayed on the meeting management screen.

2. The transmitting means transmits to the first terminal device information for updating the result screen of the answer to the question displayed by the first terminal device, based on the answer to the question from the second terminal device. The information processing system according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. The transmission means transmits to the second terminal device information for displaying a result screen of the answer to the question content to the second terminal device based on a result sharing request from the first terminal device. An information processing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the above.

4. The transmission means transmits to the first terminal device, based on the start request, information for displaying a result screen of the answer to the question content included in the information. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by the following:

5. The information management means registers reference information in association with the information including the question content and the answer choices, The transmission means transmits to the second terminal device information for displaying the reference information registered in the information management means in association with the information including the question content and answer choices, along with information for displaying the answer screen. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by the following:

6. The transmission means transmits to the first terminal device and the second terminal device information for displaying content that the first terminal device and the second terminal device were displaying together before the start request, based on a termination request from the first terminal device. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized by the following:

7. The question content and options registered by the information management means are information displayed on a screen that includes a button for sending the start request displayed on the first terminal device during the meeting, The information management means accepts edits to the question content and options from a screen that includes a button for sending the start request. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized by the following:

8. The first terminal device is a terminal device for the role of the presenter, and the second terminal device is a terminal device for the role of the listener. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized by the following:

9. The information management means registers information including the content of questions in association with the meeting before the start of the meeting or during the meeting. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized by the following:

10. The questioning of the conference participants begins when a question start request is made from the first terminal device, and the questioning of the conference participants ends when a question end request is made from the first terminal device. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized by the following:

11. An information processing device that can ask questions to participants of a meeting while a meeting is taking place in which multiple terminal devices are participating, Information including the content of the question is registered in association with a meeting, and while the meeting associated with the information is taking place, if the question is being asked to a second terminal device participating in the meeting in response to a question start request from a first terminal device participating in the meeting, the first terminal device is not allowed to edit the content of the question. If the aforementioned question has not been asked to the second terminal device, the first terminal device provides an information management means that enables editing of the question content, A transmission means that transmits information for displaying an answer screen of the question content included in the information to a second terminal device participating in the same meeting, based on the commencement request, It has, The information processing device includes the question content and options registered by the information management means, and is information entered via the registration screen displayed on the first terminal device in response to pressing the add button displayed on the meeting management screen.

12. An information processing device that can ask questions to participants in a meeting while multiple terminal devices are participating is in progress. Information including the content of the question is registered in association with a meeting, and while the meeting associated with the information is taking place, if the question is being asked to a second terminal device participating in the meeting in response to a question start request from a first terminal device participating in the meeting, the first terminal device is not allowed to edit the content of the question. If the aforementioned question has not been asked to the second terminal device, an information management means that enables editing of the question content from the first terminal device, A transmission means that transmits information for displaying an answer screen of the question content included in the information to a second terminal device participating in the same meeting, based on the commencement request. To make it function as, The information, including the question content and options registered by the information management means, is a program in which information is entered via the registration screen displayed on the first terminal device in response to pressing the add button displayed on the meeting management screen.

13. A method for an information processing system to ask questions to participants in a meeting while a meeting is taking place in which multiple terminal devices are participating, Information including the content of the question is registered in association with a meeting, and while the meeting associated with the information is taking place, if the question is being asked to a second terminal device participating in the meeting in response to a question start request from a first terminal device participating in the meeting, the first terminal device is not allowed to edit the content of the question. If the aforementioned question has not been asked to the second terminal device, an information management step is provided that allows editing of the question content from the first terminal device. A transmission step in which, based on the commencement request, information for displaying an answer screen of the question content included in the information is transmitted to the second terminal device participating in the same meeting, It has, The information, including the question content and options registered by the information management step, is information entered via the registration screen displayed on the first terminal device in response to pressing the add button displayed on the meeting management screen.

14. An information processing system in which an application installed on multiple terminal devices and an information processing device capable of asking questions to participants in a meeting while a meeting involving multiple terminal devices is taking place are connected via a network, Information including the content of the question is registered in association with a meeting, and while the meeting associated with the information is taking place, if the question is being asked to a second terminal device participating in the meeting in response to a question start request from a first terminal device participating in the meeting, the first terminal device is not allowed to edit the content of the question. If the aforementioned question has not been asked to the second terminal device, the first terminal device provides an information management means that enables editing of the question content, A transmission means that transmits information for displaying an answer screen of the question content included in the information to a second terminal device participating in the same meeting, based on the commencement request, It has, The information, including the question content and options registered by the information management means, is an information processing system in which information is entered via a registration screen displayed on the first terminal device in response to pressing the add button displayed on the meeting management screen.