Information processing device, information processing system, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

This system enables real-time or short-interval attendance management without increasing the processing load of a system consisting of multiple time recorders and management devices. [Solution] The information processing device 10 includes an acquisition unit that acquires time stamping information relating to the attendance times of users belonging to a group from each of one or more installed time recorders 20 that record the attendance times of the users belonging to the group; a generation unit that generates attendance information for each user based on the time stamping information and supplementary information for each user; and an output unit that outputs the time stamping information to a management device 30 that manages the attendance of all users in the group, and outputs display information relating to the generated attendance information to an external device 40 that confirms the attendance of all or some of the users in the group.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and an information processing program.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a time recorder that reads identification data recorded on an IC card or the like, records data obtained by associating the read identification data with a date and time as attendance data, and records the attendance and departure of employees (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, a time recorder is connected to a data collection device via communication such as a LAN (Local Area Network), and attendance / departure management and the like are performed based on information collected by the data collection device.

[0005] However, when the number of time recorders is large, the processing load on the connected data collection device increases, making it difficult to perform attendance / departure management in real time or at short time intervals.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in view of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide an information processing apparatus, an information processing system, an information processing method, and an information processing program that enable attendance / departure management in real time or at short time intervals without increasing the processing load on a system including a plurality of time recorders and a management device (corresponding to the aforementioned data collection device).

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] A first aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires time stamp information relating to the attendance times of users belonging to a group from each of one or more installed time recorders that record the attendance times of the users belonging to the group; a generation unit that generates attendance information for each user based on the time stamp information and supplementary information for each user; and an output unit that outputs the time stamp information to a management device that manages the attendance of all users in the group, and outputs display information relating to the generated attendance information to an external device that confirms the attendance of all or some of the users in the group.

[0008] The information processing device of the first embodiment is applicable to a system consisting of multiple time recorders and a management device. By installing the information processing device of the first embodiment between the time recorder and the management device and outputting time stamp information from the information processing device to the management device, conventional user attendance management is possible. Furthermore, by outputting attendance information including time stamp information and related information from the information processing device to an external device, attendance management in real time or at short time intervals is possible without increasing the processing load of the system consisting of multiple time recorders and a management device.

[0009] A second aspect of this disclosure is an information processing apparatus of the first aspect, wherein the output unit outputs the time stamping information to the management device at a first interval and outputs the display information to the external device at a second interval shorter than the first interval.

[0010] According to the information processing device of the second embodiment, by reducing the frequency at which the management device acquires time stamping information to less than the frequency at which the external device acquires display information including time stamping information, attendance management can be performed in real time or at short time intervals without increasing the processing load on the management device.

[0011] A third aspect of this disclosure is an information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the generation unit generates attendance information triggered by the acquisition of time stamping information from the time recorder.

[0012] According to the third embodiment of the information processing device, attendance information can be updated each time a user records their arrival and departure times, thereby ensuring real-time attendance management.

[0013] A fourth aspect of this disclosure is an information processing apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the generation unit generates display information with modified display content according to at least one of the following: the location where the display device connected to the external device is installed, and the authority of the user viewing the display device.

[0014] According to the information processing device of the fourth embodiment, when displaying information, it is possible to display content that is appropriate to the installation location of the display device and the user's authority, etc.

[0015] A fifth aspect of this disclosure is an information processing device according to the fourth aspect, wherein the output unit, when it receives a request from the external device for at least one of the display information and attendance information required by the external device, outputs the requested information to the external device.

[0016] According to the fifth embodiment of the information processing device, it is possible to output information that matches the request.

[0017] A sixth aspect of this disclosure is an information processing system comprising: an information processing device according to any one of the first to fifth aspects; a plurality of time recorders provided for the group, which transmit time stamping information to the information processing device; a management device provided for the group, which receives the time stamping information from the information processing device and is capable of directly receiving the time stamping information from the time recorders; and one or more external devices provided for the group, which receive the display information from the information processing device.

[0018] According to the information processing system of the sixth embodiment, the processing load on the management device can be reduced.

[0019] A seventh aspect of this disclosure is an information processing method, wherein a computer performs the following processes: acquires time stamp information relating to the arrival and departure times of users belonging to a group from each of one or more installed time recorders that record the arrival and departure times of the users; generates arrival and departure information for each user based on the time stamp information and supplementary information for each user; outputs the time stamp information to a management device that manages the arrival and departure times of all users in the group; and outputs display information relating to the generated arrival and departure information to an external device that confirms the arrival and departure times of all or some of the users in the group.

[0020] According to the information processing method of the seventh embodiment, attendance management in real time or at short time intervals is possible without increasing the processing load of a system consisting of multiple time recorders and management devices.

[0021] An eighth aspect of this disclosure is an information processing program which causes a computer to perform the following processes: acquire time stamp information relating to the time of attendance of users belonging to a group from each of one or more installed time recorders that record the time of attendance of the users belonging to the group; generate attendance information for each user based on the time stamp information and supplementary information for each user; output the time stamp information to a management device that manages the attendance of all users in the group; and output display information relating to the generated attendance information to an external device that confirms the attendance of all or some of the users in the group.

[0022] According to the information processing program of the eighth embodiment, attendance management is possible in real time or at short time intervals without increasing the processing load of a system consisting of multiple time recorders and management devices. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the disclosed technology, attendance management can be performed in real time or at short time intervals without increasing the processing load of a system consisting of multiple time recorders and management devices. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0024] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 3] It is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing the table 110 of the data of the imprinting information according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing the table 120 of the data of the incidental information according to the present embodiment. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing the table 130 of the data of the attendance and departure information according to the present embodiment. [Figure 7] It is a flowchart showing the attendance and departure information providing process of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 8] It is a flowchart showing the attendance and departure information update process of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9] It is a flowchart showing the status update process of the information processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 10] It is a diagram showing the screen image to be displayed on the display device 50 according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the screen image to be displayed on the display device 50 according to the present embodiment.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0025] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the disclosed technology will be described while referring to the drawings. In each of the drawings, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. Also, the dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may be different from the actual ratios.

[0026] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration including the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1 of this embodiment is composed of a plurality of information processing devices 10, a plurality of time recorders 20, a management device 30, an external device 40, and a display device 50. The information processing devices 10 are installed for each group, such as a company, organization, or business base. In the information processing system 1, the time recorders 20 are connected to the information processing devices 10 in a communicative manner. The management device 30 is also connected to the information processing devices 10 in a communicative manner. In this way, the information processing devices 10 are connected to act as an intermediary between the time recorders 20 and the management device 30.

[0027] Alternatively, the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment may be configured by retrofitting the information processing device 10, external device 40, and display device 50 to an existing system consisting of a time recorder 20 and a management device 30. By connecting the information processing device 10 between the time recorder 20 and the management device 30, the processing load on the management device 30 is reduced as described later. The external device 40 is also connected to the information processing device 10 in a communicative manner and outputs the information received from the information processing device 10 to one or more display devices 50.

[0028] The information processing device 10 is a computer that generates attendance information and display information based on the time stamp information received from the time recorder 20. Time stamp information refers to information relating to the time of attendance and departure of a user, and details will be described later. Attendance information refers to information generated based on the time stamp information and supplementary information for each user, and details will be described later. Display information refers to attendance information and information processed from attendance information that is displayed, and details will be described later. Hereafter, the display information will be referred to as "attendance display information". Supplementary information will also be described in detail later.

[0029] The time recorder 20 is a device that receives input of arrival and departure times from users. Here, the user is a person belonging to a group such as a company, organization, or business base. In this embodiment, a business office within a company is considered a group, and the employees belonging to that business office are described as users. Multiple time recorders 20 are provided for the management device 30 in this embodiment. Also, one or more time recorders 20 are provided for the information processing device 10 in this embodiment. In other words, one or more time recorders 20 are provided for each business office. The time recorder 20 is placed, for example, at the entrance or exit of a business office, and employees input their arrival and departure times. As an input method, for example, the user brings a contactless communication-enabled card containing ID information that they own to the time recorder 20, and the time recorder 20 reads the employee's ID information stored on the card and saves it along with the date and time it was read. The time recorder 20 is not limited in form as long as it is a device that can receive input of attendance and departure times from employees. Furthermore, the input method is not limited to cards; input may also be performed via attendance buttons on a web application, etc. The time recorder 20 transmits the time stamp information to the information processing device 10.

[0030] The management device 30 is a computer, such as a server, provided to the company. The management device 30 receives time clock information from the time recorder 20 via the information processing device 10. Based on the received time clock information, the management device 30 performs attendance management processing related to the arrival and departure of all employees of the company, and also has the function of performing subsequent processing such as labor management and payroll management. In this embodiment, one management device 30 is provided, but this is not limited to this, and functions equivalent to the management device 30 may be configured from multiple computers, such as servers, with their functions distributed.

[0031] The external device 40 is a computer or other device that is connected to the information processing device 10, one or more of them. The external device 40 receives attendance information from the information processing device 10 and transmits the received information to the display device 50.

[0032] The display device 50 is a device that is installed in multiple locations within a business premises. The display device 50 is, for example, a monitor such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display. Alternatively, the display device 50 may be a laptop computer or a tablet device. The display device 50 displays attendance information received from the external device 40. Although Figure 1 shows an example where the external device 40 and the display device 50 are separate devices, this is not the only option; for example, it is possible to integrate the functions of the external device 40 and the display device 50 into a single device, such as a smartphone.

[0033] Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment. As shown in Figure 2, the information processing device 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, storage 14, input / output I / F (Interface) 15, and communication I / F 16. Each component is connected to the others via a bus 17 so that they can communicate with each other.

[0034] The CPU 11 is the central processing unit, which executes various programs and controls each component. Specifically, the CPU 11 reads programs from the ROM 12 and executes them using the RAM 13 as its working area. The CPU 11 controls each of the above components and performs various calculations according to the programs stored in the ROM 12. The CPU 11 is also responsible for processing each of the functional units shown in Figure 3.

[0035] The storage device, comprised of ROM12, stores various programs, including the operating system, and various data. ROM12 also stores processing programs for executing the attendance information provision process, attendance information update process, and status update process, which will be described later.

[0036] The memory configured by RAM13 temporarily stores programs and data as a working area.

[0037] The storage 14 consists of HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and SSDs (Solid State Drives), and stores various types of data. The storage 14 also functions as the memory unit 103 shown in Figure 3, and stores various information such as time clock information, employee-specific supplementary information, attendance information, and predetermined time interval settings. The storage 14 does not necessarily have to be built into the information processing device 10; for example, it may be a portable storage device that can be attached to or detached from the information processing device 10, or an external cloud server may be used as the storage device.

[0038] The input / output interface 15 is an interface for communicating with input and output devices located outside the information processing device 10. The input devices include pointing devices such as a mouse and a keyboard, and are used for various types of input. The output devices include, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display, and are devices for outputting various types of information. The output devices may also function as input devices by employing a touch panel system.

[0039] Communication I / F16 is an interface for communicating with other devices outside the information processing device 10. For such communication, a wired communication standard such as Ethernet® or FDDI, or a wireless communication standard such as 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi® may be used.

[0040] Referring to Figure 3, the functional configuration of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the information processing device 10 of this embodiment includes an acquisition unit 101, a clock unit 102, a generation unit 104, and an output unit 105. A storage unit 103 is also provided in a predetermined storage area of ​​the storage 14. The CPU 11 executes a processing program stored in the ROM 12, thereby enabling the acquisition unit 101, the clock unit 102, the generation unit 104, and the output unit 105 to function. The storage unit 103 stores information such as time stamping information, supplementary information for each employee, attendance information, attendance display information, and predetermined time interval settings, which will be described later.

[0041] The acquisition unit 101 acquires time stamp information relating to the arrival and departure times of employees from each of the time recorders 20 installed in multiple locations within the company or business premises. Here, Table 110 in Figure 4 shows an example of specific data for the time stamp information. The time stamp information includes data corresponding to the following items: employee ID, date, function number, time stamp, and terminal number. The employee ID is a unique code assigned to each employee, such as an employee number. The date is the day the employee entered the information into the time recorder 20. The function number is a number that indicates whether the employee's input operation was arrival or departure, for example, 1 may be arrival and 2 may be departure. The time stamp is the time the employee entered the information into the time recorder 20. The terminal number is a number that identifies the time recorder 20 into which the employee entered the time stamp information. The acquisition unit 101 acquires the time stamp information described above from each of the multiple time recorders 20.

[0042] The clock unit 102 is a functional unit that holds information about the current time. The clock unit 102 periodically or at predetermined intervals receives information about the current time from an external clock distribution server (not shown) or the like via the communication interface 16, and synchronizes the time.

[0043] The storage unit 103 includes a time stamping information storage unit 103A that stores time stamping information acquired by the acquisition unit 101, an ancillary information storage unit 103B that stores ancillary information for each employee that has been entered in advance, and an attendance-related information storage unit 103C that stores attendance information and attendance display information generated by the generation unit 104. The storage unit 103 also has a storage unit that stores various information, such as the setting of predetermined time intervals, although this is not shown in the figure. Here, Table 120 in Figure 5 shows an example of specific data for ancillary information. The ancillary information includes at least data corresponding to the following items: employee ID, employee name, name of the workplace where the employee works, employee's prescribed working hours, prescribed start time and prescribed end time for the employee's prescribed working hours. The ancillary information is created in advance by an employee of the company's management department and is distributed, for example, from the management device 30 to the information processing device 10 and stored in the storage unit 103.

[0044] The generation unit 104 generates attendance information for each employee based on the time stamp information and supplementary information for each employee. Here, an example of specific attendance information data is shown in Table 130 in Figure 6. The attendance information includes data corresponding to at least the following items: employee ID, employee name, employee workplace name, employee working hours, employee's scheduled start time, employee's scheduled end time, clock-in time, clock-out time, current time, duration of stay, and status.

[0045] The generation unit 104 generates attendance information triggered by the collection of clock-in and clock-out information from the time recorder 20. By setting a short interval for collecting clock-in and clock-out information from the time recorder 20, attendance information can be updated and generated at near real-time intervals. This interval will be described later.

[0046] The generation unit 104 generates attendance display information to display attendance information, depending on at least one of the following: the location where the display device 50 connected to the external device 40 is installed, and the authority of the employees who can view the display device 50. The attendance display information includes selected items from the attendance information, and processed information such as aggregated attendance information, and is the information displayed on the display device 50. For example, for a display device 50 installed in a location visible to all employees of the business, the generation unit 104 generates attendance display information that allows all employees to view their attendance information. For example, for a display device 50 installed in a location visible to only employees within a department of the business, the generation unit 104 generates attendance display information that allows only the attendance information of employees within that department to be viewed. For example, the generation unit 104 generates attendance display information that allows a manager at the business to view the attendance information of employees under their management.

[0047] Furthermore, the generation unit 104 may generate attendance display information with modified display items depending on at least one of the following: the installation location of the display device 50 connected to the external device 40, and the authority of the employees who can view the display device 50. For example, the generation unit 104 may display the attendance time and status of employees under the management of managers, while omitting information such as working hours, start time, and end time for the display device 50 viewed by all employees.

[0048] In this manner, the generation unit 104 generates attendance information triggered by the collection of time stamp information from the time recorder 20, and generates various attendance display information based on that attendance information, taking into consideration the connected display device 50 and the employees. The generation unit 104 stores the attendance information and the various generated attendance display information in the storage unit 103.

[0049] The output unit 105 outputs the time stamping information to the management device 30 and also outputs the attendance display information generated by the generation unit 104 to the external device 40. At this time, the output unit 105 receives a request for attendance display information from the external device 40 in advance, reads the attendance display information from the storage unit 103 based on that request, and outputs it.

[0050] The output unit 105 outputs time stamping information to the management device 30 at a first interval, and outputs attendance display information to the external device 40 at a second interval shorter than the first interval. For example, the output unit 105 outputs time stamping information to the management device 30 at 30-minute intervals, and outputs attendance display information to the external device 40 at 5-minute intervals. In addition to outputting time stamping information to the management device 30 at the first interval, the output unit 105 may also output time stamping information to the management device 30 upon request from the management device 30. Furthermore, for example, a person related to the company or organization to which this business office belongs (such as an employee of the head office) can make a request to the information processing device 10 from a location outside the business office using a terminal they operate (such as a tablet terminal or smartphone), and the output unit 105 may output attendance display information to that terminal. In addition, the above terminal or external device 40 may request attendance information instead of attendance display information, and the terminal or external device 40 may process it into attendance display information.

[0051] In the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment, the interval at which the output unit 105 outputs to the external device 40 is the same as the interval at which time stamp information is collected from the time recorder 20 (i.e., the interval at which attendance information and attendance display information are generated). As a result, attendance display information is output to the external device 40 immediately after acquiring time stamp information from the time recorder 20, enabling real-time display.

[0052] Next, the operation of the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 7, 8, and 9. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the attendance information provision process. Figure 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the attendance information update process. Figure 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the status update process. The CPU 11 of the information processing device 10 executes the attendance information provision process shown in Figure 7, the attendance information update process shown in Figure 8, and the status update process shown in Figure 9. Each process in the information processing device 10 is executed by the CPU 11 functioning as an acquisition unit 101, a clock unit 102, a generation unit 104, and an output unit 105.

[0053] The attendance information provision process shown in Figure 7 will now be explained. In step S101 of Figure 7, the CPU 11 determines whether or not the second interval has elapsed. The second interval is, for example, a 5-minute interval. If the CPU 11 determines that the second interval has elapsed (step S101: YES), the process proceeds to step S103. On the other hand, if the CPU 11 determines that the second interval has not elapsed (step S101: NO), the process returns to step S101.

[0054] In step S103, the CPU 11 retrieves the time clock information from the time recorder 20 and stores the time clock information in the storage 14. As mentioned above, the time clock information is information related to the time when employees arrive at and leave work.

[0055] In step S105, CPU 11 calls the process for updating the attendance information file shown in Figure 8 (details will be described later).

[0056] In step S107, the CPU 11 generates attendance display information to be displayed on the display device 50 and stores the attendance display information in the storage 14. Specifically, the CPU 11 generates attendance display information with modified display content according to at least one of the following: the location where the display device 50 is installed, and the permissions of the employees who can view the display device 50.

[0057] In step S109, the CPU 11 transmits and provides the generated attendance display information to the external device 40.

[0058] In step S111, the CPU 11 determines whether the first interval has elapsed. The first interval is longer than the second interval, for example, a 30-minute interval. If the CPU 11 determines that the first interval has elapsed (step S111: YES), the process proceeds to step S113. On the other hand, if the CPU 11 determines that the first interval has not elapsed (step S111: NO), the process returns to step S101. Also, regardless of whether the first interval has elapsed or not, if a request is made from the management device 30, the process proceeds to step S113.

[0059] In step S113, the CPU 11 transmits the acquired time stamp information to the management device 30. Then, the attendance information provision process ends.

[0060] The attendance information update process shown in Figure 8 will now be explained. In step S201 of Figure 8, the CPU 11 updates the data of the time clock information item in the attendance information file based on the time clock information saved in step S103 of Figure 7.

[0061] In step S203, the CPU 11 obtains the current time. Specifically, the clock unit 102 mentioned above obtains the current time.

[0062] In step S205, CPU 11 updates the data in the "Time Stay" field within the attendance information file. Specifically, CPU 11 calculates the time stay from the difference between the start time and the current time within the attendance information file and updates the data in the "Time Stay" field within the attendance information file.

[0063] In step S207, CPU 11 calls the status update process shown in Figure 9 (details will be described later). Then, the attendance information update process is terminated.

[0064] The status update process in Figure 9 will now be explained. In step S301 of Figure 9, the CPU 11 determines whether or not there is an out-of-work clock-out. Specifically, the CPU 11 determines this by checking whether or not there is data in the out-of-work clock-out time field in the attendance information file. If the CPU 11 determines that there is an out-of-work clock-out (step S301: YES), the process proceeds to step S315. On the other hand, if the CPU 11 determines that there is no out-of-work clock-out (step S301: NO), the process proceeds to step S305.

[0065] In step S303, CPU 11 determines whether or not there is a clock-in record. Specifically, CPU 11 determines this by checking whether or not there is data in the clock-in time field in the clock-out information file. If CPU 11 determines that there is a clock-in record (step S303: YES), the process proceeds to step S307. On the other hand, if CPU 11 determines that there is no clock-in record (step S303: NO), the process proceeds to step S305.

[0066] In step S305, CPU 11 determines whether it is currently working hours or not. Specifically, CPU 11 determines this by checking whether the current time in the attendance information file is earlier than the end time. If CPU 11 determines that it is currently working hours (step S305: YES), the process proceeds to step S313. On the other hand, if CPU 11 determines that it is not currently working hours (step S305: NO), the process proceeds to step S315.

[0067] In step S307, CPU 11 determines whether or not it is currently working hours. Specifically, CPU 11 determines this by checking whether the current time in the attendance information file is earlier than the end time. If CPU 11 determines that it is currently working hours (step S307: YES), the process proceeds to step S309. On the other hand, if CPU 11 determines that it is not currently working hours (step S307: NO), the process proceeds to step S311.

[0068] In step S309, CPU 11 updates the status to "Present". Specifically, CPU 11 updates the data in the status field within the attendance information file to "Present" and saves it. Then, the status update process ends.

[0069] In step S311, CPU 11 updates the status to "overtime". Specifically, CPU 11 updates the data in the status field within the attendance information file to "overtime" and saves it. Then, the status update process ends.

[0070] In step S313, CPU 11 updates the status to "Absent". Specifically, CPU 11 updates the data in the status field within the attendance information file to "Absent" and saves it. Then, the status update process ends.

[0071] In step S315, CPU 11 updates the status to "Returned Home". Specifically, CPU 11 updates the data in the status field within the attendance information file to "Returned Home" and saves it. Then, the status update process ends.

[0072] Next, with reference to Figures 10 and 11, a specific example of a screen to be displayed on the display device 50 according to this embodiment will be described. This screen consists of attendance display information output by the output unit 105 of the information processing device 10.

[0073] Figure 10 shows a screen image 150 of a display device 50 installed in the entrance of a factory, for example, displaying attendance information for the entire factory. Specifically, the screen image 150 displays, for example, an item 151 indicating the current time, an item 152 indicating the name of the work area (in the example in Figure 10, there is an "A" indicating work area A and an "B" indicating work area B), an item 153 indicating the number of workers, an item 154 indicating the name, and a mark 155 indicating the status. Note that the mark 155 may be indicated by a symbol, etc. In the example in Figure 10, a circle indicates presence (present during working hours), a star indicates overtime (present after the end of working hours), "absent" indicates not present during working hours, and a blank space indicates outside of working hours and either absent or on leave. In this way, a display device 50 installed in a place visible to all employees, such as the entrance of a factory, displays the minimum necessary items for confirming attendance.

[0074] Figure 11 shows, for example, a screen image 160 of a display device 50 installed in workshop A of a factory, which displays attendance information for workshop A. Specifically, the screen image 160 displays, as an example, an item 161 indicating the current time, an item 162 indicating the workshop name, an item 163 indicating the number of workers, an item 164 indicating the name, a mark 165 indicating the status, an item 166 indicating the working hours, an item 167 indicating the arrival time, and an item 168 indicating the time spent at the workshop. In this way, a display device 50 installed in a workshop or other location visible to specific employees displays items that allow for detailed attendance confirmation.

[0075] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment, various attendance display information is created when time stamp information is collected, output to an external device 40, and displayed on the display device 50. Therefore, attendance display information can be updated and displayed relatively frequently with real-time capabilities.

[0076] (summary) As described above, the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment is configured to include: an acquisition unit 101 that acquires clock-in and clock-out information relating to the clock-in and clock-out times of employees from each of one or more time recorders 20 installed to record the clock-in and clock-out times of employees who are users belonging to the business offices of a group of companies; a generation unit 104 that generates clock-in and clock-out information for each employee based on the clock-in and clock-out information and supplementary information for each employee; and an output unit 105 that outputs the clock-in and clock-out information to a management device 30 that manages the clock-in and clock-out of all employees at the business office, and outputs clock-in and clock-out display information relating to the generated clock-in and clock-out information to an external device 40 that confirms the clock-in and clock-out of all or some users at the business office. The information processing device 10 enables real-time or short-time interval clock-in and clock-out management without increasing the processing load of the system consisting of multiple time recorders 20 and a management device 30.

[0077] Furthermore, in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment, the output unit 105 outputs time stamping information to the management device 30 at a first interval, and outputs attendance display information to the external device 40 at a second interval shorter than the first interval. The information processing device 10 makes it possible to manage attendance in real time or at short time intervals without increasing the processing load on the management device 30, by reducing the frequency at which the management device 30 acquires time stamping information to the frequency at which the external device 40 acquires attendance display information including time stamping information.

[0078] Furthermore, in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment, the generation unit 104 generates attendance information triggered by the collection of attendance clock-in and attendance information from the time recorder 20. By setting a short interval for collecting clock-in and attendance information from the time recorder 20, attendance information can be updated and generated at near real-time intervals.

[0079] Furthermore, in the information processing device 10 according to this embodiment, the generation unit 104 generates attendance display information with modified display content according to at least one of the following: the installation location of the display device 50 connected to the external device 40, and the user's authority to view the display device 50. According to the information processing device 10, when displaying attendance display information, it is possible to display content that is appropriate to the installation location of the display device 50, and the user's requests, needs, and desired information.

[0080] (remarks) Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the processor referred to as CPU11 refers to a broad type of processor, including general-purpose processors (e.g., CPUs) and dedicated processors (e.g., GPUs: Graphics Processing Units, ASICs: Application Specific Integrated Circuits, FPGAs: Field Programmable Gate Arrays, programmable logic devices, etc.).

[0081] Furthermore, the operation of the processor in the above embodiment may not be performed by a single processor, but may be performed by multiple processors located in physically separate locations working together. Also, the order of the processor operations is not limited to the order described in the above embodiment, but may be changed as appropriate.

[0082] Furthermore, although the information processing system 1 in this embodiment is described as being composed of multiple devices as an example, it may be composed of a single device that has some of the functions of multiple devices.

[0083] Furthermore, the processing performed by the information processing device 10 according to the above embodiment may be performed by software, by hardware, or by a combination of both. Also, the processing performed by the information processing device 10 may be stored as a program on a storage medium and distributed.

[0084] The information processing program of this application can be provided as a program product. A program product includes all forms of products for providing a program. For example, a program product includes a program provided via a network such as the Internet, and non-temporary computer-readable recording media such as CD-ROMs and DVDs on which the program is stored. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1. Information Processing System 10 Information Processing Devices 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Storage 15 Input / Output Interfaces 16 Communication I / F 17 Bus 20 Time recorders 30 Management device 40 External device 50 Display device 101 Acquisition Department 102 Clock Department 103 Storage section 104 Generation part 105 Output section

Claims

1. An acquisition unit that acquires time stamp information relating to the arrival and departure times of users belonging to a group from each of one or more installed time recorders, A generation unit that generates attendance information for each user based on the aforementioned time stamping information and the aforementioned supplementary information for each user, An output unit that outputs the time stamping information to a management device that manages the attendance of all users in the group, and outputs the display information related to the generated attendance information to an external device that confirms the attendance of all or some of the users in the group. An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The output unit is, At the first interval, the time stamping information is output to the management device. The display information is output to the external device at a second interval shorter than the first interval. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The generating unit is The attendance information is generated upon acquisition of time stamp information from the aforementioned time recorder. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

4. The generating unit is The system generates display information with modified display content depending on at least one of the following: the installation location of the display device connected to the external device, and the user's authority to view the display device. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

5. The output unit is, The information processing device according to claim 4, which, when it receives a request from the external device for at least one of the display information and attendance information required by the external device, outputs the requested information to the external device.

6. An information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, The information processing device transmits time stamping information, and the time recorders provided for the group are multiple such recorders, The management device, which receives the time stamping information from the information processing device and can directly receive the time stamping information from the time recorder, and which is provided as one for each group, The external device that receives the display information from the information processing device and is provided with one or more external devices connected to the information processing device, An information processing system equipped with the following features.

7. From each of the one or more time recorders installed to record the arrival and departure times of users belonging to the group, the time stamp information relating to the arrival and departure times of the users is obtained. Based on the aforementioned time clock information and the associated information for each user, attendance information for each user is generated. The time stamping information is output to a management device that manages the attendance of all users in the group, and the display information related to the generated attendance information is output to an external device that verifies the attendance of all or some of the users in the group. An information processing method in which a computer performs the processing.

8. From each of the one or more time recorders installed to record the arrival and departure times of users belonging to the group, the time stamp information relating to the arrival and departure times of the users is obtained. Based on the aforementioned time clock information and the associated information for each user, attendance information for each user is generated. The time stamping information is output to a management device that manages the attendance of all users in the group, and the display information related to the generated attendance information is output to an external device that verifies the attendance of all or some of the users in the group. An information processing program that instructs a computer to perform a task.

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