Thinking and discussion support systems, thinking and discussion support devices, thinking and discussion support methods

Abstract

To provide a device and method that can provide an environment in which participants in a "space" for thinking and discussing can consider things from a wide variety of perspectives. [Solution] According to this embodiment, the map classifies fields related to society in the first direction, classifies the level of each field in the second direction (social domain in the Arctic direction), and classifies words related to individuals in the third direction (personal domain in the Antarctic direction). Multiple nodes with semantic content are placed in the social domain and the personal domain according to the words (attribute information) at their placement location.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a thinking / discussion support system, and also extend to a thinking / discussion support device, a thinking / discussion support method, and a service providing system.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there is a thinking / discussion support system electronically realized by a display unit, an input device, and a control device. A user can display a map on the screen of the display unit. On the first axis, for example, logistics, cash flow, resources, structures, etc. are classified and arranged. On the second axis intersecting the first axis, logistics, cash flow, resources, structures, etc. are each divided from a family unit group at the town level and the city level, and the jurisdiction range of this division gradually expands to reach one national unit. The area formed by the first axis and the second axis forms the first category area regarding society.

[0003] Also, on the third axis intersecting the first axis, the thinking range is divided, for example, into two "levels" of "life / activity" and "five senses, emotions / desires". This division is called "division (or classification) in the direction with the brain (or south) as the extreme". The area formed by the first axis and the third axis forms the second category area regarding an individual (brain) including thinking elements.

[0004] When thinking / discussion is carried out, an administrator or a participant uses the keywords pre-arranged in the above-mentioned divisions, but it is also possible to newly add keywords. These keywords are arranged in the form of "nodes" on the screen of the display unit. The administrator can arrange nodes in a plurality of areas where new ideas or concepts are likely to emerge.

[0005] The administrator allows multiple participants (including, for example, participants in other departments, to use this system) (this environment is called a "workspace"). Participants can attach various stickers to each node and write their own thoughts (equivalent to keywords) on the stickers.

[0006] This allows participants to plot (distribute nodes) their individual current challenges and desires based on these keywords. These are then displayed as an overview on a map, allowing them to visually see the challenges and desires of participants from other departments. Furthermore, participants can note connections they find between each other's expressed content and other keywords.

[0007] In other words, participants may come up with new ideas (defects, deficiencies, additions, etc.) by looking at keywords in multiple nodes on the map and thinking about or discussing the relationships between those keywords. In such cases, it is expected that adding keywords related to these new ideas to the nodes on the map will further enhance the content of the thinking and discussion, or that the subject of the discussion will become clearer. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-77843 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-105234 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] In the system described above, there is a need for features that provide an environment and conditions that enable participants in the "space" for thinking and discussion to come up with ideas and consider them from a wider variety of perspectives.

[0010] Therefore, the objective of this embodiment is to obtain a thinking and discussion support device, thinking and discussion support method, and service provision system that are designed so that the map itself, which provides a "space" for thinking and discussion in an electronic display form, can be varied and evolve, and so that participants in this "space" can think, discuss, examine, and come up with ideas from a variety of perspectives. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] According to one embodiment, a thinking and discussion support system comprising a communication unit and a control unit, which provides a map containing pre-registered data to information devices of project participants connected via a network, and which accepts operations on the map from the information devices of the project participants, The map is defined as a map that classifies multiple fields in a first direction, classifies multiple levels in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and places data in each region divided by the multiple fields and multiple levels that has at least the fields and levels as attributes. The aforementioned fields are classified by words that are at least related to society, economy, and industry. The aforementioned levels are such that one pole represents categories related to society, and the other pole represents categories related to the individual. The control unit, The log of operations performed on the map by the project participants is recorded. A support screen is created that includes the first area where the aforementioned log is located. A thinking and discussion support system is provided, which transmits the display data of the support screen to the project manager's information device connected via the aforementioned network using the communication unit. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an overall overview of a thinking and discussion support system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2]Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating the basic concept of this map (Idea Wall Map®, hereinafter referred to as IWM) according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of how the map in Figure 2 is displayed on the display unit, expanded into the societal and individual domains. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of displaying the path to the next selectable process for a specific node displayed in an IWM according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows another example of how to display the pathways to the next selectable process for a specific node displayed in an IWM according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of how attribute information related to a node is displayed in an IWM according to one embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of node attribute information used in an IWM according to one embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows various functional blocks included in the control unit that controls the entire thinking and discussion support system according to one embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of an application of the overall structure of a thinking and discussion support system according to one embodiment. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is an example of a table showing how the nodes of this map are managed in this map database. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is an example of a flowchart for obtaining Type 1 related words for a keyword of interest in a node. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is an example of a flowchart for obtaining Type 2 related words for a keyword of interest in a node. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is an example of a flowchart for obtaining third-class related words for a keyword of interest in a node. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of how the related words table is formed in correspondence with the keyword column (keyword table) shown in Figure 10. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing examples of related words of various definitions appearing in the social area and the individual area when keywords (attention nodes 1) in the area of an individual (brain) of this map are specified. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is another embodiment of the embodiment of FIG. 15, and is an explanatory diagram showing an example of storing and using data related to related words in a cache memory. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is yet another embodiment of the embodiment of FIG. 15, and is an explanatory diagram showing an example of storing and using data related to related words in a cache memory. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is yet another embodiment of the embodiment of FIG. 15, and is an explanatory diagram showing an example of storing and using data related to related words in a cache memory and also using a sub-display unit. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a flowchart showing an outline of the operation of the control unit in the embodiments of FIGS. 16 to 18. [Figure 20] FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram showing a definition of classification of related words in an embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a menu and setting button for using a generation AI when obtaining related words in an embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a work menu and a side menu displayed on a display unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram showing an example of a work screen that appears when a seal button WM1 is clicked from a work menu in a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a diagram showing an example of a work screen when drawing on a seal is performed in a system according to an embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a diagram showing an example of a work screen showing operation guidance when free drawing is performed. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a diagram showing an example of a tool palette 5021 that appears when a filter button in a side menu is clicked. [Figure 27] Figure 27 is a diagram illustrating the function of associating (linking) sticky notes to nodes, and the function of creating new nodes from sticky notes themselves. [Figure 28] Figure 28 shows an example of the tool screen 5041 used when creating sticky notes. [Figure 29] Figure 29 shows an example of the detailed menu 5022 that appears when the work management button SM9 in the side menu is clicked. [Figure 30] Figure 30 shows an example of a screen displaying the rankings that appear when the ranking button SM8 in the side menu is clicked. [Figure 31] Figure 31 is a screenshot showing an example of a heatmap that appears when the heatmap button SM7 in the side menu is clicked. [Figure 32] Figure 32 is a diagram that shows the contents of the block in Figure 1 in more detail, from a software perspective, although it includes some hardware. [Figure 33] Figure 33 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the various transition images and their displayed content when editing takes place in this thinking and discussion system. [Figure 34] Figure 34 is an explanatory diagram showing how a timeline is set for a topic by the editing function control unit and how the timeline is used. [Figure 35] Figure 35 shows an example of a display screen for a facilitator / project management support tool provided by a thinking / discussion support system according to one embodiment. [Figure 36] Figure 36 illustrates an example of how to narrow down the operation logs to be displayed in a facilitator / project management support tool provided by a thinking / discussion support system according to one embodiment. [Figure 37] Figure 37 shows an example of a shared node display in a facilitator / project management support tool provided by a thinking / discussion support system according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. <Overall explanation of this system; Figures 1 to 9> Figure 1 provides a schematic overview of the overall configuration of the thinking and discussion support system. The left side of the figure shows the service administrator system (or device) 2001, where the service administrator is, for example, the developer or vendor of the thinking and discussion support system.

[0014] Furthermore, the center of the diagram represents the project manager system (or device) 3001, used by the project manager (or project editor). The project manager rents, purchases, or obtains a license to use the project manager system 3001 from the service manager. The project manager then utilizes the project manager system 3001 in the project they are planning.

[0015] The Service Administrator System 2001 provides applications for controlling the Thinking and Discussion Support System for the Project Administrator Systems 3001a, 3001b, ...3001n (hereinafter collectively referred to as 3001).

[0016] Multiple project management systems 3001a, 3001b, ....3001n are shown, but each of these project management systems 3001a, 3001b, ....3001n is used by organizations (public institutions, schools, hospitals, companies, trading companies, etc., or departments within them) that have their own planned projects and purchase and use the thinking and discussion support system. In some cases, it may also be used by individuals (novelists, musicians, etc.).

[0017] Therefore, project managers can consult with service managers to determine the number of nodes relevant to the issue and their placement (small areas (cells) formed by classification and division). Furthermore, restrictions on the operation of this system may also be decided through mutual consultation. Project managers are in a position to commission the thinking and discussion support system from service managers. Project managers can also receive a system with the default (or edited default) map from the service managers.

[0018] The term "node" above has the following meaning: Keywords, identification marks, photographs, videos, and audio exist as perceptual information (which may also be called attribute information) of the object of the user's thinking or discussion. The symbols of this perceptual information (information included in the node's attribute information) are referred to as "nodes or items."

[0019] Next, we will further explain the specific concepts of this system, including the terminology used in this system. This system is implemented electronically using a display unit (display device), an input unit (input device), and a control unit. Users can display this map on the screen of the display unit.

[0020] Figure 2 illustrates the basic concept of this map (IWM). This map represents the area where a three-dimensional globe's surface is represented in two dimensions. This map consists of two large categories, for example, the Northern Hemisphere as "society" and the Southern Hemisphere as "individuals."

[0021] The two domains are visualized as follows: The lines of latitude and longitude on the surface of the globe are used as lines to represent two dimensions. This further divides the two domains of "society" and "individual" into smaller domains. Each of these smaller domains is a category such as "country," "city," "home," "lifestyle," "emotions," or "brain." Individual pieces of information entered by the user (keywords with meaning) are placed within the appropriate domain (e.g., a small section) on this map according to their meaning.

[0022] A globe can be divided into two regions, the Northern Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere, by a cross-section that includes the equator. The surfaces (regions) of these two hemispheres are then represented as circles. These two regions can then be displayed two-dimensionally using lines corresponding to the lines of latitude and longitude that existed in the original hemispheres.

[0023] Figure 3 shows an example of this map represented in two dimensions. The portion of the map 100 is displayed on the display unit (display device) 3011, which is connected to the control unit 900. The control unit 900 is connected to an input unit 311, which is integrated with the display unit 3011 when the display unit 3011 includes a touch panel. The input unit 311 is not limited to a keyboard, touch panel, or handwriting input screen, but may also include, for example, an audio input function such as a microphone or an image or video input function such as a camera.

[0024] In the example in Figure 3, the social domain 101 is divided into "levels (latitude or latitude)" of "family / individual," "community," "city," and "country," and further classified by meridian with specific names ("play," "money flow," "distribution," etc.). On the other hand, the individual domain 102 is divided by latitude into two levels (elements): "life / activity" and "brain, five senses, emotions / desires, five senses," and further classified by meridian with specific names, similar to the social domain 101. This makes it possible to infer the meaning of the nodes placed within this map. Therefore, it can be said that each node has meaning based on its location.

[0025] While "brain," "five senses," and "emotions / desires" are all distinct concepts, they are sometimes defined as a single "level." In designing this map 100, the method of dividing the domain into "society" and "individual" may be different and is not mandatory. Each "○" (circle) in Figure 3 represents a node that has been registered on this map. Node 300B is an example of a registered node.

[0026] The size of node 300B may be changed according to its importance and related statistics. The color of node 300B may also be changed according to its type and meaning. Furthermore, the display status of this node may be distinguished by color, lines, etc., depending on whether it contains a keyword of interest, a recently heard keyword, a keyword that represents an issue, or a technical keyword.

[0027] The above-mentioned "levels" or "categories" are, in the realm of "society," categories whose centers relate to the highest levels of society (e.g., the highest institutions of society, the National Diet, the Supreme Court, or any combination thereof). In the realm of "individuals," they may be categories whose centers relate to essential organs of the individual (e.g., the brain, intestines, heart, or any combination thereof).

[0028] <About the functions of nodes placed in the personal domain> Here, we will explain the nodes placed in the individual's domain. The administrator or user may provide a function within the control unit 900 to set tasks for thinking and discussion. However, in this system, creating a node in the individual's domain and setting the function of this node is equivalent to suggesting a task (theme) for thinking and discussion. Therefore, by recognizing the attribute information of the nodes placed in the individual's domain, the user (participant) can engage in thinking and discussion based on this recognition.

[0029] The attribute information for nodes placed in the personal domain includes various attributes used in psychology, such as security, anxiety, gratitude, excitement, curiosity, fear, courage, anger, worry, happiness, wonder, relaxation, tension, respect, friendliness, openness, expectation, anger, hope, and cuteness. By viewing the attribute information attached to the personal domain nodes, users can associate them with the social domain nodes.

[0030] <Regarding the application of the individual sphere and the societal sphere> Here, various forms of two-dimensional classification and division exist between the individual domain and the social domain. There are many examples of combinations between the individual domain and the social domain, and these combinations are not limited. It may also be a system in which various combinations of the "social" domain and various "individual" domains can be switched by a switching control device.

[0031] Figure 4 shows an example of how a node (BIM - Building Information Modeling) is displayed when a user selects (specifies) a specific node on this map. The user can select (specify) a specific node (BIM) by clicking or tapping the corresponding icon (or text). In the example shown in Figure 4, the "i" 401B icon appears around the enlarged BIM icon. By selecting (clicking) this area, explanatory or definition information related to the "BIM" node can be displayed. When the user then selects this area by tapping or clicking, detailed information about "BIM" is displayed (not shown in the illustration). This "i" display may not be shown normally, and may only appear when the user selects the "BIM" node by tapping or clicking.

[0032] Furthermore, the "camera icon" 402B represents the process for adding image information such as videos and still images. Tapping or clicking the "camera icon" 402B starts the process of saving new videos or still images associated with the "BIM" node. The "speech bubble icon" 403B represents the process for adding comments and social media information. Tapping or clicking this area starts the process of adding new comments or social media information associated with the "BIM" node. The "search icon" 404B represents the process for searching for information related to the "BIM" node using an external search engine. Tapping or clicking this area starts the process of searching for information related to the "BIM" node using the web or other means.

[0033] Furthermore, when a user specifies a callout mark 403B associated with a node (e.g., BIM), they can perform an information search on the internet based on the attribute information of that node. Social networking services (SNS) can be used as an example of information retrieval. Alternatively, various other functions can be utilized, such as an internet dictionary search function or a TIPS (plural of tip) function.

[0034] The results of an information search, for example, if the data related to the topic of thought and discussion is included in the attribute information, will be displayed in the format shown on the search results display screen 403C. Here, the font size is increased for words with a high number of search hits. By changing the font size for each word in this way, users can easily recognize the relative number of search hits.

[0035] The data in question may be identified in advance by the project manager (which may include participants) before the thinking and discussion begin, or it may be naturally identified in the brain (Antarctic side) region based on the meaning (node ​​level) of nodes that are frequently specified (clicked) by participants.

[0036] Additionally, the "camera icon" 402B, the "speech bubble icon" 403B, and the "search icon" 404B may appear when the node "BIM" is selected (clicked). In this case, it means that attribute information corresponding to the "camera icon" 402B, the "speech bubble icon" 403B, and the "search icon" 404B" already exists. If you want to add more attribute information or check the attribute information, you can add or check it by clicking on the individual icon.

[0037] As described above, node attribute information is constructed and can be referenced. This allows users to compare the attribute information of a node they specify (the node of interest) with the theme they have in mind (keywords such as text and conditions). Furthermore, by searching the attribute information of other nodes using the combination of the attribute information of the node of interest and the theme data, it becomes possible to efficiently (accurately) associate (overview and link) multiple nodes.

[0038] Figure 5 shows another way to display the screen that appears immediately after selecting (specifying) a node placed on this map. SNS401D indicates a path to launch SNS in relation to the node item "Health Maintenance". Performing actions such as tapping or clicking on SNS401D will start processing using SNS in relation to "Health Maintenance". For example, if the content of an SNS message being sent contains "Health Maintenance", that content may be displayed on this map.

[0039] Image sharing service 402D represents a pathway to launch the image sharing service in relation to "maintaining health." Processing using the image sharing service may, for example, display photos related to "maintaining health" from photos stored on the image sharing service on this map.

[0040] Dictionary / Reference Service 403D represents a link to launch the dictionary / reference service related to "maintaining health." Tapping or clicking on the 403D area will initiate processing using the dictionary / reference service 403D related to "maintaining health." An example of processing using the dictionary / reference service 403D is to use "maintaining health" as the input word and search for its meaning in the dictionary / reference service 403D.

[0041] When you select sticky note 404D related to "maintaining health," an area will appear where the user can add (or enter) a comment, and the user will be able to add (or enter) a comment in that area.

[0042] Figure 6 shows an example of how sticky notes are placed on this map after a user has added (or entered) a comment using the sticky note addition function 404D shown in Figure 5. The content of the sticky notes could be divided into two categories, for example, Issues 401E and Wants 402E (requests), and each could be displayed in a different color.

[0043] Figure 7 shows an example of the content of basic attribute information for a node. The ID shown in 300F is the unique number of the node on this map. Node 301F contains the meaning of the node and is basically a keyword (text). However, it is not limited to this and may also be an icon, image, audio, video, etc. Furthermore, this keyword may be pre-defined text that is automatically determined according to the node's placement (classification and division of the area).

[0044] Text 302F is information extracted separately as text information related to the input node. Longitude 303F and latitude 304F are information regarding the location (address) of the node placed on this map. Circle size 305F indicates the size of the circle that the node will be displayed in when placed on this map. Attached (color) information 306F indicates the color of the circle when the node is placed on this map. The above various types of information may also be called node attribute information. The attribute information shown here is only a part of it, and there is various other attribute information to extend the functionality of the node.

[0045] The related keyword 307F indicates the ID of the related keyword. Nodes that have the information for related keyword 307F are related to each other. These related nodes may be displayed by connecting them with lines on this map, for example. Using this display method makes it easier for users to visualize the relationships between nodes.

[0046] The attribute information shown here is only a part of it; various other attribute information exists to extend the functionality of the node.

[0047] <Example configuration of the control unit of the system that controls this map> Figure 8 shows the internal configuration of the control unit 900. In order to provide various functions, the control unit 900 contains various control blocks.

[0048] The control unit 900 includes a CPU 51D, a map system control unit 52D, a display control unit 53D, a function management unit 54D, a related word processing unit 55D, a menu processing unit 56D, a usage function control unit 57D, an editing function control unit 59D, a communication control unit 58D, and a device management unit 60D.

[0049] These control blocks may be software programs executed by the CPU 51D, or they may be a collaboration between dedicated hardware and software programs. Furthermore, the configuration and classification of these blocks and their functions are not limited; one block may be further subdivided into smaller functional blocks, or smaller functional blocks may be combined and integrated.

[0050] The CPU 51D provides comprehensive control of the internal workings of the control unit 900. The map system control unit 52D is responsible for overall control of the map's operation (described later). The CPU 51D responds to operation input from the input unit and controls the activation of various functions within the control unit 900.

[0051] The display control unit 53D creates and controls the data for displaying this map on the display screen (display unit, etc.) of the display unit 3011 of the client terminal.

[0052] When displaying the map on the display screen of the display unit 3011, the display control unit 53D reads the data stored in the map database 910 and displays it on the display screen. Furthermore, when content is added to the map via user keyboard operation or voice commands, the display control unit 53D appropriately updates the display content of the map to reflect the added content. The display control unit 53D stores the display data corresponding to the updated display content of the map in the map database 910.

[0053] The function management unit 54D manages the functions of this map system. This map system has two main functions: one is the editing function (also called the first function), and the other is the usage function (also called the second function). The function management unit 54D switches between these functions in this map system and controls the state of each function. The editing function and the usage function will be described later.

[0054] The related word processing unit 55D is a processing unit that determines what category (for example, close relationship, loose relationship, intermediate, etc.) the keyword of the node of interest belongs to in relation to words in the material present in the media.

[0055] The menu processing unit 56D works in cooperation with the display control unit 53D to control the menu functions of this map system. This map system is equipped with various display menus, as will be described later.

[0056] The Function Control Unit 57D controls the processing when the map system operates as a function (second function). The Function Control Unit 57D controls the activation and deactivation of various functions of the map system when the user selects a function or terminates a selected function.

[0057] The communication control unit 58D manages data exchange between the client terminal and the control unit 900. This communication control unit 58D also manages communication with internet search services and SNS commercial services via the internet, as well as communication with external servers.

[0058] The editing function control unit 59D controls the processing when this map system operates as an editing function (first function). The editing function control unit 59D can be operated by the service administrator, and can also be used by the project administrator to the extent that they are granted the necessary permissions. As an example, the editing function control unit 59D can move the placement position of nodes in response to operations. This movement can also be used when you want to change the point of discussion or debate.

[0059] The device management unit 60D manages peripheral devices connected to this system. Therefore, it manages connection information (plug-in and plug-out information) for administrators' and participants' devices. It may also exchange PINs with connected devices, and can therefore incorporate security features.

[0060] Furthermore, as will be explained in more detail later, the control unit 900 includes a seal processing unit 61D, a free draw processing unit 62D, a filter processing unit 63D, a sticky note processing unit 64D, a rank processing unit 65D, a heat map processing unit 66D, a relation node processing unit 67D, an import / export processing unit 68D, a dashboard processing unit 71D, a search processing unit 72D, a term-related memory processing unit 73D, and the like.

[0061] The control unit 900 described above is connected to the map database (memory) 910 and can access the map database. The map database 910 stores various data (nodes, attribute information, etc.) for displaying the map on the display unit 3011.

[0062] Furthermore, the control unit 900 is connected to various working memories (including cache memory) 920, and the control unit 900 temporarily loads the data to be used (data for use and data for display) into these working memories 920 according to the operating mode. In addition, the control unit 900 is connected to a program memory 930, which stores programs used by various control units, processing units, and calculation units. It is also possible to add programs to the memory 930 to upgrade, change, or modify the system version.

[0063] Figure 9 shows an example of an overall system configuration diagram that can handle this map. The client terminal 514C may be, for example, a personal computer PC 515C, a smartphone 516C, or a tablet PC 517C. Each client terminal is equipped with a microphone, a display unit and a keyboard (input means), a control unit (or control device) 900, and this map database (memory) 910.

[0064] Each client terminal 514C can connect to the search service server 520C, the SNS or other commercial service server 521C via the internet 530C. The control unit 900 may also be located on a dedicated server for this system via the internet. The control unit 900 can access the map database 910. The map database 910 is composed of memory and stores various data necessary for displaying the map.

[0065] <Explanation of related terms, Figures 10 to 15> Figure 10 is a table showing how the nodes on this map are managed in the map database 910.

[0066] Each node placed on this map has node identification data. For example, there are node identification data Nd1, Nd2, Nd3...NdX. Since each node is placed on this map, it is associated with its node address Nd1a, Nd2a...NdXa. This node address may also be indicated by longitude and latitude. Nodes have a base color on the display, so their base color data Nd1c, Nd2c...NdXc is also associated with them. Furthermore, node circle size data Nd1sz, Nd2sz...NdXsz is also associated with them. As mentioned earlier, nodes are also associated with keywords Nd1kw, Nd2kw...NdXkw.

[0067] <Specific processing related to the related word processing system> In this system, keywords are further accompanied by related terms.

[0068] The lower section of Figure 10 shows the relationship between the keyword NdXkw, its multiple "types" of related words, the "definitions" of each type of related word, and the "corpus" from which those related words were extracted. This classification is unique to this system and is intended to make it easier for participants using this map to generate new ideas and insights by perceiving related words.

[0069] Related terms are classified as "Type 1," "Type 2-1," "Type 2-2," ... "Type 2-n," "Type 3," ... "Type N," and definitions for each type of related term, as well as the "corpus" used to search and retrieve these terms, have also been identified.

[0070] For "Type 1" related terms, "words that co-occur with the keyword specified in the node of this map" are extracted, and a corpus such as "Wikipedia, etc." is used. For "Type 2-1," related terms extracted are "words that frequently appear in articles introducing case studies (excluding proper nouns such as product names)," and "publicly available information on the internet" is used as the corpus. For "Type 2-2," related words used are "unexpected words that have some relationship to the keyword but whose relationship is not usually thought of (excluding proper nouns such as product names)," and the corpus used is "publicly available information on the internet." For example, "snow and ice organisms" is given as an example of a related term to "global warming." Surprisingly, when ice and snow organisms proliferate on glaciers, the glacier's surface darkens, making it more susceptible to absorbing sunlight and accelerating its melting. Furthermore, as glaciers melt, the amount of reflected sunlight decreases, lowering the Earth's reflectivity (albedo) and contributing to global warming. For the "2nd-n type" related terms, for example, "words extracted by an LLM (Large-Scale Language Model) based on definitions provided by users" are used, and "publicly available information on the internet" is used as the corpus. For "Type 3" related terms, "technical terms related to the keyword specified in the node of this map" are extracted, and a corpus such as "technology catalog" is used. When these related terms are detected, it may lead to actions such as technology development or product sales. For "Type N" related terms, words extracted based on a related term extraction algorithm provided by the user are used, and the corpus used is, for example, "catalogs, materials, etc. provided by the user." If these related terms are detected, it may lead to actions such as technology development or product sales.

[0071] Figures 11, 12, and 13 are flowcharts showing the system operation when extracting related words. The related word extraction process is mainly carried out by the map system control unit 52D, related word processing unit 55D, communication control unit 58D, display control unit 53D, etc., as shown in Figure 8, and the extracted related words are stored in the map database 910.

[0072] Figure 11 is a flowchart for obtaining Type 1 related words. In data collection step SA1, text data containing keywords is collected by accessing a dump file SA0, such as Wikipedia, via the internet. Dump file SA0 contains all Wikipedia articles and is suitable for keyword searching.

[0073] Step SA2 of the following text preprocessing involves preprocessing the collected data. This preprocessing involves: *Morphological analysis: The acquired text is divided into the smallest meaningful units (morphemes), and a part of speech is assigned to each morpheme. *Next, remove stop words; remove frequently occurring but meaningless words such as "no," "ni," and "wa." *Next is lemmatization; converting words into their base form.

[0074] In the next step, SA3, which involves creating a co-occurrence matrix, the following process is performed: A co-occurrence matrix is ​​created from pre-processed text. If the entire corpus were used to create the co-occurrence matrix, the data would become enormous, resulting in poor processing efficiency and low accuracy. Therefore, this system creates the co-occurrence matrix from "keywords" defined as nodes in this map.

[0075] In the next co-occurrence counting step SA4, the following process is performed, namely: Since the corpus structure consists of words and their definitions, the system targets the words from the beginning of the definition up to the word specified by the window size (screen size), and counts the frequency of their co-occurrence relationships.

[0076] In the next step SA5 of the PMI calculation, the following process is performed, namely: The PMI (Pointowize Mutual Information) calculation is performed. The formula for this calculation is: PMI(x, y) = log{P(x, y) / P(x)P(y)}, where, P(x, y) = number of co-occurrences (x, y) / total number of words. P(x) = frequency of occurrence (x) / total number of words. P(y) = frequency of occurrence (y) / total number of words. Total word count = number of words within the window size, excluding stop words, and including duplicate words.

[0077] In the next related word extraction step SA6, the following process is performed, namely: Given a specified keyword as x, the system extracts related words such that PMI(x, y) >= threshold for y.

[0078] In the next step, SA7, which involves adding related terms to the related terms table, the extracted related terms are added to the related terms table SA8 (see Figure 14; an example of related terms extracted in relation to keyword No. 1 is shown).

[0079] Figure 12 is a flowchart for reading definitions of related words from definition table SB0 (the column for definitions of related words shown in Figure 10) and extracting Type 2 related words from an external source. Step SB1 reads the "definitions of related words" from the definition table SB0 (see Figure 10), and step SB2, which creates the next instruction sentence, creates an instruction sentence (prompt) using the "definitions of related words." In creating the instruction sentence, the "definitions of related words" are embedded in a pre-prepared template.

[0080] Examples of instructional statements include the following: "Instruction text" The aim of the workshop is to broaden perspectives through forced brainstorming by presenting related words to the keywords. Please read the keywords from the attached Excel file and extract 10 related words for each keyword. Refer to #Input Format for the format of the attached Excel file. The definitions of related words are in column C. Additionally, please provide a clear explanation of the relationship between each extracted related word and the keyword, in a table format. Refer to #Output Format for the answer. #Input format Column A: Serial number, Column B: Keyword, Column C: Definition of related term #Output format Column A: Keyword, Column B: Related terms, Column C: Explanation, Column D: Definition of related terms. The above instructions are understood in step SB3 of the understanding process. Here, the "information" to be obtained from external sources is identified. For example, if the definition is Type 2-1, the "information" to be included in case studies, place releases, etc., will be identified. In the next step, SB4, which involves obtaining information, the "information" based on the above understanding is obtained via the Internet SB5. Next, step SB6, which evaluates the relationships between words, is performed. In this evaluation step SB6, the relationships between words in the corpus sentence are evaluated using the Self-Attention Mechanism, with reference to an external language model SB7.

[0081] While details about the self-attention mechanism will be discussed later, its characteristic functions can be briefly summarized as follows: "Evaluate how all words in a sentence relate to all other words." "Dynamically determining how much attention each word pays to other words," "It can also capture the relationships between words that are far apart within a sentence." And so on.

[0082] Step SB6 involves creating the next candidate related word. In Step SB8, based on the "evaluation results" of the relationships between words and the previously defined "related words," "candidate related words" are created. This is to support the next step, namely, narrowing down the related words in Step SB9.

[0083] In the related word filtering step SB9, the following processing is performed on the received Type 2 related words.

[0084] *Words that do not overlap with related words of type 2-1 to type 2-(n-1) are defined as "related words of type 2-n". *If a set of related terms of type 2-n is included in the keyword set of a node on this map, it will be categorized as a "node related term". *If the set of related words of type 2-n is not included in the keyword set of the node in this map, it will be categorized as "other related words".

[0085] In the next step, SB10, the related terms that have been narrowed down and categorized (classified) above are added to the related terms table SA8.

[0086] Figure 13 is a flowchart for reading definitions of related terms from definition table SB0 (the column of related term definitions shown in Figure 10) and extracting third-type related terms from an external source.

[0087] Step SC1, the reading step, reads the third type of "related word definition" from the related word definition table SB0, and step SC2, the next step in creating the instruction sentence, creates an instruction sentence (prompt) using the "related word definition." In creating the instruction sentence, the "related word definition" is embedded into a pre-prepared template. This is the same method as the instruction sentence creation explained in Figure 12.

[0088] In the next step, SC3, which involves understanding the instructions, the "information" to be referenced is identified.

[0089] In the next step, SC4, which involves obtaining information, the "information" based on the above understanding is obtained from the technical catalog SC5. The technical catalog SC5 may be accessed via the internet or via the company's own network.

[0090] Next, step SC6, which evaluates the relationships between words, is performed. In this evaluation step SC6, the relationships between words in the corpus sentence are evaluated using the Self-Attention Mechanism, with reference to an external language model SC7.

[0091] The characteristic functions of the self-attention mechanism are as described above.

[0092] Step SC6 is the creation of the next related word candidates. In Step SC8, based on the "evaluation results" of the relationships between words and the "definitions of related words" from earlier, "related word candidates" are created. This is to support the next step, namely, narrowing down the related words in Step SC9.

[0093] In the related word filtering step SC9, the following processing is performed on the received Type 3 related words.

[0094] *Words that do not overlap with related words of type 3-1 to type 3-(n-1) are defined as "related words of type 3-n". *If a set of related terms of type 3-n is included in the keyword set of a node on this map, it will be categorized as a "node related term". *If the set of related words of type 3-n is not included in the keyword set of the node in this map, it will be categorized as "other related words".

[0095] In the next step, SC10, which involves adding related terms to the related terms table SA8, the filtered and categorized related terms are added to the related terms table SA8.

[0096] Figure 14 shows how the related words table SA8 is formed in correspondence with the keyword column (keyword table KwT) shown in Figure 10. Let's assume that keyword No. 1, No. 2, etc. are stored sequentially in the keyword table KwT.

[0097] As explained earlier, related terms for each keyword are obtained in categories such as Type 1, Type 2-1, Type 2-2, ... Type 2-n, Type 3, etc. The diagram shows how the related terms extracted for Keyword No. 1 are stored in the related terms table SA8.

[0098] The first column, SA81, of the related word table SA8 stores the extracted related words No. 1, No. 2, ...

[0099] The second column, SA82, stores the types of related words No. 1, No. 2, ..., that is, types such as Type 1, Type 2-1, Type 2-2, ... Type 2-n, Type 3, etc.

[0100] Column 3, SA83, describes the relationship between the extracted related words and their definitions (the definitions shown in Figure 10). For example, If it is a Type 1, an explanation of its co-occurrence with the specified keyword, Also, if it is type 2-1, An explanation of the context in which the specified keywords appeared in the article introducing the case study. For Type 2-2, the explanation should describe what kind of unexpected relationships are usually not thought of. For types 2 and 3, this would involve explaining the relationship between the related words detected as technical terms and the specified keyword, etc. Column 4, SA84, contains the date on which each related term was extracted.

[0101] Next, I will explain the "self-attention mechanism" mentioned earlier. <Basic steps of the self-attention mechanism> Input encoding: Each word (token) is converted into an embedding vector. This allows the meaning of the word to be represented as a numerical vector.

[0102] Query, key, and value generation: From each embedding vector, three vectors are generated: Query, Key, and Value. These are calculated using different weight matrices.

[0103] Score calculation: The inner product of each query vector and all other key vectors is calculated to obtain a score. This score indicates how much attention a particular word should pay to other words.

[0104] Score normalization: The scores are normalized using the softmax function and converted into attention weights. This adjusts them so that the sum of the scores equals 1.

[0105] Calculating context vectors: Each value vector is multiplied by an attention weight, and the results are summed to obtain a context vector. This aggregates the contextual information of each word.

[0106] Output generation: The context vector is used to generate the final output vector. This output vector is then passed to the next layer or used for the final prediction.

[0107] <Advantages of the self-attention mechanism> Capturing long-range dependencies: The self-attention mechanism can grasp the relationships between words that are far apart in a sentence. This allows for a more accurate understanding of the meaning of the entire sentence.

[0108] Efficiency of parallel processing: The self-attention mechanism can compute the relationships between all words simultaneously, enabling parallel processing and resulting in high computational efficiency.

[0109] Flexible weighting: Because the amount of attention each word receives relative to other words can be determined dynamically, flexible weighting based on context is possible.

[0110] <Characteristics of the self-attention mechanism> Extensive contextual understanding: The self-attention mechanism evaluates how all words in a sentence relate to all other words. This allows for a broader understanding of the overall context of the sentence. For example, it can provide a detailed understanding of how the word "AI" is used in the sentence.

[0111] Dynamic weighting: The system dynamically determines how much attention each word pays to other words. This allows it to capture relationships that would normally be overlooked. For example, if the words "AI" and "ethics" are related in a sentence, the system can capture that relationship without missing it.

[0112] Capturing long-range dependencies: The self-attention mechanism can also grasp the relationships between words that are far apart in a sentence. This allows for a deeper understanding of the overall meaning of the sentence and the discovery of unexpected related words. For example, if the words "AI" and "future" are related in a sentence, the mechanism can recognize that connection.

[0113] <Advantages in discovering unexpected related words> Discovering diverse relationships: The self-attention mechanism has the ability to discover diverse relationships between words. This allows us to find unexpected related words that we wouldn't normally think of. For example, unexpected words related to "AI" might include "creativity" or "art."

[0114] Contextual relevance assessment: Because it evaluates relevance based on context, it can also find words that are only relevant in a specific context. For example, if the words "AI" and "education" are related in a particular context, that relationship can be captured.

[0115] Discovery of new knowledge: The self-attention mechanism has the ability to discover new knowledge based on learned data. This allows us to find related terms based on the latest trends and new concepts. For example, it can find the latest technologies and concepts related to "AI".

[0116] Next, the following is an example of how this system extracts "related words (keywords)" related to food loss as keywords and explains their relationships. Keywords...SDGs Relevance explanation: Reducing food waste is related to the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of "Responsible Consumption and Production," and promotes sustainable consumption and production. Keywords: Food recycling Relevance explanation: In order to reduce food waste, efforts are being made to reuse discarded food as animal feed or fertilizer. Keywords... Food bank Explanation of relevance: Food banks, which provide surplus food to people in need to reduce food waste, are gaining attention. Keywords: Non-standard vegetables Explanation of relevance: Efforts are being made to reduce food waste by utilizing substandard vegetables that do not meet market standards due to reasons such as poor appearance. Keywords: Food waste ban law Explanation of relevance: In countries like France, laws have been enacted that prohibit food waste and mandate the donation of surplus food. Keywords...Expiration date Explanation of relevance: By consuming food that is nearing its expiration date as soon as possible, you can reduce food waste. Keywords... leftover food Explanation of relevance: Food waste from households and restaurants is one of the major causes of food loss. Keywords... surplus food Explanation of relevance: Keywords: Food Loss Reduction Promotion Act Explanation of relevance: In Japan, laws have been enacted to promote the reduction of food waste, and local governments and companies are working on these initiatives. Keywords: environmental pollution Explanation of relevance: Food waste is deeply related to environmental problems because it causes environmental pollution during waste disposal.

[0117] Figure 15 shows examples of related terms for various definitions that appear in the social domain 101 and the personal domain 102 when a keyword (attention (or designated) node 1) for the personal domain 102 of this map displayed on the display unit 3011 is specified.

[0118] The first type of related term represents its presence as attribute information in nodes 1a and 1b of the individual domain 102, and in nodes 1c and 1d of the social domain 101. Related terms of type 2-1 indicate that they exist as attribute information in node 2-1a of the individual domain 102 and node 2-1b of the social domain 101. Furthermore, the second type of related words (unexpected related words) are indicated as attribute information (keywords) on sticky note 2-2a in the social domain 101. In addition, the third type of related words (technical terms) are indicated as attribute information on sticky note 3a in the social domain 101. These nodes originally existed within this map data 910 and are displayed highlighted.

[0119] Furthermore, this system has a palette area 105, for example, in the lower left of the display unit 3011. Here, examples of related words that are not included in the attribute information of node 1 (specified keyword) displayed on this map (they do not exist in this PAP database 910) and have been extracted from an external source are shown. Here, it is shown that related words 2-1c, 2-2b, and 2-2c as type 2, and related words 3c and 3d as type 3 have been extracted and can be displayed as sticky notes. Furthermore, sticky note 3b is shown in the social domain 101, which was originally in the palette domain 105 and was moved by human intervention. In this way, the system makes it possible to move related words within the palette domain 105 to any domain in response to user operations.

[0120] Related word nodes and sticky notes are displayed in areas 101, 102, and palette area 105, as described above. At this time, it is also possible to set different colors for the nodes and sticky notes depending on the type of related word. Color settings may be included in the related word type or related word definition fields, for example, in Figure 10. Furthermore, identification may be possible not only by color, but also by pattern or shape.

[0121] In this system, the display of the related words mentioned above is primarily handled by the related word processing unit 55D and the display control unit 53D within the control unit 900 shown in Figure 8.

[0122] In Figure 15, related words are shown distributed across the social domain 101 and the personal domain 102. This distributed arrangement is a small area (an area with semantic content) determined by the longitude and latitude on this map. This distributed arrangement can also be moved (edited) by the user through manipulation of other related word sticky notes. In this case, editing processing is performed by the editing function control unit 59D. Alternatively, the map system control unit 52D may automatically determine the placement position of the related word sticky notes according to the semantic content of the related words (which may also be called related word keywords). Furthermore, the map system control unit 52D may automatically determine the placement position of other related word sticky notes, and then the user may adjust the position of the sticky notes via the editing function control unit 59D. The above explanation demonstrated that, for a specified keyword (Node 1), the related terms defined in Figure 10 can be displayed. Furthermore, it was explained that a prompt is used to extract these related terms, and that the prompt contains a definition of the related term. Here, within the "Definition of Related Terms," ​​you might add an instruction such as, "Please indicate whether the extracted related terms have a positive or negative relationship with the currently specified keyword from the perspective of '...'." The blank space in "..." is where the user can write words that interest them.

[0123] As described above, Figures 10 to 15 illustrate the mechanism for incorporating related word nodes and sticky notes (which contain related words as keywords) into this system.

[0124] This related word processing system comprises an input unit and a control unit. The data set for displaying the map classifies multiple fields related to society in a first direction, and classifies each of the multiple fields into multiple levels in a second direction that intersects with the first direction. As a result, a first category domain related to society is constructed, consisting of multiple first domains formed by the multiple fields and the multiple levels, and a second category domain related to individuals is also constructed in a third direction different from the second direction, consisting of multiple second domains.

[0125] Furthermore, nodes having attribute information relating to the first category can be placed in the plurality of first regions, and nodes having attribute information relating to the second category can be placed in the plurality of second regions, and each node has at least keywords as attribute information.

[0126] Furthermore, the related word processing unit of the control unit includes means for extracting and managing nodes having a second keyword as a related word node when the second keyword having a second keyword having a first keyword having a node of interest has a second keyword having

[0127] Here, the display control unit included in the control unit can, when the input unit specifies the node of interest, display the related word node and the sticky notes to which other related words belong in an overview manner on the display unit.

[0128] Furthermore, sticky notes to which other related words belong can be displayed with a different color or shape from the related word nodes. Also, sticky notes to which other related words belong are placed by operation in one of the multiple first areas in the first category area, or one of the multiple second areas in the second category area. This operation is performed by an authorized user and is done through the operation screen of the display unit by the drag-and-drop function included in the editing function control unit 59D or the map system control unit 52D. In this system, when a related word node to which the second keyword belongs, or a sticky note of the other related word, is specified by operation, the related word processing unit 55D displays an explanation of how the other related word relates to the first keyword (SA83 in Figure 14). Note that when a sticky note is dragged and dropped, the meaning of the small area to which the sticky note is placed may differ from the meaning of the first area or the second area. However, since this is a conscious placement of sticky notes by the user, it is permissible within the system, and this placement can sometimes stimulate ideas, flashes of insight, and other aspects of thinking and discussion. Therefore, if a sticky note is forcibly moved or repositioned by the user, this may be described in the attribute information of that sticky note, for example, as "forced placement sticky note." Additionally, specific color or shape information may be included in the attribute information.

[0129] As explained in detail earlier, the first type of related word can be called a related word node, and the third type of related word can be called a related word node or other related words.

[0130] As described above, the related word processing system can also be moved and placed by the user to any location (a small area determined by longitude and latitude) on the map using the editing function control unit 59D and / or the map system control unit 52D. Because this operation is possible, users (participants, etc.) can view the list of focus nodes and related word nodes or other related word sticky notes and think and discuss the social classification relationships between the focus node and related word nodes or other related word sticky notes, the level classification relationships between the focus node and related word nodes or other related word sticky notes, and the social domain of the focus node and the thinking domain (or vice versa) of the related word nodes or other related word sticky notes. As a result, it is highly expected that users will gain unexpected ideas, insights, and flashes of inspiration regarding the issue, and that their ideas will be further developed.

[0131] The methods for extracting related words shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13 above are not limited to this method. As explained in Figure 11, it is also possible to simply combine the extraction of Type 1 related words, which targets keywords belonging to nodes managed by the map system control unit 52D, with the extraction of Type 2 related words, which is performed under other conditions. Other conditions include, for example, the methods for extracting related words explained in Figures 12 and 13, or specifying other extraction conditions (social conditions, organizational conditions, natural conditions, etc., or conditions that combine these). Even with this method, an overview of the node of interest and related word nodes or other related word sticky notes containing related words can stimulate users to generate new insights and ideas.

[0132] The above explanation described examples of how the related word processing unit 55D extracts related words for a node of interest from keywords in this map, as well as examples of how it extracts them from external sources.

[0133] In this system, the related word processing unit 55D can also collect related words with positive and negative meanings for the keyword of the focus node. Furthermore, it can create nodes for each related word. This function allows users to view both positive and negative related nodes together with the focus node on the display unit 3011, significantly expanding the scope of their thinking and discussion on the issue. This also increases the user's potential for gaining new ideas and insights.

[0134] When the node of interest, the nodes of positive related words, and the nodes of negative related words are viewed from above, the line colors of the node of interest and the positive related nodes will be displayed differently from the line colors of the node of interest and the nodes of negative related words. Alternatively, the colors of the positive related nodes and the negative related nodes may also be displayed differently.

[0135] Furthermore, additional secondary positive and negative related nodes may be searched for and created for positive related nodes. Further secondary positive and negative related nodes may be searched for and created for negative related nodes.

[0136] For example, in step SB3 of the flowchart shown in Figure 12, an example is shown below in which an instruction sentence is created and related words for positive relationships and related words for negative relationships are obtained.

[0137] #Instructions Please provide 10 keywords related to the keyword specified below. Briefly explain why each keyword has a positive or negative relationship. # Definition of related keywords Please extract 10 related words that have a positive relationship with the specified keyword and 10 related words that have a negative relationship, and explain the reasons for these relationships. To determine the positive and negative relationships, extract related terms that fall into one of these categories based on the specified keyword. #Specified keyword Carbon neutral Circular Economy Well-being.

[0138] The following are examples of "positive related terms" and "negative related terms" obtained for each of the above keywords: "carbon neutral," "circular economy," and "well-being."

[0139] <Carbon Neutral> Positive related terms: 1. Renewable energy – a key means of achieving carbon neutrality. 2. Energy Efficiency: Reduce energy consumption and decrease the carbon footprint. 3. Electric vehicles – reducing the use of fossil fuels and reducing emissions. 4. Afforestation – Absorbs carbon dioxide and contributes to carbon neutrality. 5. Carbon offsetting – a means of offsetting emissions 6. Sustainable agriculture – agricultural methods that minimize environmental impact. 7. Green Buildings – Energy-efficient building design, 8. Clean Technology – Environmentally Friendly Technology 9. Climate Change Measures – Policies Aiming for Carbon Neutrality 10. Ecolabel – A label indicating that a product is environmentally friendly.

[0140] Negative related terms: 1. Fossil fuels – a major obstacle to achieving carbon neutrality. 2. Greenhouse gases – Emissions that contradict the carbon neutrality target, 3. Industrial emissions – Industrial activities that emit large amounts of carbon dioxide, 4. Deforestation – reducing carbon dioxide sinks. 5. Energy waste – Unnecessary energy consumption, 6. Climate change denial – Opinions that deny the importance of carbon neutrality, 7. Air pollution – an environmental problem that contradicts the carbon neutrality goal. 8. Non-renewable resources – unsustainable energy sources, 9. Opposition to carbon taxes – Opposition to carbon neutrality policies, 10. Environmental destruction – Actions that contradict the goal of carbon neutrality.

[0141] <Circular Economy> Positive related terms: 1. Recycling – Promoting the reuse of resources 2. Reuse - Encourage the reuse of products. 3. Reduce – Reducing resource consumption, 4. Sustainable design – designing products that are long-lasting and reusable. 5. Waste Reduction – Minimizing waste generation, 6. Closed-loop system – A system that realizes the circular use of resources. 7. Biomaterials – Biodegradable materials, 8. Eco-innovation – Environmentally friendly technological innovations, 9. Sharing Economy – An economic model that promotes the sharing of resources. 10. Upcycling – Transforming waste into new, valuable products.

[0142] Negative related terms: 1. The disposable culture – which encourages the wasteful use of resources. 2. Waste Landfills – Waste of Resources and Environmental Pollution 3. Excessive consumption – waste of resources, 4. Plastic pollution – waste harmful to the environment, 5. Non-recyclable products – products that contradict the circular economy. 6. Waste export – forcing waste onto other countries, 7. Resource depletion – unsustainable resource use, 8. Environmental impact – adverse effects on the environment, 9. Short-lived products – products that are discarded quickly. 10. Recycling Costs – High costs and difficult to recycle.

[0143] <Wellbeing> Positive related terms: 1. Health – physical and mental health, 2. Happiness – mental satisfaction, 3. A balanced life – a healthy lifestyle, 4. Stress Management – ​​Methods for Maintaining Mental Health 5. Fitness – Activities that promote physical health, 6. Mental health – mental well-being, 7. Social connections – the importance of human relationships, 8. Self-actualization – achieving personal goals, 9. Positive thinking – a mindset that promotes mental health. 10. Relaxation – Activities for stress relief.

[0144] Negative related terms: 1. Stress – It negatively impacts mental and physical health. 2. Anxiety – It negatively impacts mental health. 3. Overwork – A work style that harms health. 4. Loneliness – It has a negative impact on mental health. 5. Depression – a mental health problem. 6. Unhealthy lifestyle habits – behaviors that harm health, 7. Sleep deprivation – has negative effects on health. 8. Unbalanced lifestyles – lifestyles that harm health, 9. Self-negation – a way of thinking that negatively impacts mental health. 10. Social isolation – has adverse effects on mental and physical health.

[0145] <Further Embodiments of Related Word Processing Systems> The above-described related word processing system primarily operates with the map system control unit 52D, related word processing unit 55D, communication control unit 58D, and display control unit 53D. The related word processing system envisioned the map database 910 as the storage unit for related words (Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, etc.) extracted from external sources.

[0146] This map database 910 is frequently accessed during workshops for data reading, writing, updating, and editing.

[0147] On the other hand, related words are highly likely to change depending on trends, seasons, time of year, environment, social environment, and era. Naturally, new related words are often created and others fall out of use. Furthermore, if we were to try to save all related words obtained from external sources, the amount of data in this map database 910 would inevitably increase, and it is anticipated that data deletion will be necessary as needed. In addition, the AI's response speed has increased in the process of obtaining related words from external sources. Considering these circumstances, it is more convenient for this map database 910 and the memory that stores related words to divide their roles.

[0148] Therefore, in the embodiment of the related word processing system shown in Figure 16, a cache memory 921 is provided in the working memory 920 connected to the control unit 900. This cache memory 921 may be provided separately by a dedicated semiconductor chip. Furthermore, a management table, as shown in Figures 10 and 14, is provided in the cache memory 921 so that it can handle information related to related words.

[0149] Here, related terms (related keywords) obtained from external sources are written on sticky notes, but to simplify the description, sticky notes will also be referred to as "nodes" in the following explanation.

[0150] Figure 16 shows an example of the display when a keyword, i.e., the focus node 1 (or designated node 1), is specified in the personal area 102 of this map. That is, it is an example of the display when the user performs an operation to think and discuss the keyword contained in node 1. The acquisition of related words starts automatically, for example, when designated node 1 is specified. Then, the acquisition is performed from the so-called generative AI through the process shown in Figures 11, 12, and 13. In other words, in this embodiment, it may be said that the acquisition of related words is performed in real time.

[0151] The acquired related words are stored and managed in the cache memory 921. In the example shown in Figure 16, the first type of related words are shown to exist as attribute information in nodes 1a and 1b of the personal domain 102, and in nodes 1c and 1d of the social domain 101. The second-first type of related words are shown to exist as attribute information in node 2-1a of the personal domain 102 and in node 2-1b of the social domain 101. Furthermore, the second-second type of related words (unexpected related words) are shown to exist as attribute information (keywords) in node 2-2a of the social domain 101. In addition, the third type of related words (technical terms) are shown to exist as attribute information in node 3a of the social domain 101.

[0152] As described above, the nodes (keywords) automatically placed in areas 101 and 102 are clearly nodes that are related to nodes (keywords) managed in this map database 910. Other nodes are placed in this system at the radial display position (on the surrounding dotted circle) of node 1 of the specified keyword.

[0153] In this example, nodes 2-1c, 2-2b, 2-2c, 3c, and 3d of other related words are displayed at the radial display position (on the surrounding dotted circle). In contrast, in the embodiment of Figure 15, nodes 2-1c, 2-2b, 2-2c, 3c, and 3d are displayed in the palette area 105.

[0154] Furthermore, in this system, users can pin any desired node around node 1. Once a desired node is pinned, the user can move that node to a desired position using touch or drag-and-drop operations. Node 3b in the social area 101 shows an example of a node that has been moved from its radial display position after being pinned.

[0155] When the selection of node 1 is deselected by clicking again, all nodes in the cache memory 921 except for the moved node 3b are canceled (deleted). At this time, node 3b may be registered in the map database 910 and deleted from the cache memory 921. In other words, it is erased from cache memory 921. This flexibly accommodates the fact that related words change according to trends, seasons, time of year, environment, social environment, and era, and that new related words may be created or some words may fall out of use.

[0156] The embodiment of the related word processing system shown in Figure 17 is yet another embodiment. This embodiment is a system that provides the keyword of a specified node 1 to an external language model SB7 (shown in Figures 12 and 13), a so-called generative AI, retrieves related words from the outside based on this, and evaluates the relationship between the keyword of node 1 and the related words (see steps SB6 and SC6 in Figures 12 and 13).

[0157] In other words, this system can further perform processing to estimate the distance and spatial relationship of related words to node 1.

[0158] For example, the generation AI is pre-programmed with the node keywords and their coordinate locations stored in the system's map database 910. Next, the generation AI calculates the distance between the related word (related keyword) automatically acquired from an external source and the keyword of node 1. The related keyword in this case is one that does not exist in the map database 910. Based on the calculated distance information, the system can automatically place and display the nodes of the externally acquired related words. Regarding the distance information, a table similar to the one shown in Figure 7 is prepared in the cache memory. The distance information is then recorded in the column for related keyword 307F (shown in Figure 7), linked to the externally acquired related keyword.

[0159] The estimation of distance information between a keyword (KWr) at node 1 and related keywords (KWx) can be set up as follows: Other keywords related to the keyword (KWr) at node 1 (multiple first keywords) and other keywords related to the related keyword (KWx) (multiple second keywords) are searched. Next, the "number" of identical or similar words among the "multiple first keywords" and "multiple second keywords" is counted. The larger the "number" of identical or similar words, the closer the distance information is set. Upper and lower limits are set for the distance information. Note that this method is not limited to this method, and other methods may also be used.

[0160] Node 3b in the social domain 101 of Figure 17 shows an example where the AI-estimated position is moved by user input. This occurs when the user determines that the estimated position is inappropriate, but the coordinates of node 3b when moved by user input are also learned. This learned information is also stored in the cache memory 921 and used as reference information the next time node 1 is specified.

[0161] In the embodiment shown in Figure 17, unlike the embodiments shown in Figures 15 and 16, the keyword nodes acquired from an external source are not placed in the palette area or at radial positions. Instead, the nodes acquired based on the distance information described above are placed in areas 101 and 102. However, if the number of acquired nodes is too large, a limit may be imposed.

[0162] Furthermore, for nodes retrieved and displayed from an external source, if the selection of node 1 is deselected by clicking again, any nodes (keywords) existing in the cache memory 921 other than the moved node 3b will be canceled (deleted). Also, node 3b may be registered in this map database 910 and deleted from the cache memory 921.

[0163] The embodiment of the related word processing system shown in Figure 18 is yet another embodiment. In this embodiment, a sub-display unit 3012, also controlled by the control unit 900, is used. The coordination between the display unit 3011 and the sub-display unit 3012 is performed by the display control unit 53D of the control unit 900 in response to operations from the input unit. Here, control of the display position of nodes acquired from an external source for areas 101 and 102 on the display unit 3011 is performed in response to operations from the input unit.

[0164] The sub-display unit 3012 has a palette-type display area 3015, a table-type display area 3016, and a graph-type display area 3017 in the upper, middle, and lower sections of its screen in the vertical direction.

[0165] This now shows the case where node 1 is specified, and, as in the previous embodiment (Figures 15, 16, and 17), it shows a state where related words have been obtained from an external source. The palette-style display area 3015 indicates that the second type of related words 2-1c, 2-2b, 2-2c and the third type of related words 3c, 3d have been retrieved and are available to be displayed as sticky notes (shown as nodes in the diagram). This data is stored in the cache memory 921.

[0166] In the tabular display area 3016, as shown in Figure 14, the nodes of keywords obtained from external sources are displayed for the keyword related to node 1. In this display method, multiple rows for each node (related word) may be scrolled up and down.

[0167] The graph-format display area 3017 shows nodes 2-1c, 2-2b, 2-2c, 3d, and 3c. These correspond to the nodes displayed in the palette area of ​​Figure 15 and the radial positions of Figure 16. Furthermore, the relationships between these nodes (keywords) are also determined here, and related nodes are displayed connected by lines.

[0168] In this embodiment, it is possible to pin desired nodes. Pinned nodes can then be moved to any area by drag-and-drop operations performed by the user. Node 3b in display area 101 shows an example of what happens when it is moved by user operation.

[0169] In the embodiment shown in Figure 18, nodes (keywords) present in the cache memory 921 at nodes other than the moved node 3b are canceled (deleted). Furthermore, node 3b may be registered in the map database 910 and deleted from the cache memory 921.

[0170] Figure 19 is a flowchart showing the operation of retrieving related words from the generating AI and storing them in the cache memory 921. This operation is performed by the coordinated operation of the main map system control unit 52D, display control unit 53D, related word processing unit 55D, communication control unit 58D, input unit, etc. of the control unit 900. In this operation, the main map database 910, the cache memory 921 of the working memory 920, and the program memory 930 are accessed.

[0171] When this system starts, the user selects the project settings menu and chooses the desired project. Then, the map corresponding to the projector is displayed (SD1). Participants viewing the map begin thinking and discussing, and when node 1 containing the desired keyword is specified (SD2), the system moves to step SD3.

[0172] In SD3, related words associated with the keyword of node 1 are retrieved from the generating AI and stored in cache memory 921. In the next step, SD4, it is checked whether the retrieved related words exist in the main map database. Since there are multiple related words to retrieve, they are sorted.

[0173] Related terms that exist within this map database are displayed on this map by being highlighted or colored (SD5). On the other hand, related terms that do not exist within this map database are displayed radially around node 1 (embodiment in Figure 16), or as described in the embodiment in Figure 17 or Figure 18.

[0174] Based on user actions, moved nodes are displayed on this map, and their latitude and longitude are also recorded.

[0175] If the designation of node 1 is removed (SD8), cache memory 921 is cleared (SD9), and the process terminates.

[0176] Figure 20 shows the definition of the classification of related words handled in the above embodiment. The first layer is the layer of related words that constitute the nodes of this map that have a co-occurrence relationship with the keyword. The second layer is the related words that frequently appear in articles introducing examples of the keyword. However, proper nouns such as product names are excluded.

[0177] The third layer consists of related words that are associated with the keyword but whose relationship is not usually thought of, excluding proper nouns such as product names. The fourth layer consists of related words of technologies associated with the keyword.

[0178] Figure 21 shows an example of a menu screen M9210 for deciding whether or not to use the external generation AI (i.e., an external generation AI) in the embodiment described above, where related words are obtained from an external source. Here, a "Use" button 9212 and a "Do not use" button 9213 are displayed. The user can select either one. There are also two timings for obtaining related words from the generation AI. For example, during work, a "Generate AI" button is displayed on the screen, and the user can touch or click the "Generate AI" button as needed. When the "Generate AI" button is touched or clicked, related words are obtained from an external source and displayed. There is also a "Keyword" button, and it is possible to set it to automatically obtain related words from the generation AI when a keyword is specified.

[0179] The characteristics of the related word system described above are described below. (1) A thinking and discussion support device comprising an input unit and a control unit, wherein the data set for displaying a map is Multiple fields relating to society are classified in a first direction, and each of the multiple fields is classified into multiple levels in a second direction intersecting the first direction, thereby constructing a first category of society consisting of multiple first domains formed by the multiple fields and the multiple levels. Furthermore, a third direction distinct from the aforementioned second direction also constructs a second category of individuals consisting of multiple second domains. The plurality of first regions can be configured to contain nodes having attribute information relating to the first category, and the plurality of second regions can be configured to contain nodes having attribute information relating to the second category, wherein each node has at least a keyword as attribute information.

[0180] Here, the related word processing unit of the control unit is The system includes means for extracting and managing related word nodes that have the second keyword when a second keyword held by multiple other nodes is related to a first keyword held by a node of interest, and means for acquiring and managing related terms from external materials that are related to the first keyword held by the node of interest, as other related words. In this case, the acquired related words are stored in a cache memory, and when the display of the node of interest is canceled, the related words stored in the cache memory are erased.

[0181] (2) In the above (1), the display control unit included in the control unit can display the related word node and the sticky note to which the other related words belong in an overview manner on the display unit when the input unit specifies the node of interest. (3) In (1) above, sticky notes or nodes relating to related words stored in the cache memory are displayed on the palette or are displayed by being placed at radial positions around the node of interest. (4) In (3) above, either the sticky note or node on the palette or the radial position can be pinned and moved to any position in the first or second region in response to the operation. (5) In (1) above, the other related words are obtained from an external source and then displayed on a second display unit different from the first display unit having the first and second regions.

[0182] Furthermore, the related word processing system described above significantly impacts the filtering and display functions, heatmap display function, import / export function, editing function, and dashboard function, which will be explained later. In other words, the processing results differ depending on whether or not you selectively set nodes of type 1 or other types, including nodes with the various related words described above, and then perform filtering, heatmap processing, import / export processing, and dashboard function processing.

[0183] <Explanation of this system's menu screen> Figure 22 shows examples of the work menu 5003 (enlarged in the upper part of the figure) and the side menu 5013 (enlarged in the left part of the figure) displayed on the display unit 3011. Here, the display unit 3011 used by the project manager is shown and explained as a representative example. The operation method is explained assuming click operation. This menu display is mainly executed by the display control unit 53D and the menu processing unit 56D included in the control unit 900 shown in Figure 8.

[0184] Clicking the show / hide (on / off) button 5001 in the upper part of the display unit 3011 screen displays the work menu 5003 (shown enlarged in the upper part of the diagram) in the area enclosed by the dashed line. Clicking the show / hide (on / off) button 5011 in the lower right part of the display unit 3011 screen displays the side menu 5013 (shown enlarged on the left side of the diagram) in the area enclosed by the dashed line 5012.

[0185] Work menu 5003 includes a sticker button WM1 for processing stickers, a free draw button WM2 for freely writing text and symbols on stickers and sticky notes, a line button WM3 for drawing lines between nodes, a sticky note button WM4 for processing sticky notes, a document button WM5 for linking documents to nodes, a work area expansion button WM6 for expanding the work area (partially expanding), a zoom button WM7 for zooming in on the entire work area, and a whole button WM8 for displaying the entire work area. Additionally, there is an AI button WM9 for displaying a menu for setting the activity timing of the "Generation AI" shown in Figure 21.

[0186] The side menu 5013 includes a demo movie button SM1 to start a demonstration explaining how to use this system, and an explanation button SM2 to set up this project management system. Furthermore, there is a topic playback button SM3 to play topics stored in this system, a keyword search button SM4 to search for keywords, and a past idea search button SM5 to search for past ideas included in this system.

[0187] A filter button SM6 is also provided. When this filter button SM6 is operated, a tool palette is displayed, and the user can select the desired item (or node) from the tool palette. The user then turns on the filter. Nodes not included in the filter settings become semi-transparent, and only the filtered nodes are clearly displayed. This filtering operation simultaneously displays the node that the user initially selected and set the filter conditions for, along with other nodes related to this node. Other nodes are displayed in a dark, "faint" manner. Additionally, the nodes extracted through the filtering process may be connected by lines. Related nodes are linked (associated) by the related node processing unit 67D, and the line data for connecting the nodes is managed in various working memories 920.

[0188] Furthermore, nodes of user interest, and those with a high level of interest, can be extracted using a filter. For example, the filter identifies nodes that are frequently accessed by users (have a high number of accesses) as nodes of high interest, and then extracts them in descending order. The filter can extract, for example, the top 30% or top 40% of nodes (this number is not limited and can be changed at the user's discretion). Nodes of high interest are managed in this map database 910 and are associated with each other by linking data, which is attribute information. This linking process is also performed by the related node processing unit 67D. Multiple linked nodes, for example, include each other's node ID (linking data) in the linking field of their attribute information. Furthermore, this linking data may also include rank identification data such as Type 1 and Type 2 as described earlier.

[0189] When filtering reveals a correlation between nodes in the social domain and nodes in the brain domain, it becomes immediately clear which aspects of a person's thinking or feeling are particularly related to society. This kind of related information can also be provided as service information to necessary individuals or groups through a service delivery system.

[0190] Additionally, side menu 5013 has a heatmap button SM7. When this heatmap button SM7 is pressed, a tool palette for heatmaps is displayed. When the heatmap display is turned on, the screen darkens and the heatmap is drawn. If the heatmap mode is left on, the display will be maintained even if the system switches to another mode.

[0191] The heatmap's display state can, for example, enclose (or highlight) areas where multiple frequently accessed nodes are clustered together. This method of representing areas in a enclosed (or highlighted) state is unique because the map displays nodes distributed across multiple regions (cells). Highlighting methods include highlighting, blinking, and using a different color from the surrounding area. The heatmap can also appear linearly or cloud-like, potentially stimulating users' insights into thinking and discussion topics.

[0192] Furthermore, there are ranking buttons (SM8), work management buttons (SM9), and exit buttons (SM10). The ranking button (SM8) displays keywords related to areas (nodes) of user interest in a ranked list. One way to measure user interest is to quantify the frequency with which a node has been accessed. In addition to displaying the ranking, keywords (ranking) may also be displayed in conjunction with a graph representing the ranking.

[0193] When the Work Management button SM9 is clicked, options for importing work, exporting work, importing custom keywords, and exporting custom keywords are displayed. SM10 is the Exit button; clicking this button exits the current operating mode.

[0194] <Explanation of the work screen> Figure 23 shows an example of a work screen that appears when the seal button WM1 is clicked from the work menu 5003 (also shown in Figure 22). The user can select the seal button WM1 from the work menu and then click the desired node to add a seal to that node. This display is mainly executed by the seal processing unit 61D and the display control unit 53D, which are included in the control unit 900.

[0195] This screen also displays the SM21 palette for setting the sticker color. This palette allows you to select multiple colors. In the example shown, there are palettes for red, yellow, and blue from left to right. The user selects their preferred color from the palette and clicks it, then clicks the desired node on the map, and that node changes to the selected color. In the example shown, the middle color (for example, yellow (marked with a downward-sloping diagonal line, SM22)) is selected from the three colors. Then, nodes ND1, ND2, ND3, and ND4 are clicked. As a result, stickers are added to nodes ND1...ND4. At this time, nodes ND1...ND4 become yellow.

[0196] Next, you can also display menu SM23 (bottom left of the diagram) for manipulating the stickers (for example, writing on them). For example, if you tap (double-click) the colored node ND3, a menu for writing on the sticker (pencil icon) and a menu for deleting the attached sticker (trash can icon) will appear nearby (menu SM23).

[0197] Currently, clicking the pencil icon in menu SM23 will display the next writing screen for drawing on the sticker, and clicking the trash can icon will erase the sticker (Note: Node ND3 will remain).

[0198] Node ND4 (on the right in the diagram) is yellow and shows that a sticker has been attached. When this node ND4 is clicked, for example, the text written on the sticker (which can also be called a label) (BITCOIN in this example) will be displayed next to node ND4.

[0199] Figure 24 shows the screen for writing on a sticker that appears when the pencil icon in menu SM23 (shown in the lower left of Figure 23) is clicked. This display is also primarily executed by the sticker processing unit 61D and the display control unit 53D, which are included in the control unit 900. Here, the work sticker WS21 is displayed first. This work sticker WS21 shows that "TEST" has just been written on it. Above the work sticker WS21, the pencil icon SM31, the eraser icon SM32, and the font thickness icon SM33 are displayed. Next to the font thickness icon SM33, the font thickness selection icon SM35 is displayed so that various font sizes can be selected.

[0200] The user can click the pencil icon SM31 to freely write text in the center of the work seal WS21. During this process, they can also select the thickness of the text, and use the eraser icon SM32 to erase unwanted text. Furthermore, the eraser thickness can be adjusted using the eraser thickness selection icon SM35.

[0201] Furthermore, during the process, you can use the undo mark SM36 and the redo mark SM37 to correct input errors. In addition, by operating the trash can mark SM38, you can discard all input and start entering text again from the beginning.

[0202] When the decision mark SM39 is clicked, the written content becomes available as the label of the node. When the X mark is clicked, the display of the figure disappears and is saved in the memory linked to the corresponding node. The mark SM49 is for ending this operation guide.

[0203] Furthermore, in this case, the name or initials of the user who wrote the memo may be written on the seal. Also, when the seal is input from a personal computer or smartphone, the identification data of these devices may be added to the seal. Furthermore, when a camera is provided in the display unit, the identification code of the user may be linked to the seal (node) by face authentication, or the face image itself may be linked to the seal (node) and managed.

[0204] Figure 25 is a work screen that is displayed after the free draw button WM2 of the work menu 5003 shown in the previous figure is operated in the seal mode (when the seal button is on). Here, the free draw area is not specified and the user can freely write on the screen of the display unit. For example, when the map is touched or clicked, the area around that position, for example, area 3101, is set to the free draw state. Therefore, in this case, this display is executed mainly by the free draw processing unit 62D and the display control unit 53D included in the control unit 900. Software may be created so that the free draw area is set.

[0205] In this example, the characters "TEST" are written with a pen, and the state of writing a die is shown. When writing these, it is possible to select the display color in the palette from the work menu 5003, and it is also possible to select the thickness of the pen with the thickness selection mark. For example, the multiple circles in the work menu 5003 are white, red, orange, brown, yellow, light green, green, blue, dark blue, purple, × from the left. Also, the selection marks for selecting the thickness of the pen are such that the leftmost circle is the smallest (meaning the line thickness is the smallest), and larger circles are arranged as you go to the right (meaning the line thickness is thicker).

[0206] <Explanation of Filter Processing> FIG. 26 shows the state of the screen when the filter button SM6 of the previous side menu 5013 is clicked. In this case, the tool palette 5021 is further displayed. This display is executed mainly by the menu processing unit 56D and the display control unit 53D included in the control unit 900.

[0207] The user turns on the switch F1 for filter on / off in the tool palette 5021. Further, the user selects an item (item) for which the filter is to be executed. In the example of the figure, the seal button F2 for filter execution is selected. Also, the user can select how to display the nodes to which the seal is added when the filter is executed. In the example of the figure, the connected node button F12 is selected. At this time, as shown on the right side of the figure, among the nodes in the social area and the individual (brain) area, the nodes with seals attached are connected by lines and displayed. And the number 4 of the connected nodes is also displayed as F13.

[0208] Tool Palette 5021 includes several selection buttons that allow you to specify the target for further filtering (specify filter conditions). For example, there is a sticky note button F3 (extracts nodes with sticky notes attached), a keyword button F4 (extracts nodes associated with keywords specified by the user), a technical keyword button F5 (extracts nodes associated with technical keywords specified by the user), an issue keyword button F6 (extracts nodes associated with issues specified by the user), important keywords F7 (extracts nodes designated as important by the user), noteworthy keywords F8 (extracts nodes designated as "noteworthy" by the user), idea sheet F9 (extracts nodes with an idea sheet attached), free draw F10 (extracts nodes associated with free draw), and a personal / background element button F11 (extracts nodes associated with personal and background elements). There is also a button F14 for extracting nodes associated with reference materials and a button F15 for locking nodes as hidden. To unlock, simply click the checked state.

[0209] Furthermore, the nodes that are filtered and displayed based on the filter conditions may have different colored lines connecting them, depending on the filter conditions.

[0210] As described above, by selecting or combining numerous nodes using various types of filter functions (conditions), users can observe this map from various perspectives and gain inspiration and ideas. In particular, when nodes in the personal (brain, emotions) domain and nodes in the social domain are connected by lines, it provides a noteworthy overview.

[0211] In other words, the control unit of this system comprises a node control unit (composed of the map system control unit 52D in Figure 8, etc.) and an attribute information control unit (composed of the search processing unit 72D, display control unit 53D, related word processing unit 55D, term related memory processing unit 73D, etc. in Figure 8), and the node control unit can display multiple of the aforementioned nodes in the social domain on the social side and / or the personal domain on the individual side based on instructions from the input unit.

[0212] The attribute information control unit includes means for searching for keywords in the attribute information of the second node that are the same as or similar to the keywords in the attribute information of the first node, defining the second node as a related node, and obtaining linking information between the first node and the related node. Furthermore, if any node among the multiple nodes (referred to as a designated node) is designated from the input unit, and the filtering button is operated from the input unit, the unit includes means for adding identification information to the designated node and the related node to allow them to be displayed and identified from other nodes.

[0213] <Node processing for sticky notes> Figure 27 illustrates the functions for associating (linking) sticky notes to nodes and for creating new nodes from sticky notes themselves. These functions are controlled by the usage management function control unit 528 shown in Figure 8. This display control is primarily performed by the sticky note processing unit 64D and the display control unit 53D, which are included in the control unit 900.

[0214] Clicking the sticky note button WM4 on the work menu 5003 (Figure 23) displays the sticky note stock area 5032 on the screen. To add more sticky notes, clicking the (+) on the sticky note creation guidance screen 5033 brings up the work screen 5034, where the sticky note image is displayed. The user can freely draw on this image and add text. In this case, a palette for determining the pen tip thickness and color is also displayed. It is also possible to select the color of the sticky note.

[0215] Once you've finished drawing or writing on a sticky note, you can move it to the sticky note storage area, for example, by dragging it.

[0216] Furthermore, users can select a desired sticky note from the sticky note stock area 5032, drag it, and drop it at a desired location, for example, at the location indicated by symbol 5036. In this case, the sticky note becomes a node. That is, it will be displayed as a node from then on. Therefore, the sticky note processing (management) function can be operated by an administrator with editing privileges.

[0217] Figure 28 shows an example of the tool screen 5041 used when creating the sticky note mentioned above. This tool screen 5041 includes a display area 5042 for selecting pen, marker, and eraser marks, a display area 5043 for selecting marks for selecting text thickness and color, and a display area 5045 for selecting marks for undoing, redoing, and discarding drawings. Furthermore, there is an area 5046 for selecting the sticky note color mark and an area 5047 for indicating the mark that determines the drawing. This sticky note processing (management) function can also be operated by an administrator with editing privileges. This display control is also mainly performed by the sticky note processing unit 64D and the display control unit 53D included in the control unit 900.

[0218] <Import / Export Function> Figure 29 shows an example of the detailed menu 5022 that appears when the work management button SM9 is clicked from the side menu 5013. When the work management button SM9 is clicked, the work import button G17, the work export button G18, the custom keyword import button G19, and the custom keyword export button G20 are displayed. This display control is mainly performed by the import / export processing unit 68D and the display control unit 53D, which are included in the control unit 900.

[0219] The user clicks, for example, the import button G17 and selects a node containing the import data. The types of work data associated with the selected node (stickers, sticky notes, documents, etc.) are then displayed in the preview screen. If the user does not want to import any work data, they uncheck the box next to that work data. Then, they click a node (the node that will receive the import data) and click the "Import" button that appears near this node. This operation imports the selected items (stickers, sticky notes, documents, etc.) from one node to the other.

[0220] To export data, click the export button G18 and select the node containing the data you want to export. The type of work data (stickers, sticky notes, documents, etc.) associated with the selected node will then be displayed in the preview screen. If you do not want to export any work data, uncheck the box next to it. Then, click the node (the node that will receive the exported data) and click the "Export" button that appears near it. This will export the selected data (stickers, sticky notes, documents, etc.) from one node to the other.

[0221] Custom keywords are written in formats such as JSON (JavaScript Notation), and certain data processing can be performed using data in this format.

[0222] Therefore, it can be said that a node is computerized by adding a lot of information, as well as custom keywords and other software. Custom keywords are keywords that were initially set for the node. When the custom keyword import button G19 or custom keyword export button G20 is used, only the custom words are handled, and attribute information added to the node later is excluded. Such import and export operations are basically performed, for example, between a project administrator system and a participant system.

[0223] Furthermore, the import / export function may allow for the setting of a period during which the work data was entered, particularly in the processing of work data. It may also include a function to identify the user who entered the work data. Additionally, it may include a function to identify the information to be imported or exported, such as documents, photographs, videos, and audio data imported from external sources.

[0224] The aforementioned import / export functionality allows for the sharing of node information among multiple users of this system. In particular, when a new participant joins, it becomes possible to share node information between the project administrator and the participant. In other words, the import / export functionality can be utilized as a data service provision system.

[0225] <Ranking Processing Function> FIG. 30 is a screen showing a ranking displayed after the ranking button SM8 is clicked in the side menu 5013 (FIGS. 22 and 26). The ranking measures the degree of interest of keywords (nodes) in which the user has shown interest, and shows it as a bar graph so that the order can be understood. From the left side, for example, a bar is displayed together with the main keyword name of the node, and the bar is colored with the same color as the basic color of the node. The basic color of the node is the color registered as the initial setting color in the attribute information of the node when the node was first generated. This display control is executed mainly by the rank processing unit 65D and the display control unit 53D included in the control unit 900.

[0226] Various methods are possible for measuring the degree of interest of nodes. For example, there are methods of ranking by the number of times a node is clicked, methods of measuring the time during which the attribute information (keyword) attached to the node is displayed for a long time after the node is clicked, etc. The measurement data is added to the attribute information of the node and managed. By viewing this ranking, the user can recognize the relationships of multiple nodes and obtain an opportunity to newly consider insights, realizations, etc. Also, it is possible to provide this ranking information as service data to the outside or participants using the communication control unit and the import / export function.

[0227] <Heat Map Processing Function> Figure 31 shows a screen displaying a heatmap after the heatmap button SM7 is clicked in the side menu 5013. This is an example of displaying a heatmap where areas with high-interest nodes are enclosed in a frame 411. Various heatmap display formats are possible. In the figure, frame 411 is displayed in one place. However, if the size of the frame is kept constant, there may be multiple areas with different heatmap ranks, or multiple areas with the same rank. In such cases, similar frames, such as frame 422, may be displayed in multiple places, and frames with different ranks may have different colors along with the rank display. This display control is mainly performed by the heatmap processing unit 66D and the display control unit 53D included in the control unit 900. In addition, the shape of the frame is not limited to the rectangle shown in the figure, but may also be a triangle, a long ellipse, or various other shapes.

[0228] By displaying such heatmaps, users can recognize the relationships between multiple areas and gain opportunities to generate new insights and discoveries. Furthermore, this heatmap information can be provided to external parties or participants as service data using the communication control unit and import / export functions.

[0229] The attribute information of the nodes mentioned above includes pre-configured custom words (keywords) and working words added via stickers or sticky notes. Furthermore, it may also include information imported and added from external sources (such as audio, video, newspapers, documents, and books).

[0230] Therefore, multiple nodes may be related to each other through their attribute information. For example, if "box" is set as a relational word, then nodes with "trash can," "mailbox," "ballot box," "delivery box," and "other" as relational (key) words can be considered. Defining such mutually related nodes as "relational nodes" makes it possible to visualize various combination patterns of related nodes.

[0231] The above-described embodiment demonstrates that seals can be attached to nodes, and that drawings can be made on the seals.

[0232] <Further explanation of the entire system> Figure 32 shows the same block as in Figure 1 in more detail, from a software perspective, although it includes some hardware.

[0233] In Figure 32, the service administrator system 2001 basically includes service management software (hereinafter referred to as service management SW21), map control software (hereinafter referred to as map control SW22, corresponding to the map system control unit 52D in Figure 8), and editing software (hereinafter referred to as editing SW23, corresponding to the editing function control unit 59D in Figure 8). Furthermore, it includes a sample data memory 2002 and a user page manager 2003.

[0234] The map control SW22 is also referred to as Keywords (registered trademark), and the editing SW23 is also referred to as KeywordsEditor (registered trademark). Furthermore, the map control SW22 corresponds to the main map control unit 522D in Figure 9, and the editing SW23 corresponds to the editing function control unit 59D in Figure 8.

[0235] The service management SW21 described above can, for example, acquire various sample data (photos, videos, music, audio, reference materials (including URLs), literature, etc.) via the externally connected network NET1 in response to an operation, and store them in the sample data memory 2002 after adding management information (including data name, data acquisition date, date the data was accessed, and the name of the data acquirer). The name of the data acquirer is, for example, the person who performed the system operation.

[0236] The map control SW22 can function when various processes are performed in response to an operation, such as placing nodes on the map, attaching stickers to nodes, or adding color to nodes.

[0237] A node can be described as a kind of intelligent cell. For example, a node can operate autonomously by either including data processing functions itself or having functions that cooperate with data processing functions. For instance, it can periodically calculate the correlation with other nodes or update keywords that co-occur with other nodes.

[0238] Edit SW23 is a tool for editing nodes on the map itself (adding, moving, deleting nodes, etc.). Furthermore, Edit SW23 is also used when editing attribute information attached to nodes. Editing allows for further additions, changes, and deletions to attribute information attached to nodes, and Edit SW23 can also perform actions such as erasing or changing the color of nodes as needed.

[0239] User Page Manager 2003 can record the status of system operations performed by service administrators as job data. If you want to reproduce a past operating state of the system (return to a previous operating state), you can perform a "back" operation on User Page Manager 2003.

[0240] The operating status of the service administrator system 2001 can be displayed by the display unit 2111.

[0241] The service administrator system 2001 described above can connect to the project administrator system 3001 via network NET2. Alternatively, the project administrator system 3001 can also connect to the service administrator system 2001 via network NET2.

[0242] The project manager system 3001 basically includes project management software (hereinafter referred to as project management SW31), map control software (hereinafter referred to as map control SW32), editing software (hereinafter referred to as editing SW33), and document viewer software (hereinafter referred to as browsing SW34). Furthermore, it also includes causal loop software (hereinafter referred to as causal loop SW35), logarithmic scale software (hereinafter referred to as logarithmic scale SW36), and dashboard software (hereinafter referred to as dashboard SW37). In addition, the project manager system 3001 includes a user page manager 3003.

[0243] The project manager system 3001 communicates with the service manager system 2001 via the network NET2 in response to the project manager's operations. It then receives map data from the service manager and provides it to the map control SW32. Based on the map data, the map control SW32 displays the map itself on the screen of the display unit 3011.

[0244] The project administrator system 3001 communicates with the participant system 4001 via network NET3 in response to the project administrator's operations. It can then provide map data to the map control SW42 within the participant system 4001.

[0245] The editing SW33 within the project manager system 3001 can perform operations on nodes on the map (such as adding and editing attribute information, adding and deleting stickers, and writing data to stickers) in response to operations by the project manager or participants. In other words, the editing SW33 works in cooperation with the map control SW32 to link sample data to desired nodes on the map, or to add various attribute information to desired nodes and display it on the display unit 3011. Editing here is subject to restrictions compared to editing performed by the service manager. For example, there are restrictions on deleting or adding nodes, and deleting attribute information attached to nodes. The map control SW32 corresponds to the main map system control unit 52D in Figure 8, and the editing SW33 corresponds to the editing function control unit 59D in Figure 8.

[0246] Viewing SW34 allows users to view various sample data (such as photos, videos, music, audio, historical reference materials (including URLs)) that are permitted to be provided by Service Management SW21 of the Service Administrator System 2001.

[0247] The causal loop SW35 has the function of displaying causal relationships and related words between nodes. As described above, various sample data (attribute information) can be newly added to nodes, and nodes have attribute information. Therefore, causal relationships or relationships based on keywords may arise between multiple nodes. For this reason, the management device that manages all nodes can summarize the relationships between nodes. Furthermore, the causal loop SW35 can, for example, detect related nodes that are related (co-occurring) to each other, and in cooperation with the map control SW32, automatically connect those nodes with lines, and / or display related nodes in the same color, and also display related characters, titles of documents, etc. The causal loop SW35 works in cooperation with the map control SW32 to enable the above displays on the display unit screen.

[0248] The causal loop SW35 allows users to set search conditions (e.g., exclude or limit to specific categories) when searching for related nodes. Furthermore, related first and second nodes may have a positive relationship with each other, or a negative relationship. However, depending on user operation and settings, it is also possible to search only for positive relationships or only for negative relationships. For example, a first node with "building construction" as a keyword can be searched for a second node with "building construction" as a keyword, or a third node with a negative relationship to the first node with "building demolition" as a keyword can be searched. Moreover, nodes can be searched regardless of whether the relationship is positive or negative. In this case, related nodes may include positive relationships, negative relationships, or both, and may be displayed in different colors depending on the relationship.

[0249] As described above, when multiple nodes that are in a co-occurrence relationship (or have some kind of relationship) are connected by lines (or unified by the same color), those who are thinking or discussing may realize that they can consider the given task from a new perspective or standpoint. They may then come up with new tasks or have new ideas for solutions or improvements to the tasks.

[0250] The logarithmic scale SW36 converts data from references attached to a node, for example, to a logarithmic scale and, in cooperation with the map control SW32, makes it possible to display it on the screen of the display unit 3011. In this case, exponentially changing data can be viewed in a list. Furthermore, it is possible to compare the logarithmic scales of multiple nodes when multiple nodes that are in a co-occurrence relationship are connected. This is effective, for example, when comparing the frequency characteristics of products such as parts and devices.

[0251] Dashboard SW37 can monitor, for example, how the map itself is being controlled by the map control SW42 of the participant system 4001. In other words, if there are multiple participants, it can monitor, for example, what kind of seals each participant is attaching to which nodes, or which nodes each participant is accessing the most times.

[0252] Furthermore, the project administrator system 3001 also includes a user page manager 3003. The user page manager 3003 can record the status of the project administrator's system operation as job data, and if the project administrator wants to reproduce a past operation state of the system (return to an operation state), a "back" operation is performed on the user page manager 3003.

[0253] The project administrator system 3001 can connect to the participant system (which may also be called the workshop) 4001 via network NET3. The general participant system 4001 can also connect to the project administrator system 3001 via network NET3, however, a password is required for this connection.

[0254] The participant system 4001 is equipped with map control software (hereinafter referred to as map control SW42) and has the same functions as the project manager's map control SW32. However, map control SW42 is under the control of the project manager's map control SW32 and may be subject to limitations on power on / off functionality and the software functions it can use.

[0255] The participant system 4001 also includes a user page manager 4003. The user page manager 4003 can record the status of a participant's system operation as job data, and if the participant wants to reproduce a past operation state of the system (return to the previous operation state), a "back" operation is performed on the user page manager 3003.

[0256] Next, we will explain the editing functions of this system. The editing functions (hardware and / or software) are basically provided in the Service Administrator System 2001 and the Project Administrator System 3001.

[0257] <Explanation of editing functions> Figure 33 shows the transition of the guide screens after clicking the editing SW33 screen to activate the editing function. Clicking the image of editing SW33 displays screens 3301 and 3302, which serve as entry points (paths) to map editing. Additionally, screen 3303, which serves as an entry point (path) to editing topic displays, and screen 3304, which serves as an entry point (path) to obtaining a copy of a topic display, are displayed.

[0258] When either screen 3301 or 3302, which serves as the navigation screen for map editing, is selected, editing of the nodes becomes possible.

[0259] This system manages project files. Project files may also be saved as local files for backup. The user clicks on a project on the screen. Then, a list of nodes R11 belonging to the main map of the selected project is displayed in the operation area AR1.

[0260] Furthermore, if the user wishes to edit the nodes of this map that exist in the file, they click on the file in screen 3302. A list of nodes belonging to this map in the file (R11) is displayed in the operation area AR1.

[0261] Furthermore, this system facilitates thinking and discussion using this map. Within the attribute information of each node in this map, there is information about various topics (such as current events and trending terms). These topics are added to nodes by participants or project managers (i.e., users) during the thinking and discussion process, or by data obtained from external sources. In other words, the attribute information of each node includes topics.

[0262] For ingestion information attached to a node to be treated as a topic, it must be placed within a topic group. To facilitate this, conditions are set for ingestion information to be treated as a topic. These conditions are set by the user. For example, a node has a basic meaning determined by its placement. Therefore, for instance, the ingestion information with the highest correlation to the node's meaning is treated as the node's topic. Alternatively, topic conditions can be set in advance for each node, and information that satisfies these conditions can be treated as the topic for that node.

[0263] If a project manager wants to initiate thinking and discussion using the map described above, they should provide some direction for thinking or trigger some kind of thinking for the participants. Therefore, it is convenient to utilize the topics associated with each node. For this reason, screen 3303, which guides the editing of topic displays, and screen 3304, which allows for the duplication of topic displays, are displayed.

[0264] When the above-mentioned guide screens 3302, 3302, 3303, and 3304 are displayed, regardless of which is selected, the overall screen of the display unit 3011 will have three areas (operation areas AR1, AR2, and AR3) as shown on the right side of the figure.

[0265] The screens accessed from screens 3301 and 3302 form the first operation area AR1, the second operation area AR2, and the third operation area AR3.

[0266] In the first operation area AR1, a list of nodes R11 is displayed, and the user can click on the node they want to edit (which may also be called the node to be edited or the node of interest). Then, in the second operation area AR2, an area is reserved for editing keywords contained in the attribute information of the selected node R21, and an area is reserved for editing past ideas contained in the attribute information of the node of interest R22.

[0267] Keyword editing R21 includes deleting or adding keywords, adding adjectives, adverbs, restrictions, deadlines, etc., to keywords, such as adding emphasis terms or negation terms. Furthermore, editing R31 is also possible in the third operation area AR3, which involves applying design elements (color, size, font, etc.) to keywords.

[0268] Regarding editing past ideas (R22), there are ideas (data) that exist as attribute information linked to the featured node. These ideas include text and context written by users in workshops, for example, on stickers. Therefore, these ideas can be edited by users (R22). This is because if the effectiveness of past ideas diminishes due to trends or other factors, they may be deleted (set to hidden), and new ideas may be available.

[0269] Furthermore, in the third operation area AR3, a media list R32 associated with the featured node as attribute information is displayed. Users can select or delete (hide) desired media from this media list R32. After that, clicking the media marker attached to the featured node will display a list of the selected media.

[0270] The attribute information of the featured node includes SNS information imported from external sources, news data broadcast on news programs, data from URLs, photo and video data of incidents and accidents, and newspaper article data.

[0271] The aforementioned media includes newspaper articles, photographs, texts, and other materials taken in from external sources via communication systems. When this media is edited, participants in the thinking and discussion process will be able to recognize recent social trends and sentiments through the media associated with the relevant node.

[0272] By performing the editing described above, project managers, for example, can change the orientation of participants in thinking and discussions to stimulate new ideas and insights, and expand possibilities.

[0273] Next, we will explain how to edit and duplicate topics. When a user clicks screen 3303 to begin editing the topic display, the first operation area AR1 displays the names of multiple topics (which may also be called steps) (stored in the terminology relation memory unit 901) that are set in each of the multiple main maps (2). The topic names may be the same as the names in the main map (for example, "Consideration of...", "Consideration on...Year...Month...Day", "...Group", etc.), or they may be assigned topic numbers.

[0274] When the editor selects a topic name (step name) they wish to edit from the list of multiple topic names (step list R41), the timelines (which may also be called chronological order or steps) of multiple topics within that topic name (step name) will be displayed in the operation area AR2, sequentially from top to bottom. At this point, editing of the step content R51 becomes possible.

[0275] If a topic has been edited beforehand, the timeline of the edited topic will be displayed. Furthermore, if the first and second main maps have the same content and the same topics, it is possible to specify the two topic names and synchronize them for editing. This synchronization setting can be configured in Operation Area AR1.

[0276] As described above, users can edit the timeline of multiple topics. In other words, they can edit the order of multiple topics (hide, show, rearrange, etc.). There are various ways to perform the editing; for example, dragging the desired topic display (or its header) and dropping it at the desired position (step), or rewriting the order number, etc., and there is no need to be specific about which method to use.

[0277] A topic is information that has a strong relationship to the node to which it is attached. Therefore, a topic can be said to represent the semantic content of a node. A topic may be a keyword attached to a node, or it may be a medium (photograph, part of a publication, newspaper article, URL, music, audio). When a topic belongs to a node as attribute information, there are ways in which it can be automatically assigned, for example, according to conditions specified by the editor (conditions based on the relationship with the node). Alternatively, it may be assigned to a node after being approved by the user as a topic related to that node.

[0278] Furthermore, during editing, it is possible to associate specified music, editors, or audio information of specific individuals with topics. This association can be done in editing step R51.

[0279] Prior to using this map, users (participants, etc.) are more likely to be influenced by observing the timeline of the topics mentioned above (the sequence of keywords or media). This influence can be effectively utilized by project managers and facilitators to guide the direction of thinking among multiple participants in a workshop. This can lead to increased time efficiency in meetings and other activities.

[0280] Furthermore, participants (users) may be influenced by the topic's timeline, which can affect their overall image, concepts, and thought processes within the map. Project administrators edit the map with these user reactions in mind (this can be considered a form of topic presentation).

[0281] The results of editing R51 are displayed in the operation area AR3 as either the keyword list display / selection result R61, or the media list display / selection result R62.

[0282] When a topic's timeline is actually used in a thinking / discussion "space," the topic playback button SM3 is operated. Using this display, the project manager (organizer of the thinking / discussion) can display the topic's timeline on the screen for multiple participants during or at the start of the thinking / discussion, thereby controlling their attention. At this time, it is also possible to synchronize the playback of music (BGM) or a narration of the topic. The linking of this synchronized data can be set to the timeline being edited by displaying and selecting the synchronization information in the editing R51 mentioned earlier.

[0283] As described above, the control unit 900 responds to input from the operation unit. It is possible to arrange keywords and / or media containing attribute information of multiple nodes on a timeline, and furthermore, it is possible to edit on the timeline, and it is possible to perform actions such as selecting and deleting the keywords and / or media, and it is possible to control the display unit 3011 to display the results of the editing.

[0284] Figure 34 shows how the timeline is set and used through the editing function.

[0285] This example shows a topic timeline displayed in display area AR11, and the map to which this timeline is applied displayed in display area AR12. The timeline arranges topics A, B, G, and so on. The timeline may also return to topic A from topic D. This is to create a visual effect when the user arranges the topics chronologically.

[0286] The user can get an overview of the nodes that have each topic. For example, by operating from the input unit, the user can give instructions (voice input or button operation) to get an overview of the nodes through the topic node effect processing function included in the control unit 900.

[0287] The display unit 3011 shows map IWM1 representing the social domain and map IWM2 representing the personal domain. Each map IWM1 and IWM2 prominently displays nodes n1-n7 (corresponding to timelines t1-t7) that correspond to topic AG on the set timeline.

[0288] For example, nodes n1-n7 are displayed with higher brightness than other nodes, and / or in a different color. Additionally, displays D1, D2, .... D7 corresponding to the topic of each node may be displayed near each node n1-n7. These displays D1, D2, .... D7 are either data written on sticky notes, or photographs, newspaper articles, documents, URLs, media, or any combination thereof obtained from external sources.

[0289] Furthermore, lines may be displayed between nodes n1-n7, corresponding to timelines t1-t7. Additionally, topics A through G may be read aloud with background music, and / or markers may point to each topic. When a topic is being read aloud, the color of the corresponding node may change, and / or the node may flash.

[0290] The control unit 900 described above also includes means for transmitting the content of the topic and / or the steps of the timeline, as well as the results of editing in response to the user input, to an external party via the communication unit. Remote users can access and view the node data of this map, the timeline data, etc. In other words, it is also possible to provide this timeline information to external parties or participants as service data using the communication control unit and import / export functions.

[0291] Furthermore, the nodes in the personal area map IWM2 usually utilize the default node placement set by the service administrator or project administrator. However, it is permissible to move (edit) the placement of node n4, for example, to the position of node n8. When this edit is performed, the basic meaning determined by the placement of node n4 changes to the meaning determined by the placement of node n8. In addition, the content of topic D of node n4 changes as a result of this change, becoming the content of topic H of node n8.

[0292] In this way, when a user views an overview of the nodes, they can indirectly edit the timeline, especially when changing the position of nodes in their personal domain. By viewing the overview of the nodes, the user can consider societal issues from a new perspective (position). This makes it possible to create an environment that can induce thinking from different viewpoints in the user. For example, the user can switch between nodes n4 and n8, as indicated by the dotted arrows, and while viewing the topics of each node, they can also view and observe the overviews and topics of other nodes. This increases the likelihood that the user will be prompted to think about societal issues from different perspectives.

[0293] <Explanation of Dashboard Features> Figure 35 shows an example of a display screen for the facilitator project management support tool provided by the system of this embodiment. In other words, Figure 35 shows an example of a screen displayed on the project manager's client terminal.

[0294] The facilitator project management support tool screen (hereinafter referred to as the support tool screen) 2000, displayed on the project administrator's client terminal, includes a header menu 2010. The header menu 2010 includes an operation log button 2011 for selecting whether or not to display the operation log, and a shared node button 2021 for selecting whether or not to display shared nodes. Shared nodes are sticky notes, etc., added to this map by general participants during the online workshop, as described later. Figure 35 shows the state in which the operation log is displayed on the support tool screen 2000, rather than the operation log and shared nodes. In other words, it shows the state in which the operation log window 2020, which presents the operation log in chronological order, is displayed.

[0295] When a general participant performs any action on this map, the details of that action are transmitted from the participant's client terminal to the cloud server. The cloud server receives these action details via the communication unit. The details of the action on the client terminal are then passed from the communication unit to the control unit. The control unit stores the action details received from the communication unit as an operation log.

[0296] The control unit providing the facilitator project management support tool, if the option to display the operation log is selected, places the operation log window 2020 on the support tool screen 202 and presents the accumulated operation log within the support tool screen 2000.

[0297] The operation log includes the date and time (TIME), the operator (USER), and the content of the operation (LOG MESSAGE). By referring to the operation log displayed in the Operation Log Window 2020 on the Support Tool Screen 2000, the project manager can see how the map was operated, and more specifically, when, who, and what was done. This confirmation can be done in real time during the online workshop or after the online workshop has ended.

[0298] The header of the Operation Log Window 2020 includes buttons 2021 to 2025 for filtering the display of operation logs. By using buttons 2021 to 2025, project administrators can select one or more operations from the following to filter the operation logs: adding / deleting stickers (button 2021), connecting / disconnecting nodes (button 2022), drawing text or shapes (button 2023), adding / moving / deleting sticky notes (button 2024), and zooming in on a specific area (button 2025).

[0299] Stickers are nodes that are attached to other nodes, for example, to differentiate one node from another. Stickers can be attached to nodes by selecting a color. Connections between nodes can be made by specifying a starting node and an ending node. Drawing text and shapes is done by drawing directly on the map, and can be done using either pen input or keyboard input. Adding sticky notes is an operation where, instead of drawing text and shapes directly on the map, text and shapes are drawn on an object that resembles a sticky note, and then the object with the drawn text and shapes is placed on the map. Drawing text and shapes on the sticky note-like object can also be done using either pen input or keyboard input.

[0300] Furthermore, if an operation is performed on the support tool screen 2000 from the project manager's client terminal, the details of that operation will be sent from the project manager's client terminal to the cloud server, just as if an operation were performed on this map from a general participant's client terminal. The control unit of the cloud server, which provides the facilitator / project management support tool, receives these operation details from the communication unit, which communicates with the client terminal via the network, and updates the support tool screen 2000 according to the operation details. The control unit then sends the updated support tool screen 2000 to the project manager's client terminal via the communication unit.

[0301] Figure 36 illustrates an example of filtering the operation logs displayed in the operation log window 2020 of the support tool screen 2000. Figure 36(A) shows the state where all operations are displayed.

[0302] Now, let's consider a scenario where the project manager wants to view only the operation logs for adding / deleting seals. In this case, the project manager can operate button 2021 located in the header of the operation log window 2020. When button 2021 is operated, the control unit of the cloud server filters the operation logs displayed in the operation log window 2020 of the support tool screen 2000 to show only operations for adding / deleting seals, as shown in Figure 36 (B).

[0303] Thus, in the system of this embodiment, the project manager can refer to the operation log by narrowing down the types of operations.

[0304] Returning to Figure 35, we will continue the explanation of the facilitator and project management support tools provided by the system of this embodiment.

[0305] The support tool screen 2000 contains the main map window 2030, which displays the main map used in the online workshop. During the online workshop, the project manager can refer to the main map displayed in the main map window 2030 to see how the map is being manipulated. In addition, when the project manager places the pointer of a pointing device over one of the operation logs displayed in the operation log window 2020, the location on the main map that was the target of that operation can be seen in the main map window 2030. In other words, when the project manager's client terminal performs the operation of placing the pointer of a pointing device over one of the operation logs in the operation log window 2020, the control unit of the cloud server draws an object on the main map in the main map window 2030 that indicates the location of the operation indicated by that operation log.

[0306] In other words, project managers can not only view operation logs in the Operation Log Window 2020, but also, when they are interested in a particular operation log, they can place the pointer over that operation log to check the corresponding location on the main map in the Map Window 2030.

[0307] In the case of an online workshop, general participants display this map on their respective client terminals. In the case of a small display device, it is possible to display an enlarged portion of the map rather than the entire map. In the system of this embodiment, when an operation such as changing the display area of ​​the map is performed on a general participant's client terminal, the details of that operation are sent from the general participant's client terminal to the cloud server. The control unit of the cloud server, which provides the facilitator and project management support tools, receives these operation details from the communication unit, which receives them from the client terminal via the network. The control unit of the cloud server draws a frame object indicating the display area on the map set by this operation on the map window 2030, for example, in a different color for each general participant. The control unit of the cloud server sends the support tool screen 2000 with the frame object drawn to the project manager's client terminal via the communication unit.

[0308] As a result, in the system of this embodiment, the project manager can see in the map window 2030 which areas on the map are being displayed by the general participants of the online workshop, that is, which areas on the map they are focusing on.

[0309] As mentioned above, Figure 37 shows the state where, of the operation log and shared nodes, only the operation log is displayed on the support tool screen 2000. In this state, the project administrator can display shared nodes such as sticky notes added by general participants on this map during the online workshop on the support tool screen 2000 by operating the shared node button 2021 included in the header menu 2010 of the support tool screen 2000 on their client terminal. Figure 37 shows the state where shared nodes are displayed along with the operation log on the support tool screen 2000.

[0310] The cloud server's control unit manages an index that shows shared nodes, such as sticky notes, that have been added to this map. As mentioned above, the cloud server's control unit accumulates logs of operations performed on this map by general participants. If an operation performed by a general participant involves adding a shared node, such as a sticky note, the cloud server's control unit registers information indicating the shared node added by that operation in the index.

[0311] Then, when the control unit of the cloud server, which provides the facilitator project management support tool, receives an operation of the shared node button 2022 on the project manager's client terminal from the communication unit, it places a shared node window 2070 on the support tool screen 2000 and displays the shared nodes obtained based on the index within the shared node window 2070.

[0312] Thus, in the system of this embodiment, the project manager can check which nodes have been added to this map by placing the shared node window 2070 on the support tool screen 2000 by operating the shared node button 2022.

[0313] Returning to Figure 35, we will continue the explanation of the facilitator and project management support tools provided by the system of this embodiment.

[0314] The header menu 2010 of the support tool screen 2000 further includes a file open button 2013 for importing and displaying previously downloaded operation logs, a JSON download button 2014 for downloading operation logs in JSON format, and a CSV download button 2015 for downloading operation logs in CSV format. Note that only operation logs downloaded in JSON format can be imported using the file open button 2013.

[0315] For example, if an online workshop is held over multiple sessions, the project manager can download the operation log using the JSON download button 2014 at the end of each session, and then, at any time before the next session, import that operation log using the file open button 2013 to perform various project management tasks, such as reviewing the progress of the online workshop.

[0316] Furthermore, since operation logs can be downloaded in CSV format, project managers can, for example, import and process the operation logs using spreadsheet software and distribute them to project stakeholders, including general participants, as files viewable in spreadsheet software.

[0317] The support tool screen 2000 also includes an operation lock window 2040. The operation lock window 2040 has buttons 2041 to 2044 for setting whether general participants can perform various operations on this map. By operating buttons 2041 to 2044, the project administrator can set whether operations such as adding / deleting stickers (button 2041), connecting / disconnecting nodes (button 2042), drawing text and shapes (button 2043), and adding / moving / deleting sticky notes (button 2044). Figure 33 shows the state where all of these operations are permitted.

[0318] For example, suppose a project manager monitoring the progress of an online workshop in real time using the support tool screen 2000 wants to prevent further additions of stickers to the main map. In this case, the project manager can operate button 2041. Specifically, they slide cursor button 2041 to the left. When the cloud server's control unit receives this operation from the communications unit, it will prohibit general participants from adding stickers.

[0319] Thus, in the system of this embodiment, the project manager can, for example, control whether or not general participants can interact with the map, depending on the progress of the online workshop.

[0320] The support tool screen 2000 also includes a participant window 2050. When a general participant connects their client terminal to the cloud server to participate in an online workshop, the system of this embodiment records the time. Furthermore, since authentication processing for general participants is performed when the client terminal connects to the cloud server, the system of this embodiment can obtain identification information, including the general participant's nickname.

[0321] The control unit of the cloud server providing the facilitator project management support tool displays the nicknames and connection times of general participants in the participant window 2050, which is placed on the support tool screen 2000. Project managers can check the participation status of general participants in the online workshop by referring to the participant window 2050.

[0322] The header of the participant window 2050 includes a retrieval button 2051 for checking the connection status of general participants' client terminals to the cloud server. When the retrieval button 2051 is pressed, the cloud server's control unit checks whether the general participant's client terminal is connected to the cloud server, for example by querying the communications unit. The cloud server's control unit then displays the results of this check in the participant window 2050. In this way, project managers can, as needed, operate the retrieval button 2051 to check whether the client terminals of general participants who joined the online workshop at the time displayed in the participant window 2050 are connected to the cloud server.

[0323] The support tool screen 2000 also includes a message window 2060. The message window 2060 is provided with a message input area 2061 and a send button 2062.

[0324] The project manager can send a message to all general participants' client terminals participating in the online workshop via the cloud server by entering a message in the message input area 2061 and operating the send button 2062. In other words, when the control unit of the cloud server receives the message sending operation from the communication unit on the project manager's client terminal, it simultaneously sends the received message to all general participants' client terminals via the communication unit.

[0325] For example, a project manager monitoring the progress of an online workshop using the Support Screen 2000 can act as a facilitator by sending messages, such as encouraging quiet participants to speak up.

[0326] As described above, the system of this embodiment, by being equipped with a facilitator / project management support tool (project management support function), can support facilitators and project managers when workshops are held online. Furthermore, as a method of using the thinking / discussion support system, the project manager's control unit transmits the display data of the support screens from the previous session to the project participants' information devices via the communication unit, thereby enabling interrupted thinking and discussions to be smoothly continued. Moreover, in the service provision method using this thinking / discussion support system, the project manager's control unit may transmit the display data of the support screens accumulated from the past, which has been provided to project participants, via the communication unit and provide it to a public server. This makes it possible to provide services in the thinking / discussion system, and it is possible to enhance the voluntary thinking awareness not only of participants but also of other members of the public.

[0327] This system allows for the addition of new nodes through editing, as well as the hiding or deletion of existing nodes. This enables observation of changes in the display patterns of multiple related nodes. The ability to manipulate nodes in this way means that the system can add keywords (nodes) that are trending (or popular) with the times (or with societal changes), and hide or delete keywords (nodes) that were popular in older eras (or the past). As a result, this system can be said to be a system capable of growth from the past to the future (possessing various growth elements). While several embodiments of the present invention have been described, these embodiments are presented as examples only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. These embodiments and their variations are included in the scope and spirit of the invention, as well as in the claims and their equivalents. Furthermore, even if each component of a claim is expressed by dividing it, by combining multiple components, or by combining them, it remains within the scope of the present invention. Multiple embodiments may also be combined, and embodiments composed of such combinations also fall within the scope of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0328] 100...Main map, 101...Social domain, 102...Individual domain, 51D...CPU, 52D...Control unit for this map system, 53D...Display control unit, 54D...Function Management Unit, 55D...Related Word Processing Unit, 56D...Menu Processing Unit, 57D...Usage function control unit, 58D...Communication control unit, 59D...Editing function control unit, 60D...Device management unit, 61D...Sealing unit, 62D...Free drawing processing unit, 63D...Filter processing unit, 64D...Sticky note processing unit, 3...Rank processing unit, 66D...Heatmap processing unit, 67D...Relationship node processing unit, 68D...Import / export processing unit, 71D...Dashboard processing unit, 72D...Search processing unit, 73D...Term-related memory processing unit, 311...Input unit, 900...Control unit, 910...Main map database, 920...Various working memory, 921...Cache memory, 930...Program memory, 2001...Service administrator system, 3001...Project administrator system, 4001...Participant system.

Claims

1. A thinking and discussion support system comprising a communication unit and a control unit, which provides a map containing pre-registered data to the information devices of project participants connected via a network, and which accepts operations on the map from the information devices of the project participants, The map is defined as a map that classifies multiple fields in a first direction, classifies multiple levels in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and places data in each region divided by the multiple fields and multiple levels that has at least the fields and levels as attributes. The aforementioned fields are classified by words that are at least related to society, economy, and industry. The aforementioned levels are such that one pole represents categories related to society, and the other pole represents categories related to the individual. The control unit, The log of operations performed on the map by the project participants is recorded. A support screen is created that includes a first area where the aforementioned log is located. The communication unit transmits the display data of the support screen to the project manager's information device connected via the aforementioned network. A system to support thinking and discussion.

2. The support screen includes a second area where the map is placed. When the control unit receives operation data from the project manager's information device via the communication unit indicating an operation to specify one of the logs located in the first area, it places an object indicating the target location of the operation corresponding to the specified log on the map located in the second area. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 1.

3. The control unit, The communication unit receives coordinate data indicating the position of the cursor of the pointing device on the support screen from the project manager's information device. If the coordinate data indicates the location of any log among the logs located in the first region, it is determined that an operation to specify that log has been performed. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 2.

4. The support screen includes a first operation object for narrowing down the operations to be displayed in the log, When the control unit receives operation data indicating the operation of the first operation object from the project manager's information device via the communication unit, it places only the log corresponding to the operation designated as the display target in the operation of the first operation object in the first area. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 1.

5. The aforementioned support screen includes a second operation object for downloading the log, When the control unit receives operation data indicating the operation of the second operation object from the project manager's information device via the communication unit, it transmits the log to the project manager's information device via the communication unit. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 1.

6. The control unit, If a request is made to download the log in CSV format, the communication unit creates a file containing the log in CSV format and transmits it to the project manager's information device. If a request is made to download the log in JSON format, the communication unit creates a file containing the log in JSON format and transmits it to the project manager's information device. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 5.

7. The control unit, The communication unit receives coordinate data indicating the display area of ​​the map displayed by the project participant from the project participant's information device. Based on the coordinate data, a frame indicating the display area of ​​the map shown by the coordinate data is placed on the map located in the second region. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 2.

8. The control unit is capable of receiving operation data for adding data to the map from the information devices of the project participants via the communication unit. The support screen includes a third operation object for referencing the data added to the map, When the control unit receives operation data indicating the operation of the third operation object from the project manager's information device via the communication unit, it provides a third area on the support screen for arranging the added data, and arranges the added data in the third area. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 1.

9. The support screen includes a fourth operation object for setting whether to allow or deny specific operations among the operations on the map. When the control unit receives operation data indicating the operation of the fourth operation object from the project manager's information device via the communication unit, it sets whether or not to accept the specific operation from the project participant's information device. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 1.

10. The support screen includes a fourth area for entering a message to the project participant, and a fifth operation object for sending the message to the project participant. When the control unit receives operation data indicating the operation of the fifth operation object from the project manager's information device via the communication unit, it transmits the message entered in the fourth area to the project participant's information device via the communication unit. The thinking and discussion support system according to claim 1.

11. The control unit in the thinking and discussion support system according to claim 1 is Means for recording logs of operations performed on the map by the project participants, Means for creating a support screen including a first area where the log is placed, Means for transmitting the display data of the support screen to the project manager's information device connected via the network via the communication unit, A thought-provoking and discussion support device.

12. The control unit in the thinking and discussion support system according to claim 1 is The log of operations performed on the map by the project participants is recorded. A support screen is created that includes a first area where the aforementioned log is located. The communication unit transmits the display data of the support screen to the project manager's information device connected via the aforementioned network. Thinking and discussion support methods.

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