Information processing systems, information processing methods, and programs

Abstract

To support researchers seeking information on research grant applications, we provide more useful information processing systems, methods, and programs. [Solution] In an information processing system in which a server and multiple information processing devices can communicate via a network, the server comprises at least one processor, and the processor performs the following steps by reading a program. In a first reception step, it receives research solicitation information including information on solicitations for research; in an extraction step, it extracts the solicitation items included in the research solicitation information; in a first identification step, it identifies researcher information relating to researchers that correlate with the solicitation items; and in a first generation step, it generates first information including at least a portion of the solicitation items and at least a portion of the identified researcher information.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 is a document related to a support system, a support method, and a computer program for supporting matching between researchers and companies that want to utilize the knowledge and technologies possessed by the researchers. In this Patent Document 1, an offer including conditions for cooperating in a collaborative project using company-owned data at the company is received from a client device used by a researcher, a selection of the researcher who made the offer is received from a client device used at the company, and a system in which the server device notifies the client device of the selected researcher of the company's response to the offer is described.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] There is still room for improvement in the method of supporting researchers and the like who seek research solicitation information.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to one aspect of the present invention, an information processing system is provided, comprising at least one processor, the processor configured to perform the following steps by reading a program: in a first reception step, it receives research solicitation information including information on solicitations for research; in an extraction step, it extracts solicitation items included in the research solicitation information; in a first identification step, it identifies researcher information relating to researchers that correlate with the solicitation items; and in a first generation step, it generates first information including at least a portion of the solicitation items and at least a portion of the identified researcher information.

[0006] According to one aspect of this invention, it is possible to provide a more useful information processing system, etc., as a method to support researchers and others seeking information on research grant applications. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing the configuration of Information Processing System 1. [Figure 2] Block diagram showing the hardware configuration of Server 2. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 3. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of research solicitation information, specifically research solicitation information KJ. [Figure 5] This figure shows public offering item KJ1, which is an example of a public offering item. [Figure 6] This figure shows Researcher Information KQ, an example of a researcher information report. [Figure 7] This diagram shows an overview of the processes performed by Information Processing System 1. [Figure 8] This is an activity diagram showing an example of the process flow for generating matching information MJ, which is performed by the information processing system 1. [Figure 9] This figure shows matching information MJ, which is an example of the first type of information. [Figure 10]This activity diagram shows an example of the process flow for sending notification information ML, which is executed by the information processing system 1. [Figure 11] This figure shows screen G1, which is an example of a login screen. [Figure 12] This figure shows screen G2, which is an example of a search screen. [Figure 13] This figure shows screen G3, which contains detailed information about matching information MJ corresponding to area G29. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of a notification information mailing list. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The various features shown in the embodiments below can be combined with each other.

[0009] Incidentally, the program for implementing the software appearing in one embodiment may be provided as a non-transitory computer-readable medium, or it may be provided as a downloadable medium from an external server, or it may be provided so that the program is launched on an external computer and its functions are realized on a client terminal (so-called cloud computing).

[0010] Furthermore, in various information processing according to one embodiment, an input and an output corresponding to the input can be realized. Here, as long as an output is obtained as a result of the input, the form of the information referenced in such information processing (hereinafter referred to as "reference information") is not limited. The reference information may be, for example, rule-based information such as a database, a lookup table, or a predetermined function (including a decision formula such as a regression equation constructed by a statistical method), or a pre-trained model that has learned the correlation between input and output in advance, or a large-scale language model that can output a desired result by inputting a prompt.

[0011] Also, in one embodiment, the "unit" may include, for example, hardware resources implemented by a circuit in a broad sense and information processing of software that can be specifically realized by these hardware resources. Also, in one embodiment, various information is handled, and these information are represented, for example, by physical values of signal values representing voltage and current, the high and low of signal values as a set of binary bits composed of 0 or 1, or quantum superposition (so-called quantum bits), and communication and calculation can be executed on a circuit in a broad sense.

[0012] Furthermore, the circuit in a broad sense is a circuit realized by appropriately combining at least a circuit (Circuit), circuitry (Circuitry), a processor (Processor), a memory (Memory), etc. Also, the processor may be a general-purpose processor or a dedicated circuit. That is, it includes an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), programmable logic devices (for example, a simple programmable logic device (SPLD), a complex programmable logic device (CPLD), and a field programmable gate array (FPGA)), etc.

[0013] 1. Hardware Configuration In this section, the hardware configuration will be described.

[0014] <Information Processing System 1> FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an information processing system 1. The information processing system 1 includes a server 2, an information processing device 3, and an information processing device 4. The server 2, the information processing device 3, and the information processing device 4 are configured to be communicable through a telecommunication line (network). In an exemplary aspect, the information processing device 3 can function as a user terminal for the server 2, and the information processing device 4 can function as an administrator terminal. Here, the system exemplified in the information processing system 1 consists of one or more devices or components. Therefore, note that even the server 2 alone, or the server 2 and the information processing device 3, or the server 2 and the information processing device 4 may be included in the information processing system 1. More specifically, the information processing system 1 may include an element selected from the group consisting of the server 2, the information processing device 3, and the information processing device 4. Even if the unselected element is not included in the information processing system 1, it may be electrically connected to the selected element as an external element. Hereinafter, these components will be described.

[0015] <Server 2> FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 2. The server 2 includes a communication unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a control unit 23, and these components are electrically connected via a communication bus 20 inside the server 2. Each component will be further described.

[0016] The communication unit 21 is composed of a communication module. The communication module may be a wireless communication module compliant with standards such as IEEE802.11a / b / g / n / ac / ax, LTE, 5G, 6G, etc., or a wired communication module compliant with standards such as IEEE802.3. The communication unit 21 is configured to be able to transmit various electrical signals from the server 2 to external components. Also, the communication unit 21 is configured to be able to receive various electrical signals from external components to the server 2. More preferably, the communication unit 21 has a network communication function, and thereby various information may be communicably implemented between the server 2 and external devices via the network.

[0017] The memory unit 22 stores various types of information as defined above. This can be done, for example, as a storage device such as a solid-state drive (SSD) that stores various programs related to the server 2 executed by the control unit 23, or as memory such as random access memory (RAM) that stores temporarily necessary information (arguments, arrays, etc.) related to program calculations. The memory unit 22 stores various programs and variables related to the server 2 executed by the control unit 23.

[0018] The control unit 23 performs processing and control of the overall operation related to the server 2. The control unit 23 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) not shown. The control unit 23 realizes various functions related to the server 2 by reading predetermined programs stored in the memory unit 22. That is, information processing by software stored in the memory unit 22 is concretely realized by the control unit 23, which is an example of hardware, so that each step related to each function described later can be executed. These will be described in more detail in the next section. Note that the control unit 23 is not limited to being a single unit, and may be implemented with multiple control units 23 for each function, or a combination thereof.

[0019] <Information Processing Device 3> Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 3. The information processing device 3 comprises a communication unit 31, a storage unit 32, a control unit 33, a display unit 34, and an input unit 35, and these components are electrically connected within the information processing device 3 via a communication bus 30. Each component will be described further. The descriptions of the communication unit 31, storage unit 32, and control unit 33 are the same as the descriptions of each part in the server 2, so they will be omitted.

[0020] The display unit 34 may be included in the housing of the information processing device 3 or it may be an external component. The display unit 34 displays a graphical user interface (GUI) screen that can be operated by the user. This is preferably done by using different display devices such as a CRT display, liquid crystal display, organic EL display, and plasma display, depending on the type of information processing device 3.

[0021] The display unit 34 displays the screen indicated by the screen data transmitted from the server 2. The display unit 34 displays the system screen related to the information processing system 1 indicated by the screen data transmitted from the server 2.

[0022] The input unit 35 may be included in the housing of the information processing device 3 or it may be external. For example, the input unit 35 may be integrated with the display unit 34 and implemented as a touch panel. If it is a touch panel, the user can input tap operations, swipe operations, etc. Of course, a switch button, mouse, QWERTY keyboard, etc. may be used instead of a touch panel. In other words, the input unit 35 receives operation input made by the user. This input is transmitted as a command signal to the control unit 33 via the communication bus 30, and the control unit 33 can execute predetermined controls and calculations as needed.

[0023] The block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing device 4 is the same as in Figure 3 and is therefore omitted. The information processing device 4 comprises a communication unit 41, a storage unit 42, a control unit 43, a display unit 44, and an input unit 45, and these components are electrically connected within the information processing device 4 via a communication bus 40. The descriptions of the communication unit 41, storage unit 42, control unit 43, display unit 44, and input unit 45 are the same as the descriptions of each part in the server 2 and information processing device 3 and are therefore omitted.

[0024] 2. Functional configuration of Server 2 The control unit 23 is configured to perform, for example, the following steps. The following steps are optional.

[0025] The control unit 23 is configured to receive information from the information processing device 3 or other devices as a reception step. The control unit 23 is also configured to receive various information by reading various information stored in the storage area, which is at least a part of the memory unit 22, and writing the read information to the work area, which is at least a part of the memory unit 22. The storage area is, for example, the area of ​​the memory unit 22 that is implemented as a storage device such as an SSD. The work area is, for example, the area that is implemented as memory such as RAM. For example, the control unit 23 can receive research solicitation information KJ, which contains information on research solicitations, as a first reception step.

[0026] Here, Figure 4 shows Research Call for Proposals KJ, which is an example of research call for proposals. Research Call for Proposals KJ is a call for proposals related to research. Research Call for Proposals KJ is information on calls for proposals aimed at supporting the research activities of researcher R, such as competitive research funding from the government or external research funding from private foundations. Research Call for Proposals KJ includes the name of the call for proposals, the purpose of the call for proposals, information on the amount of funding, information on the support period, the number of projects expected to be selected, information on the call for proposals schedule, information on eligible applicants, information on how to apply, a link to detailed information, and contact information.

[0027] The name of the call for proposals is, for example, the project name of Research Call for Proposals KJ. The purpose of the call for proposals is described as the objective of the Research Call for Proposals KJ project. The amount of funding is described as the amount of the grant provided by Research Call for Proposals KJ. The support period is described as the period of support provided by the grant from Research Call for Proposals KJ. The number of projects to be selected is described as the number of projects for which Research Call for Proposals KJ will provide grants. The schedule information is described as the schedule for the call for proposals from Research Call for Proposals KJ. This schedule information includes the call for proposal start date, the date of the information session, the deadline for submission of application materials such as proposals and videos, the review period, the date of selection, and the project start date. The information on eligible applicants is described as information about researchers R who are eligible to apply to Research Call for Proposals KJ. For example, this may include age, gender, and restrictions on application by affiliated institution. The application method information is described as the method for applying to Research Call for Proposals KJ. Links to detailed information include links to websites containing detailed information, links to materials from the public briefing session, and links to videos of the public briefing session. Contact information includes contact details for inquiries regarding the KJ research proposal. The source of funding for the KJ research proposal can be identified from the contact information. For KJ research proposals sent to individual research institutions, greetings and requests for information sharing with researchers (R) are included.

[0028] Please note that Research Grant Information KJ is a platform where funding providers announce their requests for research funding, and it is written in the provider's format. The items listed and their names may vary depending on the Research Grant Information KJ.

[0029] The control unit 23 can receive user information as a second reception step. The user information is the user information of the search system that can search for research solicitation information KJ and matching information MJ. The user information is, for example, the user ID and password that the user uses when logging in to the information processing system 1.

[0030] The control unit 23 can accept search conditions for retrieving the accumulated first information as a third reception step. The first information includes at least a part of the public offering item KJ1 and at least a part of the identified researcher information KQ. The first information is, for example, matching information MJ.

[0031] The control unit 23 can extract various types of information as an extraction step. For example, as an extraction step, the control unit 23 can extract the call for proposal item KJ1 from the received call for proposal information KJ. The call for proposal information KJ is created by the provider, and the format, items to be listed, and terminology used may not be standardized. In such cases, the control unit 23 may normalize the information in the call for proposal information KJ and then extract the call for proposal item KJ1.

[0032] Figure 5 shows an example of a public offering item, public offering item KJ1. Public offering item KJ1 includes items KJ10 to KJ16 and labels KJ17 to KJ19. Item KJ10 is an item related to the name of the public offering of research information KJ. Item KJ11 is an item related to the provider of research information KJ. Item KJ12 is an item related to the amount of research funding if selected for research information KJ. Item KJ13 is an item related to the application period of research information KJ. Item KJ14 is an item related to the support period of research information KJ. Item KJ15 is an item related to the application requirements of research information KJ. Item KJ16 is an item related to the content of the research topic solicited in research information KJ.

[0033] As an extraction step, the control unit 23 may use an artificial intelligence module to extract the call for proposals KJ1 from a file containing the uploaded call for proposals KJ. Alternatively, as an extraction step, the control unit 23 may input the call for proposals KJ and an instruction to extract the call for proposals KJ1 based on the call for proposals KJ to an artificial intelligence module having a large-scale language model, and have the artificial intelligence module extract the call for proposals KJ1.

[0034] The control unit 23 can identify various types of information as a specific step. For example, as a specific step, the control unit 23 can identify researcher information KQ related to a researcher that correlates with a public offering item KJ1. As a first specific step, the control unit 23 identifies researcher information KQ based on the correlation between at least one of the multiple public offering items KJ1 and the information corresponding to public offering item KJ1 contained in the researcher information KQ. As a first specific step, the control unit 23 can identify researcher information KQ based on labels. The control unit 23 may accept the researcher information KQ to be identified from the researcher information database, or it may accept the addition of researcher information KQ from a user.

[0035] Figure 6 shows a diagram of Researcher Information KQ, which is an example of Researcher Information Report. Researcher Information KQ includes items KQ0 to KQ8. Item KQ0 is an item containing Researcher R's name. Item KQ1 is an item containing information about Researcher R's affiliated institution. This information includes, for example, the name of the research institution to which Researcher R currently belongs. Item KQ2 is an item containing information about Researcher R's position. This information includes, for example, Professor, Associate Professor, Lecturer, Assistant Professor, Research Assistant, etc. Item KQ3 is an item containing information about Researcher R's research field. This information includes, for example, terms indicating the research field such as natural science, materials science, medicine, etc. Item KQ4 is an item containing information about Researcher R's publications. This information includes, for example, the journal name, title, keywords, abstract, and full text of papers previously submitted by Researcher R. Item KQ5 is an item containing information about Researcher R's external funding. External funding information includes information on research funding previously received by researcher R, such as the name of the external funding project and the amount of external funding received. Item KQ6 contains information on researcher R's patent information. This includes publication numbers, invention titles, patent content, and patent classifications for patents previously filed by researcher R. Item KQ7 contains information on researcher R's age. This includes, for example, researcher R's date of birth. Item KQ8 contains information on researcher R's contact information. This includes researcher R's email address, phone number, and social media accounts.

[0036] The control unit 23 may receive confidential information about researcher R from researcher R or staff of the research institution to which researcher R belongs, and add it to researcher information KQ. For example, personal information such as age and nationality may not be made public, but depending on the research recruitment information KJ, age and gender may be restrictions on application. The control unit 23 may also identify researcher information KQ that correlates with recruitment item KJ1 by receiving confidential information about researcher R in advance and adding it to researcher information KQ. Here, confidential information is information that is not disclosed in the researcher database.

[0037] As a second identification step, the control unit 23 can identify matching information MJ according to user information. As a third identification step, the control unit 23 can identify matching information MJ according to search conditions.

[0038] The control unit 23 is configured to generate various types of information as part of the generation step.

[0039] As a first generation step, the control unit 23 can generate matching information MJ which includes at least a portion of the public offering item KJ1 and at least a portion of the identified researcher information KQ.

[0040] The control unit 23 can generate notification information ML to notify researcher R as a second generation step. The control unit 23 can generate notification information ML to notify researcher R as a second generation step, based on second reference information and matching information MJ. Notification information ML includes, for example, a message to notify researcher R. The second reference information includes the correlation between matching information MJ and notification information ML.

[0041] As a second generation step, the control unit 23 is configured to generate prompts and notification information ML by referring to second reference information stored in the storage unit 22 of the server 2. For example, the second reference information may be a template for notification information ML, and as a second generation step, the control unit 23 may generate notification information ML according to the notification information ML template. The notification information ML template may be a design template that includes information such as layout, color, and font. The notification information ML template may also include the arrangement and design of matching information MJ and link information. As a result, as a second generation step, the control unit 23 can generate notification information ML by inserting information based on matching information MJ, etc., into a pre-prepared notification information ML template. Furthermore, the notification information ML template may be configured to be sendable to researcher R when researcher R's contact information is inserted. As a result, the control unit 23 can create an email, etc., to send to researcher R based on the notification information ML template and the matching information MJ.

[0042] The second reference information may be an artificial intelligence module that has learned the correlation between matching information MJ and notification information ML. The control unit 23 may, as a second generation step, input matching information MJ to the artificial intelligence module and cause the artificial intelligence module to output notification information ML. The second reference information may also be a prompt that causes the artificial intelligence module to output notification information ML when matching information MJ is input to the artificial intelligence module.

[0043] As a labeling step, the control unit 23 can assign a label to the public offering item KJ1 based on the first reference information, according to the content of the public offering item KJ1. The first reference information includes the correlation between the public offering item KJ1 and the label.

[0044] In the diagram showing the public offering item KJ1 in Figure 5, label KJ17 is a status label assigned based on the public offering period item KJ13. The public offering period item includes the public offering start date, public offering deadline, review period, selection decision date, project start date, etc. The status labels are pre-opening, public offering in progress, review in progress, etc. The control unit 23 can assign status labels based on the public offering period item.

[0045] Label KJ18 is a label relating to a research field, assigned in association with item KJ16 based on items relating to the content of research projects solicited in research solicitation information KJ, item KJ16. The control unit 23 can assign a label relating to a research field in association with a solicitation item KJ1, based on first reference information that includes the correlation between at least some of the solicitation items KJ1 of the research solicitation information KJ and the research field. The first reference information may also include the correlation between the text information of the solicitation item KJ1 relating to the content of the research project and the research field. As a result, the control unit 23 can assign a label relating to a research field in association with a solicitation item KJ1, based on the correlation between the text information of the solicitation item KJ1 relating to the content of the research project and the research field. Furthermore, the first reference information may also include the correlation between the solicitation item KJ1 relating to the name of the research solicitation and the research field, or the correlation between the solicitation item KJ1 relating to the provider of the research solicitation and the research field. As a result, the control unit 23 can assign a label related to the research field based on the correlation between the name and provider information of the research solicitation information KJ and the research field.

[0046] Label KJ19 is a label for keywords assigned based on the research topic content item KJ16, and linked to the public call item KJ1 related to the research topic content. The control unit 23 can assign labels for keywords based on first reference information that includes the correlation between the research topic content item and the keyword.

[0047] The control unit 23 is configured to transmit various types of information as a transmission step. For example, as a transmission step, the control unit 23 can transmit notification information ML to researcher R corresponding to the identified researcher information KQ.

[0048] As a display control step, the control unit 23 controls the display unit 34 to display visual information such as images including screens, still images, or moving images, icons, and messages. The control unit 23 may generate only rendering information for displaying visual information on the display unit 34. As a display control step, the control unit 23 executes processing to display a system screen related to the information processing system 1 on each terminal. As a display control step, the control unit 23 performs processing such as generating and sending an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) file to display a web page showing the system screen on the display unit 34. The control unit 23 may also perform processing such as generating and sending display data for applications that use the information processing system 1 as a display control step. For example, as a display control step, the control unit 23 can display various kinds of visual information on the display unit 34.

[0049] (Artificial Intelligence Module) The control unit 23 may input various information to the artificial intelligence module and receive various information outputs from the artificial intelligence module in order to execute each step. The artificial intelligence used by the server 2 for each step may be a common one, or it may be prepared individually for each step.

[0050] The artificial intelligence module is an AI (Artificial Intelligence) that includes transformers such as GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer, including GPT-1, GPT-2, GPT-3, and GPT-4), BERT (Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers), BART (Bidirectional and Auto-regressive Transformer), and language models such as recurrent neural networks (RNNs), and includes generative AI.

[0051] Language models are an example of learning models using machine learning algorithms. Specific machine learning algorithms include nearest neighbors, naive Bayes, decision trees, support vector machines, and deep learning using neural networks. The artificial intelligence module can apply these algorithms as appropriate.

[0052] The artificial intelligence module has a trained model constructed using a learning method such as supervised learning, unsupervised learning, or self-supervised learning. In supervised learning, machine learning is performed using training data. Training data consists of pairs of input data and output data (correct answer data) for training. Furthermore, the language model may not only be one trained for a specific task, but also a general-purpose model that can be used universally for a wide range of tasks.

[0053] The artificial intelligence module includes a general-purpose natural language processing learning model, such as a Large Language Model (LLM), which has been trained on a large amount of data. Such a general-purpose learning model includes language models that can handle various tasks without fine-tuning using methods such as One-shot Learning and Few-shot Learning. Furthermore, the general-purpose learning model can also handle various tasks using Zero-shot Learning. The artificial intelligence used by the control unit 23 in each step may be a separate learning model or a common general-purpose learning model. The learning models included in the artificial intelligence module can undergo additional training.

[0054] 3. Information Processing Flow This section describes the flow of the information processing method executed by the information processing system 1. As shown below, the information processing method includes each step executed by the information processing system. The information processing program in this embodiment causes the computer to execute each step of the information processing system. The order of processing can be changed as appropriate, multiple processes may be executed simultaneously, and some processes may be omitted.

[0055] 3.1 Overview Figure 7 is a diagram illustrating the overview of the processing performed by the information processing system 1. In this processing, first, the control unit 23 receives research solicitation information KJ, which contains information regarding the public offering of research, as a reception step (step S001). Next, the control unit 23 extracts the solicitation item KJ1 contained in the research solicitation information KJ as an extraction step (step S002). As a identification step, the control unit 23 identifies researcher information KQ relating to researcher R that correlates with the solicitation item KJ1 (step S003). Next, as a first generation step, the control unit 23 generates first information including at least a part of the solicitation item KJ1 and at least a part of the identified researcher information KQ (step S004).

[0056] In summary, according to one embodiment, the information processing system comprises at least one processor, and the processor reads a program, causing the control unit 23 to perform the following steps: As a first reception step, the control unit 23 receives research solicitation information KJ, which includes information on soliciting research. As an extraction step, the control unit 23 extracts the solicitation item KJ1 contained in the research solicitation information KJ. As a identification step, the control unit 23 identifies researcher information KQ relating to researcher R that correlates with the solicitation item KJ1. As a first generation step, the control unit 23 generates first information including at least a portion of the solicitation item KJ1 and at least a portion of the identified researcher information KQ. According to this embodiment, research matching information, which is an example of the first information, can be generated.

[0057] 3.2 Specific Examples The details of the above information processing will be explained below as an example, using Figures 8 to 14.

[0058] By the way, for researcher R, securing research funding is crucial. One way to obtain research funding is to find research proposals (KJ) that are suitable for R and apply to them. In this process, the provider solicits research proposals from researchers and others, and from the submitted proposals, research proposals that should be implemented are selected based on evaluations by multiple individuals, including experts, primarily from scientific and technical perspectives. The provider of the research proposals (KJ) then provides research funding to the selected research proposals. Research proposals (KJ) are provided not only by government agencies such as the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, as well as public interest corporations, but also by private foundations and companies. Research proposals (KJ) are often published on the provider's website or sent to researcher R or the research institution to which researcher R belongs. However, with tens of thousands of research proposals (KJ) available annually in Japan alone, finding one that suits researcher R was a difficult task. Furthermore, while staff at the research institution to which researcher R belongs provide each researcher R with information on research call postings KJ that are suitable for that researcher R, it was difficult to identify the researcher R that was suitable for each research call posting KJ and contact each researcher R individually.

[0059] Next, an example of the processing flow performed by Information Processing System 1 will be described. This example of the flow may be included within the scope defined in the overview described above. The following description will follow each activity in this activity diagram. Note that the information processing may include any exception handling not shown. Exception handling includes interrupting the information processing or omitting each process. The selection or input performed in the information processing may be based on user operation or may be performed automatically without user operation.

[0060] Figure 8 is an activity diagram showing an example of the process flow for generating matching information MJ, which is performed by the information processing system 1. First, the control unit 23 receives research solicitation information KJ, which includes information on the public offering of research, as the first reception step (activity A101). The control unit 23 may also receive research solicitation information KJ from an information processing device 4 used by staff of the institution conducting the solicitation.

[0061] Here, as a first reception step, the control unit 23 may accept the upload of a file containing the research solicitation information KJ from the control unit 43. The institution conducting the solicitation may send a file containing the research solicitation information KJ to the research institution. The control unit 23 may accept the upload of a file containing the research solicitation information KJ from the information processing device 4 used by the staff of the institution conducting the solicitation. The control unit 23 may also accept the upload of a file containing the research solicitation information KJ from the information processing device 3 used by the staff of the research institution that has obtained the research solicitation information KJ. The file containing the research solicitation information KJ may be a text file, or it may be a file that contains images, tables, etc. in addition to text information. Furthermore, the file containing the research solicitation information KJ may be a fixed-layout file, a markup language file, an image file, or a video file.

[0062] Next, the control unit 23 extracts the public offering item KJ1 included in the research call information KJ as an extraction step (activity A102). The control unit 23 may extract multiple public offering items KJ1 as an extraction step.

[0063] In Activity A101, if a file containing research solicitation information KJ is uploaded, the uploaded file containing the research solicitation information KJ may be written in the unique format of each provider. The control unit 23 may extract the text information of the research solicitation information KJ from the file.

[0064] Furthermore, since the uploaded files containing research solicitation information KJ are created by the funding providers, the terminology used may not be consistent. In the research solicitation information KJ shown in Figure 4, the item labeled "Amount" may be expressed as subsidies, grants, research funds, etc. In the research solicitation information KJ shown in Figure 4, the date format in "Schedule" may be in the Gregorian calendar or the Japanese calendar. In the research solicitation information KJ shown in Figure 4, the "○○ Organization" mentioned in the inquiry may be information that should be extracted as the "Provider" of solicitation item KJ1. In such cases, as a preprocessing step for extracting solicitation item KJ1, the control unit 23 normalizes the text information of the research solicitation information KJ. The normalization process may be performed using a rule-based method or by an artificial intelligence module. As the artificial intelligence module, a natural language processing model or a large-scale language model can be used. As an extraction step, the control unit 23 can extract solicitation item KJ1 from the file containing the uploaded research solicitation information KJ using an artificial intelligence module.

[0065] Furthermore, as an extraction step, the control unit 23 may input research solicitation information KJ and an instruction to extract solicitation item KJ1 based on the research solicitation information KJ to an artificial intelligence module having a large-scale language model, and have the module extract the solicitation item KJ1. The instruction to extract solicitation item KJ1 based on the research solicitation information KJ may include, for example, instructions on what kind of text information to extract as solicitation item KJ1, or instructions on the output format of solicitation item KJ1. The control unit 23 may also input a sample of solicitation item KJ1 along with the instruction to extract solicitation item KJ1. With such a configuration, a predetermined solicitation item KJ1 can be extracted from research solicitation information KJ written in various formats.

[0066] Next, as a first assignment step, the control unit 23 assigns a label to a predetermined public offering item KJ1 based on the first reference information, according to the content of the predetermined public offering item KJ1 (Activity A103). The first reference information includes the correlation between the public offering item KJ1 and the label.

[0067] Next, as a identification step, the control unit 23 identifies researcher information KQ related to researcher R that correlates with public offering item KJ1 (Activity A104). The control unit 23 may identify researcher information KQ that correlates with some of the public offering item KJ1 among multiple public offering item KJ1. For example, the control unit 23 may identify researcher information KQ that matches the application conditions and contains text information that is highly similar to the text information regarding the content of the research topic of public offering item KJ1. That is, as a identification step, the control unit 23 may identify researcher information KQ based on the correlation between at least one of the multiple public offering item KJ1 and the information corresponding to public offering item KJ1 contained in the researcher information KQ. For example, the information corresponding to the public offering item KJ1 in the researcher information KQ can include the researcher's name, affiliation, job title, research field, keywords in the paper, name of the journal in which it was published, name of the external funding project, amount received, patent name, patent keywords, names of co-inventors, abstract or full text of the paper, paper title, project name and text information of research offerings received in the past, patent invention name, patent abstract or full text, etc. With this configuration, it is possible to match some of the items in the public offering information with some of the items in the researcher information KQ.

[0068] As a specific step, the control unit 23 may identify researcher information KQ that matches the conditions of the research solicitation information KJ by calculating the vector similarity of text information between at least one of the multiple solicitation items KJ1 and the information corresponding to the solicitation item KJ1 contained in the researcher information KQ.

[0069] Here, the control unit 23 may, as a specific step, identify researcher information KQ based on the label. With this configuration, matching can be performed based on labels. As a specific step, the control unit 23 may use an artificial intelligence module to identify researcher information KQ based on the labels.

[0070] Next, the control unit 23 generates matching information MJ (an example of the first information) which includes at least a portion of the public offering item KJ1 and at least a portion of the identified researcher information KQ as the first generation step (Activity A105).

[0071] Figure 9 shows an example of the first type of information, which is matching information MJ. Matching information MJ includes items MJ1 and MJ2. Item MJ1 includes at least a portion of the public recruitment item KJ1, which corresponds to the researcher information KQ identified in Activity A104. Item MJ2 includes at least a portion of the researcher information KQ identified in Activity A104.

[0072] Next, the control unit 23 saves the generated matching information MJ (activity A106). The control unit 23 may store the matching information MJ in the matching information MJ database. Alternatively, the control unit 23 may save the matching information MJ and the research solicitation information KJ in the database.

[0073] Figure 10 is an activity diagram showing an example of the process flow for sending notification information ML, which is performed by the information processing system 1. The information processing system 1 includes a search system that stores research call information KJ, researcher information KQ, and matching information MJ. The user of the search system may be researcher R themselves seeking research call information KJ that suits them, or it may be an employee of researcher R's affiliated institution who shares research call information KJ that correlates with researcher R's researcher information KQ.

[0074] First, the control unit 23, as a display control step, causes the display unit 34 to display the login screen of the search system (Activity A201).

[0075] Figure 11 shows screen G1, which is an example of a login screen. Screen G1 includes area G11, area G12, and object G13. Area G11 is the area that receives the user's user ID. Area G12 is the area that receives the password corresponding to the user ID. The user may be researcher R themselves, or an employee of the institution to which researcher R belongs. After the user enters information into areas G11 and G12, they issue operation instructions to object G13.

[0076] Next, when the control unit 33 receives an operation instruction for object G13, it transmits the input information to the control unit 23, which then receives the login information (activity A202). In this way, when a user uses the information processing system 1, they log in by entering their user ID and password. This allows the control unit 23 to perform processing according to the user ID.

[0077] Next, the control unit 23 displays the search screen on the display unit 34 (Activity A203).

[0078] Next, the control unit 23 receives search conditions to search for the stored first information as a third reception step (activity A204). Figure 12 shows screen G2, which is an example of a search screen. Screen G2 includes areas G20 to G25, object G26, and areas G27 to G29. Areas G20 to G25 are areas for receiving input of search conditions.

[0079] Area G20 is the area that accepts search criteria for researcher information KQ. Area G20 is pre-filled with "XX University". In other words, area G20 contains a search criterion that searches for researchers R belonging to "XX University". The control unit 23 may automatically input information into area G20 according to the login information. This configuration makes it easy to search for research solicitation information KJ according to the login information.

[0080] Areas G21 to G25 are areas that accept search criteria for the KJ research call for proposals. Area G21 is the area that accepts input of the name of the call for proposal. "A" is entered in Area G21. Area G22 is the area that accepts input of the provider. "〇〇" is entered in Area G22. Area G23 is the area that accepts input of the research field. Nothing is entered in Area G23. Area G24 is the area that accepts input of the status. "Currently accepting applications" is entered in Area G24. Area G25 is the area that accepts input of keywords. Nothing is entered in Area G25. Object G26 is an object that accepts search instructions.

[0081] When a user enters search criteria in areas G20 to G25, they issue an operation instruction to object G26. The control unit 33 receives the operation instruction to object G26 and the search criteria entered in areas G20 to G25, and transmits them to the control unit 23. The control unit 23 then receives the operation instruction to object G26 and the search criteria entered in areas G20 to G25. For example, in Figure 12, the search criteria entered are to search for research call information KJ that is currently open for applications, where the target institution name is "○○ University", the name of the call for applications is "A", and the provider is "○○".

[0082] Next, as a third identification step, the control unit 23 identifies matching information MJ, which is an example of first information corresponding to the search conditions (activity A205). For example, in the example in Figure 12, the control unit 23 performs a search based on the search conditions entered in areas G20 to G25 and identifies matching information MJ corresponding to the search conditions.

[0083] Next, the control unit 23 displays the matching information MJ on the display unit 34 (activity A206). For example, the control unit 23 generates data for screen G2 that includes the identified matching information MJ, and displays screen G2 containing the matching information MJ on the display unit 34.

[0084] Here, areas G27 to G29 on screen G2 are examples of areas that display identified matching information MJ. Areas G27 to G29 all display matching information MJ related to research solicitation information KJ, where the name of the solicitation is "A" and the provider is "〇〇". Areas G27 to G29 also display the application deadline and the number of eligible applicants. The number of eligible applicants is the number of researchers R who matched with research solicitation information KJ.

[0085] When the control unit 23 receives an operation instruction for any of the regions G27 to G29, it can display detailed information about the matching information MJ corresponding to the region for which the operation instruction was received. For example, if the control unit 23 receives an operation instruction for region G29, the control unit 23 generates data for screen G3, which includes detailed information about region G29. Subsequently, as a display control step, the control unit 23 causes screen G3 to be displayed on the display unit 34.

[0086] Figure 13 shows screen G3, which contains detailed information about matching information MJ corresponding to area G29. Screen G3 displays the first information and is configured to receive instructions to transmit information about the first information to researcher R corresponding to researcher information KQ. Screen G3 includes area G31, object G32, area G33, and object G34. Area G31 is the area that displays the call for proposal item KJ1 of the research call for proposal information KJ, which corresponds to the matching information MJ displayed in area G29. Area G31 displays the name of the call for proposal, the provider, the amount of research funds to be provided if accepted, the call for proposal start date, the call for proposal deadline, the award conditions, and keywords related to the research project to be called for, and also includes link information that allows users to check more detailed information. When the control unit 23 receives an operation instruction for the link information, it can display the link destination on the display unit 34. The link information may be configured to display a predetermined URL link. The predetermined URL link may be a link to detailed information about the research call for proposal information KJ included in the matching information MJ.

[0087] Object G32 is an object that accepts the download of the contents of screen G3. That is, when the control unit 23 receives an operation instruction for object G32, it can download detailed information about the matching information MJ corresponding to area G29.

[0088] Area G33 is the area that displays information on identified researchers R in matching information MJ corresponding to area G29. In other words, area G33 displays information on researchers R that have been matched with research solicitation information KJ. Area G33 includes areas G331 to G333. Areas G331 to G333 are areas that display researcher information KQ for each matched researcher R. Areas G331 to G333 include information on each researcher R, such as the researcher's name, position, and affiliated institution. Areas G331 to G333 also include links to display detailed researcher information KQ for each researcher R.

[0089] Here, the screen G3 may display a selectable researcher R corresponding to the researcher information KQ. Regions G331 to G333 are equipped with checkboxes. For example, when the control unit 33 receives an operation instruction for the checkbox in region G332, the checkbox in region G332 is checked.

[0090] Next, the control unit 23 receives the selection of the recipient and the instruction to send notification information ML to the recipient (activity A207). For example, on screen G3, object G34 is an object that receives the instruction to send notification information ML to the researcher R selected by the checkboxes in areas G331 to G333. When the control unit 23 receives an operation instruction for object G34 via the display unit 34, it receives the instruction to send an email to the researcher R whose checkbox is checked.

[0091] Next, the control unit 23 generates notification information ML according to the selected recipient (activity A208). The notification information ML includes matching information MJ. Here, as a second generation step, the control unit 23 may generate notification information ML to notify researcher R based on second reference information and first information. The second reference information includes the correlation between first information and notification information ML. With this configuration, it is possible to generate text and the like for making a notification.

[0092] Figure 14 shows an example of notification information ML. Notification information ML is a text containing matching information MJ that is sent to the selected researcher R.

[0093] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto and can be modified as appropriate without departing from the technical spirit of the invention.

[0094] Next, the control unit 23 transmits the first information to the selected researcher R as a transmission step (activity A209). Here, regions G331 to G333 may indicate whether or not the matching information MJ has been notified to researcher R. For example, if region G332 is selected and an email is sent, "Notified" will be displayed in region G332. In this manner, the user can check which researcher R has received the notification information ML.

[0095] 4. Others In the above embodiment, it is described that the user logs into a system to search for stored matching information MJ, identifies matching information MJ according to the search conditions, displays the identified matching information MJ, and sends notification information ML to the selected researcher R for the displayed matching information MJ. However, the control unit 23 may also send the matching information MJ generated in activity A105 to the researcher R corresponding to the researcher information KQ identified in activity A104. In other words, as a transmission step, the control unit 23 can send information about the first information to the contact information of the researcher R corresponding to the identified researcher information KQ. With such a configuration, the matching information MJ can be notified to the researcher R.

[0096] Furthermore, the control unit 23 may, in advance, receive contact information for each researcher R belonging to the user's institution and instructions to send matching information MJ corresponding to each researcher R, and in activity A105, if the control unit 23 generates matching information MJ including the researcher information KQ of that researcher R, it may send the matching information MJ to that researcher R. Alternatively, for example, the control unit 23 may, in advance, receive contact information for each researcher R belonging to the user's institution and instructions to send matching information MJ corresponding to each researcher R belonging to the user's institution, and if the control unit 23 generates matching information MJ including the researcher information KQ of the researcher R belonging to the user's institution, it may send the matching information MJ to the relevant researcher R.

[0097] Furthermore, the control unit 23 may, as a second reception step, receive user information and, as a second identification step, identify first information corresponding to the user information. For example, in the above embodiment, the control unit 23 received login information in activity A202, displayed a search screen, received search conditions, and identified matching information MJ corresponding to the search conditions. However, the control unit 23 may receive login information and identify matching information MJ corresponding to the login information. If the user is a researcher R, the control unit 23 may identify matching information MJ corresponding to the user. If the user is an employee of a research institution, the control unit 23 may identify matching information MJ corresponding to a researcher R belonging to the research institution to which the user belongs.

[0098] The overall configuration shown in Figure 1 is just one example and is not limited to it. For example, Server 2 may be distributed across two or more devices, or it may be replaced by a cloud computing system. Also, all processing may be performed on Server 2, or all processing may be performed on Information Processing Unit 3. An application may be installed on Information Processing Unit 3, and Information Processing Unit 3 and Server 2 may work together to execute the processing described above.

[0099] Server 2 may be on-premises or in a cloud environment. In the case of a cloud-based Server 2, for example, it may provide the above functions and processing in the form of SaaS (Software as a Service) or cloud computing.

[0100] In the above embodiment, Server 2 performed various storage and control functions, but instead of Server 2, multiple external devices may be used. That is, various information and programs may be stored in a distributed manner across multiple external devices using blockchain technology or the like. In particular, the artificial intelligence module may be an external component of Server 2. In that case, the external artificial intelligence module may be provided by, for example, an artificial intelligence service server, which receives input from Server 2, receives requests to execute artificial intelligence services, and returns the instructed output as a processing result to Server 2. The artificial intelligence service server may be a server that provides services using a language model as a learning model, or a server that performs language processing tasks using a language model. The artificial intelligence service server may be constructed using an LLM. The artificial intelligence service server receives prompt input in the form of text, images, audio, etc., and generates and responds with answers to those prompts.

[0101] The product may be provided in any of the following embodiments.

[0102] (1) An information processing system comprising at least one processor, wherein the processor is configured to perform the following steps by reading a program, the information processing system comprising: a first reception step, which receives research solicitation information including information on solicitations for research; an extraction step, which extracts solicitation items included in the research solicitation information; a first identification step, which identifies researcher information relating to researchers that correlate with the solicitation items; and a first generation step, which generates first information including at least a portion of the solicitation items and at least a portion of the identified researcher information.

[0103] With this configuration, it is possible to generate research matching information, which is an example of the first type of information.

[0104] (2) In the information processing system described in (1) above, the first reception step accepts the upload of a file containing the research solicitation information, and the extraction step extracts the solicitation items from the uploaded file containing the research solicitation information using an artificial intelligence module.

[0105] With this configuration, it is possible to extract the public offering items from the uploaded files.

[0106] (3) In the information processing system described in (2) above, the extraction step involves inputting the research solicitation information and an instruction to extract the solicitation items based on the research solicitation information into the artificial intelligence module having a large-scale language model, and causing the module to extract the solicitation items.

[0107] With this configuration, public offering information can be extracted using a large-scale language model.

[0108] (4) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (3) above, wherein in the extraction step, a plurality of public offering items are extracted, and in the first identification step, the researcher information is identified based on the correlation between at least one of the plurality of public offering items and the information corresponding to the public offering item included in the researcher information.

[0109] This configuration allows for matching some of the items in the public recruitment information with some of the items in the researcher information.

[0110] (5) An information processing system as described in any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein in the assignment step, a label corresponding to the content of the public offering item is assigned to the public offering item based on the first reference information, where the first reference information includes the correlation between the public offering item and the label, and in the first identification step, the researcher information is identified based on the label.

[0111] With this configuration, matching can be performed based on labels.

[0112] (6) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (5) above, wherein in a second generation step, notification information to be notified to the researcher is generated based on second reference information and the first information, wherein the second reference information includes the correlation between the first information and the notification information.

[0113] With this configuration, it is possible to generate text and other documents for sending notifications.

[0114] (7) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein in a second reception step, user information is received, and in a second identification step, the first information corresponding to the user information is identified.

[0115] With this configuration, matching information can be identified according to the account.

[0116] (8) An information processing system as described in any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein a third reception step receives search conditions for retrieving the stored first information, and a third identification step identifies the first information according to the search conditions.

[0117] With this configuration, matching information can be searched.

[0118] (9) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the transmission step further transmits information relating to the first information to the contact of the researcher corresponding to the identified researcher information.

[0119] This configuration allows matching information to be notified to researchers.

[0120] (10) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the display control step further includes displaying a screen, the screen displaying the first information, and the system is configured to receive instructions to transmit information relating to the first information to the researcher corresponding to the researcher information.

[0121] With this configuration, matching information can be notified.

[0122] (11) In the information processing system described in (10) above, the screen displays the researcher corresponding to the researcher information in a selectable format, and in the transmission step, the system transmits the first information to the selected researcher.

[0123] With this configuration, it is possible to select the recipient of matching information notifications.

[0124] (12) An information processing method comprising each step in an information processing system described in any one of (1) to (11) above.

[0125] (13) A program that causes at least one computer to perform each step of the information processing system described in any one of (1) to (11) above. Of course, this is not always the case.

[0126] Finally, various embodiments of the present invention have been described, but these are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in a variety of 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. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0127] 1: Information Processing System 2: Server 20: Communications bus 21: Communications Department 22: Storage section 23: Control Unit 3: Information Processing Device 30: Communications bus 31: Communications Department 32: Storage section 33: Control Unit 34:Display section 35: Input section 4: Information Processing Device 40: Communications bus 41: Communications Department 42: Storage section 43: Control Unit 44: Display section 45: Input section G1: Screen G11 :Area G12 :Area G13: Object G2: Screen G20: area G21 :Area G22 :Area G23 :Area G24 :Area G25 :Area G26: Object G27 :Area G29 :Area G3: Screen G31 :Area G32: Object G33 :Area G331 :Area G332 :Area G333 :Area G34: Object KJ: Research call information KJ1: Publicly invited items KJ10: Item KJ11: Item KJ12: Item KJ13: Item KJ14: Item KJ15: Item KJ16: Item KJ17: Label KJ18: Label KJ19: Label KQ: Researcher information KQ0 :Item KQ1:Item KQ2:Item KQ3: Item KQ4: Item KQ5: Item KQ6: Item KQ7: Item KQ8: Item MJ: Matching Information MJ1: Item MJ2: Item ML: Notification information R:Researcher

Claims

1. An information processing system, The system comprises at least one processor, the processor configured to perform the following steps by reading a program: In the first application step, we accept research call information, including information regarding the call for research projects. In the extraction step, the call for proposals included in the aforementioned research call for proposals are extracted. In the first identification step, researcher information relating to researchers that is correlated with the public recruitment items is identified. An information processing system that generates first information in a first generation step, which includes at least a portion of the public recruitment items and at least a portion of the identified researcher information.

2. In the information processing system described in claim 1, In the first application step, the upload of a file containing the research solicitation information is accepted. In the extraction step, the system extracts the research solicitation items from the uploaded file containing the research solicitation information using an artificial intelligence module.

3. In the information processing system described in claim 2, In the extraction step, the system inputs the research solicitation information and instructions to extract the solicitation items based on the research solicitation information into the artificial intelligence module having a large-scale language model, and causes the solicitation items to be extracted.

4. In the information processing system described in claim 1, In the extraction step described above, multiple public offering items are extracted, A system that, in the first identification step, identifies the researcher information based on the correlation between at least one of the plurality of public recruitment items and the information corresponding to the public recruitment item included in the researcher information.

5. In the information processing system described in claim 1, Furthermore, in the assignment step, based on the first reference information, a label corresponding to the content of the public offering item is assigned to the public offering item, where the first reference information includes the correlation between the public offering item and the label. The system, in the first identification step, identifies the researcher information based on the label.

6. In the information processing system described in claim 1, Furthermore, in the second generation step, notification information to be notified to the researcher is generated based on the second reference information and the first information, wherein the second reference information includes the correlation between the first information and the notification information.

7. In the information processing system described in claim 1, Furthermore, in the second registration step, user information is received, Furthermore, in the second identification step, the system identifies the first information corresponding to the user information.

8. In the information processing system described in claim 1, Furthermore, in the third reception step, search conditions are accepted for searching the accumulated first information. Furthermore, in a third specific step, the system identifies the first information according to the search conditions.

9. In the information processing system described in claim 1, Furthermore, in the transmission step, the system transmits information relating to the first information to the contact information of the researcher corresponding to the identified researcher information.

10. In the information processing system described in claim 1, Furthermore, in the display control step, the screen is displayed, The aforementioned screen displays the first information, and, A system configured to receive instructions to transmit information relating to the first information to the researcher corresponding to the researcher information.

11. In the information processing system according to claim 10, The aforementioned screen displays the researcher corresponding to the researcher information in a selectable format. Furthermore, in the transmission step, the system transmits the first information to the selected researcher.

12. Information processing method, A method comprising each step in an information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. It is a program, A program that causes at least one computer to perform each step of the information processing system described in any one of claims 1 to 11.

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