System and Method

Abstract

To improve convenience for operators. [Solution] A system comprising a customer terminal used by a customer at a first location, an imaging device installed at the first location, and an operator terminal used by an operator at a second location remote from the first location, wherein the operator terminal includes a communication unit that receives video transmitted from the imaging device when disconnected from the customer terminal, and a display control unit that causes a display screen including the video received by the communication unit to be displayed on a display unit.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a system and a method. [Background Art]

[0002] In recent years, remote consultation systems have been used in financial institutions such as banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, and credit sales companies. A remote consultation system may include a headquarter terminal installed at the headquarter and a remote terminal installed at a sales office. In a remote consultation system, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, a customer who visits a sales office can use a remote terminal to conduct various consultations in real time with a dedicated operator at the headquarter.

[0003] The remote terminal may be installed in a booth or a private room provided at a sales office. An imaging device that captures an overhead image of the inside of the booth or private room may be installed in the booth or private room. The video acquired by the imaging device is transmitted to the headquarter terminal while the remote terminal and the headquarter terminal are connected (that is, during the customer's consultation), so that the operator can check the video. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-159947 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0005] However, if the video of the sales office is not transmitted to the operator terminal before and after the customer's consultation, the operator cannot check the status of the sales office before and after the customer's consultation, which is inconvenient. For example, it is difficult for the operator to check whether the customer has already visited the store, whether each device is activated, whether the previous customer left any belongings behind, and the like.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and the object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can improve the convenience of the operator. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a system is provided comprising a customer terminal used by a customer at a first location, an imaging device installed at the first location, and an operator terminal used by an operator at a second location remote from the first location, wherein the operator terminal includes a communication unit that receives video transmitted from the imaging device when disconnected from the customer terminal, and a display control unit that causes a display screen including the video received by the communication unit to be displayed on a display unit.

[0008] The communication unit may, when connecting to the customer terminal, transmit at least one of the operator's video and / or audio to the customer terminal, receive at least one of the customer's video and / or audio from the customer terminal, and receive video transmitted from the imaging device.

[0009] The system further includes a connection management server that stores connection information for connecting to the imaging device and connection information for connecting to the customer terminal, and the communication unit may receive the connection information for the imaging device and the connection information for the customer terminal when called from the customer terminal, connect to the customer terminal based on the connection information for the customer terminal, connect to the imaging device based on the connection information for the imaging device, and receive video transmitted from the imaging device.

[0010] The communication unit may receive information on multiple imaging devices from the connection management server when disconnected from the customer terminal, the display control unit may display a display screen showing the multiple imaging devices on the display unit, and the communication unit may connect to the imaging device selected on the display screen showing the multiple imaging devices.

[0011] The display screen including the aforementioned video further includes an operation display for adjusting the imaging range of the imaging device, and the communication unit may transmit information to the imaging device indicating the operation performed in response to the operation display.

[0012] The imaging device stores setting information corresponding to one or more imaging ranges, transmits information indicating the one or more imaging ranges to the operator terminal, the operation display includes a display for selecting an imaging range from the one or more imaging ranges, and the communication unit may transmit information indicating the imaging range selected in the operation display to the imaging device.

[0013] The communication unit may communicate with the customer terminal and the imaging device via a dedicated network, rather than via the Internet.

[0014] Furthermore, in order to solve the above problems, according to another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided which is performed by a computer and includes receiving video transmitted from an imaging device installed at the first location and displaying a display screen including the received video when there is no connection between a customer terminal used by a customer at the first location and an operator terminal used by an operator at a second location remote from the first location. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention described above, it is possible to improve the convenience of the operator. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] This is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a remote consultation system based on one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is an explanatory diagram showing examples of equipment installation in sales offices. [Figure 3] This is an explanatory diagram showing specific examples of the status of each device stored in the connection management server 40. [Figure 4]It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of information on each device stored in the connection management server 40. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of the headquarter terminal 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the remote consultation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the device status display screen. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the remote camera operation screen. [Figure 9] It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration 90.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and the drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate description is omitted.

[0018] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a remote consultation system for allowing a customer at a first location to consult with an operator at a second location remote from the first location. The remote consultation system can be applied to various institutions such as, for example, financial institutions including banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, and credit sales companies, securities companies, insurance companies, manufacturing or sales companies that manufacture and sell computers, software, automobiles, electrical equipment, electronic equipment, and the like, retail stores including department stores and supermarkets, accommodation facilities including hotels and inns, passenger transportation companies including railways and airlines, educational institutions including schools and cram schools, and various corporations and organizations such as public bodies. In the present specification, an example in which the remote consultation system is applied to a financial institution will be mainly described.

[0019] The first location and the second location are locations where it is difficult for customers and an operator present at the respective locations to converse with each other in their natural voices while directly seeing each other. For example, the first location and the second location may be locations in different buildings, may be locations on different floors of the same building, may be locations in different rooms of the same building and same floor, or may be locations in different compartments within the same room. Hereinafter, an example in which the first location is a booth provided at a sales office of a financial institution will be described, and an example in which the second location is the headquarters of the financial institution will be mainly described; however, as described above, the first location and the second location may be other locations.

[0020] Customers include persons receiving services from and persons purchasing products from an institution that has introduced a remote consultation system. Also, in the present specification, customers shall include persons considering receiving services and persons considering purchasing products. An operator is a person engaged in work at an institution that has introduced a remote consultation system.

[0021] Consultations conducted between a customer and an operator may include explanations of services or products, explanations of procedures for receiving provision of services, and applications for services or products, for example. For example, the consultation may be a consultation regarding investment trusts, loans, inheritance, or the like.

[0022] Hereinafter, an overview of such a remote consultation system will be described with reference to FIG. 1.

[0023] <Overview of Remote Consultation System> FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a remote consultation system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the remote consultation system according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented across a sales office, the headquarters, and a data center of a financial institution. The sales office, the headquarters, and the data center are connected via a dedicated network 8 without going through the Internet. The dedicated network 8 is a communication network isolated from the Internet. However, part or all of communications performed between the sales office, the headquarters, and the data center may be performed via the Internet.

[0024] (Sales branch) As shown in Figure 1, the branch office is equipped with a remote terminal 10, an operation display device 11, a microphone speaker 12, a customer camera 13, a scanner 14, a printer 15, a remote camera 16, and a hub 18. The remote terminal 10, printer 15, and remote camera 16 are connected via the hub 18. The hub 18 is connected to a dedicated network 8. The hub 18 may be a Power over Ethernet (POE) hub that supplies power to each connected device via cables. The remote terminal 10 is connected to the operation display device 11, microphone speaker 12, customer camera 13, and scanner 14. The connections between each device may be wired or wireless.

[0025] The remote terminal 10 has functions to control each connected device, and functions to communicate with devices located at headquarters and the data center. For example, the remote terminal 10 generates various display screens and displays the generated display screens on the operation display device 11. Specifically, the remote terminal 10 generates a display screen that includes operator video transmitted from the headquarters terminal 20 (described later) at headquarters, and displays the display screen including operator video on the operation display device 11. The remote terminal 10 also outputs the operator's voice received from the headquarters terminal 20 to the microphone speaker 12. The remote terminal 10 also transmits customer voice input from the microphone speaker 12 to headquarters. The remote terminal 10 also transmits customer video acquired by the customer camera 13 to the headquarters terminal 20. The remote terminal 10 also transmits the reading results acquired by the scanner 14 to headquarters. The remote terminal 10 also outputs print instructions to the printer 15. Communication between the remote terminal 10 and the headquarters terminal 20 is conducted via the hub 18, the dedicated network 8, and the headquarters' hub 28, which will be described later.

[0026] The operation display device 11 has the function of a display unit that displays a screen and the function of an operation unit that detects operations. The operation display device 11 may be a touch panel in which a display surface that functions as a display unit and an operation surface that functions as an operation unit are stacked. The operation display device 11 outputs a signal indicating the detected operation to the remote terminal 10 and displays the screen according to the control from the remote terminal 10. Figure 1 shows an example in which the functions of a display unit and an operation unit are realized as an integrated unit, but the functions of a display unit and an operation unit may be realized separately.

[0027] The microphone speaker 12 has a microphone function for picking up customer voices and a speaker function for outputting the operator's voice. The microphone speaker 12 outputs the picked-up customer voice to the remote terminal 10 and outputs the operator's voice input from the remote terminal 10. Figure 1 shows an example in which the microphone function and speaker function are integrated into the microphone speaker 12, but the microphone function and speaker function may be implemented separately.

[0028] The customer camera 13 is positioned to face the customer directly and acquires customer images by capturing them. The customer camera 13 outputs the acquired customer images to the remote terminal 10.

[0029] The scanner 14 is a device that optically reads forms filled out by customers. The scanner 14 outputs the results of reading the forms to the remote terminal 10.

[0030] The printer 15 prints out various types of documents under control from a remote terminal 10 or a headquarters terminal 20 (described later) at headquarters.

[0031] The remote camera 16 is an imaging device that captures images of sales offices located remotely from headquarters and transmits the acquired remote images to headquarters. The remote camera 16 has zoom functions such as optical zoom or digital zoom, and pan-tilt functions, and executes the zoom and pan-tilt functions, etc., according to control from headquarters terminal 20 at headquarters (for example, via API connection).

[0032] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the installation of each piece of equipment in a branch office. The operation display device 11, microphone speaker 12, customer camera 13, and scanner 14 may be installed, for example, on a desk in a booth or private room in the branch office, and the printer 15 may be installed on the floor. The remote camera 16 may be installed, for example, on the ceiling of a booth or private room in the branch office to capture an overhead image of the booth or private room. The remote terminal 10 may be installed in a booth or private room in the branch office, or it may be installed in another location within the branch office.

[0033] (Headquarters) That concludes the explanation of the equipment installed in branch offices. Next, I will explain the equipment installed in headquarters.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, the headquarters is equipped with a headquarters terminal 20, a display device 21, an operating device 22, a headset 23, an operator camera 24, and a hub 28. The headquarters terminal 20 is connected to the hub 28. The hub 28 is connected to a dedicated network 8. Although not shown in Figure 1, the hub 28 may also be connected to a printer and a warning light for various notifications. The headquarters terminal 20 is connected to the display device 21, the operating device 22, the headset 23, and the operator camera 24. The connections between each device may be wired or wireless. Note that although only one set of headquarters terminal 20 to operator camera 24 is shown in Figure 1, the headquarters may be equipped with multiple sets of headquarters terminal 20 to operator camera 24.

[0035] The headquarters terminal 20 has functions to control each connected device and to communicate with devices installed in branch offices and data centers. For example, the headquarters terminal 20 generates various display screens and displays the generated display screens on the display device 21. Specifically, the headquarters terminal 20 generates a display screen that includes customer video transmitted from the branch office's remote terminal 10 or remote camera video transmitted from the remote camera 16, and displays the display screen that includes the customer video or remote camera video on the display device 21. The headquarters terminal 20 also outputs customer audio received from the branch office's remote terminal 10 to the headset 23. The headquarters terminal 20 also transmits operator audio input from the headset 23 to the remote terminal 10. The headquarters terminal 20 also transmits operator video acquired by the operator camera 24 to the branch office's remote terminal 10.

[0036] The display device 21 functions as a display unit that displays a display screen. The display device 21 displays various display screens according to the control from the headquarters terminal 20.

[0037] The operating device 22 is a device that detects operator operations. The operating device 22 outputs a signal indicating the detected operation to the headquarters terminal 20. The operating device 22 may include, for example, a keyboard, mouse, or touchpad.

[0038] The headset 23 has a microphone function to pick up the operator's voice and a speaker function to output the customer's voice. The headset 23 outputs the picked-up operator's voice to the headquarters terminal 20 and outputs the customer's voice input from the headquarters terminal 20. Figure 1 shows an example in which the microphone function and speaker function are integrated into the headset 23, but the microphone function and speaker function may be implemented separately.

[0039] The operator camera 24 is positioned directly facing the operator and acquires the operator's image by capturing video. The operator camera 24 outputs the acquired operator image to the headquarters terminal 20.

[0040] (Data center) That concludes the explanation of the equipment to be installed at headquarters. Next, I will explain the equipment to be installed at the data center.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, the data center is equipped with a voice server 30 and a connection management server 40.

[0042] The voice server 30 has the function of calling the headquarters terminal 20 based on a request from the remote terminal 10. For example, a customer selects the desired consultation content on the menu selection screen displayed on the operation display device 11. The remote terminal 10 transmits information indicating the selected consultation content to the voice server 30. Each headquarters terminal 20 is assigned, for example, an extension number, and the voice server 30 stores the consultation content in association with the extension number. The voice server 30 reads the extension number corresponding to the consultation content indicated by the information received from the remote terminal 10 and sends a call signal to the headquarters terminal 20 to which that extension number is assigned. Then, the display device 21 or a warning light notifies the operator of the call, and after the operator responds to the call by operating the operation device 22, the remote terminal 10 and the headquarters terminal 20 are connected, and the customer and the operator can converse.

[0043] The connection management server 40 stores information and status of each device used in the remote consultation system and transmits this information and status to the headquarters terminal 20.

[0044] Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the status of each device stored by the connection management server 40. As shown in Figure 3, the connection management server 40 associates the installation store code, installation store name, sub-number, status of the remote terminal 10, status of the scanner 14, status of the printer 15, and status of the remote camera 16. The installation store code is a code that identifies the store where the remote terminals 10 to remote camera 16 are installed. The installation store name is the name of the store where the remote terminals 10 to remote camera 16 are installed. If multiple sets of remote terminals 10 to remote camera 16 are installed in one store, each set of remote terminals 10 to remote camera 16 is distinguished by a sub-number. Regarding the status of the remote terminal 10, "OFF" indicates that the remote terminal 10 is shut down, and "Standby" indicates that it is connectable. In the status of the scanner 14, printer 15, and remote camera 16, "-" indicates that the corresponding device is not installed, "×" indicates that an error has occurred and connection is not possible, and "〇" indicates that it is connectable.

[0045] Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of the information of each device stored by the connection management server 40. As shown in Figure 4, the connection management server 40 associates tenant_id, corporation_name, location_type, shop_code, shop_name, machine_no, machine_type, ip_address, and extension_tel_no. tenant_id is identification information indicating the tenant, corporation_name indicates the name of the financial institution, location_type indicates the type of location, shop_code indicates the branch code, and shop_name indicates the branch name. machine_type indicates the type of device, such as remote terminal 10, printer 15, or remote camera 16; ip_address indicates the IP address of the device; and extension_tel_no indicates the extension number of the device. machine_no is used to distinguish between multiple devices of the same type in the same branch office.

[0046] The connection management server 40 transmits the IP addresses of the remote terminal 10, printer 15, and remote camera 16 to the headquarters terminal 20 connected to the remote terminal 10, enabling the headquarters terminal 20 to connect to the remote terminal 10, printer 15, and remote camera 16 using those IP addresses. For example, the connection management server 40 may transmit the IP addresses of the remote terminal 10, printer 15, and remote camera 16 to the headquarters terminal 20 when the voice server 30 transmits a call signal to the headquarters terminal 20, or when an operator responds to a call.

[0047] The functions of the voice server 30 and connection management server 40 described above enable the head office terminal 20 to connect with the remote terminal 10, printer 15, and remote camera 16 when a customer consults with an operator. This allows video and audio to be transmitted between the branch office and the head office, enabling the customer and operator to communicate by voice while viewing each other's video. The head office terminal 20 can also send print commands to the printer 15 and display the remote camera video received from the remote camera 16 on the display device 21.

[0048] (Organizing the issues) According to the remote consultation system described above, the headquarters terminal 20 and the remote camera 16 are connected during a customer consultation (transaction), allowing the operator to view the remote camera footage. However, if the remote camera footage from the branch is not transmitted to the operator terminal 20 unless a customer consultation is in progress, the operator cannot check the branch's status before or after a customer consultation, which is inconvenient. For example, it becomes difficult for the operator to check whether the customer has arrived, whether each device is running, or whether any items left behind by the previous customer have been left behind.

[0049] One embodiment of the present invention relates to a technical concept conceived with the above circumstances as a primary consideration. According to one embodiment of the present invention, even when the remote terminal 10 and the headquarters terminal 20 are disconnected, that is, before and after customer consultations, the operator can check the remote camera footage, thereby improving the operator's convenience. The configuration and operation of this embodiment of the present invention will be described in more detail below.

[0050] <Configuration of Headquarters Terminal 20> Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the configuration of a headquarters terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, the headquarters terminal 20 according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a communication unit 210 and a control unit 220.

[0051] (Communications Section 210) The communication unit 210 communicates with various devices. For example, it receives customer video transmitted from the remote terminal 10, remote camera video transmitted from the remote camera 16, and IP addresses of the remote terminal 10, printer 15, and remote camera 16 transmitted as connection information from the connection management server 40. The communication unit 210 also receives signals indicating operations performed by the operator from the operating device 22, operator video from the operator camera 24, and operator voice from the headset 23. The communication unit 210 also transmits the operator's voice and operator video to the remote terminal 10. Furthermore, the communication unit 210 receives information indicating operations performed in response to the operation display for controlling the imaging range of the remote camera 16 from the operating device 22, and transmits this operation information to the remote camera 16.

[0052] Furthermore, the communication unit 210 can connect to and communicate with the remote terminal 10, printer 15, and remote camera 16 using the IP addresses of the remote terminal 10, printer 15, and remote camera 16 transmitted from the connection management server 40.

[0053] (Control unit 220) The control unit 220 controls the overall operation of the headquarters terminal 20. As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 220 has functions such as a display control unit 222 and an audio output control unit 224.

[0054] The display control unit 222 generates a display screen and outputs the display screen to the display device 21 via the communication unit 210, thereby displaying the display screen on the display device 21. During a customer consultation, the display screen includes customer video received from the remote terminal 10 or remote camera video transmitted from the remote camera 16. The display screen may also include an operation display for controlling the imaging range of the remote camera 16.

[0055] The voice output control unit 224 outputs the customer's voice received from the remote terminal 10 to the headset 23 via the communication unit 210, thereby outputting the customer's voice from the headset 23.

[0056] In the remote consultation system according to one embodiment of the present invention, the operator can view the remote camera image on the display device 21 even when the remote terminal 10 and the headquarters terminal 20 are not connected, that is, before and after a customer consultation. The following describes the process by which the remote camera image is displayed on the display device 21 when the remote terminal 10 and the headquarters terminal 20 are not connected, with reference to Figures 6 to 8.

[0057] <Operation> Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a remote consultation system according to one embodiment of the present invention. First, with a display screen including an equipment status inquiry button for inquiring about the status of each piece of equipment in a branch office displayed on the display device 21, when an operator operates the operating device 22 and selects the equipment status inquiry button, the communication unit 210 of the headquarters terminal 20 requests information about each piece of equipment in the branch office from the connection management server 40 (S304). In response to the request, the connection management server 40 transmits information about each piece of equipment in the branch office to the headquarters terminal 20 (S308). Here, the information about each piece of equipment includes the IP address and status of each remote terminal 10, the IP address and status of each printer 15, and the IP address and status of each remote camera 16.

[0058] The display control unit 222 of the headquarters terminal 20 displays a device status display screen showing multiple remote cameras 16 based on the information of each device received from the connection management server 40 (S312).

[0059] Figure 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a device status display screen. As shown in Figure 7, the device status display screen shows the installation store code, installation store name, branch number, status of the remote terminal 10, status of the scanner 14, status of the printer 15, and status of the remote camera 16. On such a device status display screen, the operator selects the remote camera 16 of the desired branch by operating the control device 22. For example, the operation to select the remote camera 16 may be to select the row corresponding to the desired branch (or the branch number of the desired branch), or to select the "remote camera" column in that row.

[0060] Thus, when the operator selects a remote camera 16 of the desired branch office (S316), the communication unit 210 sends a connection request to the selected remote camera 16 based on its IP address (S320). In response to the connection request, the remote camera 16 transmits the remote camera image to the headquarters terminal 20 (S324). Here, the remote camera 16 stores setting information regarding zoom and pan-tilt corresponding to one or more imaging ranges, and transmits this setting information to the headquarters terminal 20 along with the remote camera image. However, this setting information may also be stored in the connection management server 40 and transmitted from the connection management server 40 to the headquarters terminal 20.

[0061] Then, the display control unit 222 of the headquarters terminal 20 generates a remote camera operation screen including the remote camera image and operation display, and displays the remote camera operation screen on the display device 21 (S328).

[0062] Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example of a remote camera operation screen. As shown in Figure 8, the remote camera operation screen includes a remote camera image 52, a zoom operation display 54, a horizontal scroll display 56, a vertical scroll display 57, and a preset selection display 58. The zoom operation display 54, the horizontal scroll display 56, the vertical scroll display 57, and the preset selection display 58 are operation displays for adjusting the imaging range of the remote camera 16.

[0063] The zoom operation display 54 is a display for controlling the zoom amount of the remote camera 16. The horizontal scroll display 56 and vertical scroll display 57 are displays for controlling the pan and tilt of the remote camera 16. The preset selection display 58 displays information indicating one or more pre-set imaging ranges, which can be selected via a pull-down menu. The headquarters terminal 20 transmits information indicating the operations performed on these operation displays to the remote camera 16, and the remote camera 16 controls its imaging range by performing zoom and pan and tilt operations according to this information.

[0064] Furthermore, each of the above operation indicators may function as an indicator for adjusting the display range within the video acquired by the remote camera 16. For example, if the remote camera 16 is an omnidirectional camera, the headquarters terminal 20 may display on the display device 21 the video within the omnidirectional video range corresponding to the operation performed by the operator in response to the operation indicator.

[0065] <Effects and Effects> According to the embodiment described above, various effects and advantages can be obtained. For example, according to the embodiment, when the remote terminal 10 and the headquarters terminal 20 are disconnected, that is, before and after a customer consultation, the operator can check the remote camera footage acquired by the remote camera 16, thereby improving the convenience of the operator.

[0066] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the remote terminal 10 and the headquarters terminal 20 are connected, that is, even during a customer consultation, the operator can check the remote camera footage acquired by the remote camera 16. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide separate cameras for when the remote terminal 10 and the headquarters terminal 20 are connected and for when they are not connected, thus reducing the number of cameras required for the remote consultation system.

[0067] Furthermore, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the display device 21 displays an equipment status display screen showing the status of the equipment at each branch office. From this equipment status screen, the operator can select a remote camera 16 for a desired branch office.

[0068] Furthermore, a remote camera operation screen according to one embodiment of the present invention includes an operation display for adjusting the imaging range of the remote camera 16. The operator can adjust the imaging range of the remote camera 16 by operating the operation display.

[0069] Furthermore, the remote camera 16 according to one embodiment of the present invention stores setting information regarding zoom and pan-tilt corresponding to one or more imaging ranges, and transmits this setting information to the headquarters terminal 20 along with the remote camera image. The remote camera operation screen includes a preset selection display 58 in which information indicating these one or more imaging ranges is displayed selectably via a pull-down menu. For example, if setting information regarding zoom and pan-tilt corresponding to an imaging range including the scanner 14 is stored, the operator can select "Scanner" in the preset selection display 58 to adjust the field of view of the remote camera 16 to the scanner 14, and easily check whether the scanner 14 is powered on, whether any documents have been left on the scanner 14, etc.

[0070] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the branch offices, headquarters, and data center are connected via a dedicated network 8. With this configuration, compared to the case where the branch offices, headquarters, and data center are connected via the Internet, it is possible to improve the security of customer video, operator video, remote camera video, customer audio, and operator audio.

[0071] <Hardware Configuration> The embodiments of the present invention have been described above. The information processing described above is realized through the cooperation of software and hardware. Below, an example of a hardware configuration that can be applied to the remote terminal 10, the headquarters terminal 20, the voice server 30, and the connection management server 40 will be described.

[0072] Figure 9 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration 90. The hardware configuration 90 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 901, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 902, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 903, and a host bus 904. The hardware configuration 90 also includes a bridge 905, an external bus 906, an interface 907, an input device 908, a display device 909, an audio output device 910, a storage device (HDD) 911, a drive 912, and a network interface 915.

[0073] The CPU 901 functions as both an arithmetic processing unit and a control unit, controlling the overall operation according to various programs. The CPU 901 may also be a microprocessor. The ROM 902 stores programs and arithmetic parameters used by the CPU 901. The RAM 903 temporarily stores programs used in the execution of the CPU 901 and parameters that change as needed during its execution. These are interconnected by a host bus 904, which consists of a CPU bus and other components. Through the cooperation of the CPU 901, ROM 902, RAM 903, and software, the functions of the control unit 220 and the control functions of each device can be realized.

[0074] The host bus 904 is connected to an external bus 906, such as a PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect / Interface) bus, via a bridge 905. It is not always necessary to configure the host bus 904, bridge 905, and external bus 906 separately; these functions may be implemented on a single bus.

[0075] The input device 908 consists of input means for the user to input information, such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, buttons, microphone, sensor, switch, and lever, and an input control circuit that generates input signals based on the user's input and outputs them to the CPU 901. By operating the input device 908, the user can input various types of data and instruct processing operations.

[0076] The display device 909 includes, for example, a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, a projector device, an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) device, and a lamp. The audio output device 910 includes an audio output device such as a speaker and headphones.

[0077] The storage device 911 is a data storage device configured as an example of a storage unit according to this embodiment. The storage device 911 may include a storage medium, a recording device for recording data on the storage medium, a reading device for reading data from the storage medium, and a deletion device for deleting data recorded on the storage medium. The storage device 911 is composed of, for example, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a memory having equivalent functionality. This storage device 911 drives the storage and stores programs executed by the CPU 901 and various data.

[0078] Drive 912 is a reader / writer for storage media and is either built into or external to the hardware configuration 90. Drive 912 reads information recorded on removable storage media 84, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory, and outputs it to RAM 903 or storage device 911. Drive 912 can also write information to the removable storage media 84.

[0079] The network interface 915 is a communication interface composed of, for example, a communication device for connecting to the dedicated network 8. Furthermore, the network interface 915 may be a wireless LAN (Local Area Network) compatible communication device or a wired communication device for wired communication.

[0080] <Supplement> Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear to any person with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs that various modifications or alterations can be conceived within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and these are also understood to fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0081] For example, each step in the processing of the remote consultation system described herein does not necessarily have to be processed chronologically in the order described in the sequence diagram. For example, each step in the processing of the remote consultation system may be processed in an order different from the order described in the sequence diagram, or may be processed in parallel.

[0082] Furthermore, it is possible to create computer programs that enable the CPU, ROM, RAM, and other hardware built into the remote terminal 10, headquarters terminal 20, voice server 30, and connection management server 40 to perform functions equivalent to those of the respective configurations described above. A non-temporary storage medium on which such computer programs are stored is also provided.

[0083] Furthermore, at least some combinations of the remote terminal 10, operation display device 11, microphone speaker 12, customer camera 13, scanner 14, and printer 15 described above may be configured as a single unit. Similarly, at least some combinations of the headquarters terminal 20, display device 21, operation device 22, headset 23, and operator camera 24 may be configured as a single unit. In addition, the functions of the voice server 30 and connection management server 40 may be implemented as a single unit, or they may be implemented in a distributed manner as multiple servers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 8 Dedicated net 10 Remote terminals 11 Operation display device 12 Microphone Speaker 13 Customer Cameras 14 Scanners 15 Printers 16 Remote Cameras 18 Hubs 20 Headquarters Terminal 210 Communications Department 220 Control Unit 222 Display Control Unit 224 Audio Output Control Unit 21 Display device 22 Control device 23 Headsets 24 Operator Cameras 28 Hubs 30 Voice Servers 40 Connection Management Server

Claims

1. A system comprising a customer terminal used by a customer at a first location, an imaging device installed at the first location, and an operator terminal used by an operator at a second location remote from the first location, The aforementioned operator terminal is A communication unit that receives video transmitted from the imaging device when disconnected from the customer terminal, A display control unit that causes the display screen, including the video received by the communication unit, to be displayed on the display unit, A system equipped with these features.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit, upon connection with the customer terminal, transmits at least one of the operator's video and / or audio to the customer terminal, receives at least one of the customer's video and / or audio from the customer terminal, and receives video transmitted from the imaging device.

3. The system further comprises a connection management server that stores connection information for connecting to the imaging device and connection information for connecting to the customer terminal. The system according to claim 2, wherein the communication unit receives connection information for the imaging device and the connection information for the customer terminal when a call is made from the customer terminal, connects to the customer terminal based on the connection information for the customer terminal, connects to the imaging device based on the connection information for the imaging device, and receives video transmitted from the imaging device.

4. When disconnected from the customer terminal, the communication unit receives information on multiple imaging devices from the connection management server. The display control unit causes the display unit to display a display screen showing the plurality of imaging devices. The system according to claim 3, wherein the communication unit is connected to the imaging device selected on a display screen showing the plurality of imaging devices.

5. The display screen including the aforementioned video further includes an operation display for adjusting the imaging range of the imaging device, The system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the communication unit transmits information indicating an operation performed in response to the operation display to the imaging device.

6. The imaging device stores setting information corresponding to one or more imaging ranges, and transmits the information indicating the one or more imaging ranges to the operator terminal. The aforementioned operation display includes a display for selecting an imaging range from the one or more imaging ranges, The system according to claim 5, wherein the communication unit transmits information indicating the imaging range selected in the operation display to the imaging device.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit communicates with the customer terminal and the imaging device via a dedicated network without using the Internet.

8. When the customer terminal used by the customer at the first location is disconnected from the operator terminal used by the operator at the second location, which is remote from the first location, the system receives video transmitted from an imaging device installed at the first location. To display a screen containing the received video, A method performed by a computer, including [this].

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