Processing device, processing method, program, and processing system

Abstract

To improve the security of operations in a telework-type contact center and improve the operational efficiency of operations.SOLUTION: In a contact center system 10 according to the present invention, an operator environment management device 50 generates an operator security level based on operator environment information 70 when an operator terminal 60 is operated by a telework operator. In addition, when the incoming call security level based on the communication between a customer device 11 and the operator terminal 60 is allowed in relation to the operator security level, a call control device 40 connects the customer device 11 and the operator terminal 60 for the communication between the customer device 11 and the operator terminal 60.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, there has been active research and development on technologies related to telework-type contact centers. In the operations of a telework-type contact center, it is important to ensure the security of operators. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a call center system with enhanced security. According to Patent Document 1, by using the position information of the GPS installed on the business terminal used by the operator to determine whether the business terminal is present at a previously registered position, it was determined whether the operator was allowed to work.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, according to the prior art such as the invention of Patent Document 1, since the business availability of the operator is determined only by the position information of the operator, it cannot be said that the security is sufficiently enhanced. For example, when an operator works from home, there is a possibility that confidential information handled in the course of business may be leaked to a third party such as a family member. Therefore, there is room for improvement in the prior art. On the other hand, not all inquiries from customers require a high security level. For this reason, it is desirable to perform, to the greatest extent possible, the operations that can be undertaken at the security level that the current operator can guarantee, and to effectively utilize the limited human resources of the contact center.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to improve the security of operations in a telework-type contact center and to improve the operational efficiency of operations.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a first processing unit that generates a first security level based on environmental information when a first operator device is operated by a first operator in telework, The first security level is A second security level based on communication between the customer device and the first operator device before In the above case, for communication between the customer device and the first operator device, a second processing unit that connects the customer device and the first operator device is provided, and the processing device is characterized in that it comprises the second processing unit.

[0007] Further, the present invention provides a first step in which a processing device generates a first security level based on environmental information when a first operator device is operated by a first operator in telework, The first security level is A second security level based on communication between the customer device and the first operator device before In the above case, for communication between the customer device and the first operator device, a second step of connecting the customer device and the first operator device is executed, and the processing method is characterized in that it comprises the second step.

[0008] Further, the present invention provides a program for causing a computer as a processing device to function as a first processing unit that generates a first security level based on environmental information when a first operator device is operated by a first operator in telework, The first security level is A second security level based on communication between the customer device and the first operator device before In the above case, for communication between the customer device and the first operator device, a second processing unit that connects the customer device and the first operator device, and the program is for causing the computer to function as the second processing unit.

[0009] Also, the present invention includes an operator environment management device that generates a first security level based on environmental information when a first operator device is operated by a first operator of telework, The first security level is a second security level based on communication between the customer device and the first operator device before In the above case, for communication between the customer device and the first operator device, a processing system including a call control device that connects the customer device and the first operator device.

Advantages of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the security of operations in a telework type contact center and improve the operation efficiency of the operations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011]

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Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] [Summary] In this embodiment, a call distribution method that takes into account the security of a contact center operating in a telecommuting environment will be described. The contact center system of this embodiment detects the security level of the space where an operator working in a telecommuting environment is working, and distributes incoming calls that match the security level that the operator can guarantee to the operator, thereby achieving both the security and operational efficiency of a telecommuting contact center.

[0013] [Configuration] (Contact Center System 10) As shown in FIG. 1, the contact center system 10 of this embodiment includes a network device 20, a gateway device 30, a call control device 40, and an operator environment management device 50. The contact center system 10 can be configured as, for example, an IP network using the network device 20, but is not limited thereto. The network device 20, the gateway device 30, the call control device 40, and the operator environment management device 50 are communicably connected. Note that the contact center system 10 is a specific example of the "processing system" in the claims.

[0014] The network device 20 is, for example, a router, a switch, or a wireless access point, but is not limited thereto. The network device 20 is communicably connected to a plurality of operator terminals 60. Therefore, the gateway device 30, the call control device 40, and the operator environment management device 50 can be communicably connected to the operator terminal 60.

[0015] The gateway device 30 is a device that relays communication between devices with different protocols. For example, in a telephone system, the gateway device 30 can be used as a gateway between IP and the public telephone network. Also, in a system that exchanges text-based data such as chat, the gateway device 30 can be used as a gateway between the Internet and the intranet. The gateway device 30 is communicably connected to the customer device 11. The customer device 11 is a device used by a customer who utilizes contact center services. The customer device 11 can be, for example, a PC, a telephone, a smartphone, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0016] The network device 20, the gateway device 30, the call control device 40, the operator environment management device 50, and the operator terminal 60 are configured as computers having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory, storage means (memory unit, storage device) such as a hard disk, and a network interface. In this computer, various functions are realized when the CPU executes a program loaded onto the memory.

[0017] The call control device 40 is a device that processes incoming calls from the gateway device 30 and call initiation instructions from the operator terminal 60. The call control device 40 can manage the start and end of calls between customers and operators.

[0018] The operator environment management device 50 is a device that manages the environment of an operator who conducts contact center operations while working from home. For example, the operator environment management device 50 can manage pre-registered operator work schedule location information, the current location information of the operator terminal, the spatial information of the operator using a camera, and the spatial information of the operator using voice (details will be described later).

[0019] The operator terminal 60 is a device used by an operator to perform the operations of the contact center. For example, the operator terminal 60 can be, but is not limited to, a mobile PC, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a dedicated IP terminal. The operator terminal 60 has functions for voice acquisition / playback, video input using a camera or the like, operator face authentication, number counting of people in the camera video, and voice recognition (details will be described later). Further, the operator terminal 60 is communicably connected to, for example, a microphone, a speaker, a headset, and a telephone, enabling a call between the operator and the customer.

[0020] Note that the call control device 40 and the operator environment management device 50 are specific devices that constitute the "processing device" in the claims. Also, the operator and the operator terminal 60 are specific examples of the "first operator" and the "first operator terminal" in the claims, respectively.

[0021] (Call control device 40) As shown in FIG. 2, the call control device 40 includes an information communication unit 41, a call processing unit 42, and an incoming call security level determination unit 43. The call control device 40 stores incoming call security information 90 (details will be described later). The information communication unit 41 is an interface for the call control device 40 to communicate with the gateway device 30, the operator environment management device 50, and the operator terminal 60.

[0022] The call processing unit 42 performs start and end processing of a call between the gateway device 30 and the operator terminal 60. Also, when distributing calls, the call processing unit 42 communicates with the incoming call security level determination unit 43 and the operator environment management device 50 to determine to which operator the incoming call is to be distributed. The incoming call security level determination unit 43 determines the incoming call security level for an incoming call from a customer. Details of the incoming call security level will be described later. Note that the call processing unit 42 and the incoming call security level determination unit 43 are examples of specific functional units that constitute the "second processing unit" in the claims.

[0023] (Operator Environment Management Device 50) As shown in FIG. 3, the operator environment management device 50 includes an information communication unit 51, an operator security level determination unit 52, and an operator security level storage unit 53. Note that the operator security level determination unit 52 is a specific example of the "first processing unit" in the claims. The information communication unit 51 is an interface for the operator environment management device 50 to communicate with the call control device 40 and the operator terminal 60.

[0024] The operator security level determination unit 52 determines the operator security level based on the information about the current operator notified from the operator terminal 60. Details of the operator security level will be described later. The operator security level storage unit 53 stores information for identifying the operator, the operator's scheduled work location information, the current operator's environment information, and the determination result of the operator security level determination unit 52 as operator security information 80 (details will be described later).

[0025] (Operator Terminal 60) As shown in FIG. 4, the operator terminal 60 includes an information communication unit 61, a position information acquisition unit 62, a video input unit 63, a face determination unit 64, a number of people determination unit 65 in the video, an audio input unit 66, and a number of people determination unit 67 in the audio. Also, the operator terminal 60 can generate operator environment information 70 (details will be described later). The information communication unit 61 is an interface for the operator terminal 60 to communicate with the call control device 40 and the operator environment management device 50.

[0026] The position information acquisition unit 62 acquires the current position information of the operator terminal 60 using GPS or the like. The video input unit 63 inputs video from an arbitrary video input device such as a camera. The video input device may be built into the operator terminal 60 or may be externally attached to the operator terminal 60.

[0027] The face determination unit 64 determines whether an operator exists in the video acquired from the video input unit 63. The face determination unit 64 has a function of authenticating a person's face and can determine the face of the operator. The face image of the operator is stored in the operator terminal 60 or a device capable of communicating with the operator terminal 60. The number of people in the video determination unit 65 determines how many people are included in the video acquired from the video input unit 63. The number of people in the video determination unit 65 has a function of identifying a person and can identify the person even if a part of the person is shown.

[0028] The voice input unit 66 inputs voice from an arbitrary voice input device such as a microphone. The voice input device may be built into the operator terminal 60 or may be externally attached to the operator terminal 60. The number of voices in the voice determination unit 67 determines how many voices are included in the voice acquired from the voice input unit 66. The number of voices in the voice determination unit 67 has a function of identifying a person and can distinguish the voice of others. Note that the operator terminal 60 includes an output unit that outputs sound information such as the operator's voice, text information replied in a chat, etc., and video information for showing images and videos to customers, etc. The output unit for sound information can be, for example, a speaker, but is not limited thereto.

[0029] (Operator Environment Information 70) The operator environment information 70 is information indicating the environment (for example, within the operator's home) in which the operator conducts the operations of the contact center (where the operator terminal 60 is operated). The operator environment information 70 is information generated by the operator terminal 60 and notified to the operator environment management device 50. The operator environment information 70 is used by the operator security level determination unit 52 of the operator environment management device 50 to determine the operator security level. Note that the operator environment information 70 is a specific example of the "environment information" in the claims.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 5, the operator environment information 70 is composed of data including an "operator identifier", "location information", "operator presence flag", "number of persons in video", and "number of persons in voice". The "operator identifier" is information that uniquely identifies the operator. The "location information" is the location information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 62 of the operator terminal 60. The "operator presence flag" is a true / false value indicating whether (true) or not (false) an operator exists in the video input by the video input unit 63 based on the determination by face authentication of the face determination unit 64 of the operator terminal 60. The "number of persons in video" is the number of persons included in the video input by the video input unit 63 based on the determination by the number of persons in video determination unit 65 of the operator terminal 60. In this embodiment, the operator himself / herself is counted as included in the number of persons in video, but it may also not be counted. The "number of persons in voice" is the number of persons included in the voice input by the voice input unit 66 based on the determination by the number of persons in voice determination unit 67 of the operator terminal 60. In this embodiment, the operator himself / herself is counted as included in the number of persons in voice, but it may also not be counted.

[0031] (Operator security information 80) The operator security information 80 is information indicating the current security level of the environment where the operator exists. The operator security information 80 is generated by the operator security level determination unit 52 of the operator environment management device 50 and stored in the operator security level storage unit 53.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 6, the operator security information 80 is composed of data of "operator identifier", "operator's scheduled work location information", "current operator environment information", "update date and time", and "operator security level". The "operator identifier" is information that uniquely identifies the operator. The "operator's scheduled work location information" is information indicating the location where the operator plans to perform work using the operator terminal 60. The operator's scheduled work location information is registered in advance before the operator performs work. The "current operator environment information" is the latest operator environment information 70 notified from the operator terminal 60. The "update date and time" is the date and time when the operator environment information 70 was last acquired from the operator terminal 60. The "operator security level" is the degree of security that the operator can guarantee. The operator security level is a numerical value calculated based on the operator's scheduled work location information and the current operator environment information. For example, the operator security level can be set to 0 to 3 as follows. Note that the operator security level is a specific example of the "information on the first security level" in the claims.

[0033] 0: The operator is not shown in the video of the camera or the like (the operator presence flag in the operator environment information 70 is false), or the operator environment information 70 is old (the update date and time of the operator security information 80 is before the predetermined timing) 1: There is no operator at the pre-registered position (the difference between the operator's scheduled work position information in the operator security information 80 and the position information in the operator environment information 70 is greater than or equal to a certain value). 2: A person other than the operator is reflected in the video of the camera or the like (the number of people in the video in the operator environment information 70 is greater than 1), or multiple voices are input through the microphone or the like (the number of people in the voice in the operator environment information 70 is greater than 1). 3: None of the above applies (the operator is in a secure environment).

[0034] When the operator security level is 0, there is a high possibility that the operator is not performing any work in the first place. It is not appropriate to let an operator in such a state handle confidential information. Also, the operator cannot make voice calls by default. Also, the operator cannot chat by default. Therefore, the security level of the operator is set to the lowest, and the call processing unit 42 generally does not distribute incoming calls to the operator terminal 60 of the operator.

[0035] When the operator security level is 1, it indicates that the operator is performing work to some extent, but the executable operations are severely restricted (for example, because the operator is in a space with extremely low sound insulation or extremely low visibility). It is not appropriate to let an operator in such a state handle confidential information. Also, when making a voice call, there is a possibility that the conversation content will be overheard by others, or from the perspective of noise prevention, it is preferable for the operator not to make a voice call. However, the operator can handle inquiries via chat that do not involve handling confidential information (e.g., general explanations of sold products or provided services, comprehensive guides).

[0036] When the operator security level is 2, the operator is performing tasks at the planned location, but it indicates that there is a third party who does not have an obligation to keep secrets in the same space as the operator. It is not appropriate to let an operator in such a state handle confidential information. However, if it is an inquiry by chat that does not handle confidential information, it can be said that the operator can respond. Also, if it is a voice call that does not handle confidential information, it can be said that the operator can respond.

[0037] When the operator security level is 3, it can be said that the operator can handle normal incoming call tasks that may involve handling confidential information.

[0038] (Incoming Call Security Information 90) Incoming Call Security Information 90 is information that defines the security level for incoming calls. Incoming Call Security Information 90 is stored, for example, in the call control device 40 before the operation of the contact center service. The incoming call security level determination unit 43 of the call control device 40 can appropriately utilize the Incoming Call Security Information 90.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 7, the Incoming Call Security Information 90 is composed of data on "reason for incoming call" and "incoming call security level". The "reason for incoming call" is information that distinguishes the purpose of the incoming call (e.g., in the case of banking services, it distinguishes purposes such as inquiry of deposit balance, inquiry of theft or loss of cash card). The reason for incoming call can be defined in advance by the system administrator before the operation of the contact center system 10. Note that the reason for incoming call can be detected by the call processing unit 42 of the call control device 40 from the incoming call. Specifically, it can be detected by IVR (Interactive Voice Response), dial-in number, voice bot, chat bot. These are specific examples of communication between the customer device and the operator terminal 60.

[0040] The "incoming call security level" is the degree of security required for the reason of an incoming call. The possible values of the incoming call security level can be the same as the operator security level of the operator security information 80, and in this embodiment, they are the same. However, they may be different. Also, the incoming call security level can be determined based on the communication between the customer device and the operator terminal 60. Note that the incoming call security level is a specific example of the "second security level information" in the claims.

[0041] [Processing] As the processing of this embodiment, the update of the operator security information 80 will be described. As shown in FIG. 8, first, the operator terminal 60 transmits the current operator environment information 70 to the operator security level determination unit 52 of the operator environment management device 50 (step s11). Here, the transmission timing of the operator environment information 70 may be, for example, the timing when there is a change in the position information detected by the operator terminal 60, the presence or absence of the operator, the number of people in the video, or the number of people in the voice. Also, it may be at regular intervals.

[0042] Next, the operator security level determination unit 52 reads out the operator work scheduled position information of the operator security information 80 from the operator security level storage unit 53 (step s12). Next, the operator security level determination unit 52 calculates the operator security level using the position information of the received operator environment information 70 and the operator work scheduled position information of the read operator security information 80 (step s13).

[0043] Next, the operator security level determination unit 52 updates the operator security information 80 and stores it in the operator security level storage unit 53 (step s14). Specifically, the operator security level determination unit 52 updates the current operator environment information in the operator security information 80 to the received operator environment information 70. Also, the operator security level determination unit 52 updates the update date and time of the operator security information 80 to the reception date and time of the operator environment information 70. Further, the operator security level determination unit 52 updates the operator security level in the operator security information 80 to the calculated operator security level. The operator security level determination unit 52 stores the updated operator security information 80 in the operator security level storage unit 53.

[0044] Note that the operator environment management device 50 may notify a supervisor terminal used by a supervisor of the contact center business of a change in the operator security level and display the change on the screen of the supervisor terminal. Also, the change history of the operator security level may be stored in an arbitrary storage device. Further, the transition of the operator security level may be aggregated as history information. Thus, the description of the process of FIG. 8 ends.

[0045] Also, regarding the update of the operator security information 80, in addition to what is described in FIG. 8, there is also what is shown in FIG. 9. The process of FIG. 9 is a process of periodically updating the operator security information 80.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 9, when a certain period of time has elapsed without the operator security level determination unit 52 of the operator environment management device 50 receiving the operator environment information 70 from the operator terminal 60 for a target operator, the operator security level determination unit 52 sets the operator security level in the operator security information 80 to 0 (step s21).

[0047] Next, the operator security level determination unit 52 updates the operator security information 80 and stores it in the operator security level storage unit 53 (step s22). Specifically, the operator security level determination unit 52 also updates the update date and time of the operator security information 80 to the date and time after a certain period has elapsed. Also, the operator security level determination unit 52 updates the operator security level of the operator security information 80 to 0. The operator security level determination unit 52 stores the updated operator security information 80 in the operator security level storage unit 53.

[0048] According to the process of FIG. 9, when a certain period has passed since the last update of the operator environment information 70, since the operator environment information 70 is too old, it is regarded as invalid, and it is determined that the operator is not in a secure environment at present. Therefore, by processing so as not to distribute an incoming call to the above operator, the security of the work of the contact center for telecommuting can be ensured.

[0049] Also, as the process of this embodiment, the distribution of incoming calls will be described. As shown in FIG. 10, first, when there is an incoming call from a customer (customer device 11), the gateway device 30 notifies the call processing unit 42 of the call control device 40 of the incoming call (step s31). The call processing unit 42 that has received the incoming call requests the incoming call security level determination unit 43 to determine the incoming call security level (step s32). At this time, the call processing unit 42 detects the reason for the incoming call and outputs it to the incoming call security level determination unit 43.

[0050] Next, the incoming call security level determination unit 43 refers to the incoming call security information 90, determines the incoming call security level of the incoming call, and returns it to the call processing unit 42 (step s33). The call processing unit 42 that has obtained the incoming call security level searches for the operator security information 80 stored in the operator security level storage unit 53 of the operator environment management device 50 (step s34). Further, the call processing unit 42 acquires a list of operators (operators whose operator security level is allowed in relation to the incoming call security level) having an operator security level equal to or higher than the incoming call security level from the operator security information 80 (step s35).

[0051] The call processing unit 42 that has acquired the list of operators selects an operator who notifies the incoming call according to a predetermined algorithm from among the operators in the list. Further, the call processing unit 42 distributes the incoming call to the selected operator (step s36). The predetermined algorithm may be, for example, an algorithm that randomly selects one person from a plurality of target operators. Also, an algorithm that preferentially selects an operator whose elapsed time since the end of the last customer correspondence among the plurality of target operators is long may be used. Thus, the description of the process of FIG. 10 is completed.

[0052] [Summary] According to the present embodiment, by using the position information of the operator, the presence or absence of the operator determined by video or voice input, and the information on the number of people other than the operator, it is possible to determine the security level of the space where the operator is performing the work. In addition, by evaluating the incoming call and the operator's working environment as the incoming call security level and the operator security level, respectively, it is possible to appropriately allocate incoming calls even to operators in an environment where it is difficult to ensure a high level of security. Therefore, it is possible to improve the security of the work in the contact center for telecommuting and improve the operation efficiency of the work.

[0053] [Modification Example] (a) The present invention is applicable not only to telecommuting at home but also to work at, for example, satellite offices, coffee shops, etc. More generally, the present invention can be applied to telework at a location different from the workplace. (b) In this embodiment, the authenticity of the operator presence flag is determined by face recognition of the operator. However, for example, the authenticity of the operator presence flag may be determined by voiceprint authentication or fingerprint authentication of the operator. (c) In this embodiment, the call control device 40 and the operator environment management device 50 have been described as separate devices. However, for example, one device having each function of the call control device 40 and the operator environment management device 50 may be configured. The device is a specific example of the "processing device" in the claims. Also, a program for causing a computer to function as the device can be configured. (d) Means that can be realized by software can be realized by hardware, and means that can be realized by hardware can be realized by software.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0054] 10 Contact Center System 11 Customer Device 20 Network Equipment 30 Gateway Device 40 Call Control Device 41 Information Communication Unit 42 Call Processing Unit 43 Incoming Call Security Level Determination Unit 50 Operator Environment Management Device 51 Information Communication Unit 52 Operator Security Level Determination Unit 53 Operator Security Level Storage Unit 60 Operator Terminal 61 Information Communication Unit 62 Location Information Acquisition Unit 63 Video Input Unit 64 Face Determination Unit 65 Number of People in Video Determination Unit 66 Voice input unit 67 Number of people in voice determination unit 70 Operator environment information 80 Operator security information 90 Incoming call security information

Claims

1. A first processing unit that generates a first security level based on environmental information when a first operator device is operated by a first operator for telework; A second processing unit that connects the customer device and the first operator device for communication between the customer device and the first operator device when the first security level is equal to or higher than a second security level based on communication between the customer device and the first operator device. The processing device is characterized by comprising:

2. The state indicated by the first security level is that the video input unit provided in the first operator device does not capture the first operator, or the environmental information has not been updated for a certain period or more. The processing device according to claim 1.

3. The state indicated by the first security level is that the difference between the position information of the first operator as the environmental information and the planned position information where the first operator is to perform work is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The processing device according to claim 1.

4. The state indicated by the first security level is that the video input unit provided in the first operator device captures a plurality of persons, or the audio input unit provided in the first operator device acquires the voices of a plurality of persons. The processing device according to claim 1.

5. The telework is home-based work. The processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. The processing device Performs a first step of generating a first security level based on environmental information when a first operator device is operated by a first operator for telework; A second step of connecting the customer device and the first operator device for communication between the customer device and the first operator device when the first security level is equal to or higher than a second security level based on communication between the customer device and the first operator device. The processing method is characterized by comprising:

7. A computer as a processing device A first processing unit that generates a first security level based on environmental information when a first operator device is operated by a first operator for telework, A program for causing a second processing unit that connects the customer device and the first operator device to function as a second processing unit for communication between the customer device and the first operator device when the first security level is equal to or higher than a second security level based on communication between the customer device and the first operator device.

8. An operator environment management device that generates a first security level based on environmental information when a first operator device for telework is operated by a first operator, and A processing system including a call control device that connects the customer device and the first operator device for communication between the customer device and the first operator device when the first security level is equal to or higher than a second security level based on communication between the customer device and the first operator device.

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