Presence management system, Presence management system program

Abstract

To provide a presence management system that allows users and other users to easily understand who is using which seat and which seat is used by whom even in an office with a free address system.SOLUTION: A presence management system 100 includes user terminals (110A, 120) and a server 130. The user terminal (110A) communicates with the server to transmit user information to the server, and displays a presence management screen 113 having a user's available seat layout 114a based on a database 131 of the server. When the user performs a seat selection operation, the user terminal (110A) transmits seat information for which the selection operation has been performed to the server. Based on the user information and the seat information received from the user terminal (110A), the server associates the selected seat on the presence management screen 113 with the user information and registers it in the database.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an attendance management system that includes a user terminal and a server and displays user attendance information, and a program therefor.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, an attendance management system including an attendance management information generation means for generating attendance management information regarding the attendance status of a target person and an attendance management information notification means for notifying the attendance management information generated by the attendance management information generation means is known (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the above-described conventional attendance management system, since it is configured assuming an office with a so-called seat-fixed system in which a user who is the target person uses a previously determined seat as their own seat, it is difficult to cope with an office with a free-address system where seats are not determined. In an office with a free-address system, there is a problem that it is difficult for a user or other users to grasp who is using which seat and which seat is being used by whom.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention solves the problems of the prior art as described above. That is, an object of the present invention is to provide an attendance management system and a program therefor that enable a user or other users to easily grasp who is using which seat and which seat is being used by whom even in an office with a free-address system where seats are not determined.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The invention according to claim 1 is an occupancy management system that displays user occupancy information, comprising a user terminal and a server, wherein the user terminal communicates with the server to transmit user information to the server and displays an occupancy management screen with a seat layout available to the user based on the server's database, and when the user performs a seat selection operation, the user terminal transmits the selected seat information to the server, and the server associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen with the user information based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal and registers it in the database. Furthermore, the presence management screen displays user status information such as present, in a meeting, out of the office, and left the office, and when an operation is performed on the presence management screen to set up notifications for changes in another user's presence status, the first user terminal, which is the user terminal, sends a notification setting request to the server, and the server, based on the notification setting request received from the first user terminal, sets and registers the user information and change notification setting information of a predetermined user in the database, and when the status information is changed to a previously set presence status by input from the second user terminal, which is the user terminal of a predetermined user, the server The server, in cooperation with the control unit of the first user terminal, displays a pop-up on the display unit of the first user terminal indicating that the status of the designated user, the second user, has changed to "present." The server then determines whether the status information of the target second user has changed from one of the following statuses: absent, out of the office, in a meeting, having lunch, on a client visit, or left the office. If it determines that the status has changed from one of the above statuses to "present," the server, in cooperation with the control unit of the second user terminal, displays a pop-up window on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that there is a first user who has set up notification reception. This configuration solves the aforementioned problems.

[0007] The invention according to claim 2 is, An attendance management system comprising a user terminal and a server that displays user attendance information, wherein the user terminal communicates with the server to send user information to the server and displays an attendance management screen with the user's available seat layout based on the server's database, when the user makes a seat selection operation, the user terminal sends the selected seat information to the server, the server registers the selected seat on the attendance management screen and the user information in the database based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal, the attendance management screen displays the user's status information (present, in a meeting, out of the office, left the office) in a switchable manner, and when an operation is made on the attendance management screen to set up notifications for changes in another user's attendance status, the first user terminal, acting as the user terminal, sends a notification setting request to the server. The server, based on a notification setting request received from the first user terminal, sets and registers user information and change notification setting information for a predetermined user in the database. When the status information is changed to a pre-registered presence status based on input from the second user terminal, which is the user terminal of the predetermined user, the server, in cooperation with the control unit of the first user terminal, displays a pop-up on the display unit of the first user terminal indicating that the presence status of the second user, who is the predetermined user, has been changed. When the pop-up display is operated on the first user terminal, a signal indicating that the pop-up display has been viewed is sent from the first user terminal to the server. The server, in cooperation with the control unit of the second user terminal of the second user, who is the target of the setting, displays a pop-up on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that the first user has confirmed the notification of the status change to presence for the second user. Therefore, the aforementioned challenges Solve It is a matter of determination.

[0008] The invention according to claim 3 is, Claim 2 In addition to the configuration of the attendance management system described, In the second user terminal, the server determines whether the status information of the target second user has changed from one of the following statuses: absent, out of the office, in a meeting, having lunch, visiting a client, or having left the office. If the server determines that the status has changed from one of the above statuses to one of the above, the server works in cooperation with the control unit of the second user terminal to display a pop-up window on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that there is a first user who has been set to receive notifications. This further solves the aforementioned problems.

[0009] The invention according to claim 4, in addition to the configuration of the presence management system described in any one of claims 1 to 3, The aforementioned seat management screen has a seat selection button, and when a user presses the seat selection button, the user terminal sends a seat selection request to the server, and the server, based on the seat selection request and user information received from the user terminal and the previous seat history information, randomly selects one seat from the available seats other than the previous seat, associates the selected seat on the seat management screen with the user information, and registers it in the database. This further solves the aforementioned problems.

[0010] The invention according to claim 5 is, Any one of claims 1 to 4 In addition to the configuration of the attendance management system described, Multiple users are pre-registered as the same group in the server's database, and when a user in the same group changes their status to "attending work" based on input from their user terminal, the server works in cooperation with the control unit of the user terminal to display a pop-up notification on the user terminal's display indicating that the status of the user in the same group has been changed to "attending work." This further solves the aforementioned problems.

[0011] The invention according to claim 6 is, in addition to the configuration of the presence management system described in any one of claims 1 to 5, Multiple users are pre-registered as the same group in the server's database. The server calculates the number of users in the group who are present at work based on their attendance status, and displays this group attendance information on the attendance management screen of each user's terminal within that group. This further solves the aforementioned problems.

[0012] The invention according to claim 7 is, A program for an attendance management system that displays user attendance information, comprising a user terminal and a server, wherein the user terminal communicates with the server and sends user information to the server, and displays an attendance management screen with an attendance management screen having the user's available seat layout based on the server's database; a seat selection determination step that determines whether or not a seat selection operation has been performed by the user; a seat information transmission step in which, when a seat selection operation has been performed by the user, the user terminal sends the selected seat information to the server; a seat registration step in which the server associates the selected seat on the attendance management screen with the user information based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal and registers it in the database; and the attendance management screen displays the user's attendance status information (attending, in a meeting, out of the office, left the office) in a switchable manner, and when an operation is performed on the attendance management screen to set up notifications for changes in another user's attendance status, the first user terminal, as the user terminal, sends a notification setting request to the server, and the server However, the system includes: a change notification setting registration step in which, based on a notification setting request received from the first user terminal, user information and change notification setting information for a predetermined user are set and registered in a database; a change notification pop-up step in which, when the status information is changed to a pre-set presence status based on input from a second user terminal which is the user terminal of a predetermined user, the server cooperates with the control unit of the first user terminal to display a pop-up on the display unit of the first user terminal indicating that the presence status of the second user, who is the predetermined user, has been changed; and a receiving setting notification pop-up step in which, on the second user terminal, the server determines whether the status information of the target second user has been changed from one of the following statuses: absent, out of the office, in a meeting, having lunch, on a sales call with a client, or left the office, and if it is determined that the status has been changed from one of the above statuses, the server cooperates with the control unit of the second user terminal to display a pop-up window on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that there is a first user who has set up notification reception. As a result, the aforementioned challenges Solve It is a matter of determination.

[0013] The invention according to claim 8 is a program for a seating management system that displays user seating information, comprising a user terminal and a server, the program comprising: a seating management screen display step in which the user terminal communicates with the server and transmits user information to the server and displays a seating management screen having a seating layout available to the user based on the server's database; a seat selection presence / absence determination step in which the user terminal determines whether or not a seat selection operation has been performed by the user; a seat information transmission step in which, when a seat selection operation has been performed by the user, the user terminal transmits the seat information of the selected seat to the server; and a seat registration step in which the server associates the selected seat on the seating management screen with the user information and registers it in the database based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal. The presence management screen displays user status information such as present, in a meeting, out of the office, and left the office, and when an operation is performed on the presence management screen to set up notifications for changes in another user's presence status, the first user terminal, which is the user terminal, sends a notification setting request to the server, and the server registers the user information and change notification setting information of a predetermined user in the database based on the notification setting request received from the first user terminal (change notification setting registration step), and the status information is changed to a previously set presence status based on input from the second user terminal, which is the user terminal of a predetermined user. At that time, the server, in cooperation with the control unit of the first user terminal, performs a change notification pop-up step in which it displays a pop-up on the display unit of the first user terminal indicating that the status of the designated user, the second user, has been changed to an attendance status; and when the pop-up display is operated on the first user terminal, a signal indicating that the pop-up display has been viewed is sent from the first user terminal to the server, and the server, in cooperation with the control unit of the second user terminal of the designated second user, performs a confirmation notification pop-up step in which it displays a pop-up on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that the first user has confirmed the notification of the status change to attendance status for the second user; By possessing these features, the aforementioned problems are solved. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The presence management system of the present invention, by comprising a user terminal and a server, can not only display the presence information of users but also achieve the following unique effects.

[0015] According to the seating management system of the invention described in claim 1, in an office that employs a free-address system, when a user selects a seat on the seating management screen displayed on the user terminal, the user information is registered to the selected seat. Therefore, even in an office with a free-address system where seats are not assigned, the user and other users can easily understand who is using which seat and who is using which seat. Furthermore, not only the location of the seat a user is using is displayed, but also their status information, such as whether they are seated or not. This makes it easy for other users to find out the status of the user they are looking for. In other words, even in an office with a free-address system where it's not immediately clear whether a particular user is present or not, the presence management screen makes it easy to find out the status of that user, including whether they are present or not. Furthermore, if the status information of a target user is changed to "present" by another user's actions while the user is working, a pop-up notification will appear on the user's terminal indicating that the status has changed to that of the designated user. This allows the user to easily and reliably become aware of the status change to that of the designated user immediately, even while working on their terminal, and to take immediate action, such as going to the designated user's desk. In particular, even in offices with a free-address system, you can refer to the seating layout on the attendance management screen to find out where the other person is sitting, and then meet in person to proceed with work. Furthermore, when the designated second user returns to their seat, a pop-up message appears on the second user's terminal indicating that the first user who has set up notification reception is present. This makes it easy and reliable for the first user to know that the second user was waiting for them to return to their seat.

[0016] According to the attendance management system of the invention according to claim 2, In offices that use a free-address system, when a user selects a seat on the occupancy management screen displayed on their terminal, the user's information is registered to the selected seat. Therefore, even in offices with a free-address system where seats are not assigned, users and other users can easily see who is using which seat and who is using which seat. Furthermore, not only the location of the seat a user is using is displayed, but also their status information, such as whether they are seated or not. This makes it easy for other users to find out the status of the user they are looking for. In other words, even in an office with a free-address system where it's not immediately clear whether a particular user is present or not, the presence management screen makes it easy to find out the status of that user, including whether they are present or not. Furthermore, if the status information of a target user is changed to "present" by another user's actions while the user is working, a pop-up notification will appear on the user's terminal indicating that the status has changed to that of the designated user. This allows the user to easily and reliably become aware of the status change to that of the designated user immediately, even while working on their terminal, and to take immediate action, such as going to the designated user's desk. In particular, even in offices with a free-address system, you can refer to the seating layout on the attendance management screen to find out where the other person is sitting, and then meet in person to proceed with work. Furthermore, when the first user who set up the notification interacts with the pop-up display, a notification to that effect will appear on the display of the second user's terminal. This allows the second user to anticipate that the first user will make some kind of contact with them, such as calling or visiting, even if the second user does not contact the first user.

[0017] According to the attendance management system of the invention according to claim 3, Claim 2 In addition to the effects achieved by the invention according to, When the designated second user returns to their seat, a pop-up message appears on the second user's terminal indicating that the first user who has set up notification reception is present. This makes it easy and reliable for the first user to know that they were waiting for the second user to return to their seat.

[0018] According to the attendance management system of the invention according to claim 4, in addition to the effects achieved by the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 3, When a user presses the seat selection button, one seat is randomly selected, thus preventing the user from being stuck with a fixed seat due to their preferences. In other words, a free-address office system, designed to revitalize employee interaction, can avoid reverting to the traditional fixed-seat system.

[0019] According to the attendance management system of the invention according to claim 5, In addition to the effects of the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, information on when members of the same group are at work is displayed as a pop-up, allowing users to know which members of their group are at work and then proceed with their work by meeting with them directly. In particular, even in offices with a free-address system, you can refer to the seating layout on the attendance management screen to find out where the other person is sitting, and then meet in person to proceed with work.

[0020] According to the attendance management system of the invention according to claim 6, in addition to the effects achieved by the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 5, Since the attendance management screen on each group's user terminal displays information on the number of people present in the office, users in each group can easily find out the attendance status of other members in their group, such as those in the same department. In other words, even in an office with a free-address system, it's easy to find out the attendance status of members within a group.

[0021] The attendance management system of the invention according to claim 7 According to the program, similar to the effect achieved by the invention described in claim 1, when a user selects a seat on the occupancy management screen displayed on their user terminal in an office employing a free-address system, the user information is registered to the selected seat. Therefore, even in a free-address office where seats are not assigned, users and other users can easily understand who is using which seat and who is using which seat. Furthermore, not only the location of the seat a user is using is displayed, but also their status information, such as whether they are seated or not. This makes it easy for other users to find out the status of the user they are looking for. In other words, even in an office with a free-address system where it's not immediately clear whether a particular user is present or not, the presence management screen makes it easy to find out the status of that user, including whether they are present or not. Furthermore, if the status information of a target user is changed to "present" by another user's actions while the user is working, a pop-up notification will appear on the user's terminal indicating that the status has changed to that of the designated user. This allows the user to easily and reliably become aware of the status change to that of the designated user immediately, even while working on their terminal, and to take immediate action, such as going to the designated user's desk. In particular, even in offices with a free-address system, you can refer to the seating layout on the attendance management screen to find out where the other person is sitting, and then meet in person to proceed with work. Furthermore, when the designated second user returns to their seat, a pop-up message appears on the second user's terminal indicating that the first user who has set up notification reception is present. This makes it easy and reliable for the first user to know that the second user was waiting for them to return to their seat.

[0022] According to the program of the attendance management system of the invention according to claim 8, claim 2Similar to the effects achieved by the invention described herein, in an office employing a free-address system, when a user selects a seat on the occupancy management screen displayed on their user terminal, the user information is registered to the selected seat. Therefore, even in a free-address office where seats are not assigned, users and other users can easily understand who is using which seat and who is using which seat. Furthermore, not only the location of the seat a user is using is displayed, but also their status information, such as whether they are seated or not. This makes it easy for other users to find out the status of the user they are looking for. In other words, even in an office with a free-address system where it's not immediately clear whether a particular user is present or not, the presence management screen makes it easy to find out the status of that user, including whether they are present or not. Furthermore, if the status information of a target user is changed to "present" by another user's actions while the user is working, a pop-up notification will appear on the user's terminal indicating that the status has changed to that of the designated user. This allows the user to easily and reliably become aware of the status change to that of the designated user immediately, even while working on their terminal, and to take immediate action, such as going to the designated user's desk. In particular, even in offices with a free-address system, you can refer to the seating layout on the attendance management screen to find out where the other person is sitting, and then meet in person to proceed with work. Furthermore, when the first user who set up the notification interacts with the pop-up display, a notification to that effect will appear on the display of the second user's terminal. This allows the second user to anticipate that the first user will make some kind of contact with them, such as calling or visiting, even if the second user does not contact the first user. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0023] [Figure 1] This diagram illustrates the concept of an attendance management system, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] A chart illustrating an example of the operation of an occupancy management system, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows how to select a seat on the seating management screen of a first user terminal in an seating management system, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows how to reserve a seat in advance on the seat reservation screen of the first user terminal of a seat reservation management system, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] (A) and (B) are diagrams showing how seats are randomly selected on the seat management screen of a first user smartphone terminal of a seat management system which is an embodiment of the present invention, and how the randomly selected seats are displayed. [Figure 6] (A) and (B) are diagrams showing the process of setting up notifications for changes in the presence status of other users on the presence management screen of the first user terminal of the presence management system, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7](A) and (B) are diagrams showing how the status is changed to the present status on the presence management screen of a second user terminal, which is the terminal of another user in the presence management system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and diagrams showing the pop-up window displayed on the display unit of the first user terminal at that time. [Figure 8] (A) and (B) are diagrams showing how the status is changed to the present (attended) status on the presence management screen of a second user terminal, which is the terminal of another user in the presence management system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the pop-up window displayed on the display unit of the first user terminal at that time. [Figure 9] This figure shows how the attendance information of group members is displayed on the attendance management screen of the first user terminal of an attendance management system, which is an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] The present invention provides an occupancy management system comprising a user terminal and a server, wherein the user terminal communicates with the server to send user information to the server, displays an occupancy management screen with the user's available seat layout based on the server's database, and when a user makes a seat selection operation, the user terminal sends the selected seat information to the server, and the server registers the selected seat on the occupancy management screen in the database, associating the user information with the user information based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal. As long as this configuration allows users and other users to easily understand who is using which seat and who is using which seat, even in a free-address office where seats are not assigned, the specific embodiment of the system may be anything. Furthermore, the program for the occupancy management system of the present invention comprises: an occupancy management screen display step in which the user terminal communicates with a server to send user information to the server and displays an occupancy management screen with a seat layout available to the user based on the server's database; a seat selection determination step in which it determines whether or not the user has made a seat selection operation; a seat information transmission step in which, when the user has made a seat selection operation, the user terminal sends the seat information of the selected seat to the server; and a seat registration step in which the server associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen with the user information and registers it in the database based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal. As long as the program allows users and other users to easily understand who is using which seat and who is using which seat, even in a free-address office where seats are not assigned, the specific embodiment of the program may be any.

[0025] For example, a user terminal can be any device that displays data on the user terminal's display browser, such as a desktop personal computer terminal, a notebook personal computer terminal, a smartphone terminal, a tablet terminal, a smartwatch terminal, or a glasses terminal, and that connects to a server via a communication network including a wide area network (such as the Internet), a local network, or a telephone line to send and receive data. Furthermore, the server may be a cloud server created in a cloud environment, and the number of physical servers that make up the server may be one or more. [Examples]

[0026] Below, an example of the present invention, the occupancy management system 100, will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 9. Here, Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the concept of an occupancy management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a chart showing an example of operation of the occupancy management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a diagram showing the process of selecting a seat on the occupancy management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A of the occupancy management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 is a diagram showing the process of pre-reserving a seat on the occupancy management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A of the occupancy management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5(A) is a diagram showing the process of randomly selecting a seat on the occupancy management screen 113 of the first user smartphone terminal 110B of the occupancy management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5(B) is a diagram showing the randomly selected seat displayed on the occupancy management screen 113 of the first user smartphone terminal 110B; Figure 6(A) is a diagram showing the display of each user's status information ST in a list on the occupancy management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A of the occupancy management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 6(B) shows the process of setting up notifications for changes to the presence status of other users selected in Figure 6(A), Figure 7(A) shows the process of changing the status to presence status on the presence management screen 123 of the second user terminal 120, which is the terminal of another user in the presence management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 7(B) shows the pop-up window 117a displayed on the display unit 111 of the first user terminal 110A when the change in Figure 7(A) was made, and Figure 8(A) shows the process of setting up notifications for changes to the presence status of other users selected in the present invention. Figure 8(B) shows how the status is changed to the present (attended) status on the presence management screen 123 of a second user terminal 120, which is the terminal of another user of a presence management system 100. Figure 8(B) shows the pop-up window 117b displayed on the display unit 111 of the first user terminal 110A when the change in Figure 8(A) was made. Figure 9 shows how the attendance information of group members is displayed on the presence management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A of the presence management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, an embodiment of the present invention, the occupancy management system 100, comprises a first user terminal 110A and a second user terminal 120 as user terminals, and a server 130. Furthermore, it is designed to display the user's presence information. Specifically, the first user terminal 110A communicates with the server 130 as an HTTP request and sends user information to the server 130.

[0028] Then, the first user terminal 110A receives data from the server 130 as an HTTP response and displays an occupancy management screen 113 with the user's available seat layout 114a based on the server 130's database 131. Then, when the first user makes a seat selection operation, the first user terminal 110A sends the seat information of the selected seat to the server 130. The server 130 is configured to associate the selected seat on the occupancy management screen 113 with the user information based on the user information and seat information received from the first user terminal 110A, and register this information in the database 131.

[0029] As a result, in an office employing a free-address system, when the first user selects a seat on the occupancy management screen 113 displayed on the first user terminal 110A, the first user's user information is registered to the selected seat. As a result, even in a free-address office where seats are not assigned, the first user and other users (second users) can easily find out who is using which seat and who is using which seat. In other words, when the occupancy management screen 123 is displayed on the second user terminal 120, the seat selected by the first user is displayed in the seat layout 124a (see Figure 1) of the occupancy management screen 123 along with the first user's user information. As a result, the second user can easily find out where the first user is sitting.

[0030] Next, we will explain in more detail an example of how the occupancy management system 100 works. As shown in Figure 2, in step S1, as a step to display the presence management screen, the first user terminal 110A or the server 130 determines whether or not an access operation to the server 130 has been performed by the first user terminal 110A. Specifically, when the first user terminal 110A logs in to the presence management system 100 by entering, for example, user ID and password, which are user information, as user identification information for the first user, the first user terminal 110A or the server 130 determines whether the first user terminal 110A communicates with the server 130 as an HTTP request, sends user information to the server 130, and accesses the server 130. If it is determined that access has occurred, proceed to step S2; otherwise, if it is determined that access has not yet occurred, repeat step S1. Although the explanation used a configuration where user information is sent to server 130 when logging in, it is also possible to perform no login operation at all. For example, if the first user terminal 110A is installed at the entrance of a free-address office as a so-called tablet-type shared user terminal, each user can enter their user information, such as their name and user ID, on the first user terminal 110A, or simply select from a user list.

[0031] In step S2, as shown in Figure 3, as a seat management screen display step, the browser 112 of the display unit 111 of the first user terminal 110A receives data from the server 130 as an HTTP response and displays a seat management screen 113 with the user's available seat layout 114a based on the database 131 of the server 130. The occupancy management screen 113 displays the status information ST and seat layout 114a for each user, which have been registered in advance.

[0032] Each user is, for example, an employee of the company, and the presence management screen 113 displays status information ST for each user, such as present, absent, having lunch, out of the office, on a sales call with a client, in a meeting, or having left the office. Furthermore, in seat layout 114a, the user information of the seat being used is displayed for occupied seats, while the user information is not displayed for vacant seats, and vacant seats can be freely selected.

[0033] In step S3, as a seat selection determination step, the first user terminal 110A or the server 130 determines whether or not the user has performed a seat selection operation. For example, suppose that the first user, Emi Suzuki, selects an empty seat using the cursor on the presence management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A. If it is determined that a seat selection operation has been performed, proceed to step S4; otherwise, repeat step S3.

[0034] In step S4, as a seat information transmission step, the first user terminal 110A transmits the seat information selected to the server 130. In step S5, as a seat registration step, the server 130 associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen 113 with the user information based on the user information and seat information received from the first user terminal 110A, and registers this information in the server 130's database 131.

[0035] As a result, as mentioned above, in an office employing a free-address system, when the first user selects a seat on the occupancy management screen 113 displayed on the first user terminal 110A, the first user's user information is registered to the selected seat. As a result, even in a free-address office where seats are not assigned, the first user and other users (second users) can easily find out who is using which seat and who is using which seat. In other words, when the occupancy management screen 123 is displayed on the second user terminal 120, the seat of "Emi Suzuki" is displayed in the same way as the seat layout 114a of the occupancy management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A shown in Figure 3. As a result, the second user can easily identify "Emi Suzuki's" seat.

[0036] In addition, in offices with a free-address system, if an internal telephone is installed at each desk, the internal telephone number information and the user's seat will be associated and displayed on the presence management screen 113. On the other hand, when each user uses their smartphone as an internal or external telephone, the telephone number information and the user's name information are associated and displayed on the presence management screen 113.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 4, the occupancy management screen 113 has a seat layout 114b that corresponds to date and time information. Specifically, on the presence management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A shown in Figure 3, for example, operating the calendar icon 113a allows the date and time range to be freely selected. Then, when a date and time range is selected, the seating layout 114b corresponding to the selected date and time range information is displayed on the occupancy management screen 113, as shown in Figure 4. When the first user performs a date and time selection operation and a seat selection operation, the first user terminal 110A transmits the date and time information and seat information of the selected operation to the server 130.

[0038] The server 130 is configured to associate the selected seat on the occupancy management screen 113 with the date and time information and user information received from the first user terminal 110A, and register this information in the database 131. As a result, when a user selects a date and time zone and a seat in advance, the date and time zone information and user information will be registered to the selected seat. As a result, users can easily reserve seats in a free-address office in advance.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(A), the seat management screen 113 has a "random seat selection" button 115 as a seat assignment button. For example, when the first user arrives at an office with a free-address system, they first use their first user smartphone terminal 110B, which is an example of a user terminal, to send user information to the server 130 and log in to the presence management system 100. As shown in Figure 5(A), the seat management screen 113 of the first user's smartphone terminal 110B displays a "Random Seat Selection" button 115. Assuming that the status information ST on the presence management screen 113 of the first user's smartphone terminal 110B remains "left work" from yesterday, the first user selects "present (in attendance)" from the status buttons 116 and, unable to decide which seat to use, also operates the "random seat selection" button 115.

[0040] Then, the first user's smartphone terminal 110B sends seat request information, which is a seat assignment request, to the server 130 based on the operation of the "random seat selection" button 115. Then, the server 130 randomly selects one seat from among the available seats other than the previously used seat, based on the seat request information and user information received from the first user's smartphone terminal 110B, and the previous seat history information in the history of the server 130's database 131. Next, the server 130 is configured to associate randomly selected seats on the occupancy management screen 113 with user information and register it in the database 131.

[0041] As a result, when a user operates the "Random Seat Selection" button 115, one seat is randomly selected, as shown in Figure 5(B), and the selected seat is displayed in the seat layout 114a of the occupancy management screen 113. For example, the name "Emi Suzuki" will be displayed as user information next to the selected seat, and a message such as "This is your seat for today!" will be displayed to make it clear which seat has been selected. As a result, it becomes possible to avoid situations where the seats used become fixed due to biases in user preferences. In other words, a free-address office system, designed to revitalize employee interaction, can avoid reverting to the traditional fixed-seat system.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(A), the presence management screen 113 is configured to freely switch between displaying user status information ST such as present, in a meeting, out of the office, and departed. As a result, as shown in Figures 3 and 6(A), not only the location of the seat used by the user but also status information ST such as occupancy is displayed. As a result, other users can easily find out the status of the user they are interested in, such as whether they are available or not. In other words, even in an office with a free-address system where it's not immediately clear whether a particular user is present or not, the presence management screen 113 allows you to easily find out the status of that user, such as whether they are present or not.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 6(A) and 6(B), the presence management screen 113 is provided with a notification toggle icon 113b. In the presence management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A shown in Figure 6(A), if, for example, the user selects the name of the second user, "Ichiro Tanaka," the presence management screen 113 switches to one that displays the status information ST for "Ichiro Tanaka," as shown in Figure 6(B). As an example of how to configure notifications for changes in other users' presence status, let's say you switch the notification toggle icon 113b from off to on.

[0044] Then, the first user terminal 110A sends a notification setting request to the server 130 regarding the status change of "Ichiro Tanaka". Then, based on the notification setting request received from the first user terminal 110A, the server 130 registers the user information and change notification setting information for "Ichiro Tanaka" as a designated user in the database 131.

[0045] For example, suppose Tanaka Ichiro returns to the office from being out and, as shown in Figure 7(A), operates the "Present" status button 126 on the presence management screen 123 of Tanaka Ichiro's second user terminal 120. Then, the second user terminal 120 sends the status information ST of "present" to the server 130, and the server 130 registers "Ichiro Tanaka" and the status "present" in the database 131.

[0046] In this way, the status information ST is changed to the pre-configured presence status by input from Ichiro Tanaka's second user terminal 120 as a designated user. At this time, as shown in Figure 7(B), the server 130 is configured to cooperate with the control unit of the first user terminal 110A to display a pop-up window 117a on the display unit 1111 of the first user terminal 110A, which contains information such as "Ichiro Tanaka's status has been changed: Out of Office → In Office" as an example of a change in the presence status of a predetermined user.

[0047] As a result, if the status information ST of the target user, which was set by another user (the second user), is changed to "present" while the first user is working, a pop-up window 117a will pop up on the display unit 111 of the first user terminal 110A, indicating that the status has been changed to present for the designated user, the second user. As a result, even if the first user is working at the first user terminal 110A, they can easily and reliably become aware of the change in status to that of the second user immediately after the status change, and can take immediate action, such as going to the second user's desk. In particular, even in an office with a free-address system, employees can refer to the seating layout 114a on the presence management screen 113 to check the other person's seat and then meet in person to proceed with work.

[0048] Although the configuration described above involves displaying a pop-up window 117a on the display unit 111 of the first user terminal 110A, the server 130 may also be configured to notify the first user smartphone terminal 110B of the change in the presence status of the designated user, the second user, via a so-called push notification. Push notifications can be implemented using email apps, chat apps, or other similar applications. Furthermore, the system may be configured to notify the second user that the first user has enabled notifications regarding changes to the second user's presence status. Specifically, the server 130 determines whether the status information ST of the target second user terminal 120 has changed from one of the following statuses: absent, out of the office, in a meeting, having lunch, visiting a client, or out of the office.

[0049] Furthermore, if it is determined that a user's status has changed from any other to "present," the server 130 may be configured to cooperate with the control unit of the second user terminal 120 to display a pop-up window (not shown) on the display unit 121 of the second user terminal 120 indicating that there is a user who has set up notification reception. The pop-up window (not shown) could, for example, display a message such as, "Emi Suzuki has set up notifications for changes in your status."

[0050] As a result, when the designated second user, Ichiro Tanaka, returns to his seat, a pop-up window (not shown) will pop up on the display unit 121 of the second user terminal 120 indicating that the user who has been set to receive notifications (Emi Suzuki) is present. As a result, I (Ichiro Tanaka) can easily and reliably find out that the user (Emi Suzuki) was waiting for me (Ichiro Tanaka) to return to my seat.

[0051] Furthermore, the system may be configured to notify the second user that the first user has acknowledged the notification of the change in the second user's presence status. Specifically, if the first user, Emi Suzuki, performs an action such as clicking on the popup window 117a on the first user terminal 110A, a signal indicating that the popup window 117a has been viewed is sent from the first user terminal 110A to the server 130 based on this action.

[0052] Furthermore, the server 130 may be configured to cooperate with the control unit of the second user terminal 120 of the second user, Ichiro Tanaka, who is the target of the configuration, to display a pop-up window (not shown) on the display unit 121 of the second user terminal 120 of the second user, Ichiro Tanaka, stating, "Emi Suzuki has confirmed (seen) the notification of your status change to 'present'."

[0053] As a result, when Emi Suzuki, who has set up the system, operates the pop-up display, a pop-up window (not shown) indicating this will be displayed on the display unit 121 of the second user terminal 120 of Ichiro Tanaka, who is the target of the setup. As a result, even if Ichiro Tanaka doesn't contact Emi Suzuki, he can predict that Emi Suzuki will make some kind of contact with him, such as calling him or coming to see him.

[0054] Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple users are pre-registered as the same group in the database 131 of the server 130. For example, Emi Suzuki and Ichiro Tanaka are registered as part of the General Affairs Department group. Then, let's assume that Ichiro Tanaka left work yesterday, came to work today, and, as shown in Figure 8(A), operated the "Present (Came to Work)" status button 126 on the presence management screen 123 of the second user terminal 120 of "Ichiro Tanaka". Then, the second user terminal 120 sends the status information ST "present (in the office)" to the server 130, and the server 130 registers "Ichiro Tanaka" and the status "present (in the office)" in the database 131. Here, instead of using the "Present (At Work)" status button 126, you can register the attendance status when the aforementioned seat selection operation is performed.

[0055] In this way, the status information ST is changed to "attending work" status based on input from the second user terminal 120 of Ichiro Tanaka, a user in the same group. At this time, as shown in Figure 8(B), the server 130 is configured to cooperate with the control units of user terminals in the same group other than the second user terminal 120, such as the first user terminal 110A, to display a pop-up window 117b on the display unit 111 of the user terminals in the same group other than the second user terminal 120, which contains information such as "Ichiro Tanaka's status has been changed from out of the office to present (in the office)" as an example of a change in the attendance status of the second user in the same group.

[0056] This will cause attendance information for members of the same group to be displayed in a pop-up window. As a result, users can see which members of their group are at the office and then meet with them in person to get work done. In particular, even in an office with a free-address system, employees can refer to the seating layout 114a on the presence management screen 113 to check the other person's seat and then meet in person to proceed with work. Although the configuration described above involves displaying a pop-up window 117b on the display unit 111 of the first user terminal 110A, the server 130 may also be configured to notify the first user smartphone terminal 110B of the change in the attendance status of the second user in the same group via a so-called push notification.

[0057] In this embodiment, multiple users are pre-registered as the same group in the database 131 of the server 130. For example, 12 people, including Emi Suzuki, Ichiro Tanaka, and Hong Nguyen, are registered as part of the General Affairs Department group. Furthermore, server 130 calculates the number of users in the group who are actually at work, based on the attendance status of the users in the same group, and uses group attendance information GP to determine how many users in the group are present at work. As shown in Figure 9, the server 130 is configured to display the group attendance information GP on the presence management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A, which is a user terminal of the same group.

[0058] As a result, the group attendance information GP is displayed on the attendance management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A, as a user terminal for each group. As a result, users in each group can easily find out the attendance status of members within their group, such as those in the same department. In other words, even in an office with a free-address system, it's easy to find out the attendance status of members within a group. Furthermore, when a user in the same group changes their status information ST to "left work (returned home)," server 130 recalculates the number of users in the group who are actually at work based on the received status information ST, using group attendance information GP. Then, as shown in Figure 9, the server 130 displays the calculated group attendance information GP again on the presence management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A, which is a user terminal of the same group. In other words, server 130 updates the group attendance information GP based on changes in the status information ST of users in the same group.

[0059] The occupancy management system 100, an embodiment of the present invention obtained in this manner, comprises a first user terminal 110A and a second user terminal 120 as user terminals and a server 130. The first user terminal 110A communicates with the server 130 and transmits user information to the server 130, which displays an occupancy management screen 113 with a seat layout 114a available to the first user based on the server 130's database 131. When a user makes a seat selection operation, the first user terminal 110A transmits the selected seat information to the server 130, and the server 130 associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen 113 with the user information and registers it in the database 131 based on the user information and seat information received from the first user terminal 110A. This configuration allows users and other users to easily understand who is using which seat and who is using which seat, even in a free-address office where seats are not assigned.

[0060] Furthermore, the presence management screen 113 has a seat layout 114b corresponding to date and time information, and when a user performs an operation such as selecting a date and time, which is an example of a date and time selection operation, by operating the calendar icon 113a and selecting a seat, the first user terminal 110A sends the selected date and time information and seat information to the server 130, and the server 130 registers the selected seat on the presence management screen 113, the date and time information and user information, and the user information, based on the user information, date and time information and seat information received from the first user terminal 110A, in the database 131. This configuration allows users to easily reserve seats in a free-address office in advance.

[0061] Furthermore, the presence management screen 113 has a "random seat selection" button 115, which is an example of a seat selection button. When a user presses the "random seat selection" button 115, the first user smartphone terminal 110B, which is an example of a user terminal, sends a seat selection request to the server 130. The server 130 then randomly selects one seat from among the available seats other than the previous seat, based on the seat selection request and user information received from the first user smartphone terminal 110B, and the previous seat history information. This configuration associates the selected seat on the presence management screen 113 with the user information and registers it in the database 131. This prevents the seats used from becoming fixed due to biases in user preferences, and prevents a return to the traditional fixed seating system in an office with a free-address system aimed at revitalizing employee interaction.

[0062] Furthermore, the presence management screens 113 and 123 are configured to freely switch and display status information ST for users, such as presence, in a meeting, out of the office, and having left work. This allows other users to easily find out the presence status of the user they are interested in. Even in a free-address office where it is not immediately clear whether a user is present or not, the presence management screens 113 and 123 make it easy to find out the presence status of the user they are interested in.

[0063] Furthermore, in the presence management screen 113, when the notification toggle icon 113b is turned on as an example of an operation for setting up notifications of changes in the presence status of another user, the second user, the first user terminal 110A sends a notification setting request to the server 130. Based on the notification setting request received from the first user terminal 110A, the server 130 sets and registers the user information and change notification setting information of the designated user, the second user, in the database 131. When the status information ST is changed to a pre-set presence status by input from the second user terminal 120 of the second user, the server 130 works in cooperation with the control unit of the first user terminal 110A to display a pop-up window 117a on the display unit 111 of the first user terminal 110A indicating that the presence status has changed to that of the designated user. As a result, even if the first user is working on the first user terminal 110A, they can easily and reliably find out about the change in the presence status of the designated user, the second user, immediately after the status change, and take action such as going to the designated user's seat.

[0064] Furthermore, since multiple users are pre-registered as the same group in the server 130's database 131, and when the status information ST is changed to "present" status by input from the second user terminal 120 of the second user in the same group, the server 130 works in cooperation with the control unit of the first user terminal 110A to display a pop-up window 117b on the display unit 1111 of the first user terminal 110A indicating that the status of the second user in the same group has been changed to "present," users can keep track of which members of their group are present at work and proceed with their work by meeting them in person. In particular, even in an office with a free-address system, users can refer to the seat layout 114a on the presence management screen 113 to confirm the other person's seat and proceed with their work by meeting them in person.

[0065] Furthermore, multiple users are pre-registered as the same group in the database 131 of the server 130. The server 130 calculates how many users in the group are present at work based on the attendance status of the users in the same group, and displays the group attendance information GP on the presence management screen 113 of the first user terminal 110A, which is an example of a user terminal in the same group. As a result, users in each group can easily find out the attendance status of members in their group, such as those in the same department, and can easily find out the attendance status of members in their group even in an office with a free-address system.

[0066] Furthermore, the program for the occupancy management system 100, which is an embodiment of the present invention, includes: occupancy management screen display steps S1 and S2 in which the first user terminal 110A communicates with the server 130 to send user information to the server 130 and displays an occupancy management screen 113 having an occupancy management layout 114a available to the first user based on the database 131 of the server 130; seat selection presence / absence determination step S3 in which the presence / absence determination step S3 in which the presence / absence determination step S3 in which the presence / absence determination step S4 in which the first user terminal 110A sends the seat information of the selected seat to the server 130 when the presence / absence determination step of the first user has made a seat selection operation; and seat registration step S5 in which the server 130 associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen 113 with the user information based on the user information and seat information received from the first user terminal 110A and registers it in the database 131. As a result, even in an office with a free-address system where seats are not assigned, the effect is enormous, as users and other users can easily understand who is using which seat and who is using which seat. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 100 ··· Presence Management System 110A... First user terminal (user terminal) 110B... First user smartphone terminal (user terminal) 111... Display section 112 ··· Browser 113 ··· Attendance management screen 113a... Calendar icon 113b... Notification toggle icon 114a... (Seat layout corresponding to current information) 114b... (Seat layout corresponding to date and time information) 115 ··· "Random Seat Selection" button (Seat Assignment button) 116 ··· Status button 117a... A pop-up window (indicating that the person has returned to their seat) 117b... A pop-up window (indicating that the person has come to work) 120 ··· Second user terminal (user terminal) 121...Display section 123 ··· Attendance management screen 124a... (Seat layout corresponding to current information) 126 ··· Status button 130 ··· Server 131 ··· Database ST ··· Status Information GP ··· Group attendance information

Claims

1. A presence management system comprising a user terminal and a server that displays user presence information, The user terminal communicates with the server and sends user information to the server, and displays an occupancy management screen with the user's available seat layout based on the server's database. When the user makes a seat selection operation, the user terminal sends the seat information of the selected seat to the server. The server associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen with the user information based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal, and registers this information in the database. The aforementioned attendance management screen displays user status information such as present, in a meeting, out of the office, and departed, with the ability to switch between these states. When an operation is performed on the presence management screen to set up notifications for changes in another user's presence status, the first user terminal, which is the user terminal, sends a notification setting request to the server. The server, based on the notification setting request received from the first user terminal, sets and registers the user information and change notification setting information of a predetermined user in the database. When the status information is changed to a pre-registered presence status based on input from a second user terminal acting as a designated user's terminal, the server, in cooperation with the control unit of the first user terminal, displays a pop-up message on the display unit of the first user terminal indicating that the presence status has been changed to that of the designated user, the second user. On the second user terminal, the server determines whether the status information of the target second user has changed from one of the following statuses: absent, out of the office, in a meeting, having lunch, visiting a client, or having left the office, to present. The presence management system is characterized in that, when it is determined that the status has changed from any of the above-mentioned statuses to "present," the server cooperates with the control unit of the second user terminal to display a pop-up window on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that there is a first user who has set up notification reception.

2. A presence management system comprising a user terminal and a server that displays user presence information, The user terminal communicates with the server and sends user information to the server, and displays an occupancy management screen with the user's available seat layout based on the server's database. When the user makes a seat selection operation, the user terminal sends the seat information of the selected seat to the server. The server associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen with the user information based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal, and registers this information in the database. The aforementioned attendance management screen displays user status information such as present, in a meeting, out of the office, and departed, with the ability to switch between these states. When an operation is performed on the presence management screen to set up notifications for changes in another user's presence status, the first user terminal, which is the user terminal, sends a notification setting request to the server. The server, based on the notification setting request received from the first user terminal, sets and registers the user information and change notification setting information of a predetermined user in the database. When the status information is changed to a pre-registered presence status based on input from a second user terminal acting as a designated user's terminal, the server, in cooperation with the control unit of the first user terminal, displays a pop-up message on the display unit of the first user terminal indicating that the presence status has been changed to that of the designated user, the second user. When the pop-up display is operated on the first user terminal, a signal indicating that the pop-up display has been viewed is sent from the first user terminal to the server. The presence management system is characterized in that the server cooperates with the control unit of the second user terminal of the second user who is the target of the configuration to display a pop-up on the display unit of the second user terminal of the second user indicating that the first user has confirmed the notification of the status change to present for the second user.

3. The server determines whether the status information of the target second user at the second user terminal has changed from one of the following statuses: absent, out of the office, in a meeting, having lunch, visiting a client, or having left the office, The presence management system according to claim 2, characterized in that, when it is determined that the status has been changed from any of the above-mentioned statuses to present, the server cooperates with the control unit of the second user terminal to display a pop-up window on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that there is a first user who has set up notification reception.

4. The aforementioned seat management screen has a seat assignment button, When a user presses the seat selection button, the user terminal sends a seat selection request to the server. The seating management system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the server randomly selects one seat from among the available seats other than the previous seat based on the seat assignment request and user information received from the user terminal and the previous seating history information, associates the selected seat with the user information on the seating management screen, and registers it in the database.

5. Multiple users are pre-registered in the server's database as the same group. The presence management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that when the status information is changed to an attendance status by input from a user terminal of a user in the same group, the server cooperates with the control unit of the user terminal to display a pop-up on the display unit of the user terminal indicating that the status of a user in the same group has been changed to an attendance status.

6. Multiple users are pre-registered in the server's database as the same group. The attendance management system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the server calculates how many users in the same group are present at work as group attendance information based on the attendance status of users in the same group, and displays the group attendance information on the attendance management screen of the user terminals of the same group.

7. A program for an attendance management system that includes a user terminal and a server and displays user attendance information, The user terminal communicates with the server and sends user information to the server, and displays an occupancy management screen displaying an occupancy management screen with the user's available seat layout based on the server's database, A seat selection determination step to determine whether or not the user has made a seat selection operation, When a user makes a seat selection operation, the user terminal sends the seat information of the selected seat to the server in a seat information transmission step, The server performs a seat registration step in which it associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen with the user information and registers it in the database based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal. The presence management screen displays user status information such as present, in a meeting, out of the office, and departed, and when an operation is performed on the presence management screen to set up notifications for changes in another user's presence status, the first user terminal, acting as the user terminal, sends a notification setting request to the server, and the server registers the user information and change notification setting information of a predetermined user in the database based on the notification setting request received from the first user terminal in a change notification setting registration step. When the status information is changed to a pre-configured presence status based on input from a second user terminal acting as a designated user's terminal, the server cooperates with the control unit of the first user terminal to display a pop-up notification on the display unit of the first user terminal indicating that the presence status has been changed to that of the designated user, the second user. A program for an attendance management system, characterized in that the server determines whether the status information of the target second user on the second user terminal has changed from one of the following statuses: absent, out of the office, in a meeting, having lunch, on a sales call with a client, or left the office; and if it determines that the status has changed from one of the above statuses to one, the server cooperates with the control unit of the second user terminal to display a pop-up window on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that there is a first user who has set up notification reception.

8. A program for an attendance management system that includes a user terminal and a server and displays user attendance information, The user terminal communicates with the server and sends user information to the server, and displays an occupancy management screen displaying an occupancy management screen with the user's available seat layout based on the server's database, A seat selection determination step to determine whether or not the user has made a seat selection operation, When a user makes a seat selection operation, the user terminal sends the seat information of the selected seat to the server in a seat information transmission step, The server performs a seat registration step in which it associates the selected seat on the occupancy management screen with the user information and registers it in the database based on the user information and seat information received from the user terminal. The presence management screen displays user status information such as present, in a meeting, out of the office, and departed, and when an operation is performed on the presence management screen to set up notifications for changes in another user's presence status, the first user terminal, acting as the user terminal, sends a notification setting request to the server, and the server registers the user information and change notification setting information of a predetermined user in the database based on the notification setting request received from the first user terminal in a change notification setting registration step. When the status information is changed to a pre-configured presence status based on input from a second user terminal acting as a designated user's terminal, the server cooperates with the control unit of the first user terminal to display a pop-up notification on the display unit of the first user terminal indicating that the presence status has been changed to that of the designated user, the second user. A program for an attendance management system, characterized in that when the pop-up display is operated on the first user terminal, a signal indicating that the pop-up display has been viewed is sent from the first user terminal to the server, and the server, in cooperation with the control unit of the second user terminal of the second user who is the target of the setting, displays a pop-up on the display unit of the second user terminal indicating that the first user has confirmed the notification of the status change to attendance for the second user.

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