Communication measurement system, communication measurement method, and program

Abstract

The problem of the present disclosure is to improve the accuracy of measuring the amount of online communication between workers. Provided is a communication measurement system (1) comprising: a person selection unit (211); a meeting selection unit (212); and a calculation unit (213). The person selection unit (211) selects a first worker and a second worker on the basis of relationship information regarding the relationship between a worker and another worker. The meeting selection unit (212) selects an online meeting in which the first worker and the second worker both participated, on the basis of the usage history of at least one terminal (PC3) of the first worker and the second worker. The calculation unit (213) calculates the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected by the meeting selection unit (212) on the basis of the usage history of the at least one terminal (PC3) of the first worker and the second worker.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to a communication measurement system, a communication measurement method, and a program, and more particularly, to a communication measurement system, a communication measurement method, and a program related to the amount of communication between workers.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a system for analyzing communication between users. The system disclosed in Patent Document 1 detects the face-to-face of users at each site in a meeting held at a plurality of sites.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] By the way, in recent years, the online communication between workers has been increasing, and it is desired to accurately grasp the amount of online communication between workers. <00​​​​​​​​Usage history and the terminal used by the aforementioned worker 2nd Based on the usage history of at least one of the usage histories, the calculation unit selects an online meeting in which both the first worker and the second worker participated. Based on the usage history of at least one of the usage histories, the calculation unit calculates the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected by the meeting selection unit. The first and second usage histories include the usage history of the online meeting application used in the online meeting. The usage history of the online meeting application includes the history of meeting participants and the history of meeting duration.

[0007] A communication measurement method relating to one aspect of this disclosure is: Equipped with one or more processors It is executed by a computer system. The communication measurement method includes a person selection step, a meeting selection step, and a calculation step. In the person selection step, The aforementioned 1 or more processors The first and second workers are selected based on relationship information regarding the relationship between a worker and another worker. In the aforementioned meeting selection step, The aforementioned 1 or more processors The terminal used by the first worker 1 Usage history and the terminal used by the aforementioned worker 2nd Based on the usage history of at least one of the usage histories, an online meeting in which both the first worker and the second worker participated is selected. In the calculation step, The aforementioned 1 or more processors Based on the usage history of at least one of the above, the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected in the meeting selection step is calculated. The first and second usage histories include the usage history of the online meeting application used in the online meeting. The usage history of the online meeting application includes the history of meeting participants and the history of meeting duration.

[0008] A program relating to one aspect of this disclosure includes the communication measurement method, The aforementioned This is a program designed to run on one or more processors. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a communication measurement system according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the microphone input level of the communication measurement system described above. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the calculation process performed by the communication measurement system described above. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the communication measurement system described above. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the calculation process of the communication measurement system described above. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Preferred embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the embodiments described below, elements common to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions of common elements may be omitted. The embodiments described below are only one of many embodiments of this disclosure. Embodiments (including modifications) can be modified in various ways depending on the design, etc., as long as the objectives of this disclosure are achieved. Furthermore, embodiments (including modifications) may be implemented in combination as appropriate.

[0011] (Embodiment) (1) Overview First, an overview of the communication measurement system 1, communication measurement method, and program according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figure 1. The communication measurement system 1 of this embodiment is used to estimate worker engagement.

[0012] In this disclosure, “engagement” may include “work engagement” and “employee engagement.” Engagement is defined, for example, by the following two points: (1) commitment to the organization, specifically emotional commitment (affective attachment to the organization) and continued commitment (desire to remain with the organization). (2) Actions outside of one's role (optional actions that enable the organization to function effectively)

[0013] As used in this disclosure, the term "worker" may include all persons who engage in labor. The "worker" as referred to in this disclosure may include not only those who receive remuneration as the consideration for labor but also those who work without remuneration. In this embodiment, as a representative example, the case of estimating the engagement of a person who receives remuneration as the consideration for labor will be described. Therefore, the communication measurement system 1 is used, for example, in a company, a government office, or an organization. In the following, as a representative example, the case where the communication measurement system 1 is used in a company will be described. That is, the workplace of the workers in this embodiment is an office.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the communication measurement system 1 of this embodiment includes a person selection unit 211, a meeting selection unit 212, and a calculation unit 213.

[0015] The person selection unit 211 selects a first worker and a second worker based on relationship information regarding the relationship between a worker and another worker.

[0016] The meeting selection unit 212 selects an online meeting in which the first worker and the second worker both participated based on at least one of the usage histories of the PCs (personal computers) 3 (terminals) used by the first worker and the usage histories of the PCs 3 (terminals) used by the second worker.

[0017] Based on at least one of the usage histories of the PC 3 used by the first worker and the usage histories of the PC 3 used by the second worker, the calculation unit 213 calculates the communication volume between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected by the meeting selection unit 212.

[0018] As used in this disclosure, an "online meeting" is a meeting attended by two or more people via a network such as the Internet, with at least one of voice (call) and text (chat). Also, the "meeting" as used in this disclosure includes not only a meeting in a strict sense, but also, for example, simple consultations and questions conducted among workers. Note that the "online meeting" may be referred to as, for example, "Web meeting", "video conference", and "video meeting". In the following description, the online meeting may be simply referred to as a "meeting".

[0019] According to the communication measurement system 1 of the present embodiment, based on the usage history of the PC 3 used by the worker, the communication amount between workers in an online meeting can be calculated, thereby improving the measurement accuracy of the communication amount.

[0020] Also, a function similar to that of the communication measurement system 1 can be embodied by a communication measurement method. The communication measurement method of the present embodiment is executed by a computer system (communication measurement system 1). The communication measurement method includes a person selection step, a meeting selection step, and a calculation step. In the person selection step, the first worker and the second worker are selected based on relationship information regarding the relationship between the worker and another worker. In the meeting selection step, an online meeting in which the first worker and the second worker both participated is selected based on at least one of the usage histories of the PC 3 (terminal) used by the first worker and the usage history of the PC 3 (terminal) used by the second worker. In the calculation step, based on at least one of the usage histories of the PC 3 used by the first worker and the usage history of the PC 3 used by the second worker, the communication amount between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected in the meeting selection step is calculated.

[0021] Furthermore, the communication measurement method can be implemented in a program. The program of this embodiment is a program that causes one or more processors of a computer system to execute the communication measurement method. The program may be recorded on a non-temporary recording medium that is readable by the computer system.

[0022] (2) Details The detailed configuration of the communication measurement system 1 according to this embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 1 to 3.

[0023] (2.1) Communication Measurement System In this embodiment, there are multiple workers. The communication measurement system 1 estimates the engagement of each of the multiple workers at predetermined estimation intervals. More specifically, the communication measurement system 1 measures the amount of communication between workers in online meetings and then estimates the engagement of each of the multiple workers. The predetermined estimation period is, for example, one week.

[0024] As shown in Figure 1, the communication measurement system 1 comprises a communication measurement device 2, a plurality of PCs 3, and a data server 4. In the following description, each of the plurality of PCs 3 may be simply referred to as "PC3".

[0025] (2.2) PC Each of the multiple workers uses a PC3 for their work. More specifically, each of the multiple workers is assigned, for example, one or more PC3s by their workplace. Each of the multiple workers uses one or more PC3s assigned to them. That is, worker 1 and worker 2 use one or more PC3s assigned to them.

[0026] PC3 is an example of a computer system used by workers for their work. A computer system includes one or more computers. The computer system used by workers for their work is not limited to PC3; for example, it may be a mobile phone such as a smartphone, a tablet device, or a host computer. Furthermore, the computer system used by workers for their work may be a computer system for operating an object to be operated, such as a vehicle or a machine tool, and the usage history may include the operation history of the object to be operated.

[0027] The PC3 of this embodiment includes an operating unit 31 and a microphone 32.

[0028] The operation unit 31 includes a mouse, keyboard, and pointing device, etc. If the PC3 has a touch panel display, the touch panel display may also perform the functions of the operation unit 31.

[0029] Microphone 32 converts the voice of the worker using PC3 into audio information in the form of electrical signals.

[0030] In this embodiment, PC3 has an online meeting application and a presentation application installed.

[0031] An online meeting application is an application that enables online meetings with other information terminals via a network such as the internet. During the online meeting, at least one of the following can be performed: voice communication using a microphone 32 and chat using an operation unit 31 such as a keyboard. Furthermore, the online meeting application can display images, such as slides from a presentation application, on the display unit of another information terminal.

[0032] The presentation application allows users to create presentation materials (slides) consisting of text, graphics, and other elements. Workers can use the presentation application to display the created presentation materials on PC3, other information terminals, and screens, and then give presentations.

[0033] Furthermore, PC3 is equipped with a storage device that stores its own usage history. The storage device is a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD), etc. Software for acquiring and storing PC3's usage history in the storage device may be installed on PC3.

[0034] The usage history includes the usage history of the microphone 32, the online meeting application, and the presentation application. The usage history of the microphone 32 includes the history of the date and time of use and the history of the input level. The usage history of the online meeting application includes the history of the date and time of meetings and meeting duration, the history of meeting names (titles), the history of meeting participants, and the history of meeting chats, etc. The usage history of the presentation application includes the history of the date and time when the presentation application was launched, etc. Note that the usage history of the microphone 32, the usage history of the online meeting application, and the usage history of the presentation application may be correlated with each other in chronological order.

[0035] PC3 transmits the usage history to the communication measurement device 2.

[0036] (2.3) Data Server Data server 4 stores relationship information. Relationship information is information about the relationships between multiple workers in a workplace (company, government office, or organization, etc.). More specifically, relationship information includes, for example, information about the hierarchical relationships between multiple workers. Information about the hierarchical relationships between multiple workers includes, for example, information about each worker's job title. Job title refers to one's position at work. Job title refers to a position or rank, etc. In other words, relationship information includes information about the relative levels of job titles between one worker and another worker. For example, for worker A's information, relationship information is associated with worker B, who is worker A's primary supervisor (direct supervisor), worker C, who is worker A's secondary supervisor (the direct supervisor of worker A's direct supervisor), worker D, who is worker A's colleague (same job title), and worker E, who is worker A's subordinate.

[0037] Furthermore, relationship information includes organizational information, such as the organization (department or division, etc.) to which each of the workers belongs. Departments or divisions are distinguished by names such as XXX Department, YYY Section, or ZZZ Center. Relationship information also includes work information, such as the tasks (projects, etc.) that each of the workers is involved in.

[0038] In this embodiment, the data server 4 transmits relationship information to the communication measurement device 2.

[0039] (2.4) Communication measuring device As shown in Figure 1, the communication measurement device 2 comprises a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, and a communication unit 23.

[0040] The storage unit 22 is a storage device composed of a hard disk drive or a solid-state drive, etc. The storage unit 22 stores information. The storage unit 22 stores multiple usage histories obtained from multiple PCs 3 used by multiple workers, and relationship information obtained from the data server 4, etc.

[0041] The communication unit 23 includes a communication interface device. The communication unit 23 can communicate with external devices (e.g., PC 3 and data server 4) via the communication interface device. In this disclosure, "communication possible" means that signals can be sent and received directly or indirectly via a network or repeater, etc., by an appropriate communication method such as wired communication or wireless communication.

[0042] The control unit 21 includes a computer system having one or more processors and memory. The functions of the control unit 21 are realized when the processor of the computer system executes a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be recorded in memory, provided via a telecommunication line such as the Internet, or provided on a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card.

[0043] The control unit 21 acquires multiple usage histories from multiple PCs 3 used by multiple workers via the communication unit 23 and the network, and acquires relationship information from the data server 4. As described above, the multiple usage histories and relationship information acquired by the control unit 21 are stored in the storage unit 22.

[0044] The control unit 21 includes a person selection unit 211, a meeting selection unit 212, a calculation unit 213, and an estimation unit 214.

[0045] The personnel selection unit 211 performs a personnel selection process (personnel selection step) to select the first worker and the second worker based on relationship information regarding the relationship between workers.

[0046] In this embodiment, the personnel selection unit 211 selects the worker to be targeted for engagement estimation as the first worker. The personnel selection unit 211 also selects the first worker's supervisor, subordinate, or colleagues in the same department as the first worker as the second worker, based on relationship information. The personnel selection unit 211 may also select colleagues participating in the same work (project, etc.) as the second worker, based on work information included in the relationship information. In other words, the personnel selection unit 211 selects the first worker as the second worker if they have a predetermined relationship with that worker, based on relationship information.

[0047] The communication measurement system 1 of this embodiment estimates the engagement of each of multiple workers. In other words, the personnel selection unit 211 of this embodiment selects each of the multiple workers as a first worker. The personnel selection unit 211 also selects one or more second workers for each first worker.

[0048] The personnel selection unit 211 selects the first worker and the second worker based on relationship information, thereby determining all combinations of pairs of workers (for example, if the number of workers is n, n Compared to calculating the amount of communication for group C2, the number of communication calculations can be reduced. In other words, by having the personnel selection unit 211 select the first and second workers based on relationship information, the time required to calculate the amount of communication can be shortened, and the load on the communication measurement system 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, the relationship information includes information on the rank of the workers and work information. Therefore, the personnel selection unit 211 can select a second worker who holds a specific rank from the perspective of the first worker, or a second worker who is participating in the same work (project, etc.) as the first worker. Thus, according to the communication measurement system 1 of this embodiment, the amount of communication between the first worker and a second worker with a predetermined relationship can be efficiently measured.

[0049] The meeting selection unit 212 selects online meetings that both the first and second workers participated in, based on the usage history of at least one of the PC3 (terminal) used by the first worker and the PC3 (terminal) used by the second worker. For example, the meeting selection unit 212 selects online meetings that both the first and second workers participated in by determining whether the second worker participated in a meeting with the same name as a meeting that the first worker participated in. In the following explanation, the usage history of the PC3 used by the first worker may be referred to as "first usage history," and the usage history of the PC3 used by the second worker may be referred to as "second usage history."

[0050] For example, the meeting selection unit 212 aggregates information on meetings attended by the first worker based on the first usage history and relationship information to generate aggregated information. For example, the aggregated information is as shown in Table 1 below. Note that it is not mandatory for the meeting selection unit 212 to generate the aggregated information; the person selection unit 211 or the calculation unit 213, etc., may also generate the aggregated information. Furthermore, the control unit 21 may have an aggregation unit that generates the aggregated information.

[0051] [Table 1]

[0052] The aggregated information is data that associates various records of meetings attended by the first worker with each other. In this embodiment, the aggregated information associates the meeting name, meeting time, number of participants, and the names, affiliations, and job titles of the participants with each other. "Worker A" in Table 1 corresponds to the first worker. Note that the times in Table 1 are, for example, in minutes. That is, the meeting time for Meeting A is, for example, 90 minutes, and the meeting time for Meeting B is, for example, 40 minutes.

[0053] The following explanation describes the case where the second worker selected by the personnel selection unit 211 is "Worker B" in Table 1. The meeting selection unit 212 selects meetings in which both "Worker A" and "Worker B" participated, based on the aggregated information. Here, the meeting selection unit 212 may select multiple meetings in which both the first worker and the second worker participated. In the example in Table 1, the meeting selection unit 212 selects "Meeting A," "Meeting B," "Meeting D," and "Meeting E."

[0054] The calculation unit 213 calculates, for example, the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker at a meeting selected by the meeting selection unit 212, based on aggregated information.

[0055] The calculation unit 213 calculates the amount of communication so that the amount of communication decreases as the number of participants in an online meeting increases. It is assumed that the proportion of communication between worker 1 and worker 2 decreases as the number of participants in a meeting increases. Therefore, by calculating the amount of communication between worker 1 and worker 2 so that the amount of communication decreases as the number of participants increases, the accuracy of measuring the amount of communication can be improved.

[0056] More specifically, the calculation unit 213 calculates the amount of communication by multiplying the parameters for calculating the amount of communication by a decreasing function whose value decreases as the number of participants in the meeting increases. For example, the calculation unit 213 calculates the amount of communication using the following equation (1).

[0057] C1=C×t×f(n) Equation (1)

[0058] In equation (1), C1 is the amount of communication per meeting. However, the calculation unit 213 may calculate the amount of communication per meeting by further performing calculations using C1 calculated in equation (1). In other words, C1 may be a parameter for calculating the amount of communication. In equation (1), C is the amount of communication per unit time. The unit time is, for example, 1 minute. In equation (1), t is the meeting time. C and t are parameters for calculating the amount of communication. In equation (1), f(n) is a decreasing function whose value decreases as the number of participants in the meeting increases.

[0059] Here, f(n) can be expressed, for example, by the following equation (2).

[0060] f(n)=1 / n Equation (2)

[0061] In equation (2), n is the number of participants in the meeting. In other words, a decreasing function whose value decreases as the number of participants increases is a linear fractional function of the number of participants. When the calculation unit 213 uses equations (1) and (2) to calculate the amount of communication between worker A and worker B in meeting A and meeting B, the amount of communication in meeting A is 18C and the amount of communication in meeting B is 20C. In other words, although meeting A is longer than meeting B, the amount of communication calculated by the calculation unit 213 is less for meeting A than for meeting B. By multiplying the parameter for calculating the amount of communication by a decreasing function, which is a linear fractional function of the number of participants, the amount of communication can be calculated with a simple calculation. Note that the calculation unit 213 may calculate the amount of communication by assuming that the number of participants is the predetermined number when the number of participants is greater than or equal to a predetermined number.

[0062] The calculation unit 213 extracts the usage history of the microphone 32 and the presentation application corresponding to "Meeting A," "Meeting B," "Meeting D," and "Meeting E" from the first usage history. Alternatively, the calculation unit 213 may extract the usage history of the microphone 32 and the presentation application corresponding to "Meeting A," "Meeting B," "Meeting D," and "Meeting E" from the second usage history.

[0063] Furthermore, f(n) may also be expressed by, for example, the following equation (3).

[0064] f(n) = an Equation (3)

[0065] In equation (3), 'a' is the intercept. For example, 'a' is 10. The decreasing function, whose value decreases as the number of participants in a meeting increases, is a linear function of the number of participants. When 'a' is 10, the amount of communication between worker 1 and worker 2 is 0 in meetings with 10 or more participants. The amount of communication can be calculated in a simple calculation by multiplying the parameter for calculating the amount of communication by the decreasing function, which is a linear function of the number of participants.

[0066] Furthermore, the calculation unit 213 calculates the amount of communication such that the amount of communication increases as the amount of speech of at least one of the first worker and the second worker increases. In this embodiment, the amount of speech is determined by the duration of speech. By calculating the amount of communication based on the amount of speech, the accuracy of measuring the amount of communication can be further improved.

[0067] More specifically, the calculation unit 213 calculates the amount of communication by multiplying a parameter for calculating the amount of communication by a function whose value increases as the amount of speech increases. For example, the calculation unit 213 calculates the amount of communication using the following equation (4).

[0068] C2=C×t×g(ts) Equation (4)

[0069] In equation (4), C2 is the amount of communication per meeting. However, the calculation unit 213 may calculate the amount of communication per meeting by further performing calculations using C2 calculated in equation (4). In other words, C2 may be a parameter for calculating the amount of communication. In equation (4), g(ts) is a function whose value increases as the amount of speaking by at least one of the first worker and the second worker increases. Note that instead of C × t in equation (4), C1 obtained in equation (1) may be used in equation (4).

[0070] Here, g(ts) can be expressed, for example, by the following equation (5).

[0071] g(ts) = ts / t Equation (5)

[0072] In equation (5), ts is the amount of speaking time (speaking time) of at least one of the first worker and the second worker in one meeting. In other words, the function whose value increases as the speaking time of at least one of the first worker and the second worker increases represents the ratio of speaking time to the meeting time of the online meeting. ts may be the speaking time of only one of the first worker or the second worker, or it may be the sum of the speaking time of the first worker and the second worker. In this embodiment, ts is the speaking time of the first worker. The amount of communication can be calculated in a simple calculation by multiplying the parameter for calculating the amount of communication by a function whose value increases as the speaking time of at least one of the first worker and the second worker increases.

[0073] The calculation unit 213 detects the amount of speech based on the input level of the microphone 32. Figure 2 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the input level of the microphone 32. Graph L1 shows an example of the input level of the microphone 32.

[0074] Furthermore, the calculation unit 213 detects the start of speaking when the input level of the microphone 32 becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1, and detects the end of speaking when the input level of the microphone 32 falls below the second threshold Th2, which is less than the first threshold Th1. In other words, the first threshold Th1 and the second threshold Th2 are set to have hysteresis.

[0075] In the example shown in Figure 2, the calculation unit 213 detects the start of a statement at timing T1 when the input level is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1, and detects the end of a statement at timing T2 when the input level falls below the second threshold Th2. In other words, the calculation unit 213 detects statements during the period between timing T1 and timing T2. Furthermore, the calculation unit 213 detects the start of a statement at timing T3 when the input level is equal to or greater than the first threshold Th1, and detects the end of a statement at timing T4 when the input level falls below the second threshold Th2. In other words, the calculation unit 213 detects statements during the period between timing T3 and timing T4.

[0076] Since the calculation unit 213 detects the amount of speech based on the input level of the microphone 32, it can accurately detect the amount of speech in a meeting. Furthermore, the calculation unit 213 detects speech using a first threshold Th1 and a second threshold Th2 that are set to have hysteresis. Therefore, it can detect the amount of speech in a meeting with even greater accuracy.

[0077] Furthermore, the calculation unit 213 determines whether a statement is in the form of an announcement, and depending on the determination result, it performs a process of multiplying the amount of a statement in the form of an announcement by a coefficient with a value less than 1, or multiplying the amount of a statement in the form of a non-announcement by a coefficient with a value greater than 1. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 213 multiplies the amount of a statement in the form of an announcement by 0. The coefficient is set as appropriate. By relatively reducing the influence (contribution) of statements in the form of an announcement in the calculation of the amount of communication, the accuracy of measuring the amount of communication can be further improved.

[0078] More specifically, the calculation unit 213 determines that a statement made by the first or second worker is a presentation-style statement, provided that the statement is made continuously for a predetermined time X0 (see Figure 3) or longer. Because the criteria for determining whether a statement is a presentation-style statement are simple, the calculation unit 213 can easily make this determination.

[0079] Furthermore, the calculation unit 213 determines that a statement made by one of the first or second workers is a presentation-style statement, provided that the statement made by one of the first or second workers continues for a predetermined period of time or longer without the other worker making a statement. In other words, the calculation unit 213 determines that a statement is a presentation-style statement if one of the first or second workers speaks unilaterally and continuously for a predetermined period of time or longer. By making unilateral speaking a condition, the determination of whether or not a statement is a presentation-style statement can be made more accurately.

[0080] Furthermore, the calculation unit 213 determines that a statement is in the form of a presentation, provided that the worker making the statement has the presentation application running. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 213 determines whether or not the worker making the statement has the presentation application running based on the usage history of the presentation application. When making a presentation, the worker often makes the statement with the presentation application running. Therefore, by using whether or not the presentation application is running as a criterion, presentation-style statements can be detected with greater accuracy.

[0081] Figure 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating the concept of conversation judgment processing by the calculation unit 213. The calculation process will be explained below with reference to Figure 3.

[0082] The "utterance flag" in Figure 3 indicates whether or not a worker is speaking. Based on the input level of the microphone 32, the calculation unit 213 determines that a worker is speaking, and the utterance flag is turned ON. On the other hand, if the calculation unit 213 determines that a worker is not speaking, the utterance flag is turned OFF. For example, the utterance flag is updated every minute. The "first utterance flag" indicates whether or not the first worker is speaking. The "second utterance flag" indicates whether or not the second worker is speaking.

[0083] The "presentation flag" in Figure 3 indicates whether or not the utterance is in presentation format. If the calculation unit 213 determines that the utterance is in presentation format, the presentation flag is turned ON. On the other hand, if the calculation unit 213 determines that the utterance is not in presentation format, the presentation flag is turned OFF. In this embodiment, the calculation unit 213 determines that an utterance is in presentation format if the worker making the utterance has launched the presentation application and the utterance continues for a predetermined time X0 or longer. In other words, the period during which the calculation unit 213 determines that an utterance is in presentation format is limited to the period X7 between timing T10 and timing T23, during which the presentation application is launched (ON).

[0084] The utterance made by the first worker during the period between timing T15 and timing T17 continues for a predetermined time X0 or longer at timing T16. Therefore, the calculation unit 213 determines that the utterance made during the period between timing T15 and timing T17 is in the form of an announcement. As described above, the calculation unit 213 in this embodiment multiplies the amount of speech of the announcement-type utterance by 0.

[0085] In the example shown in Figure 3, the first utterance flag is on during the periods between timing T11 and timing T12, between timing T15 and timing T17, and between timing T19 and timing T20. In other words, the amount of speech of the first worker is the sum of speech amounts X1, X3, and X5. Here, the calculation unit 213 in this embodiment multiplies speech amount X3 by 0, so the sum of speech amounts X1 and X5 is taken as the amount of speech of the first worker.

[0086] The second utterance flag is on during the periods between timing T13 and T14, between timing T18 and T19, and between timing T21 and T22. In other words, the second worker's utterance volume is the sum of utterance volume X2, utterance volume X4, and utterance volume X6.

[0087] The estimation unit 214 performs an estimation process (estimation step) to estimate the engagement of each of the multiple workers at predetermined estimation periods. In this embodiment, the estimation unit 214 estimates the engagement of the first worker based on the amount of communication calculated by the calculation unit 213. In other words, the estimation unit 214 in this embodiment uses the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker calculated by the calculation unit 213 as a parameter for estimating the engagement of the first worker. Since the worker's engagement is estimated based on the amount of communication calculated by the calculation unit 213, the accuracy of the engagement estimation can be improved.

[0088] Furthermore, in the estimation process of this embodiment, when the second worker is the first worker's supervisor, the influence of the amount of communication on engagement is greater than when the second worker is not the first worker's supervisor. In other words, when the second worker is the first worker's supervisor, if there is a lot of communication between the first worker and the second worker, the first worker's engagement tends to be higher. In the estimation process of this embodiment, the influence on engagement is adjusted according to the worker's job position, so the accuracy of engagement estimation can be improved.

[0089] (3) Operation of the communication measurement system Next, the operation of the communication measurement system 1 will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0090] First, the communication measurement system 1 performs a person selection process (person selection step) (S1). That is, based on relationship information, the communication measurement system 1 selects one first worker and one or more second workers from among multiple workers. Here, the communication measurement system 1 may select multiple second workers for one first worker. If multiple second workers are selected in the person selection process, the communication measurement system 1 of this embodiment performs the following steps S2 to S5 for each of the selected second workers. That is, the communication measurement system 1 of this embodiment repeats the steps S2 to S5 as many times as the number of second workers selected.

[0091] Next, the communication measurement system 1 performs a meeting selection process (meeting selection step) (S2). That is, the communication measurement system 1 selects meetings that both the first worker and the second worker participated in, based on the usage history of at least one of the PC3 usage histories used by the first worker and the PC3 usage history used by the second worker. If multiple meetings are selected in the meeting selection process, the communication measurement system 1 performs the following steps S3 and S4 for each of the selected meetings. In other words, the communication measurement system 1 in this embodiment repeats the steps S3 and S4 as many times as the number of selected meetings.

[0092] Next, the communication measurement system 1 performs a calculation process (calculation step) (S3). The calculation process will be explained with reference to Figure 5.

[0093] The communication measurement system 1, for example, refers to aggregated information to measure the number of participants in the meeting for which the amount of communication is to be calculated (S11). Then, the communication measurement system 1 weights the data according to the number of participants in the meeting (S12). In other words, the communication measurement system 1 weights the data so that the amount of communication decreases as the number of participants in the meeting increases.

[0094] Next, the communication measurement system 1 determines whether or not there is a presentation-style statement (S13). In this embodiment, the communication measurement system 1 determines that a statement is a presentation-style statement if the first worker has launched the presentation application and the statement is made continuously for a predetermined time X0 or longer. If the communication measurement system 1 determines that there is no presentation-style statement (S13: No), it then proceeds to the process in step S15.

[0095] On the other hand, if the communication measurement system 1 determines that there are presentation-style statements (S13: Yes), it weights the amount of presentation-style statements (S14). Specifically, the communication measurement system 1 of this embodiment multiplies the amount of presentation-style statements by a coefficient less than 1.

[0096] Next, the communication measurement system 1 measures the amount of speech (speaking time) of the first worker (S15). Then, the communication measurement system 1 weights the speech ratio, which is the ratio of the amount of speech to the meeting time of the first worker (S16). In other words, the communication measurement system 1 weights the speech so that the more the first worker speaks, the greater the amount of communication.

[0097] The communication measurement system 1 then calculates the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker in one meeting (S17), and terminates the calculation process (S3).

[0098] Next, the communication measurement system 1 determines whether there are any other meetings selected in the meeting selection process (S4). If there are other meetings, i.e., meetings for which the amount of communication has not been calculated (S4: Yes), the process returns to step S3.

[0099] On the other hand, if there are no other meetings (S4: No), the communication measurement system 1 determines whether or not it has calculated the amount of communication for all combinations of the one first worker selected in the person selection process and one or more second workers. In other words, the communication measurement system 1 determines whether or not there are other second workers for whom the amount of communication should be calculated (S5).

[0100] If there is another second worker whose communication volume needs to be calculated (S5: Yes), the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, if there is no other second worker whose communication volume needs to be calculated (S5: No), that is, if the communication volume between each of the one or more second workers selected in the person selection process and the first worker has already been calculated, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0101] In step S6, the communication measurement system 1 performs an estimation process (estimation step) (S6). That is, the communication measurement system 1 estimates the engagement of the first worker based on the amount of communication calculated in the calculation process. Then, the communication measurement system 1 terminates its process.

[0102] The amount of communication calculated in step S3 may be output. For example, the amount of communication calculated in step S3 may be displayed on the screen as a numerical value representing the degree of communication, or it may be displayed as a symbol such as an icon. The communication measuring device 2 may also transmit the amount of communication to other devices.

[0103] The engagement estimation result obtained in step S6 may be output. For example, the engagement estimation result obtained in step S6 may be displayed on the screen as a numerical degree representing the level of engagement, or it may be displayed as a symbol such as an icon. The communication measurement device 2 may also transmit the engagement estimation result to other devices.

[0104] Note that the flowcharts shown in Figures 4 and 5 are merely examples, and the order of processing may be changed as appropriate, or processes may be added or deleted as appropriate.

[0105] (4) Variations The following lists some modifications of the above embodiment.

[0106] The entity executing the communication measurement system 1 or communication measurement method in this disclosure includes a computer system. The computer system mainly consists of a processor and memory as hardware. The function of the entity executing the communication measurement system 1 or communication measurement method in this disclosure is realized by the processor executing a program recorded in the memory of the computer system. The program may be pre-recorded in the memory of the computer system, provided via a telecommunications line, or provided on a non-temporary recording medium such as a memory card, optical disk, or hard disk drive that can be read by the computer system. The processor of the computer system consists of one or more electronic circuits including semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) or large-scale integrated circuits (LSIs). Integrated circuits such as ICs or LSIs referred to here are named differently depending on the degree of integration, and include integrated circuits called system LSIs, VLSIs (Very Large Scale Integration), or ULSIs (Ultra Large Scale Integration). Furthermore, FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays) that are programmed after the manufacture of LSIs, or logic devices that allow for the reconfiguration of junction relationships or circuit compartments within LSIs, can also be used as processors. Multiple electronic circuits may be integrated onto a single chip or distributed across multiple chips. Multiple chips may be integrated onto a single device or distributed across multiple devices. The computer system referred to here includes a microcontroller having one or more processors and one or more memories. Therefore, the microcontroller also consists of one or more electronic circuits, including semiconductor integrated circuits or large-scale integrated circuits.

[0107] Furthermore, it is not essential for the communication measurement system 1 to have multiple functions integrated into a single housing; the components of the communication measurement system 1 may be distributed across multiple housings. Moreover, at least some of the functions of the communication measurement system 1, for example, some of the functions of the communication measurement device 2, may be implemented by the cloud (cloud computing), etc.

[0108] Conversely, in the above embodiment, at least some of the functions of the communication measurement system 1, which are distributed across multiple devices, may be consolidated into a single housing. For example, some of the functions of the communication measurement system 1, which are distributed across the communication measurement system 1 and the data server 4, may be consolidated into a single housing.

[0109] The communication measurement system 1 only needs to include at least a person selection unit 211, a meeting selection unit 212, and a calculation unit 213. In other words, the communication measurement system 1 only needs to be able to calculate the amount of communication between workers in an online meeting, and it is not essential that the communication measurement system 1 is used to estimate worker engagement.

[0110] PC3 may send the usage history to data server 4. Communication measurement device 2 may retrieve the usage history from data server 4.

[0111] The equations (1) to (5) described in the above embodiment are merely examples, and terms may be added or coefficients added to the variables as appropriate.

[0112] (summary) As described above, the communication measurement system (1) according to the first embodiment comprises a person selection unit (211), a meeting selection unit (212), and a calculation unit (213). The person selection unit (211) selects a first worker and a second worker based on relationship information relating to the relationship between a worker and another worker. The meeting selection unit (212) selects an online meeting in which both the first worker and the second worker participated, based on the usage history of at least one of the terminal (PC3) used by the first worker and the terminal (PC3) used by the second worker. The calculation unit (213) calculates the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected by the meeting selection unit (212), based on the usage history of at least one of the terminals used by the first worker and the second worker.

[0113] According to this embodiment, the amount of communication between workers in online meetings is calculated based on the usage history of terminals (PC3), such as laptop computers, used by workers, thereby improving the accuracy of measuring the amount of communication.

[0114] In the second aspect of the communication measurement system (1), in the first aspect, the calculation unit (213) calculates the amount of communication such that the amount of communication decreases as the number of participants in the online meeting increases.

[0115] According to this method, the accuracy of measuring the amount of communication can be improved by calculating that the amount of communication between worker 1 and worker 2 decreases as the number of participants in the meeting increases.

[0116] In the third aspect of the communication measurement system (1), in the second aspect, the calculation unit (213) calculates the amount of communication by multiplying a parameter for calculating the amount of communication by a function whose value decreases as the number of participants increases. The function is a linear fractional function of the number of participants.

[0117] According to this embodiment, the amount of communication can be calculated with a simple calculation.

[0118] In the fourth aspect of the communication measurement system (1), in the second aspect, the calculation unit (213) calculates the amount of communication by multiplying a parameter for calculating the amount of communication by a function whose value decreases as the number of participants increases. The function is a linear function of the number of participants.

[0119] According to this embodiment, the amount of communication can be calculated with a simple calculation.

[0120] In the fifth aspect of the communication measurement system (1), in any of the first to fourth aspects, the calculation unit (213) calculates the amount of communication such that the amount of communication increases as the amount of speech of at least one of the first worker and the second worker increases.

[0121] According to this configuration, the accuracy of measuring communication volume can be further improved by calculating the amount of communication based on the amount of speech.

[0122] In the communication measurement system (1) according to the sixth embodiment, in the fifth embodiment, the calculation unit (213) calculates the amount of communication by multiplying a parameter for calculating the amount of communication by a function whose value increases as the amount of speaking increases. The function is expressed as the ratio of the amount of speaking to the meeting time of the online meeting.

[0123] According to this embodiment, the amount of communication can be calculated with a simple calculation.

[0124] In the seventh embodiment of the communication measurement system (1), in the fifth or sixth embodiment, the calculation unit (213) detects the amount of speech based on the input level of the microphone (32).

[0125] According to this embodiment, the calculation unit (213) detects the amount of speech based on the input level of the microphone (32), so the amount of speech in a meeting can be detected with high accuracy.

[0126] In the eighth aspect of the communication measurement system (1), in the seventh aspect, the calculation unit (213) detects the start of a statement when the input level becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold (Th1), and detects the end of a statement when the input level falls below a second threshold (Th2) which is less than the first threshold (Th1).

[0127] According to this embodiment, speech is detected using a first threshold (Th1) and a second threshold (Th2) that are set to have hysteresis. Therefore, the amount of speech in a meeting can be detected with greater accuracy.

[0128] In the communication measurement system (1) according to the ninth embodiment, in any of the fifth to eighth embodiments, the calculation unit (213) determines whether a statement is in the form of an announcement. Depending on the determination result, the calculation unit (213) performs a process of multiplying the amount of a statement in the form of an announcement by a coefficient with a value less than 1, or a process of multiplying the amount of a statement in the form of a non-announcement by a coefficient with a value greater than 1.

[0129] According to this embodiment, the accuracy of measuring communication volume can be further improved by relatively reducing the influence (contribution) of statements in the presentation format in the calculation of communication volume.

[0130] In the communication measurement system (1) according to the tenth embodiment, in the ninth embodiment, the calculation unit (213) determines that a statement is in the form of a presentation, provided that the statement is made continuously for a predetermined period of time or longer.

[0131] According to this embodiment, the calculation unit (213) can easily determine whether or not a statement is in the form of an announcement.

[0132] In the communication measurement system (1) according to the 11th embodiment, in the 10th embodiment, the calculation unit (213) determines that the statement made by one of the first and second workers is in the form of an announcement, provided that the statement made by one of the first and second workers continues for a predetermined period of time or longer without the other of the first and second workers making a statement.

[0133] This approach allows for a more accurate determination of whether or not a statement is in the form of an announcement, by requiring that the statement be made unilaterally.

[0134] In the communication measurement system (1) according to the 12th embodiment, in any of the 9th to 11th embodiments, the calculation unit (213) determines that a statement is in the form of a presentation, provided that the worker making the statement has launched a presentation application.

[0135] This configuration allows for more accurate detection of statements in the form of announcements.

[0136] The communication measurement system (1) according to the 13th embodiment further comprises an estimation unit (214) in any of the first to 12 embodiments. The estimation unit (214) performs estimation processing to estimate the engagement of the first worker based on the amount of communication calculated by the calculation unit (213).

[0137] According to this embodiment, since the engagement of workers is estimated based on the amount of communication calculated by the calculation unit (213), the accuracy of the engagement estimation can be improved.

[0138] In the communication measurement system (1) according to the 14th aspect, in the 13th aspect, the estimation process shows that when the second worker is the supervisor of the first worker, the influence of the amount of communication on engagement is greater than when the second worker is not the supervisor of the first worker.

[0139] According to this embodiment, the degree of influence on engagement is adjusted according to the worker's job position, thereby improving the accuracy of engagement estimation.

[0140] Configurations other than those in the first embodiment are not essential to the communication measurement system (1) and can be omitted as appropriate.

[0141] The communication measurement method according to the 15th aspect is performed by a computer system (communication measurement system 1). The communication measurement method includes a person selection step, a meeting selection step, and a calculation step. In the person selection step, a first worker and a second worker are selected based on relationship information regarding the relationship between a worker and another worker. In the meeting selection step, an online meeting in which both the first worker and the second worker participated is selected based on the usage history of at least one of the terminals (PC3) used by the first worker and the terminal (PC3) used by the second worker. In the calculation step, the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected in the meeting selection step is calculated based on the usage history of at least one of the terminals used by the first worker and the terminal.

[0142] According to this embodiment, the amount of communication between workers in online meetings is calculated based on the usage history of terminals (PC3), such as laptop computers, used by workers, thereby improving the accuracy of measuring the amount of communication.

[0143] The program according to the 16th aspect is a program that causes one or more processors to execute the communication measurement method according to the 14th aspect.

[0144] According to this embodiment, the amount of communication between workers in online meetings is calculated based on the usage history of terminals used by workers, such as laptop computers, thereby improving the accuracy of measuring the amount of communication. [Explanation of symbols]

[0145] 1. Communication Measurement System 211 Person Selection Department 212 Meeting Selection Department 213 Calculation Unit 214 Estimation Department 3. PC (device) 32 Microphones Th1 First Threshold Th2 Second Threshold

Claims

1. A personnel selection department that selects the first and second workers based on relationship information regarding the relationship between workers and other workers, A meeting selection unit selects online meetings in which both the first and second workers participated, based on the usage history of at least one of the first usage history of the terminal used by the first worker and the second usage history of the terminal used by the second worker. A calculation unit calculates the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected by the meeting selection unit, based on the usage history of at least one of the above-mentioned workers. Equipped with, The first usage history and the second usage history include the usage history of the online meeting application used in the online meeting. The usage history of the online meeting application includes the history of meeting participants and the history of meeting duration. Communication measurement system.

2. The calculation unit calculates the amount of communication such that the amount of communication decreases as the number of participants in the online meeting increases. The communication measurement system according to claim 1.

3. The calculation unit calculates the amount of communication by multiplying the parameters for calculating the amount of communication by a function whose value decreases as the number of participants increases. The aforementioned function is a linear fractional function of the number of participants, The aforementioned parameters include the meeting time of the online meeting, The communication measurement system according to claim 2.

4. The calculation unit calculates the amount of communication by multiplying the parameters for calculating the amount of communication by a function whose value decreases as the number of participants increases. The aforementioned function is a linear function of the number of participants, The aforementioned parameters include the meeting time of the online meeting, The communication measurement system according to claim 2.

5. The calculation unit calculates the amount of communication such that the amount of communication increases as the amount of speech of at least one of the first worker and the second worker increases. The communication measurement system according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The calculation unit calculates the amount of communication by multiplying the parameters for calculating the amount of communication by a function whose value increases as the amount of speech increases. The function is expressed as the ratio of the amount of speaking time to the meeting time of the online meeting, The aforementioned parameters include the meeting time of the online meeting, The communication measurement system according to claim 5.

7. The calculation unit detects the amount of speech based on the microphone input level. The communication measurement system according to claim 5.

8. The calculation unit detects the start of a statement when the input level becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold, and detects the end of a statement when the input level falls below a second threshold, which is less than the first threshold. The communication measurement system according to claim 7.

9. The calculation unit determines whether a statement is in the form of an announcement, and depending on the determination result, performs a process of multiplying the amount of the announcement statement by a coefficient less than 1, or multiplying the amount of the non-announcement statement by a coefficient greater than 1. The communication measurement system according to claim 5.

10. The calculation unit determines that the statement is a statement in the format of an announcement, provided that the statement is made continuously for a predetermined period of time or longer. The communication measurement system according to claim 9.

11. The calculation unit determines that the statement made by one of the first workers is a statement in the form of an announcement, provided that the statement made by one of the first workers and the second worker continues for a predetermined period of time or longer while the other of the first workers and the second worker remains silent. The communication measurement system according to claim 10.

12. The calculation unit determines that the statement is a presentation-style statement, provided that the terminal used by the worker making the statement is running a presentation application. The communication measurement system according to claim 9.

13. A communication measurement method performed by a computer system comprising one or more processors, The process involves one or more processors selecting a first worker and a second worker based on relationship information relating to the relationship between a worker and another worker, The one or more processors perform a meeting selection step in which they select an online meeting in which both the first worker and the second worker participated, based on the usage history of at least one of the first usage history of the terminal used by the first worker and the second usage history of the terminal used by the second worker. The one or more processors perform a calculation step in which they calculate the amount of communication between the first worker and the second worker in the online meeting selected in the meeting selection step, based on the usage history of at least one of the processors. It has, The first usage history and the second usage history include the usage history of the online meeting application used in the online meeting. The usage history of the online meeting application includes the history of meeting participants and the history of meeting duration. Communication measurement methods.

14. To cause one or more processors to execute the communication measurement method described in Claim 13, program.

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