Information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program

Abstract

To provide an appropriate answer to a user's question.SOLUTION: An information processing device comprises an acquisition unit, a division unit, a first generation unit, and a second generation unit. The acquisition unit acquires a content that is an object of question from a user. The division unit divides the content acquired by the acquisition unit into regions according to a context. The first generation unit generates a summary for each region divided by the division unit. The second generation unit generates index information associating the summaries generated by the first generation unit with labels indicative of the content serving as a summary source as index information for generating an answer to the question.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for making it easier to obtain the answers desired by users are known.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, there has been room for further improvement in providing appropriate answers to user questions.

[0005] The present application has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an appropriate answer to a user's question.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The information processing apparatus according to the present application includes an acquisition unit that acquires content that is the subject of a question from a user, a division unit that divides the content acquired by the acquisition unit into regions according to the context, a first generation unit that generates a summary for each region divided by the division unit, and a second generation unit that generates index information in which the summary generated by the first generation unit is associated with a label indicating the content that is the source of the summary as index information for generating an answer to the question.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to one embodiment, the system has the effect of providing appropriate answers to user questions. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the overview of the information processing according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of the configuration of an information processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows an example of information processing according to the embodiment (Embodiment 1). [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an example of information processing according to the embodiment (Embodiment 2). [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows an example of the configuration of an information processing device according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] Figure 7 shows an example of an index information storage unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a response evaluation information storage unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing according to the embodiment (Embodiment 1). [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing an example of information processing according to the embodiment (Embodiment 2). [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that implements the functions of an information processing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes in detail, with reference to the drawings, the embodiments for implementing the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments"). Note that these embodiments do not limit the information processing device, information processing method, and information processing program according to the present application. Furthermore, the same parts are denoted by the same reference numerals in each of the following embodiments, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

[0010] (Embodiment) [1. Overview of Information Processing] Figure 1 will be used to explain the overview of the information processing according to the embodiment. Figure 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the overview of the information processing according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, Overview R includes Overviews R1 to R6. Overview R1 is the acquisition of content such as terms and conditions, web content, and store information (sales history, etc.). Answers to user U's questions are generated using the sentences in this content. Overview R2 is an index builder, which indexes the content acquired in Overview R1. Overview R3 is the acquisition of the indexed information (index information) indexed in Overview R2. Overview R4 is a dispatcher, which executes tasks based on user U's operations. For example, a task to answer a question received from user U is executed. Overview R5 is a prompt builder, which generates prompts using the index information acquired in Overview R3 and the question received in Overview R4. For example, incentive information corresponding to the question received in Overview R4 is extracted, and a prompt is generated from that incentive information. Overview R6 is a generative AI model such as GPT, which generates answers to user U's questions based on the prompt generated in Overview R5. The responses generated in R6 are provided to user U via the dispatcher.

[0011] [2. Configuration of the Information Processing System] The information processing system 1 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 2, the information processing system 1 includes a terminal device 10 and an information processing device 100. The terminal device 10 and the information processing device 100 are communicably connected by wire or wirelessly via a predetermined communication network (network N). FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment.

[0012] The terminal device 10 is an information processing device used by a user who makes a query. The user is, for example, a user who makes a query regarding contents such as regulations, laws, rules, and manuals. For example, a user who makes a query such as "What is the upper limit of the accommodation fee in the company's accommodation regulations for a business trip?" The user inputs a query using, for example, a chat tool capable of text-based communication. The terminal device 10 may be any device as long as it can realize the processing in the embodiment. Also, the terminal device 10 may be a device such as a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a notebook PC, a desktop PC, a mobile phone, or a PDA. FIG. 4 shows the case where the terminal device 10 is a smartphone.

[0013] The terminal device 10 is a smart device such as a smartphone or a tablet, and is a portable terminal device that can communicate with an arbitrary server device via a wireless communication network such as 4G - 5G (Generation) or LTE (Long Term Evolution). Also, the terminal device 10 has a screen such as a liquid crystal display, and has a screen having a touch panel function, and may receive various operations on display data such as content, such as tap operations, slide operations, and scroll operations, from the user using a finger or a stylus. In FIG. 4, the terminal device 10 is used by the user U1.

[0014] The information processing device 100 is an information processing device intended to provide appropriate answers to user questions, and can be any device as long as it can realize the processing in the embodiment. The information processing device 100 performs two main types of processing. The first is processing before receiving a question from the user, which is processing to enable the provision of appropriate answers when a question is received from the user. The second is processing when a question is received from the user, which is processing to generate an answer to the user's question using the information from the result of the first processing. Specifically, in the first processing, the information processing device 100 generates information (hereinafter referred to as "index information" as appropriate) that summarizes content (such as regulations, laws, rules, and manuals) by chapter, article (clause), sentence, or main idea (a main idea with a predetermined meaning) for each predetermined unit (hereinafter referred to as "domain" in the embodiment). The generated index information is then used in the second processing. Furthermore, in the second processing, when the information processing device 100 receives a question from the user, it inputs the index information generated in the first processing into the generating AI to generate an answer to that question.

[0015] Here, the index information according to the embodiment will be described. The Lama Index and the like are used to generate the index information according to the embodiment. The Lama Index is a tool for generating context from a large amount of user data, and is a tool that performs data retrieval by inputting a question received from the user and the individual user data. In other words, the Lama Index accesses information sources in a database and assists in the generation of prompts. The index information is structured to organize the data taken from such information sources and make it easier to search. By using such index information, the information processing device 100 can efficiently access private information when generating prompts and generate contexts that include private information. When the information processing device 100 receives a natural language question from the user, it uses the Lama Index and the like to search for index information that matches the question from the user and inputs it into the generation AI.

[0016] A generative AI is, for example, a text generation model that has learned from data published on the Internet, etc. For example, it is a GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) model that generates answers to questions. Such a model generates answers to questions from data published on the Internet. Since new data is published on the Internet every day, the answers generated by the model will be updated every day. That is, even if the same question is asked, the data referred to by the model when generating an answer will be different depending on the timing of the question, etc., so different answers will be generated. In addition, since the model can provide detailed answers to a wide variety of questions, a wide variety of questions are asked by users.

[0017] In FIG. 2, the case where the terminal device 10 and the information processing device 100 are separate devices is shown, but the terminal device 10 and the information processing device 100 may be integrated.

[0018] 〔3. An Example of Information Processing〕 Conventionally, techniques for making it easier for users to obtain desired answers are known. For example, a technique for providing an in-house chatbot system by utilizing in-house data is known (Patent Document 1 above). Also, for example, a technique for dividing regulations, manuals, etc. into predetermined units such as chapters and paragraphs and tagging them is known (Patent Document 2 above). However, in the conventional techniques, for example, since processing for answer generation is performed using the natural language questions from users as they are, there has been room for further improvement in providing appropriate answers to users' questions. The present application has been made in view of the above, and an object thereof is to provide an appropriate answer to a user's question.

[0019] Below, two information processing steps are described as part of the information processing of the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment. As described above, the first information processing step (Embodiment 1) is for generating index information, and the second information processing step (Embodiment 2) is for generating answers to user questions. By combining the two information processing steps, it becomes possible to provide appropriate answers to user questions. In the first information processing step (Indexing Stage), the information processing device 100 organizes and indexes the data acquired from the data source, and in the second information processing step (Querying Stage), it analyzes the question entered by the user, extracts relevant information from the index, and generates the final response. By using this mechanism, Lama Index can efficiently manage large amounts of data, and users can quickly obtain the information they need. This is particularly useful when a lot of information is scattered or when it is necessary to quickly retrieve specific information, and it significantly improves the efficiency of generating prompts to the generating AI, enabling the acquisition of better results.

[0020] (Embodiment 1: Information processing for generating index information) Figure 3 shows an example of information processing in the information processing system 1 according to Embodiment 1. The information processing device 100 acquires content (Content A) that is the subject of a question from the user (step S101). The content in this embodiment is an example of terms and conditions, laws, rules, or manuals, but it can be any kind of content and is not particularly limited. In the embodiment described later, an example is given where the content is "travel expense regulations", but the content may also be "service terms of use" which define the rights and obligations of the service provider and the compliance matters of the user between the service provider and the user. The content in this embodiment may be converted into a document object such as a PDF. That is, information acquired from different databases may be converted into a document object. The document object converted in this way may be converted into a more user-friendly node and indexed for efficient data access.

[0021] The information processing device 100 divides the acquired content into regions (region A1, region A2, region A3, ...) (step S102). For example, the information processing device 100 divides the content into regions such as by chapter, by article, by sentence, or by main idea. The size of the regions to be divided (the scope of region division) may be determined from the context of the content, etc. That is, the information processing device 100 may divide the content into regions according to the context of the content, for example.

[0022] The information processing device 100 generates summaries (summary A1, summary A2, ...) for each divided area (step S103). Here, the generated summaries are, for example, "Business trip expenses are capped at 5,000 yen per night." These generated summaries are included in the index information.

[0023] The information processing device 100 generates index information (index F1, index F2, ...) by associating the generated summary with a label indicating the content from which the summary is derived (which may also be a label indicating the entire text) (step S104). The labels (label B1, label B2, ...) are, for example, labels indicating what kind of regulations, laws, rules, or manuals they are. For example, in the case of content related to regulations, the label would be "Business Trip Expense Regulations," etc. In this case, the information processing device 100 may also generate index information by associating the summary with a label indicating the scope within the content from which the summary is derived (hereinafter referred to as "scope label" as appropriate). The scope label (scope label C1, scope label C2, ...) is, for example, a label indicating which chapter, article, sentence, etc., within the content the summary is derived from. For example, the scope label would be "Article 5," etc. Therefore, to give a concrete example, the information processing device 100 generates index information by linking summaries such as "Business trip expenses are capped at 5,000 yen per night," labels such as "Business trip expense regulations," and scope labels such as "Article 5." Labels may be information indicating a parent-child relationship with content, and scope labels may be information indicating a parent-child relationship with content or labels.

[0024] Thus, in Embodiment 1, the information processing device 100 divides the content into areas, generates a summary for each divided area, assigns labels to the generated summaries, and uses them as index information. For example, the information processing device 100 assigns labels related to the regulations, such as "Business Trip Expense Regulations," and labels related to the articles, such as "Article 5," to a summary such as "Business trip expenses are capped at 5,000 yen per night."

[0025] (Embodiment 2: Information processing for generating answers to user questions) Figure 4 shows an example of information processing in the information processing system 1 according to Embodiment 2. The information processing device 100 acquires information about a question P1 received from user U1 (step S201). In the following embodiment, the case in which the information processing device 100 acquires information about a question P1 from user U1, such as "What is the upper limit for accommodation expenses in the company's accommodation regulations?", will be explained as an example. In Embodiment 2, when a user's question is received, appropriate information corresponding to it is searched from the index information, related nodes are extracted, the necessary information is selected and becomes part of the query to the generating AI. As a result, it becomes possible to efficiently extract highly relevant information from a large amount of data and to generate a natural language response to address the user's question.

[0026] The information processing device 100 determines, based on the acquired information, whether the question P1 received from user U1 is related to a predetermined content (such as terms and conditions, laws, rules, or manuals) (step S202). For example, the information processing device 100 determines whether the question P1 received from user U1 is related to terms and conditions.

[0027] If the information processing device 100 determines that a question is related to predetermined content, it extracts index information from the index information generated in Embodiment 1 (i.e., index information summarizing the predetermined content by area) that is highly relevant to user U1's question P1 (step S203). For example, the information processing device 100 identifies labels that are highly relevant to user U1's question P1 by comparing the labels associated with the index information with user U1's question P1, thereby extracting index information that is highly relevant to user U1's question P1. For example, if there are index information associated with the label "Business Trip Expense Regulations," index information associated with the label "Employment Regulations," and index information associated with the label "Childcare / Family Care Leave Regulations" as candidates, the information processing device 100 identifies the label "Business Trip Expense Regulations" that is highly relevant to question P1 such as "What is the upper limit for accommodation expenses in the company's accommodation regulations?", and extracts the index information associated with the label "Business Trip Expense Regulations." The information processing device 100 extracts index information associated with the label "Business Trip Expense Regulations," enabling it to obtain, for example, a summary of "Business trip expenses are capped at 5,000 yen per night" associated with the label "Business Trip Expense Regulations," or the scope label of "Article 5" associated with the label "Business Trip Expense Regulations." The information processing device 100 may also perform a process to extract highly relevant index information by, for example, searching based on the vector information of the index information.

[0028] The information processing device 100 generates an answer to user U1's question P1 from the extracted index information. Specifically, the information processing device 100 generates a prompt to generate an answer to question P1 from the extracted index information and inputs it into a text generation AI such as a GPT model to generate an answer to question P1 (step S204). To give a specific example, based on the extracted index information, the information processing device 100 generates a prompt such as "Please output the accommodation expense limit" from question P1 such as "What is the maximum accommodation expense limit in the company's accommodation regulations?", a summary such as "Business trip expenses have a maximum of 5,000 yen per night", a label such as "Business trip expense regulations", and a range label such as "Article 5", making it possible to output an answer such as "It is 5,000 yen in the business trip expense regulations". Then, the information processing device 100 provides the answer to question P1 to user U1 (step S205). Specifically, the information processing device 100 sends information related to the answer to question P1 (information for displaying the answer) to the terminal device 10. Then, the terminal device 10 displays the response provided by the information processing device 100.

[0029] As described above, in Embodiment 2, when the information processing device 100 receives a question P1 from user U1, it extracts highly relevant index information and generates a prompt for the text generation AI using a summary of the extracted index information. User U1, for example, enters question P1 on a bulletin board of a specific tool. For example, user U1 enters question P1 about the content of a predetermined item. When the information processing device 100 receives question P1 from user U1, it generates a prompt using the text generation AI, but in this case, it generates the prompt using a library in which the content is divided into areas and index information is generated for each area. In this case, for example, the information processing device 100 calculates a score indicating the degree of relevance for each piece of index information and extracts index information with a high relevance score. Then, for example, the information processing device 100 generates a prompt to generate an answer using the text data of the summary of the extracted index information. Alternatively, if there is no index information with a high relevance score, for example, the information processing device 100 generates a prompt to generate an answer without using index information. In this case, for example, an answer to question P1 is generated without index information (summary, etc.). In this case, for example, the information processing device 100 generates an answer to question P1 by inputting a prompt to the text generation AI to generate an answer without using index information. The information processing device 100 may, for example, terminate information processing without generating a prompt to generate an answer if there is no index information with a high relevance score.

[0030] (Variations in processing) In the above embodiment, if the information processing device 100 determines that the question is not related to predetermined content, it generates a prompt to generate an answer without using index information. In this case, similar to the case where there is no index information with a high relevance score, for example, an answer to question P1 is generated without index information (such as a summary). In this case, similar to the case where there is no index information with a high relevance score, for example, the information processing device 100 generates an answer to question P1 by inputting a prompt to generate an answer without using index information to the text generation AI. Thus, the information processing device 100 may determine whether or not to use index information depending on the type of question, and may perform processing using index information (processing to generate an answer) only in the case of a question of a predetermined type. Furthermore, even if it is determined that the question is related to predetermined content, the index information accessible to the user may be restricted. In the above embodiment, for example, the information processing device 100 may extract highly relevant index information from the index information accessible to user U1 and generate a prompt. Note that if the information processing device 100 determines that the question is not related to predetermined content, it may terminate information processing without generating a prompt to generate an answer, similar to the case where there is no index information with a high relevance score.

[0031] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 100 may perform processing to optimize the range (size of the area) of the area division according to the accuracy of the answer. In the example of the above embodiment, if user U1 evaluates the answer to question P1 such as "What is the upper limit for accommodation expenses in the company's accommodation regulations?", which is output result "It is 5,000 yen in the business trip expense regulations", the information processing device 100 may accept user U1's evaluation as the evaluation of that answer. In this way, the information processing device 100 may accept evaluations from (multiple) users, and if the evaluation is low, it may set multiple index information with changed area division ranges, and if changing to one of the multiple index information would improve the evaluation, it may change to the index information that gives the highest evaluation.

[0032] In the above embodiment, if a model answer (model response) such as a Q&A (or FAQ) is predetermined, the information processing device 100 may generate a prompt using the model answer. For example, the information processing device 100 may generate a prompt that instructs the output of the model answer along with the answer according to the above embodiment. For example, the information processing device 100 may generate a prompt that outputs the model answer "The model answer is as follows: ○×○×..." along with the answer "According to the travel expense regulations, it is 5,000 yen."

[0033] In the above embodiment, the information processing device 100 may link to the generated response. For example, the information processing device 100 may link to the content corresponding to the label associated with the index information used to generate the response.

[0034] In the above embodiment, examples were given of labels such as "Business Trip Expense Regulations," "Employment Regulations," and "Childcare / Family Care Leave Regulations," but the embodiment is not limited to these examples. The label in the embodiment may be a label indicating a specific regulation or law, a specific rule or manual, but is not limited to these examples. Also, in the above embodiment, an example was given of a scope label such as "Article 5," but the embodiment is not limited to this example. The scope label in the embodiment may be a label indicating a specific chapter, article, or sentence, but is not limited to these examples.

[0035] [4. Configuration of terminal equipment] Next, the configuration of the terminal device 10 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the terminal device 10 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 5, the terminal device 10 has a communication unit 11, an input unit 12, an output unit 13, and a control unit 14.

[0036] (Communications Section 11) The communication unit 11 is implemented, for example, by a NIC (Network Interface Card). The communication unit 11 is connected to a predetermined network N by wire or wireless connection and sends and receives information to and from the information processing device 100 via the predetermined network N.

[0037] (Input section 12) The input unit 12 accepts various operations from the user. In Figure 4, it accepts various operations from user U1. For example, the input unit 12 may accept various operations from the user via a display surface using a touch panel function. Alternatively, the input unit 12 may accept various operations from buttons provided on the terminal device 10, or from a keyboard or mouse connected to the terminal device 10. For example, the input unit 12 accepts an operation to input a question.

[0038] (Output section 13) The output unit 13 is a display screen for a tablet terminal, for example, which is implemented using a liquid crystal display or an organic EL (Electro-Luminescence) display, and is a display device for displaying various types of information. For example, the output unit 13 displays information transmitted from the information processing device 100. For example, the output unit 13 displays the answer to a user question generated by the information processing device 100.

[0039] (Control Unit 14) The control unit 14 is, for example, a controller, and is implemented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or MPU (Micro Processing Unit) executing various programs stored in the memory device inside the terminal device 10 using RAM (Random Access Memory) as the working area. For example, these various programs include application programs installed on the terminal device 10. For example, these various programs include application programs that display information transmitted from the information processing device 100 (such as answers to user questions). The control unit 14 is also implemented by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, the control unit 14 has a receiving unit 141 and a transmitting unit 142, and realizes or executes the information processing operations described below.

[0041] (Receiver 141) The receiving unit 141 receives information transmitted from, for example, the information processing device 100. For example, the receiving unit 141 receives information related to the answer to the user's question. For example, the receiving unit 141 receives information for displaying the answer to the user's question.

[0042] (Transmitter 142) The transmitting unit 142 transmits, for example, information about operations performed by the user. For example, the transmitting unit 142 transmits information about questions received from the user (for example, questions entered by the user, specified by the user, or selected by the user).

[0043] [5. Configuration of the Information Processing Device] Next, the configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment will be described using Figure 6. Figure 6 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 6, the information processing device 100 has a communication unit 110, a storage unit 120, and a control unit 130. The information processing device 100 may also have an input unit (for example, a keyboard or mouse) that receives various operations from the administrator of the information processing device 100, and a display unit (for example, a liquid crystal display) for displaying various information.

[0044] (Communications Department 110) The communication unit 110 is implemented, for example, by a NIC. The communication unit 110 is connected to the network N by wire or wireless connection and sends and receives information to and from terminal devices 10, etc., via the network N.

[0045] (Storage unit 120) The storage unit 120 is implemented by, for example, semiconductor memory elements such as RAM and flash memory, or storage devices such as hard disks and optical discs. As shown in Figure 6, the storage unit 120 has an index information storage unit 121 and a response evaluation information storage unit 122.

[0046] The index information storage unit 121 stores index information. Here, Figure 7 shows an example of the index information storage unit 121 according to the embodiment. The information stored in the index information storage unit 121 is used, for example, to generate answers. As shown in Figure 7, the index information storage unit 121 has items such as "index information ID", "content ID", "label", "range label", and "summary".

[0047] "Index Information ID" indicates identification information used to identify index information. "Content ID" indicates identification information used to identify content. "Label" indicates a label (a label indicating the content of the content). "Scope Label" indicates a scope label (a label indicating a specific scope within the content). "Summary" indicates a summary (a label indicating a summary corresponding to a specific scope within the content).

[0048] The response evaluation information storage unit 122 stores evaluation information for the responses. Here, Figure 8 shows an example of the response evaluation information storage unit 122 according to the embodiment. The information stored in the response evaluation information storage unit 122 is used, for example, to optimize the range of area division. As shown in Figure 8, the response evaluation information storage unit 122 has items such as "index information ID" and "response evaluation information".

[0049] The "Index Information ID" indicates identification information used to identify the index information. The "Response Evaluation Information" indicates evaluation information for the response. In the example shown in Figure 8, conceptual information such as "Response Evaluation Information #1" and "Response Evaluation Information #2" is stored in "Response Evaluation Information," but in reality, a score indicating the overall evaluation by (multiple) users is stored.

[0050] (Control unit 130) The control unit 130 is a controller, and is implemented, for example, by a CPU or MPU executing various programs stored in the memory device inside the information processing device 100 using RAM as the working area. Alternatively, the control unit 130 can be implemented by an integrated circuit such as an ASIC or FPGA.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, the control unit 130 includes an acquisition unit 131, a division unit 132, a first generation unit 133, a second generation unit 134, a determination unit 135, an extraction unit 136, a third generation unit 137, and a provision unit 138, and realizes or executes the information processing operations described below. Note that the internal configuration of the control unit 130 is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 6, and other configurations are also acceptable as long as they perform the information processing described later.

[0052] (Acquisition part 131) The acquisition unit 131 acquires various information from the storage unit 120. The acquisition unit 131 also stores the acquired information in the storage unit 120.

[0053] The acquisition unit 131 acquires various information from external information processing devices. The acquisition unit 131 also acquires various information from other information processing devices such as the terminal device 10.

[0054] The acquisition unit 131 acquires, for example, the content that is the subject of a question from the user. For example, the acquisition unit 131 acquires the text data of the content (for example, the entire text). Also, when the acquisition unit 131 receives a question from the user, for example, it acquires the user's question (the question text, etc.).

[0055] (Divided part 132) The division unit 132 divides the content acquired by the acquisition unit 131, for example. For example, the division unit 132 divides the content acquired by the acquisition unit 131 into contextually appropriate areas (for example, areas for each chapter, each article, each sentence, etc.). The division unit 132 divides the content into one or more (or more) areas in this way, for example.

[0056] (First generation unit 133) The first generation unit 133 generates a summary for each region divided by the division unit 132, for example. For example, if the content is divided into regions for each chapter, the first generation unit 133 generates a summary for each chapter.

[0057] (Second generation unit 134) The second generation unit 134 generates index information that, for example, links the summary generated by the first generation unit 133 with a label corresponding to the content from which the summary was compiled. The second generation unit 134 also generates index information that, for example, links the summary generated by the first generation unit 133 with a label corresponding to the content from which the summary was compiled and a range label corresponding to a range within the content from which the summary was compiled (the range corresponding to the summary generated by the first generation unit 133).

[0058] The index information generated in this way is used to generate prompts for producing answers when a user submits a question. Furthermore, this index information is used to extract index information that is highly relevant to the question submitted by the user.

[0059] (Judgment unit 135) The determination unit 135 determines, for example, whether the question acquired by the acquisition unit 131 is related to a predetermined content. For example, the determination unit 135 determines whether the question is related to any of the following: terms and conditions, laws, rules, or manuals. Alternatively, for example, the determination unit 135 determines whether the question is related to specific terms and conditions, laws, rules, or manuals.

[0060] (Extraction part 136) If the extraction unit 136 determines, for example, that a question is related to a predetermined content, it extracts index information from the index information that is highly relevant to the question. In this case, the extraction unit 136 calculates a score indicating the degree of relevance to the question for each piece of index information, and extracts index information whose score is above a predetermined threshold. The extraction unit 136 does not extract any index information if, for example, there is no index information whose score is above a predetermined threshold (i.e., there is no highly relevant index information).

[0061] (Third generation unit 137) The third generation unit 137 generates answers to questions received from the user, for example, from the index information extracted by the extraction unit 136. For example, the third generation unit 137 generates a prompt for generating answers to questions received from the user, and the answer output by inputting that prompt into the text generation AI is used as the answer to the question received from the user.

[0062] The third generation unit 137 generates answers to user questions without using index information if, for example, the extraction unit 136 does not extract index information. For example, the third generation unit 137 generates a prompt to generate answers to user questions without using index information, and the response output by inputting that prompt to the text generation AI is used as the answer to the user question.

[0063] For example, if the determination unit 135 determines that the question is not related to a predetermined content, the third generation unit 137 generates an answer to the question received from the user without using index information, similar to the case where the extraction unit 136 did not extract index information.

[0064] (Provider 138) The providing unit 138 provides, for example, information regarding the answer generated by the third generation unit 137 to the user who asked the question. For example, the providing unit 138 transmits content showing the answer generated by the third generation unit 137 to the terminal device 10. Also, for example, the providing unit 138 transmits information to the terminal device 10 for displaying the content showing the answer generated by the third generation unit 137.

[0065] [6. Information Processing Flow] Next, the information processing procedure by the information processing system 1 according to the embodiment will be described using Figures 9 and 10. Figures 9 and 10 are flowcharts showing the information processing procedure by the information processing system 1 according to the embodiments (Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2).

[0066] As shown in Figure 9 (Embodiment 1), the information processing device 100 acquires the content to be learned (step S301).

[0067] The information processing device 100 divides the acquired content into context-appropriate regions (step S302).

[0068] The information processing device 100 generates a summary for each divided region (step S303).

[0069] The information processing device 100 generates index information corresponding to the generated summary (step S304).

[0070] As shown in Figure 10 (Embodiment 2), the information processing device 100 acquires a question received from the user (step S401).

[0071] The information processing device 100 determines whether the acquired question is related to a predetermined content (step S402).

[0072] If the information processing device 100 determines that the question is related to a predetermined content (step S402; YES), it determines whether there is any index information among the index information that summarizes the predetermined content by area that is highly relevant to the question (step S403).

[0073] If the information processing device 100 determines that there is index information highly relevant to the question (step S403; YES), it extracts the index information highly relevant to the question (step S404). Then, the information processing device 100 generates an answer to the question from the extracted index information (step S405).

[0074] On the other hand, if the information processing device 100 determines that the question is not related to a predetermined content (step S402; NO), or if it determines that there is no index information highly relevant to the question (step S403; NO), it generates an answer to the question without extracting index information (step S406).

[0075] [7. Effects] As described above, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment includes an acquisition unit 131, a division unit 132, a first generation unit 133, and a second generation unit 134. The acquisition unit 131 acquires content that is the subject of a question from the user. The division unit 132 divides the content acquired by the acquisition unit 131 into context-appropriate regions. The first generation unit 133 generates a summary for each region divided by the division unit 132. The second generation unit 134 generates index information that links the summaries generated by the first generation unit 133 with labels indicating the source content of the summaries, and uses this index information to generate answers to questions.

[0076] As a result, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment can, for example, generate an appropriate answer to the user's question by converting the user's natural language question into easily manageable information, rather than using it as is.

[0077] Furthermore, the second generation unit 134 generates index information that links the summary, the label, and the range label indicating the scope within the content from which the summary is derived.

[0078] As a result, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment can be structured, for example, to make data easier to organize and search.

[0079] Furthermore, the second generation unit 134 generates index information for extracting index information that is highly relevant to the question when it receives a question from the user.

[0080] As a result, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment can generate appropriate answers to user questions by, for example, preventing noise that is highly relevant to the question from being included.

[0081] Furthermore, the second generation unit 134 generates index information that links summaries and labels for each region of a size determined based on the evaluation of the responses.

[0082] As a result, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment can, for example, optimize the range of region division according to the accuracy of the response.

[0083] Furthermore, the content is the terms of service.

[0084] As a result, the information processing device 100 according to the embodiment can, for example, generate an appropriate response regarding the rules.

[0085] [8. Hardware Configuration] Furthermore, the information processing device 100 according to the above embodiment can be realized by a computer 1000 having the configuration shown in Figure 11. Figure 11 is a hardware configuration diagram showing an example of a computer that realizes the functions of the information processing device 100. The computer 1000 has a CPU 1100, RAM 1200, ROM 1300, HDD 1400, communication interface (I / F) 1500, input / output interface (I / F) 1600, and media interface (I / F) 1700.

[0086] The CPU 1100 operates based on programs stored in the ROM 1300 or HDD 1400, and controls various parts. The ROM 1300 stores boot programs executed by the CPU 1100 when the computer 1000 starts up, as well as programs that depend on the computer 1000's hardware.

[0087] The HDD1400 stores programs executed by the CPU1100, as well as data used by such programs. The communication interface1500 acquires data from other devices via a predetermined communication network and sends it to the CPU1100, and transmits data generated by the CPU1100 to other devices via the predetermined communication network.

[0088] The CPU 1100 controls output devices such as displays and printers, and input devices such as keyboards and mice, via the input / output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 acquires data from input devices via the input / output interface 1600. The CPU 1100 also outputs the generated data to output devices via the input / output interface 1600.

[0089] The media interface 1700 reads a program or data stored in the recording medium 1800 and provides it to the CPU 1100 via the RAM 1200. The CPU 1100 loads the program from the recording medium 1800 onto the RAM 1200 via the media interface 1700 and executes the loaded program. The recording medium 1800 can be, for example, an optical recording medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or PD (Phase Change Rewritable Disk), a magneto-optical recording medium such as an MO (Magneto-Optical disk), tape media, magnetic recording medium, or semiconductor memory.

[0090] For example, when the computer 1000 functions as an information processing device 100 according to the embodiment, the CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 realizes the functions of the control unit 130 by executing a program loaded on the RAM 1200. The CPU 1100 of the computer 1000 reads and executes these programs from the recording medium 1800, but as another example, these programs may be obtained from other devices via a predetermined communication network.

[0091] [9. Other] Furthermore, among the processes described in the above embodiments, all or part of the processes described as being performed automatically can be performed manually, or all or part of the processes described as being performed manually can be performed automatically by known methods. In addition, the processing procedures, specific names, and information including various data and parameters shown in the above document and drawings can be arbitrarily changed unless otherwise specified. For example, the various information shown in each figure is not limited to the information shown.

[0092] Furthermore, the components of each illustrated device are functionally conceptual and do not necessarily need to be physically configured as shown. In other words, the specific forms of distribution and integration of each device are not limited to those shown, and all or part of them can be functionally or physically distributed and integrated in any unit according to various loads and usage conditions.

[0093] Furthermore, the embodiments described above can be combined as appropriate, as long as the processing content is not contradictory.

[0094] Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, these are illustrative examples, and the present invention can be implemented in various other forms with modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art, starting with the embodiments described in the disclosure section of the invention.

[0095] Furthermore, the terms "section, module, unit" mentioned above can be replaced with "means" or "circuit," etc. For example, the acquisition unit can be replaced with acquisition means or acquisition circuit. [Explanation of symbols]

[0096] 1. Information Processing System 10 Terminal devices 11 Communications Department 12 Input section 13 Output section 14 Control Unit 100 Information Processing Devices 110 Communications Department 120 Storage section 121 Index Information Storage Unit 122 Answer Evaluation Information Storage Unit 130 Control Unit 131 Acquisition Department 132 Division 133 1st generation part 134 Second generation part 135 Judgment section 136 Extraction part 137 Third generation part 138 Provision Department 141 Receiving Unit 142 Transmitter N Network

Claims

1. A unit that retrieves content that is the subject of a user's question, A division unit divides the content acquired by the acquisition unit based on the scope of region division according to the context of the content, A first generation unit generates a summary for each region divided by the division unit, A second generation unit generates index information for generating answers to the question, which links the summary generated by the first generation unit with a label indicating the content from which the summary is derived. It has, Set up multiple index entries with modified area divisions, and then switch to the index entry that yields the highest evaluation among the multiple index entries. An information processing device characterized by the following:

2. The second generation unit is, The index information is generated by linking the summary, the label, and the range label indicating the scope within the content from which the summary is derived. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

3. The second generation unit is, When a question is received from a user, the system generates the aforementioned index information to extract index information that is highly relevant to that question. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

4. The second generation unit is, Based on the evaluation of the above response, the index information is generated by linking the summary and the label for each region of a size determined by the above response. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

5. The aforementioned content is the terms and conditions. The information processing apparatus according to feature 1.

6. A method of information processing performed by a computer, The acquisition process involves obtaining the content that is the subject of the user's question, A segmentation step is performed to divide the content acquired in the acquisition step based on the scope of segmentation according to the context of the content, A first generation step generates a summary for each region divided by the division step, A second generation step generates index information for generating answers to the question, which links the summary generated in the first generation step with a label indicating the content from which the summary is derived. Includes, Set up multiple index entries with modified area divisions, and then switch to the index entry that yields the highest evaluation among the multiple index entries. An information processing method characterized by the following:

7. The procedure for obtaining the content that is the subject of the user's question, A division procedure for dividing the content obtained by the acquisition procedure based on the scope of region division according to the context of the content, A first generation procedure that generates a summary for each region divided by the above division procedure, A second generation procedure generates index information for generating answers to the question, which links the summary generated by the first generation procedure with a label indicating the content from which the summary is derived. Have the computer run it, Set up multiple index entries with modified area divisions, and then switch to the index entry that yields the highest evaluation among the multiple index entries. An information processing program characterized by the following features.

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