Information processing device

Abstract

To easily find out software having a function that is required by a user.SOLUTION: A server 1 of an information processing system includes a reception unit 112, an expression form conversion unit 113, a selection condition definition unit 114, and a presenting unit 115. The reception unit 112 receives a user's software request in a form including a general first expression form. The expression form conversion unit 113 converts the received request in the first expression form into a specialized second expression form. The selection condition definition unit 114 defines one or more selection conditions for selecting software in accordance with the converted request in the second expression form. The presenting unit 115 presents one or more pieces of software to the user in accordance with the one or more selection conditions.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, there are many e-commerce sites that display a comparison table of products selected by a user as comparison targets and set the products selected from the comparison table as purchase candidates. Conventionally, a software sales system has been proposed that enables a user to select and purchase software including functions required by the user through the Internet (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the prior art including the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, a user has no choice but to find software from those pre-categorized on the sales site side, and it is not always possible to find software including functions that the user really needs.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and an object thereof is to enable a user to easily find software including functions required by the user.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To achieve the above object, an information processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes: receiving means for receiving a user's desire for software in a form including a general-purpose first expression form; A conversion means for converting the request received in the first representation form into a specialized second representation form, A setting means for setting one or more selection conditions for selecting software based on the request converted into the second representation form, A presentation means for presenting one or more software programs to the user based on the one or more selection criteria mentioned above, It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, users can easily find software that includes the functions they need. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This diagram shows the sitemap of a software comparison website. [Figure 2] This figure shows an example configuration of an information processing system that utilizes the software comparison site shown in Figure 1, i.e., an information processing system including a server, which is one embodiment of the information processing device of the present invention. [Figure 3] Figure 2 shows the hardware configuration of the server in the information processing system. [Figure 4] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the server's functional configuration. [Figure 5] Figure 1 shows the sitemap, specifically the software diagnostic page linked to the "Choose Software" and "Electronic Contract Services" pages. [Figure 6] This figure shows the page that follows page 5. [Figure 7] This figure shows the Q&A page that appears when you click the "Start Diagnosis" button on page 5. [Figure 8] This diagram shows the page where the selection criteria are confirmed based on the results of the Q&A session. [Figure 9] This figure shows the page that follows page 8. [Figure 10] This figure shows a list of electronic contract services found through a search based on the selection criteria. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the page following the page of FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing a page on which the details of one service selected from a list of electronic contract services are described. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the page following the page of FIG. 12. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing the page following the page of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing a page on which the details of the plan of the electronic contract service of FIG. 12 are described. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing the page following the page of FIG. 15.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Referring to FIG. 1, the site map of a software comparison site to which an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is applicable will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the site map of the software comparison site.

[0010] The software comparison site has a top page P1. On this top page P1, pages such as a member page P2, an about page P3, a category top P4, and a blog top P5 are linked. On the page of the category top P4, pages such as news P6, select software P7, and selection guide P8 are linked. On the page of the blog top P5, a blog article list P9 and a blog article P10 are linked.

[0011] In the software comparison site of the site map shown in FIG. 1, the user can select software from the page of select software P7. An information processing apparatus (the web server unit 111 of the server 1 in FIG. 4 described later) according to an embodiment of the present invention discloses a software comparison site (website) of the site map shown in FIG. 1 on the Internet or the like (for example, the network N in FIG. 2 described later).

[0012] Next, referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, an information processing system that utilizes the software comparison site shown in FIG. 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration example of an information processing system that utilizes the software comparison site shown in FIG. 1, that is, an information processing system including a server which is an embodiment of the information processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0013] The information processing system shown in FIG. 2 is configured such that the server 1 and the user terminal 2 are connected and communicate via a network N such as the Internet. The server 1 is managed by the operator of this software comparison site. The user terminal 2 is operated by a user who uses the software comparison site.

[0014] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server in the information processing system of FIG. 2.

[0015] The server 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, a bus 14, an input / output interface 15, an output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20.

[0016] The CPU 11 executes various processes according to a program recorded in the ROM 12 or a program loaded from the storage unit 18 to the RAM 13. In the RAM 13, data and the like necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various processes are also appropriately stored.

[0017] The CPU 11, ROM 12, and RAM 13 are interconnected via a bus 14. An input / output interface 15 is also connected to this bus 14. An output unit 16, an input unit 17, a storage unit 18, a communication unit 19, and a drive 20 are connected to the input / output interface 15.

[0018] The output unit 16 consists of a display, speakers, etc., and outputs various information as images and sounds. The input unit 17 consists of a keyboard, mouse, etc., and inputs various information.

[0019] The memory unit 18 consists of a hard disk, DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), etc., and stores various types of data. The communication unit 19 communicates with other devices (user terminal 2 in the example in Figure 2) via a network N, including the Internet.

[0020] The drive 20 is appropriately equipped with removable media 21, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, magneto-optical disk, or semiconductor memory. Programs read from the removable media 21 by the drive 20 are installed in the storage unit 18 as needed. Furthermore, the removable media 21 can store various types of data stored in the storage unit 18, just as the storage unit 18 does. Although not shown in the diagram, user terminal 2 of the information processing system in Figure 2 has basically the same hardware configuration as shown in Figure 3.

[0021] The following describes an example of the functional configuration of the server in Figure 3, with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a functional block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the server in Figure 3.

[0022] As shown in Figure 3, one area of ​​the storage unit 18 of server 1 is provided with a user information DB 300, a question and answer DB 400, a selection criteria DB 500, and a software DB 600, as shown in Figure 4. User Information DB300 stores information entered by users when they registered as members of this software comparison site. The information stored in the user information DB300 includes, for example, the member ID of this software comparison site, name, gender, address, contact information (telephone number, email address, etc.), software diagnostic history, and payment method when purchasing software.

[0023] The Q&A DB400 stores information related to questions and answers (hereinafter referred to as "Q&A information") used to obtain a member's (user's) requirements, in order to show one or more comparable software options that are suitable for that member's requirements. Specifically, for example, the Q&A DB400 contains multiple sets of questions for the user and the user's answer choices for those questions (Q&A sets). Furthermore, these sets of multiple question-and-answer sequences are not simply stored in the question-and-answer DB400, but rather are stored in the DB400 as a question-and-answer logic where the sets of questions and answers branch in a tree structure, so that the next question changes depending on how the user selects an answer option.

[0024] If, for example, there is a first set of questions and answers with answer options A and answer B, a second set with question a, and a third set with question b, and we want the system to extract question a as the next question when the user selects answer A for the first set, and question b as the next question when the user selects answer B, then the second set will be stored in the question and answer DB 400 corresponding to answer A in the first set, and the third set will be stored in the question and answer DB 400 corresponding to answer B in the first set.

[0025] The Selection Criteria DB500 stores multiple criteria (hereinafter referred to as "selection criteria") for selecting one or more software that meets the user's requirements. As will be explained in detail later, through repeated question-and-answer sessions with the user (presentation of the above-mentioned sets of questions and answers to the user), selection criteria that meet the user's requirements are extracted from the Selection Criteria DB500 as a result of these repeated question-and-answer sessions.

[0026] Here, the software presented to the user as suitable for their needs can be anything, but for the sake of explanation, we will assume that the information is stored in the software DB600. The software DB600 stores information about the software being sold. Specifically, for example, information about the software, such as the name, product number, sales price, software functions and specifications, and hardware application conditions, is stored in the software DB600 for each of the one or more software products being sold.

[0027] In this software comparison site, which has the sitemap shown in Figure 1, when the software selection process is executed, the following functions operate on the CPU 11 of Server 1: Web Server Unit 111, Reception Unit 112, Expression Format Conversion Unit 113, Selection Condition Setting Unit 114, and Presentation Unit 115. The software selection process refers to a series of processes in which the user is repeatedly asked questions and answers are exchanged, one or more selection criteria suitable for the user's needs are set as a result of these repeated questions and answers, and one or more software programs suitable for the user's needs are selected based on these one or more selection criteria.

[0028] The web server unit 111 has a site disclosure unit 121. The site disclosure unit 121 discloses a software comparison site to a network N such as the Internet. In this example, the software comparison site consists of the sitemap shown in Figure 1. While making a website accessible only to members is also included in the scope of disclosure, in this example, the software comparison site is accessible to non-members as well. If a non-member user accesses the software comparison site from their user terminal 2, the web server unit 111 prompts the accessing user to register as a member. Once the user registers on the member page P2 of the software comparison site (see Figure 1), the web server unit 111 stores and manages the user's information in the user information database 300.

[0029] The reception unit 112 receives user requests for the software in a form that includes a general-purpose first expression form. Here, the general-purpose first form of expression is the counterpart to the specialized second form of expression, which will be described later, and refers to an expression that is understandable to people who do not belong to the field of software development (in this example, users).

[0030] For example, a user's specific description of their experience using software in a work or other context is an example of a general-purpose first form of expression. Specifically, for example, expressing user requests based on the user's perspective, such as wanting to digitize the contract process involving official seals for 100 people and not printing anything, is one example of a general-purpose first form of expression. In addition, the first form of expression could be, for example, a sole proprietor in the food and beverage industry creating a website to advertise their store, without requiring a blog or e-commerce functions. It could also be, for example, a company preparing to go public having an employee with no prior accounting experience perform accounting tasks.

[0031] In this example, the reception unit 112 subdivides requests for the general first expression form and accepts each one individually through a question-and-answer exchange (see Figures 7 to 9). In other words, the reception unit 112 receives the user's (user terminal 2) requests in a form that includes the first expression form by repeatedly engaging in question-and-answer sessions with the user. Questions in the question-and-answer session are made using one or more options.

[0032] Specifically, for example, the reception unit 112 refers to the question and answer database 400 and presents a predetermined set of questions and answers, namely a question (Q) to the user and options (multiple selectable answers (A)) for that question (Q), to the user terminal 2, as shown in Figures 7 to 9. The reception unit 112 then receives the answer (A) selected by the user's user terminal 2. This series of processes is performed for each set of questions and answers. As described above, the set of questions and answers presented to the user next changes depending on which of the multiple answers (A) that make up the options is selected by the user.

[0033] The receiving unit 112 includes a labeling unit 131. The labeling unit 131 assigns a label to at least one of the multiple responses (A) that constitute the options presented to the user. Specifically, for example, the labeling unit 131 collects a history of statistics on the answers (A) selected by a large number of users in the past for a question (Q), and based on that history of statistics, assigns labels such as "Frequently Selected," "Recommended," and "Not Recommended" to a given answer (A). The assigned labels are displayed near the corresponding answer (A) among the multiple answer choices in the question-and-answer set.

[0034] The expression form conversion unit 113 converts the user's request for a general-purpose first expression form, received by the reception unit 112, into a specialized second expression form. Here, the specialized second form of expression is the counterpart to the general first form of expression described above, and refers to expressions that are understood by those in the software industry (in this example, vendors and suppliers). For example, a form of expression that describes the software's usage environment, specifications, and related tasks based on the vendor's or supplier's perspective is an example of the specialized second form of expression.

[0035] Specifically, let's assume that the user has a request in the first form of expression, such as, "We want to digitize the contract work involving official seals for a group of 100 people, and we don't want to print anything." In this case, the expression form conversion unit 113 converts, for example, "contract work" to the technical term "contract signing," "official seal," "digitization" to the technical term "electronic signature," "no printing" to the technical term "electronic file storage," and "group of 100 people" to the technical term "more than 100 users."

[0036] In addition, specialized second forms of expression include design philosophy and specifications. Design philosophy is also referred to as concept, idea, etc. The design philosophy is the core, abstracted essence of the software's characteristics. The specifications are the embodiment of that philosophy. Marketing automation (MA) tools include, for example, "Pardot" and "Salesforce Marketing Cloud." Both are MA tools from Salesforce. "Pardot" is designed to increase face-to-face sales opportunities in B2B, while "Salesforce Marketing Cloud" is designed to deepen communication with customers for inexpensive products with short consideration processes, such as everyday goods.

[0037] Furthermore, specialized second forms of expression have considerations such as the target user base, the balance between high functionality and simplicity, and usage fees. The suitable user base includes factors such as the user's industry, number of employees, number of users, and whether or not they have a dedicated IT staff. When it comes to balancing high functionality and simplicity, there's a trade-off between the two. For example, even among SFA (Sales Force Automation) solutions, "Salesforce Sales Cloud" is highly functional and complex, while "Zoho CRM" is less functional and simpler. Usage fees vary not by software unit, but by each sub-plan. The appropriate plan is assigned based on the selection criteria, and an estimated fee is calculated. The method of such conversion is not particularly limited. For example, in addition to using a terminology conversion dictionary, a method using AI (such as a machine learning model) that takes a user's request for a general-purpose first form of expression as input and outputs a request for a specialized second form of expression may also be employed.

[0038] The selection condition setting unit 114 sets one or more selection conditions for selecting software based on the user's request, which has been converted into a specialized second expression form, and stores them in the selection condition DB 500. Specifically, for example, the selection condition setting unit 114 sets various technical terms that constitute a specialized second form of expression as keywords, such as contract signing, electronic signature, electronic file storage, and more than 100 users, and stores each of these keywords as a selection condition in the selection condition DB 500. Furthermore, the selection criteria do not necessarily have to be keywords; they can also be text, images, etc. For example, it is possible to use the user's requests themselves, expressed in a specialized second form of expression, as the selection criteria.

[0039] The presentation unit 115 presents one or more software programs to the user based on one or more selection criteria set by the selection condition setting unit 114. Specifically, for example, the presentation unit 115 searches the software database 600 based on one or more selection criteria read from the selection criteria database 500, and presents the information list of one or more software programs obtained as a search result to the user by displaying it on the user terminal 2 as an electronic contract service list screen 54 (see Figure 10).

[0040] By configuring the server 1 of the information processing system in this way, the expression form conversion unit 113 converts the user's general-purpose first expression form request into a specialized second expression form request on the software comparison site. The selection condition setting unit 114 sets one or more selection conditions based on the specialized second expression form. The presentation unit 115 searches for one or more software from the software DB 600 based on one or more selection conditions and presents them to the user. This allows users to easily find software containing the features they need simply by answering questions using their own intuition (a general, first form of expression that resonates with them), in other words, without having to use a specialized, second form of expression. In addition, by understanding the connection between the first and second forms of expression in the preliminary stages of software evaluation, it becomes possible to understand the ideal selection criteria for users when searching for software from a user's perspective. Normally, software manufacturers disseminate information from their own perspectives, making it difficult to compare them using the same criteria. However, this information processing system allows for a side-by-side evaluation of software. In other words, the software comparison site published (disclosed) by Server 1 of this information processing system can provide a side-by-side evaluation on important points.

[0041] Next, the operation of Server 1 described above will be explained with reference to Figures 5 and 16. Figure 5 shows the software diagnostic pages linked to the "Choose Software" and "Electronic Contract Services" pages in the sitemap shown in Figure 1. Figure 6 shows the page that follows the page in Figure 5. Figure 7 shows the Q&A page that appears when you click the "Start Diagnosis" button on the page in Figure 5. Figures 8 and 9 show the pages where the selection criteria are confirmed based on the results of the question and answer session. Figures 10 and 11 show a list of electronic contract services found through the selection criteria. Figures 12 and 14 show a page containing the details of one service selected from a list of electronic contract services. Figures 15 and 16 show the pages containing the details of the electronic contract service plan shown in Figure 12.

[0042] The user will perform the following operations using user terminal 2. Note that user terminal 2 will be abbreviated in the following description. In the sitemap shown in Figure 1, when a user clicks on P7 to select software, and then clicks on "Electronic Contract Service" from the displayed menu, the site disclosure unit 121 of the web server unit 111 displays the software diagnostic page 51 shown in Figures 5 and 6.

[0043] The software diagnostic page 51 includes a "Start Diagnostics" button 51a, as well as content such as diagnostic case studies from other companies, detailed information about electronic contracts, a list of major electronic contract services, and articles related to electronic contract services.

[0044] When the user clicks the "Start Diagnosis" button 51a on the software diagnostic page 51, the reception unit 112 displays a question and answer page (not shown). The following example Q&A pages display sets of questions and answers written in a format that includes a general first expression form. In other words, the Q&A page displays questions (Q) such as "Which tasks would you like to digitize? (Multiple answers allowed)," and the user is given two answer options, such as "Frequently selected" "Contract signing" and "Frequently selected" "Document management." The answer(A) options are "Contract signing" and "Document management," and the "Frequently selected" before each answer(A) is the label assigned to that answer(A). The section on "Contract Conclusion" includes a description stating that contracts are concluded online rather than using "paper and a seal." Similarly, the section on "Document Management" includes a description stating that contracts are managed electronically.

[0045] On the above Q&A page, if the user selects, for example, "Contract Signing" and clicks the "Next" button, the next Q&A page 52 (see Figure 7) will be displayed. On this Q&A page 52, questions (Q) such as "Is the contract I want to sign equivalent to a personal seal or an official seal on paper?" are displayed, and the user is given answer options (A) such as "Personal seal," "Official seal," or "Both." The words "Frequently selected" (label) are displayed near "Personal seal." Note that this option can be skipped and answered later.

[0046] On this Q&A page 52, if the user selects, for example, the answer "personal seal" (A) and clicks the "Next" button 52a, the next Q&A page (not shown) will be displayed. On the next Q&A page, the question (Q) "Are there any documents that state the transaction amount?" is displayed, and two answer options (A) are shown for the user, such as "Yes" and "No" (A), along with a tag like "Frequently selected." The question includes annotations such as, "Documents include not only contracts but also purchase orders, receipts, quotations, etc. An example of a 'document without a stated amount' is a non-disclosure agreement."

[0047] On the Q&A page where users are asked whether they have this document, if the user selects, for example, the answer "Yes" (A) and clicks the "Next" button, the next Q&A page (not shown) will be displayed. On the next Q&A page, the question (Q) "Do you print out electronically signed contracts?" is displayed, and two answer options are shown for the user, such as "Do not print out" (A) and "Print out" (A), along with a tag like "Frequently selected". The "Do not print out" option has a note such as "Keep as an electronic file".

[0048] On this Q&A page where users are asked whether or not to print out, if the user selects either "Do not print out" or "Print out" (A) and clicks the "Next" button, the next Q&A page (not shown) will be displayed. On the next Q&A page, the question (Q) "Do you integrate with other systems?" is displayed, and two answer options (A) are shown for the user, such as "No" and "Yes" along with a tag like "Frequently selected".

[0049] On the Q&A page where users are asked whether or not to integrate with other systems, if the user selects an answer (A) such as "Yes" or "No," and clicks the "Next" button, the next Q&A page (not shown) will be displayed. On the next Q&A page, the question (Q) "What is the delivery method?" is displayed, and two answer options (A) are shown for the user, such as "Cloud" and "On-Premise" along with the tag "Frequently Selected". The "Cloud" option has a note such as "For companies that do not own their own servers". The "On-Premise" option also has a note such as "For companies that own their own servers. However, software with contract signing functionality is all cloud-based and therefore not an option".

[0050] On the Q&A page where users are asked about the delivery method, if the user selects one of the following answers (A), for example, "cloud" or "on-premise," and clicks the "Next" button, the next Q&A page (not shown) will be displayed. On the next Q&A page, the question (Q) "How many people use the software?" will be displayed, and a numerical input field will be shown for the user's answer (A), such as "[ ] people Number of users [ ] people]".

[0051] On the Q&A page where users are asked about the number of people using the software, if a user enters a number such as "10 people" as their answer (A) and clicks the "Next" button, the next Q&A page (not shown) will be displayed. On the next Q&A page, the question (Q) "How many contracts do you 'send' in a month?" will be displayed, and a field for the user to enter a number, such as "[ ] items", will be displayed as the answer (A).

[0052] On the Q&A page where users answer questions about the number of contracts to "send" in a month, if a user enters a number such as "100" as their answer (A) and clicks the "Next" button, the expression form conversion unit 113 converts the user's request, which is expressed in a form including a general-purpose first expression form, into a specialized second expression form based on each of the user's answers (A) made so far. Then, the selection criteria confirmation page 53 shown in Figures 8 and 9 is displayed as the selection criteria set based on the conversion result.

[0053] On the selection criteria confirmation page 53, various selection criteria (each item) based on the user's requirements for the specialized second form of expression are displayed, such as "Target business," "Contract method," "Compliance with the Electronic Signature Law regarding electronic file storage," "System integration," "Delivery method," "Number of users," and "Number of documents sent." In this way, each item on the selection criteria confirmation page 53 displays a question (Q) and answer (A) to the user, as well as selection criteria based on the user's requests expressed in a specialized second form.

[0054] When a user who has reviewed the contents of the selection criteria confirmation page 53 clicks the "Evaluate software with these selection criteria" button 53a at the bottom of Figure 9, the selection criteria setting unit 114 sets (stores) each of the above-mentioned items (each selection criterion) in the selection criteria DB 500.

[0055] In addition, the display unit 115, using the search unit 141, reads information about one or more software programs from the software DB 600 that match at least one of the selection conditions set in the selection condition DB 500. Then, the comparison table creation unit 142 arranges the information on one or more searched software programs in a comparable manner and displays the electronic contract service list on page 54 of the electronic contract service list shown in Figures 10 and 11.

[0056] The search results list of electronic contract services (software) displays information such as the tool name, plan, monthly fee, and selection criteria for each electronic contract service (one or more software programs retrieved as information from the software DB600). The display order of the names of the electronic contract service (software) tools will be based on criteria such as the number of items that match the selection criteria. For example, out of 300 products (software) in total, the 20 products that match the selection criteria will be displayed, i.e., "20 products / 300 products". In a designated electronic contract service (a single software program), items that meet the designated selection criteria (i.e., those that have the specifications, etc., that satisfy the designated selection criteria) are marked with "○", items that do not meet the selection criteria (i.e., those that do not have the specifications, etc., that satisfy the designated selection criteria) are marked with "×", and items for which it is unclear whether or not they meet the selection criteria (i.e., those for which it is unclear whether or not they have the specifications, etc., that satisfy the designated selection criteria) are grayed out.

[0057] On page 54, users can view and modify selection criteria in detail. They can also save and reuse selection criteria. Furthermore, they can refine and sort search results.

[0058] When a user clicks on the icon or name of a desired tool (software) from the list of electronic contract services, page 55 containing detailed information about that specific electronic contract service tool is displayed, as shown in Figures 12 to 14. Page 55, shown in Figures 12 to 14, is a page containing detailed information about a tool (software) called Electronic Contract A. By viewing this page 55, users can learn about the details of the Electronic Contract A tool (software).

[0059] When a user clicks the plan button 55a on page 55 of the tool details shown in Figure 12, page 56 of the plan shown in Figures 15 and 16 is displayed. Page 56 of this plan contains information about a tool (software) called Electronic Contract A. Users can learn about this tool (software) by viewing page 56.

[0060] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and any modifications, improvements, etc. that can achieve the objectives of the present invention are included in the present invention.

[0061] In the embodiment described above, Server 1 discloses a software comparison site to the internet and allows users who access the software comparison site to view software information, but the embodiment is not limited to this. For example, Server 1 can publish the application software for this software comparison site (hereinafter referred to as "the app") to the internet, and the user terminal 2 can download and run the app, thereby achieving the same functionality. Furthermore, while the above embodiment described finding an electronic contract service tool as software, various other combinations are possible.

[0062] For example, when the reception unit 112 receives a user's request in a form that includes a general-purpose first expression form, it may decide whether to "ask" or "not ask" a predetermined question (Q) based on a predetermined method.

[0063] In this context, the prescribed methods include, for example, qualitative decision-making and quantitative decision-making. Qualitative decision-making is a method used when the aforementioned question-and-answer logic (a logic in which question-and-answer pairs are presented sequentially in a flowchart-like manner) is employed, in which the decision of whether or not to ask the next question (Q) is made based on the answer (A) to the previous question (Q). Specifically, for example, when searching for an electronic contract service tool as an example of software, if the answer to the previous question (Q) whether "Target business: Contract conclusion" applies is yes (A), then the reception unit 112 will "issue" a next question (Q) related to "Contract method". On the other hand, if the answer is no (A), then the reception unit 112 will "not issue" a next question (Q) related to "Contract method". This prevents the user from having to answer with unnecessary options (A).

[0064] In contrast, quantitative decision-making is a method that, for example, scores multiple answers (A) to multiple questions (Q) and decides whether to "release" or "not release" based on the magnitude of those scores. Specifically, for example, when searching for a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool as another example of software, let's say there are several "questions (Q)" such as "How many users are there?", "What is their IT knowledge?", and "What budget and man-hours can they spend?". In this case, the reception unit 112 may decide, based on the score derived from these responses (A), whether to "issue" or "not issue" the next question (Q) regarding a high-function, complex CRM, or whether to "issue" or "not issue" a question regarding a low-function, simple CRM. For example, if each of the multiple "Questions (Q): Answers (A)" is "Number of users: small," "IT knowledge: none," "Available budget / effort: low," etc., then the reception department 112 may "ask" questions (Q) about the detailed requirements of a simple CRM rather than a high-function, complex one.

[0065] Similarly, the labeling unit 131 of the receiving unit 112 may decide whether to "apply" or "not apply" a label based on a qualitative or quantitative determination.

[0066] For example, here is an example of a qualitative decision: When searching for an SFA tool as another example of software, suppose the "Question (Q): Answer (A)" in the flowchart from two steps ago and the previous step were "Company size: Large" and "Industry: Cosmetic clinic," respectively. In this case, since there are many business negotiations and an improvement in yield rate is expected, the labeling unit 131 may "add" the label "Frequently selected" to the answer (A) "Budget and actuals management function" among the answer options for the following question. In other cases, the labeling unit 131 may "not" add the label "Frequently selected" to the answer (A) "Budget and actuals management function".

[0067] In contrast, an example based on quantitative decision-making is as follows: When searching for a CRM tool as another example of software, suppose there are several questions (Q) such as, "Which departments will use it?", "What is the size of the company?", and "What is the budget that can be spent?". Note that these questions (Q) are just examples, and it is not necessary to have all of them. In this case, the labeling unit 131 may decide whether to "apply" or "not apply" the label "Frequently selected" to the answer (A) "System integration possible" among the next answer options, based on the score derived from the multiple answers (A) to each of these multiple questions (Q). For example, suppose that each of the multiple "Questions (Q): Answers (A)" is "Department using: Sales, Marketing, Customer Support", "Company size: Large", and "Budget / man-hours that can be spent: High". In this case, the labeling unit 131 may "assign" the label "Frequently selected" to the answer (A) "System integration possible" among the next answer options, based on the score derived from these answers (A).

[0068] Similarly, the expression form conversion unit 113 may convert the user's request for a general-purpose first expression form, received by the reception unit 112, into a specialized second expression form based on qualitative or quantitative determination.

[0069] For example, an example of a qualitative decision is as follows: When searching for an electronic contract service tool as an example of software, suppose a set of multiple question-and-answer sequences is presented in a flowchart format, and as a result, the user's requirements for a general-purpose first expression form are "there is a document that contains the transaction amount" and "the electronically concluded contract is not to be printed out." In this case, the expression form conversion unit 113 can convert such a general-purpose first expression form into a specialized second expression form such as "compliance with the Electronic Signature Law regarding electronic file storage."

[0070] In contrast, an example based on quantitative decision-making is as follows: When searching for web development software, for example, the multiple questions (Q) might be "complexity of needs," "desired design flexibility," "IT knowledge," and "budget / effort that can be spent." Note that this is just one example, and it is not necessary to have all of these questions (Q). In this case, the expression form conversion unit 113 may convert the score based on the answers (A) to each of these multiple questions (Q), i.e., the score based on the user requests of the general-purpose first expression form, into the user requests of the specialized second expression form. For example, suppose that each of the multiple "Question (Q):Answer (A)" statements is: "Complexity of needs: High," "Desired design flexibility: High," "IT knowledge: High," and "Budget / man-hours that can be spent: High." In this case, the expression form conversion unit 113 may change the user's request for a specialized second expression form, such as "Delivery form: On-premise (not cloud)," based on a score based on the answers (A) to each of these multiple questions (Q), that is, a score based on the user's request for a general first expression form.

[0071] In addition, Server 1 can have various functions that are not limited to the embodiments described above. For example, Server 1 may refer to the past usage history (or registered software usage) of an employee of the same company (another user) and present the user with software that can be integrated with it. For example, Server 1 may select an example that closely resembles a question-and-answer session. For example, Server 1 may also have a bulletin board where users can exchange information with each other. For example, Server 1 may provide the vendor with the buyer's activity history. In this case, the user can use this information as a reference for the vendor's marketing, and it is expected to be utilized as a sales tool. Alternatively, for example, Server 1 could accept questions via free-word or natural language input and use AI to make decisions. For example, when setting the selection criteria for Server 1, it is usually done from scratch without reusing anything, but it is also acceptable to refer to diagnostic case studies from other companies. Alternatively, for example, Server 1 could be configured to issue an alert when an option labeled "deprecated" is selected, based on feedback from troubleshooting cases. Furthermore, for example, Server 1 may store the results of the Q&A session and data on the user's socioeconomic characteristics, and deliver advertisements or emails to the user, or make recommendations to the user, as needed.

[0072] Furthermore, for example, the series of processes described above can be executed by hardware or by software. In other words, the functional configuration shown in Figure 4 is merely an example and is not particularly limiting. In other words, it is sufficient for the information processing system to have the functionality to execute the series of processes described above as a whole, and the functional blocks and databases used to realize this functionality are not limited to the example shown in the figure. Furthermore, the location of the functional blocks and database is not limited to that shown in the diagram and can be arbitrary. For example, the functional blocks and database of Server 1 may be divided and transferred to multiple computers. Conversely, the functional blocks of User Terminal 2 and the database may be transferred to the server. Furthermore, a single functional block and database may consist of hardware alone, software alone, or a combination of both.

[0073] When a series of processes are executed by software, the programs that make up that software are installed on a computer or other device from a network or storage medium. The computer may be a computer that is built into dedicated hardware. Furthermore, a computer can be any computer capable of performing various functions by installing various programs, such as a server, a general-purpose smartphone, or a personal computer.

[0074] Such recording media containing programs may consist not only of removable media (not shown) distributed separately from the main unit to provide programs to users, but also of recording media provided to users, etc., that are pre-installed in the main unit.

[0075] In this specification, the step of describing a program to be recorded on a recording medium includes not only processes that are performed chronologically in that order, but also processes that are not necessarily performed chronologically, but are executed in parallel or individually. Furthermore, in this specification, the term "system" refers to an overall system composed of multiple devices, means, etc.

[0076] In other words, the information processing device to which the present invention applies only needs to have the following configuration, and can take various forms. In other words, the information processing device to which the present invention is applied (for example, Server 1 in Figure 4, etc.) A means of receiving user requests for the software in a form that includes a general first expression form (for example, a request to digitize the contract work involving official seals for 100 people, without printing, etc.) (for example, the reception unit 112 in Figure 4), A conversion means (for example, the expression form conversion unit 113 in Figure 4) that converts the request received in the first expression form into a specialized second expression form (for example, contract conclusion, electronic signature, electronic file storage, number of users 100 or more, etc.), Based on the request converted into the second representation form, a setting means (for example, the selection condition setting unit 114 in Figure 4) sets one or more selection conditions for selecting software (for example, contract conclusion, electronic signature, electronic file storage, number of users of 100 or more, etc.), A presentation means (for example, the presentation unit 115 in Figure 4) that presents one or more software programs to the user based on the one or more selection criteria mentioned above, It is equipped with. With this configuration, the user's general first-form request (such as the user's desired software specifications) is converted into a specialized second-form request (terminology used by the site operator for selection criteria) and then the software is searched. In other words, the user only needs to express their general first-form request, and one or more software programs that match that request, converted from the general first-form request to the specialized second-form request, will be presented. In this way, users can easily find software that includes the functions they need.

[0077] The aforementioned receiving means (for example, the receiving unit 112 in Figure 4, etc.) The system accepts the user's requests in the first form of expression by repeatedly engaging in question-and-answer sessions with the user. This allows the system to incorporate user requests through repeated question-and-answer sessions, enabling it to present users with software that more closely matches their needs.

[0078] The answers to the questions in the aforementioned Q&A session were given as multiple-choice options. The aforementioned receiving means (for example, the receiving unit 112 in Figure 4, etc.) A labeling means (for example, the labeling unit 131 in Figure 4) that assigns a label to at least one of the aforementioned options, It is equipped with. This allows users to make informed decisions when they are unsure which option to choose, by relying on labels such as "frequently selected." [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 1...Server, 2...User terminal, 11...CPU, 18...Storage unit, 19...Communication unit, 111...Web server unit, 112...Reception unit, 113...Expression format conversion unit, 114...Selection condition setting unit, 115...Presentation unit, 121...Site disclosure unit, 131...Labeling unit, 141...Search unit, 142...Comparison table creation unit, 300...User information DB, 400...Q&A DB, 500...Selection condition DB, 600...Software DB

Claims

1. A means for receiving user requests for software in a form that includes a general-purpose first form of expression, A conversion means for converting the request received in the first expression form into a specialized second expression form, Setting means for setting multiple selection conditions for selecting software based on the request converted into the second representation form, A presentation means that presents one or more software programs to the user based on the aforementioned selection criteria, and for each of the one or more software programs, determines the degree of matching with each of the aforementioned selection criteria, and presents to the user the correspondence between the aforementioned selection criteria and the one or more software programs in a matrix format with a two-dimensional array of rows and columns and elements arranged vertically and horizontally, using an expression that indicates that it matches if it matches, an expression that indicates that it does not match if it does not match, and an expression that indicates that it is unknown if it is unknown. An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The aforementioned receiving means is The system accepts the user's requests in the first form of expression by repeatedly engaging in question-and-answer sessions with the user. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. The answers to the questions in the aforementioned Q&A session were given as multiple-choice options. The aforementioned receiving means is A labeling means for assigning a label to at least one of the aforementioned options, The information processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. In an information processing method executed by an information processing device, A reception step that accepts user requests for software in a form that includes a general-purpose first representation form, A conversion step that converts the request received in the first representation form into a specialized second representation form, A setting step of setting multiple selection criteria for selecting software based on the request converted into the second representation form, A presentation step in which, based on the aforementioned selection criteria, one or more software programs are presented to the user, and for each of the one or more software programs, the degree of matching with each of the aforementioned selection criteria is determined, and the correspondence between the aforementioned selection criteria and the one or more software programs is displayed to the user in a matrix format with a two-dimensional array of rows and columns, where elements are arranged vertically and horizontally, in an expression indicating that it matches where it matches, an expression indicating that it does not match where it does not match, and an expression indicating that it is unknown where it is unknown. Information processing methods including

5. In the computer that controls the information processing device, A reception step that accepts user requests for software in a form that includes a general-purpose first representation form, A conversion step that converts the request received in the first representation form into a specialized second representation form, A setting step of setting multiple selection criteria for selecting software based on the request converted into the second representation form, A presentation step in which, based on the aforementioned selection criteria, one or more software programs are presented to the user, and for each of the one or more software programs, the degree of matching with each of the aforementioned selection criteria is determined, and the correspondence between the aforementioned selection criteria and the one or more software programs is displayed to the user in a matrix format with a two-dimensional array of rows and columns, where elements are arranged vertically and horizontally, in an expression indicating that it matches where it matches, an expression indicating that it does not match where it does not match, and an expression indicating that it is unknown where it is unknown. A program that executes control processes, including those mentioned above.

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