Task management methods, programs, and task management systems

Abstract

In this task management method, a person in charge of a task to be performed by any user (U1) among a plurality of the users (U1) is determined on the basis of condition information that indicates conditions pertaining to each task of the plurality of users (U1) (S11). In the task management method, information indicating the task to be performed associated with the determined person in charge is output (S13).

Description

Technical Field

[0006] ,

[0004] , The aforementioned , , , The memory unit stores the correspondence between the state of the device and the task. ,

[0005] , , A task management system capable of communicating with devices and information processing terminals via a network, comprising a storage unit, , ,

[0007] , , , , Logs indicating the status of the equipment are obtained from the equipment, and the target task is determined from the logs.

[0001] This disclosure relates to a task management method and the like for managing tasks executed by a user who uses a device.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a housework plan creation support device. This device creates a housework plan by a user designating the type, time, and location of housework to be performed by a housework robot.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] This disclosure has the advantage of making it easier to reduce the burden on users of the device to manage the tasks they perform. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration including the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the executable operation of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of the executable operation of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the basic operation of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of operation of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of notification to a user of a registered task in a first operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a user obtaining list information in a first operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of list information that can be obtained for each group in the first operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of operation of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 10] Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing a third operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing another registration method in the fourth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a schematic diagram showing a fifth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing a fifth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example where the task cannot be reassigned to another user in the fifth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 16] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example where the task can be reassigned to another user in the fifth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 17] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing another example where the task can be reassigned to another user in the fifth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example where the task can be reassigned to another user in the fifth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing a sixth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing a seventh operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing an eighth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of deleting a task after a certain period of time in the eighth operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 23] FIG. 23 is a schematic diagram showing an example of deleting all tasks at a specified time in the eighth operation example of the task management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing the ninth operation example of the task management system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 25] FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an executable operation of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram showing an example of list information. [Figure 27] FIG. 27 is a flowchart showing a basic operation example of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 28] FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing the first operation example of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing an example of determining a person in charge by referring to points in the first operation example of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 30] FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram showing the second operation example of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 31] FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram showing the third operation example of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 32] FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram showing the fourth operation example of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 33] FIG. 33 is a schematic diagram showing the fifth operation example of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 34] FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing the sixth operation example of the task management system according to the second embodiment. [Figure 35] FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an executable operation of the task management system according to the third embodiment. [Figure 36] FIG. 36 is a diagram showing an example of generating pattern information. [Figure 37] FIG. 37 is a diagram showing another example of generating pattern information. [Figure 38] Figure 38 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an emergency notification information in the task management system according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 39] Figure 39 is a flowchart showing an example of the basic operation of the task management system according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 40] Figure 40 is a schematic diagram showing a first operational example of the task management system according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 41] Figure 41 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the first operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 3, in which no determined urgent task has been registered. [Figure 42] Figure 42 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a first operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 3, where a determined urgent task is registered. [Figure 43] Figure 43 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of operation of the task management system according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 44] Figure 44 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a recipient for emergency notification information in the task management system according to Embodiment 3. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] First, the inventor's perspective is explained below.

[0011] Conventionally, there are technologies for managing tasks performed by users, such as household chores, and for sharing the existence of such tasks among multiple users. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for creating a household chore plan by having the user specify the type, time, and location of household chores to be performed by a household robot.

[0012] However, with the technologies described above, users must manually operate the UI (User Interface) provided by the application to register, update, or delete the tasks being managed, which often places a heavy burden on the user to manage tasks.

[0013] In light of the above, the inventor has created this disclosure.

[0014] The embodiments will be described in detail below, with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, unnecessarily detailed explanations may be omitted. For example, detailed explanations of already well-known matters and redundant explanations of substantially identical configurations may be omitted. This is to avoid the following explanation becoming unnecessarily verbose and to facilitate understanding for those skilled in the art.

[0015] The inventors provide the accompanying drawings and the following description so that those skilled in the art may fully understand the disclosure, and not to limit the subject matter described in the claims.

[0016] (Embodiment 1) [1-1. Overall Structure] First, the overall configuration including the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration including the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. In Embodiment 1, the task management system 100 is a system for managing one or more tasks related to the device 2. User U1 (see Figure 2 or Figure 3) can obtain a list of one or more tasks managed by the storage device 13 (described later) from the task management system 100 (hereinafter referred to as the "task list") using the information processing terminal 3. In addition, user U1 can receive notifications from the task management system 100 via the information processing terminal 3 when there has been a change in one or more tasks managed by the storage device 13.

[0017] Device 2 is a device that can communicate with Server 1 (Task Management System 100) via a network N1 such as the Internet. In Embodiment 1, Device 2 is an IoT (Internet of Things) device. Device 2 is, for example, a home appliance. Specifically, Device 2 is, for example, a washing machine, air conditioner, humidifier, air purifier, microwave oven, refrigerator, rice cooker, robot vacuum cleaner, stationary television receiver, portable television receiver, etc. Also, Device 2 is, for example, a Blu-ray Disc (registered trademark) recorder, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) (registered trademark) recorder, lighting fixture, intercom system, electric toothbrush, weighing scale, or hair dryer, etc.

[0018] A task is an action performed by user U1 using device 2. In Embodiment 1, a task can be any task relating to device 2, and may include actions performed directly by user U1 on device 2, such as taking laundry from the washing machine, as well as actions performed indirectly by user U1 on device 2, such as purchasing detergent for use in the washing machine. Furthermore, a task is not limited to household chores such as cleaning with a cleaning robot, washing clothes with a washing machine, or cooking rice with a rice cooker, i.e., tasks related to the operation of daily life in the home, but may also include tasks related to actions that user U1 personally performs in daily life, such as brushing teeth with an electric toothbrush or weighing oneself with a weighing scale.

[0019] The information processing terminal 3 is a terminal owned by user U1, and is, for example, a smartphone, a tablet, or a desktop or laptop personal computer. In Embodiment 1, user U1 can issue instructions to the task management system 100 or obtain information transmitted from the task management system 100 by running an application for the task management system 100 installed on the information processing terminal 3.

[0020] Furthermore, user U1 can also issue instructions to the task management system 100 or obtain information sent from the task management system 100 by accessing the URL (Uniform Resource Locator) for the task management system 100 using a web browser installed on the information processing terminal 3.

[0021] [1-2. Task Management System] Next, the details of the task management system 100 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the task management system 100 includes a communication unit 11, a processing unit 12, and a storage device 13. In Embodiment 1, the task management system 100 includes a storage device 13, but the storage device 13 does not have to be a component of the task management system 100.

[0022] In Embodiment 1, the task management system 100 is implemented by server 1. Server 1 has a processor and memory, and the processor executes computer programs stored in memory to realize each component of the task management system 100.

[0023] The task management system 100 is configured to communicate with device 2 and information processing terminal 3 via network N1. In the example shown in Figure 1, there is one device 2 and one information processing terminal 3, but there may be multiple devices or terminals.

[0024] The communication unit 11 is a communication interface for communicating with device 2 and information processing terminal 3 via network N1. By communicating with device 2, the communication unit 11 acquires logs regarding the status of device 2. Hereinafter, the communication unit 11 will also be referred to as the acquisition unit 11.

[0025] In Embodiment 1, the acquisition unit (communication unit) 11 acquires the log by receiving a signal containing the log acquired by device 2, which is transmitted from device 2 via network N1. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 11 may acquire the log by communicating with an external system (not shown) that manages device 2. In this case, the acquisition unit 11 acquires the log by receiving a signal containing the log acquired from device 2, which is transmitted from the external system via network N1.

[0026] Here, the log may include information indicating the status of device 2, such as information indicating the actions performed by device 2 or information indicating the operations received by device 2. Furthermore, the actions performed by device 2 may include not only actions performed by device 2 itself, but also actions performed by sensors or other devices attached to device 2.

[0027] For example, if device 2 is a washing machine with an automatic detergent dispensing function, the log may include information indicating the remaining amount of detergent. Also, for example, if device 2 is a washing machine with a function to determine the condition of the filter, the log may include information indicating the condition of the filter. Also, for example, if device 2 is a refrigerator, the log may include information indicating the remaining amount of water in the water tank. Also, for example, if device 2 is a refrigerator with a function to recognize food items inside, the log may include information indicating the remaining amount of food items inside.

[0028] The processing unit 12 determines the task to be executed by user U1 using the device 2 based on the log acquired by the acquisition unit (communication unit) 11. In Embodiment 1, the processing unit 12 determines the task corresponding to the log by referring to the first correspondence information stored in the task determination DB (Database) 132 (described later) of the storage device 13.

[0029] The first correspondence information is information that shows the correspondence between logs and tasks. Specifically, the first correspondence information is information that shows the correspondence between the device 2 from which the log was generated, the content of the log generated by that device 2, and the content of the task that user U1 should perform based on the content of that log. For example, if the device 2 from which the log was generated is a washing machine, the first correspondence information may include information linking the content of the log indicating that the amount of detergent remaining is low with the content of the task that user U1 should perform to replenish the detergent. Alternatively, if the device 2 from which the log was generated is a washing machine, the first correspondence information may include information linking the content of the log indicating that the amount of detergent remaining is low with the content of the task that user U1 should perform to buy detergent.

[0030] As described above, tasks may include not only tasks that user U1 directly performs on device 2, such as refilling detergent in the washing machine, but also tasks that user U1 indirectly performs on device 2, such as going to buy detergent to refill the washing machine.

[0031] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, the processing unit 12 performs a process to register the determined task in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) (described later), or a process to update the task registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) with the determined task.

[0032] For example, if the type of task determined by the processing unit 12 is different from one or more task types registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131), the processing unit 12 registers the determined task in the storage device 13. In other words, if the determined task is a new task different from the managed tasks, the processing unit 12 registers the determined task as a new task in the storage device 13.

[0033] Furthermore, for example, if the type of task determined by the processing unit 12 is the same as the type of one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131), the processing unit 12 updates the content of that task to the content of the determined task. In other words, if the determined task is the same as a task already managed by the processing unit 12, it updates the content of that task by overwriting it with the content of the determined task.

[0034] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, if a change occurs in one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131), the processing unit 12 sends notification information indicating the change to the information processing terminal 3 used by user U1. The change referred to here may include, for example, the registration of a new task in the storage device 13 as described above, or the updating of the contents of an already managed task.

[0035] Furthermore, in Embodiment 1, when the communication unit 11 receives request information from the information processing terminal 3 requesting the transmission of a task list, the processing unit 12 transmits list information indicating the task list registered in the storage device 13 to the information processing terminal 3.

[0036] The storage device 13 stores one or more tasks. The one or more tasks stored (registered) in the storage device 13 are managed by the task management system 100. In Embodiment 1, the one or more tasks stored in the storage device 13 may include tasks determined by the processing unit 12, as well as tasks registered by user U1 using the information processing terminal 3, as will be described later.

[0037] In Embodiment 1, the storage device 13 includes a task DB 131, a task determination DB 132, and a task deletion DB 133. The storage device 13 also includes a task selection DB 134, which will be described later, and a task update DB 135, which will be described later.

[0038] Task DB131 stores one or more tasks that are managed by the task management system 100, as described above. Task determination DB132 stores first correspondence information that is referenced when the processing unit 12 determines a task.

[0039] The task deletion DB133 stores second correspondence information that is referenced by the processing unit 12 when deleting one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB131). The second correspondence information is information that shows the correspondence between a log and the task to be deleted. Specifically, the second correspondence information is information that shows the correspondence between the device 2 from which the log was generated, the content of the log generated by that device 2, and the content of the task to be deleted based on the content of that log. For example, if the device 2 from which the log was generated is a washing machine, the second correspondence information may include information linking the content of the log indicating that the amount of detergent remaining is high with the content of the task to be deleted, which is that user U1 will replenish the detergent. Alternatively, if the device 2 from which the log was generated is a washing machine, the second correspondence information may include information linking the content of the log indicating that the amount of detergent remaining is high with the content of the task to be deleted, which is that user U1 will go to buy detergent.

[0040] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the executable operation of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 2, the task management system 100 (1) acquires logs from the device 2, (2) determines a task based on the logs, and registers the determined task in the task DB 131, or updates an existing task with the determined task. Then, the task management system 100 (3) sends notification information to the information processing terminal 3 of user U1 indicating that a task has been registered or updated. The example shown in Figure 2 shows that there are multiple users U1, and the notification information is sent to each of the information processing terminals 3 of the multiple users U1.

[0041] Furthermore, when the task management system 100 (4) obtains request information sent from any user U1's information processing terminal 3, (5) it sends list information to the information processing terminal 3.

[0042] Furthermore, the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 can perform the following operations. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram showing another example of an executable operation of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. As shown in Figure 3, the task management system 100 (1) obtains operation information from user U1's information processing terminal 3, and (2) registers a task in the task DB 131 or updates an existing task based on the operation information. Here, the operation information is information entered by user U1 by operating the information processing terminal 3, and includes, for example, information requesting the registration of a task desired by user U1, or information requesting the update of a task desired by user U1. Then, the task management system 100 (3) sends notification information to user U1's information processing terminal 3 indicating that a task has been registered or updated. The example shown in Figure 3 shows that there is one or more users U1 in addition to the user U1 that sends the operation information, and that notification information is sent to each of the information processing terminals 3 of all users U1. Furthermore, when the task management system 100 (4) obtains request information sent from any user U1's information processing terminal 3, (5) it sends list information to the information processing terminal 3.

[0043] [2. Operation] The operation of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 (i.e., the task management method) will be described in detail below.

[0044] [2-1. Examples of basic operations] First, a basic operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained using Figure 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating a basic operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. Here, the task management system 100 will be described as acquiring logs from device 2. Also, here, it will be described as there being one user U1.

[0045] When a log is generated in device 2, device 2 sends a signal containing the generated log to server 1 (task management system 100) via network N1. As a result, the communication unit (acquisition unit) 11 acquires the log via network N1 (S1).

[0046] Next, the processing unit 12 determines a task based on the log acquired by the communication unit (acquisition unit) 11 (S2). Here, the processing unit 12 determines a task corresponding to the log content by referring to the first correspondence information stored in the storage device 13 (task determination DB 132).

[0047] Then, if the determined task is a new task (S3:Yes), the processing unit 12 registers the determined task in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) (S4). If the determined task is an existing task (S3:No), the processing unit 12 updates the existing task by overwriting its contents with the contents of the determined task (S5).

[0048] Subsequently, the processing unit 12 sends notification information to the user U1's information processing terminal 3 via the network N1 indicating that a change has occurred in one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) (S6).

[0049] The following lists specific examples of operations that the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 can perform. The task management system 100 may also perform operations by appropriately combining the first to ninth operation examples shown below.

[0050] [2-2. Example of the first operation] First, a first example of operation of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained using Figure 5. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of operation of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The first example of operation is a specific example of the process in which the processing unit 12 determines a task based on the log acquired by the communication unit (acquisition unit) 11 and registers the determined task in the storage device 13 (task DB 131).

[0051] In the example shown in Figure 5, the processing unit 12 obtains a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "low detergent level". Then, the processing unit 12 determines a task based on the obtained log by referring to the first correspondence information stored in the storage device 13 (task determination DB 132). Here, the processing unit 12 determines the tasks "replenish detergent" and "shop for detergent" corresponding to the "low detergent level" log. The processing unit 12 then registers the determined tasks "replenish detergent" and "shop for detergent" in the storage device 13 (task DB 131).

[0052] As described above, in the first operational example, the processing unit 12 automatically registers tasks based on the logs it acquires, so user U1 does not have to manually register tasks.

[0053] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of notification to user U1 of a registered task in a first operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. In the example shown in Figure 6, the processing unit 12 sends notification information to user U1's information processing terminal 3 indicating that the tasks "Refill detergent" and "Shopping (detergent)" have been registered. When user U1's information processing terminal 3 receives the notification information, it displays the notification information on its display via an instant messenger application such as LINE®. This allows user U1 to understand that new tasks have been registered.

[0054] Furthermore, the information processing terminal 3 may display notification information on its screen via a dedicated application to the task management system 100, or a dedicated application to device 2. The information processing terminal 3 may also output notification information as sound via its built-in speaker.

[0055] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of user U1 acquiring list information in a first operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. In the example shown in Figure 7, user U1 sends request information to the task management system 100 requesting the transmission of a task list by operating the information processing terminal 3. When the processing unit 12 receives the request information, it reads one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131). In this case, the processing unit 12 reads the tasks "Refill detergent" and "Shopping (detergent)" for the washing machine. Then, the processing unit 12 sends list information including the one or more tasks it reads to the information processing terminal 3. When user U1's information processing terminal 3 receives the list information, it displays the list information on the display, for example, via an instant messenger application. This allows user U1 to understand one or more registered tasks.

[0056] The list information includes details for each of the one or more registered tasks, such as the task name, task details, the source of the task, the person assigned to the task, and the difficulty level of the task. For example, the list information shown in Figure 7 includes the task name "Shopping (detergent)", the task description "Please buy detergent refill (XXX)", the source of the task "Requester: Washing machine", an icon represented by a question mark indicating that no person has been assigned to the task, and information indicating the difficulty level of the task "QP: 4". The list information shown in Figure 7 also includes the group name "△△△" and one or more icons representing one or more members of the group to which user U1 belongs.

[0057] Here, if there are multiple users U1, and each of these users U1 belongs to one of several groups, the notification information and list information may differ for each of the groups. The following describes specific examples of list information that can be obtained for each of the groups.

[0058] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram showing an example of list information that can be obtained for each group in a first operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. In the example shown in Figure 8, three users U1, "User A," "User B," and "User C," belong to "Group A," one user U1, "User D," belongs to "Group B," and one user U1, "User E," belongs to "Group C." Furthermore, "Group A" and "Group B" are related groups, but "Group C" is a group unrelated to either "Group A" or "Group B." As a specific example, if "Group A" is an arbitrary family, then "Group B" would be, for example, relatives or friends of that family, and "Group C" would be a third party.

[0059] As shown in Figure 8, using "User A" as the reference point, "User A" can retrieve and view list information containing the details of one or more tasks for which they are responsible. Furthermore, "User B" and "User C," who belong to the same "Group A" as "User A," can both retrieve and view list information containing the details of one or more tasks performed by "Group A."

[0060] "User D" belongs to a different group than "Group A," and therefore cannot retrieve and view a list of information containing the details of one or more tasks performed by "Group A." However, "User D" belongs to "Group B," which is related to "Group A," and therefore can retrieve and view a list of information containing a summary of one or more tasks performed by "Group A." In the example shown in Figure 8, the summary includes information indicating the number of completed tasks performed by "Group A" and the number of completed tasks performed by "Group B." This summary can also be retrieved and viewed by "User A," "User B," and "User C," who belong to "Group A."

[0061] "User E" belongs to a different group than "Group A" and is unrelated to "Group A," therefore, it is not possible to retrieve and view list information related to "Group A."

[0062] Furthermore, notification information regarding "Group A" will be sent to the respective information processing terminals 3 of "User A," "User B," and "User C," who belong to "Group A," but will not be sent to the respective information processing terminals 3 of "User D," who belongs to "Group B," or "User E," who belongs to "Group C."

[0063] [2-3. Second example of operation] Next, a second operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 9. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the second operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The second operation example differs from the first operation example in that the processing unit 12 determines a task by referring to necessity information indicating whether or not automatic registration of a task, which has been set in advance by user U1, is necessary.

[0064] In the example shown in Figure 9, before the processing unit 12 acquires logs from the washing machine (device 2), user U1 transmits necessity information to the task management system 100 by operating the information processing terminal 3. Upon acquiring the necessity information, the processing unit 12 updates the first correspondence information stored in the storage device 13 (task determination DB 132) based on the acquired necessity information. In this case, the processing unit 12 updates the first correspondence information to set the "registration necessity" of the "shopping (detergent)" task to "not necessary" and the "registration necessity" of the "detergent replenishment" task to "necessary".

[0065] Subsequently, similar to the first operation example, the processing unit 12 obtains a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "low detergent level". Then, the processing unit 12 refers to the first correspondence information stored in the storage device 13 (task determination DB 132) and determines a task based on the obtained log. Here, the processing unit 12 determines a "detergent replenishment" task that corresponds to the "low detergent level" log and whose "registration requirement" is set to "required". Then, the processing unit 12 registers the determined "detergent replenishment" task in the storage device 13 (task DB 131).

[0066] As described above, in the second example of operation, it is possible to automatically register only the tasks desired by user U1 in the storage device 13 (task DB 131).

[0067] [2-4. Example of the third action] Next, a third operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a schematic diagram showing the third operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The third operation example differs from the second operation example in that user U1 manually registers tasks that are subject to automatic registration by operating the information processing terminal 3.

[0068] In the example shown in Figure 10, before the processing unit 12 acquires a log from the washing machine (device 2), user U1 operates the information processing terminal 3 to send operation information to the task management system 100 indicating the task "Check for spare detergent" corresponding to the washing machine's "low detergent level" log. Upon acquiring the operation information, the processing unit 12 updates the first correspondence information stored in the storage device 13 (task determination DB 132) based on the acquired operation information. In this case, the processing unit 12 updates the first correspondence information to add the task "Check for spare detergent" corresponding to the washing machine's "low detergent level" log.

[0069] Subsequently, similar to the second operation example, the processing unit 12 obtains a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "low detergent level". Then, the processing unit 12 refers to the first correspondence information stored in the storage device 13 (task determination DB 132) and determines a task based on the obtained log. Here, the processing unit 12 determines the tasks "detergent replenishment" and "check stock detergent" which correspond to the "low detergent level" log and whose "registration requirement" is set to "required". Then, the processing unit 12 registers the determined tasks "detergent replenishment" and "check stock detergent" in the storage device 13 (task DB 131).

[0070] As described above, in the third example of operation, user U1 can manually set the tasks that will be automatically registered.

[0071] [2-5. Example of the fourth action] Next, a fourth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described using Figure 11. Figure 11 is a schematic diagram showing the fourth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The fourth operation example differs from the first to third operation examples in that user U1 manually registers a task by operating the information processing terminal 3.

[0072] In the example shown in Figure 11, user U1 operates the information processing terminal 3 to send operation information to the task management system 100 indicating that the source device 2 is a "refrigerator" and the task is "Shopping (eggs)". Upon receiving the operation information, the processing unit 12 updates one or more tasks stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) based on the acquired operation information. In this case, the processing unit 12 updates one or more tasks to add a task called "Shopping (eggs)" in which the source device 2 is a "refrigerator".

[0073] Furthermore, if the task management system 100 has stored one or more tasks that occur relatively frequently, the processing unit 12 may send selection information showing a list of such one or more tasks to the user U1's information processing terminal 3.

[0074] Figure 12 is a schematic diagram showing another registration method in the fourth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. In the example shown in Figure 12, the storage device 13 has a task selection DB 134 that stores selection information. When the processing unit 12 receives operation information requesting the transmission of selection information from, for example, the information processing terminal 3 of user U1, it sends the selection information to the information processing terminal 3. User U1 operates the information processing terminal 3 and sends operation information to the task management system 100 indicating that they have selected "Shopping (eggs)" from the selection information. When the processing unit 12 receives the operation information, it updates one or more tasks stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) to add a task called "Shopping (eggs)" where the originating device 2 is "refrigerator" based on the acquired operation information.

[0075] As described above, in the fourth example of operation, user U1 can manually register the task they wish to perform.

[0076] [2-6. Example of the fifth action] Next, the fifth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described using Figures 13 and 14. Figures 13 and 14 are schematic diagrams showing the fifth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The fifth operation example differs from the first to fourth operation examples in that user U1 manually assigns a person in charge of a task by operating the information processing terminal 3.

[0077] In the example shown in Figure 13, user U1 operates the information processing terminal 3 to send request information to the task management system 100 requesting the transmission of a task list. Upon receiving the request information, the processing unit 12 sends the list information to the information processing terminal 3. Upon receiving the list information, user U1's information processing terminal 3 displays the list information on its display, for example, via an instant messenger application. In this example, the list information includes the tasks "replenish detergent" for the washing machine and "shopping (detergent)," but no person has been assigned to either task.

[0078] Here, as shown in Figure 14, user U1 operates the information processing terminal 3 to send operation information to the task management system 100 requesting that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task be changed to "Dad," who is user U1 himself. When the processing unit 12 receives the operation information, it updates one or more tasks stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) based on the received operation information. Here, the processing unit 12 updates one or more tasks to change the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task to "Dad." From then on, in the list information, "Dad" is assigned to the "Shopping (detergent)" task for the washing machine.

[0079] As described above, in the fifth example of operation, user U1 can manually set the task assignee.

[0080] By the way, the task management system 100 may restrict changes to the assigned person for any given task if an assigned person has already been assigned to that task, as follows. In the following explanation, User U1, who is already assigned to any given task, will be referred to as "First User U11," and the other User U1 will be referred to as "Second User U12." In the following explanation, First User U11 is "Dad," and Second User U12 is "Mom."

[0081] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram showing an example in the fifth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1, where it is not possible for another user U1 (second user U12) to change the assigned task. In the example shown in Figure 15, similar to the example shown in Figure 14, the task of "Shopping (detergent)" for the washing machine is assigned to "Dad," who is the first user U11.

[0082] Subsequently, the second user U12 operates the information processing terminal 3 and sends operation information to the task management system 100 requesting that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task be changed to "Mama," who is the second user U12. The processing unit 12 then does not execute the process to change the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task because the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task is already assigned to the first user U11, who is "Dad." The processing unit 12 then sends information to the second user U12's information processing terminal 3 indicating that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task cannot be changed. As a result, the second user U12 is able to understand that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task has already been assigned and cannot be changed.

[0083] Incidentally, the task management system 100 may allow a change in the person in charge of a task, even if a person in charge has already been assigned to that task, provided that certain conditions are met. In other words, if the first user U11 is assigned to any of the one or more tasks stored in the storage device 13, the processing unit 12 may allow a change in the person in charge of that task from the first user U11 to the second user U12, provided that the second condition is met.

[0084] Figure 16 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a fifth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1, in which another user (second user U12) can change the assigned task. In the example shown in Figure 16, the second condition is that a predetermined time (non-changeable period) has elapsed since the first user U11 was assigned to any task. The non-changeable period may be set in advance, or it may be set as appropriate by user U1 operating the information processing terminal 3.

[0085] As shown in Figure 16, if the second user U12 requests the task management system 100 to change the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task to "Mama," who is the second user U12, during the period when changes cannot be made, the processing unit 12 will prohibit the change of the person in charge of that task. On the other hand, if the second user U12 requests the task management system 100 to change the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task to "Mama," who is the second user U12, after the period when changes cannot be made has elapsed, the processing unit 12 will change the person in charge of that task to "Mama." The processing unit 12 will then send information to the second user U12's information processing terminal 3 indicating that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task has been changed to "Mama." This allows the second user U12 to understand that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task has been changed to themselves.

[0086] Furthermore, the task management system 100 may allow a change in the person in charge of a task, even if a person has already been assigned to that task, regardless of whether the second condition is met.

[0087] Figure 17 is a schematic diagram showing another example in the fifth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1, where task assignment can be changed by another user (second user U12). As shown in Figure 17, when second user U12 requests the task management system 100 to change the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task to second user U12 himself, "Mama", the processing unit 12 changes the person in charge of the task to "Mama" regardless of whether the second condition is met. Then, the processing unit 12 sends information to second user U12's information processing terminal 3 indicating that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task has been changed to "Mama". As a result, second user U12 can understand that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task has been changed to himself.

[0088] Furthermore, if the task management system 100 receives operational information from the information processing terminal 3 of the second user U12 requesting a change in the person in charge of a task for which a person has already been assigned, it may send confirmation information to the information processing terminal 3 to the second user U12 to confirm whether or not they really want to change the person in charge.

[0089] Figure 18 is a schematic diagram showing yet another example in the fifth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1, where another user (second user U12) can change the person in charge of a task. When second user U12 requests the task management system 100 to change the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task to second user U12 himself, "Mama", the processing unit 12 sends confirmation information to the information processing terminal 3. When the information processing terminal 3 receives the confirmation information, second user U12 operates the information processing terminal 3 and sends information to the task management system 100 indicating his intention to "change". Then, the processing unit 12 changes the person in charge of the task to "Mama". The processing unit 12 then sends information to second user U12's information processing terminal 3 indicating that the person in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task has been changed to "Mama".

[0090] Furthermore, the task management system 100 may not allow unlimited changes to the person in charge of a task, but rather may limit the number of times changes to the person in charge of a task are permitted within a predetermined period (for example, a few hours or a few days).

[0091] [2-7. Example of the 6th action] Next, the sixth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 19. Figure 19 is a schematic diagram showing the sixth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The sixth operation example differs from the first to fifth operation examples in that the processing unit 12 determines which of the one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) has been completed based on the log acquired by the communication unit (acquisition unit) 11, and automatically updates the status of the task to "completed".

[0092] In the example shown in Figure 19, the processing unit 12 obtains a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "detergent level (high)". Then, the processing unit 12 refers to the second correspondence information stored in the storage device 13 (task update DB 135) and determines whether the task has been completed based on the obtained log.

[0093] The second correspondence information is information that shows the correspondence between the log and the task whose status should be updated to "completed". Specifically, the second correspondence information is information that shows the correspondence between the device 2 from which the log was generated, the status of device 2, and the content of the task that should be updated to "completed" based on the content of the log. Here, the processing unit 12 determines that the tasks "Shopping (detergent)" and "Detergent Refill" corresponding to the log "Detergent remaining amount (high)" are completed tasks. Then, the processing unit 12 updates the status of the "Detergent Refill" task, which is in the "in progress" state among the one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131), to "completed".

[0094] As described above, in the sixth example of operation, the processing unit 12 automatically updates the status of completed tasks to "Completed" based on the logs it has acquired, so user U1 does not have to manually change the status of the tasks to "Completed".

[0095] [2-8. Example of the 7th operation] Next, the seventh operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained using Figure 20. Figure 20 is a schematic diagram showing the seventh operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The seventh operation example differs from the first to sixth operation examples in that the user U1 manually updates the task status to "completed" by operating the information processing terminal 3.

[0096] In the example shown in Figure 20, user U1 operates the information processing terminal 3 to send operation information to the task management system 100 indicating that the "Shopping (detergent)" task is complete. Upon receiving the operation information, the processing unit 12 updates one or more tasks stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) based on the acquired operation information. In this case, the processing unit 12 updates one or more tasks to change the status of the "Shopping (detergent)" task, whose originating device 2 is "washing machine," from "in progress" to "completed."

[0097] As described above, in the seventh example, user U1 can manually update the status of a completed task to "Completed".

[0098] [2-9. Example of the 8th operation] Next, the eighth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 21. Figure 21 is a schematic diagram showing the eighth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The eighth operation example differs from the first to seventh operation examples in that the processing unit 12 determines which task to be deleted from among the one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) based on the log acquired by the communication unit (acquisition unit) 11, and automatically deletes the determined task to be deleted from the storage device 13.

[0099] In other words, the processing unit 12 deletes a task from the storage device 13 (task DB 131) if any of the tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) meets a predetermined condition (first condition). The first condition includes determining that the task has been completed based on the acquired log.

[0100] In the example shown in Figure 21, the processing unit 12 obtains a log from the washing machine (device 2) indicating "detergent level (high)". Then, the processing unit 12 refers to the second correspondence information stored in the storage device 13 (task deletion DB 133) and determines which task to delete based on the obtained log. Here, the processing unit 12 determines that the "detergent replenishment" task corresponding to the "detergent level (high)" log has been completed and decides that this task will be deleted. Then, the processing unit 12 deletes the determined "detergent replenishment" task from among the one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131).

[0101] As described above, in the eighth operation example, the processing unit 12 automatically deletes completed tasks based on the logs it has acquired, so user U1 does not have to manually delete tasks.

[0102] Incidentally, the task management system 100 may delete the task from the storage device 13 (task DB 131) after a certain period of time (for example, several hours or several days) has elapsed since it determined that the task was completed, rather than deleting the task from the storage device 13 at the time it determined that the task was completed.

[0103] Figure 22 is a schematic diagram showing an example of deleting a task after a certain period of time in the eighth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The certain period of time may be set in advance, or it may be set as appropriate by user U1 operating the information processing terminal 3. In the example shown in Figure 22, when a certain period of time has elapsed since the processing unit 12 determined that the "detergent replenishment" task for the washing machine was completed, it decided that the task would be deleted and deleted the decided task from the storage device 13 (task DB 131). This makes it easier to avoid a situation where user U1 cannot understand which tasks have been completed when viewing the list information, compared to deleting the task when it is completed.

[0104] Furthermore, the task management system 100 may delete all one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) from the storage device 13 at a predetermined time (for example, midnight), regardless of whether the tasks have been completed or not.

[0105] Figure 23 is a schematic diagram showing an example of deleting all tasks at a specified time (a predetermined time) in the eighth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The specified time may be set in advance, or it may be set as appropriate by user U1 operating the information processing terminal 3. In the example shown in Figure 23, when the specified time arrives, the processing unit 12 determines all tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) to be tasks to be deleted, and deletes the determined tasks from the storage device 13. This eliminates the need for user U1 to manually delete all registered tasks.

[0106] [2-10. Example of the 9th operation] Next, the ninth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be described with reference to Figure 24. Figure 24 is a schematic diagram showing the ninth operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1. The ninth operation example differs from the first to eighth operation examples in that user U1 manually deletes a task by operating the information processing terminal 3.

[0107] In the example shown in Figure 24, user U1 sends operation information to the task management system 100 indicating that it will delete the "Shopping (detergent)" task by operating the information processing terminal 3. When the processing unit 12 receives the operation information, it updates one or more tasks stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) based on the received operation information. In this case, the processing unit 12 updates one or more tasks to delete the "Shopping (detergent)" task, whose originating device 2 is "washing machine".

[0108] As described above, in the ninth example, user U1 can manually delete the status of a completed task.

[0109] [3. Advantages, etc.] The advantages of the task management system 100 (task management method) according to Embodiment 1 will be described below. As described above, the task management system 100 (task management method) according to Embodiment 1 acquires logs regarding the status of the device 2 and automatically determines the tasks to be executed by user U1 using the device 2 based on the acquired logs. For this reason, the task management system 100 (task management method) according to Embodiment 1 has the advantage that user U1 does not have to manually register or update tasks in the UI provided by the application, and the burden of task management is easily reduced.

[0110] (Embodiment 2) [1. Overview] The following describes the overview of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 with reference to Figure 25. Figure 25 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the executable operation of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2. In the following, explanations of points in the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 that are common with the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0111] In Embodiment 2, the processing unit 12 of the task management system 100A determines who is responsible for a task performed by one of the multiple users U1 based on condition information indicating the conditions for each of the tasks performed by the multiple users U1. The multiple users U1 are, for example, family members. In Embodiment 2, the processing unit 12 determines who is responsible for a task by referring to the condition information stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131 or condition DB 136, etc.).

[0112] In Embodiment 2, the tasks for which the processing unit 12 determines the person in charge (hereinafter also referred to as "target tasks") are tasks determined based on the logs acquired by the acquisition unit (communication unit) 11 in the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 (i.e., tasks that are automatically registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) or tasks that are automatically updated). Of course, the tasks for which the processing unit 12 determines the person in charge may also include tasks that are manually registered in the storage device 13 by the user U1 operating the information processing terminal 3.

[0113] The condition information is information that indicates the conditions for automatically assigning one of multiple users U1 to a task. The condition information may be set in advance, or it may be set as appropriate by user U1 operating the information processing terminal 3, as shown in Figure 25.

[0114] For example, condition information may include information indicating the degree to which each of multiple users U1 has completed one or more tasks other than the target task. The degree of completion may include, for example, the number of times one or more tasks have been completed, or the difficulty level (points) of one or more tasks.

[0115] Furthermore, for example, condition information may include information indicating the assignment status of each related task for multiple users U1. Related tasks are tasks related to the target task. For example, related tasks may include tasks related to the same device 2 from which the target task originated, or tasks performed at the same location where the target task is executed.

[0116] Furthermore, conditional information may include information indicating the category of tasks assigned to each of multiple users U1. For example, the task "Shopping (eggs)" and the task "Shopping (detergent)" belong to the same category.

[0117] Furthermore, for example, conditional information may include information indicating the outcome of a game in which multiple users U1 participate, betting on who will be assigned to a task. The game is one in which each user U1 cannot directly intervene in the outcome, such as roulette, and is executed on each user U1's information processing terminal 3.

[0118] As shown in Figure 25, the task management system 100A (1) acquires logs from device 2, (2) determines tasks based on the logs, and registers the determined tasks in the task DB 131. Note that these processes (1) and (2) do not necessarily have to be performed by the task management system 100A. The task management system 100A also (3) determines the person in charge of the determined task (target task) based on the condition information. Then, the task management system 100A (4) sends notification information to user U1's information processing terminal 3 indicating that the task, including the person in charge, has been registered. In the example shown in Figure 25, there are multiple users U1, and the notification information is sent to each of the information processing terminals 3 of the multiple users U1.

[0119] Similar to Embodiment 1, when the task management system 100A receives request information transmitted from any user U1's information processing terminal 3, it transmits list information to the information processing terminal 3. Figure 26 is a schematic diagram showing an example of list information. The left side of Figure 26 shows the list information displayed on the information processing terminal 3's screen before a person is assigned to each task. The right side of Figure 26 shows the list information displayed on the information processing terminal 3's screen after a person has been assigned to each task. In the example shown in Figure 26, the task management system 100A automatically assigns "Dad" as the person responsible for the tasks "Shopping (detergent)" and "Refilling detergent".

[0120] [2. Operation] The operation of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 (i.e., the task management method) will be described in detail below.

[0121] [2-1. Examples of basic operations] First, a basic operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be explained using Figure 27. Figure 27 is a flowchart showing a basic operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2. Here, it is assumed that steps S1 and S2 of the basic operation example of the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 have been executed. Also, it is assumed that there is one user U1.

[0122] The processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for the target task based on condition information that indicates the conditions for each task of multiple users U1 (S11). Here, the processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for the target task by referring to the condition information stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131 or condition DB 136, etc.).

[0123] Then, the processing unit 12 associates the determined person in charge with the target task and registers it in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) (S12). Note that if the processing unit 12 updates the target task, it may overwrite the person in charge of that target task with the person in charge that was determined.

[0124] Subsequently, the processing unit 12 sends notification information to the user U1's information processing terminal 3 via the network N1, indicating that a change has occurred in one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) (S13). In other words, the communication unit 11 outputs information indicating the target task to which the assigned person is linked.

[0125] The following lists specific examples of operations that the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 can perform. In the first to sixth operation examples shown below, it will be assumed that the multiple users U1 are two people, "Dad" and "Mom". The task management system 100A may also perform operations by appropriately combining the first to sixth operation examples shown below.

[0126] [2-2. Example of the first operation] First, a first operational example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be explained using Figure 28. Figure 28 is a schematic diagram showing a first operational example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2. The first operational example is a specific example of the processing unit 12 determining the person in charge based on the progress of one or more tasks other than the target task for each of the multiple users U1 as conditional information, and registering the determined person in charge in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) linked to the target task.

[0127] In the example shown in Figure 28, the processing unit 12 determines the "Shopping (detergent)" task (target task) based on a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "detergent level (low)". Then, the processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for the target task by referring to the condition information stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131). Here, the processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for the target task by referring to the number of times each user U1 has performed one or more tasks other than the target task, which are registered in the task DB 131. Here, the number of performances is the sum of the number of tasks that are not yet completed (i.e., in progress) and the number of completed tasks.

[0128] Specifically, the processing unit 12 determines that the user U1 with the fewest execution times among multiple users U1 will be in charge of the target task. In this case, since "Mom" has performed the task twice, while "Dad" has performed the task once, the processing unit 12 determines that "Dad" will be in charge of the target task, "Shopping (detergent)". Then, the processing unit 12 registers the determined person in charge, "Dad," in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) and associates it with the target task, "Shopping (detergent)".

[0129] Incidentally, the processing unit 12 may determine the person in charge of the target task by referring to the points earned by each user U1 registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131), as shown in Figure 29. Figure 29 is a schematic diagram showing an example of determining the person in charge by referring to points in the first operation example of the task management system according to Embodiment 2.

[0130] As already mentioned, the points indicate the difficulty level of the task. In other words, the processing unit 12 may determine who is responsible for the target task based on the difficulty level of one or more tasks other than the target task. The points for each task may be set in advance, or they may be set as appropriate by one of the multiple users U1 operating the information processing terminal 3. Furthermore, setting the points for each task may only be possible by a user U1 with the necessary permissions among the multiple users U1.

[0131] In the example shown in Figure 29, the processing unit 12 determines who is responsible for the target task by referring to the points earned by each user U1 registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131). Specifically, the processing unit 12 determines that the user U1 with the fewest points earned among multiple users U1 will be responsible for the target task. In this case, "Mama" has earned 4 + 2 = 6 points, while "Dad" has earned 2 points, so the processing unit 12 determines that "Dad" will be responsible for the target task, "Shopping (detergent)". Then, the processing unit 12 registers the determined responsible person, "Dad," in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) and associates him with the target task, "Shopping (detergent)".

[0132] As described above, in the first operational example, the person responsible for a given task is determined based on the degree to which each user U1 has completed that task, thus reducing the likelihood of uneven distribution of responsibility among different tasks.

[0133] [2-3. Second example of operation] Next, a second example of operation of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be explained using Figure 30. Figure 30 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of operation of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2. The second example of operation is a specific example of the process in which the processing unit 12 determines the person in charge based on the assignment status of each related task of multiple users U1 as condition information, and registers the determined person in charge in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) linked to the target task. As already mentioned, related tasks are tasks related to the target task.

[0134] In the example shown in Figure 30, the processing unit 12 determines the tasks "Shopping (detergent)" (first target task) and "Detergent Refill" (second target task) based on a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "Detergent remaining amount (low)". Then, the processing unit 12 determines the person in charge of the first target task and the second target task by referring to the condition information stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131). Here, the processing unit 12 determines the person in charge of the first target task and the second target task by referring to the assignment status of related tasks for each user U1 registered in the task DB 131.

[0135] Specifically, the "Shopping (Eggs)" task registered in the storage device 13 (Task DB 131) is related to the first target task, "Shopping (Detergent)," from the perspective of "shopping." Therefore, the processing unit 12 decides that "Mama," who is in charge of the "Shopping (Eggs)" task, will also be in charge of the "Shopping (Detergent)" task. Furthermore, the first target task, "Shopping (Detergent)," is related to the second target task, "Detergent Refilling," from the perspective of "washing machine." Therefore, the processing unit 12 decides that "Mama," who has been decided as the person in charge of the "Shopping (Detergent)" task, will also be in charge of the "Detergent Refilling" task. Then, the processing unit 12 registers the decided person in charge, "Mama," in the storage device 13 (Task DB 131), linking her to both the first target task, "Shopping (Detergent)," and the second target task, "Detergent Refilling."

[0136] As mentioned above, in the second example, the same person can be assigned to two or more tasks that are more efficient when performed together, making it easier for the person in charge to perform the tasks efficiently.

[0137] [2-4. Example of the third action] Next, a third operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be described using Figure 31. Figure 31 is a schematic diagram showing the third operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2. The third operation example is a specific example of the processing unit 12 determining the person in charge based on the task category assigned to each of the multiple users U1 as condition information, and registering the determined person in charge in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) by linking it to the target task.

[0138] Task categories may be set as appropriate by any of the multiple users U1 operating the information processing terminal 3. Furthermore, setting task categories may be performed only by user U1 with the necessary permissions among the multiple users U1.

[0139] In the example shown in Figure 31, the processing unit 12 determines the task (target task) "Shopping (detergent)" based on a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "detergent level (low)". Then, the processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for the target task by referring to the condition information stored in the storage device 13 (condition DB 136). Here, the processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for the target task by referring to the task category assigned to each user U1 registered in the condition DB 136.

[0140] Specifically, for tasks belonging to the "Shopping" category, "Dad" is responsible for 100% of them, and "Mom" is not. On the other hand, for tasks belonging to the "Laundry" category, "Dad" is responsible for 60% and "Mom" for 40%. In this case, since the target task, "Shopping (Detergent)," belongs to the "Shopping" category, the processing unit 12 decides that "Dad" is responsible for the target task, "Shopping (Detergent)." Then, the processing unit 12 registers the decided responsible person, "Dad," in the storage device 13 (Task DB 131) and associates him with the target task, "Shopping (Detergent)."

[0141] As described above, in the third operational example, the person responsible for the target task is determined based on the category of tasks assigned to each user U1, so dissatisfaction is less likely to arise from the person assigned to the target task.

[0142] [2-5. Example of the fourth action] Next, a fourth operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be described using Figure 32. Figure 32 is a schematic diagram showing the fourth operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2. The fourth operation example is a specific example of processing that combines the second and third operation examples.

[0143] In the example shown in Figure 32, the processing unit 12 determines the tasks "Shopping (detergent)" (first target task) and "Replenishing detergent" (second target task) based on a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "Detergent remaining amount (low)". Then, the processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for each of the first and second target tasks by referring to the condition information stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131 and condition DB 136).

[0144] Here, the processing unit 12 first determines who will be in charge of the first target task by referring to the assignment status of related tasks for each user U1 registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131). Specifically, the task "Shopping (eggs)" registered in task DB 131 is related to the first target task, "Shopping (detergent)," in terms of "shopping." Therefore, the processing unit 12 decides that "Mama," who is in charge of the "Shopping (eggs)" task, will be in charge of the "Shopping (detergent)" task.

[0145] Next, the processing unit 12 determines who will be in charge of the second target task by referring to the task categories assigned to each user U1 registered in the storage device 13 (condition DB 136). Specifically, for tasks belonging to the "overall" category, "Dad" is in charge 50% and "Mom" is in charge 50%. Therefore, the processing unit 12 determines that "Dad" will be in charge of the second target task, "Refilling Detergent," so that the number of tasks in charge of "Dad" and the number of tasks in charge of "Mom" are 50%:50%. Then, the processing unit 12 links the determined person in charge, "Mom," to the first target task, "Shopping (Detergent)," and the determined person in charge, "Dad," to the second target task, "Refilling Detergent," and registers them in the storage device 13 (task DB 131).

[0146] As described above, in the fourth operational example, the same person can be assigned to two or more tasks that are more efficient when performed together, making it easier for the person in charge to perform the tasks efficiently. In addition, in the fourth operational example, the person in charge of a target task is determined based on the category of tasks assigned to each user U1, so dissatisfaction is less likely to arise from the person in charge who is assigned the target task.

[0147] [2-6. Example of the fifth action] Next, a fifth operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be explained using Figure 33. Figure 33 is a schematic diagram showing the fifth operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2. The fifth operation example is a specific example of the processing unit 12 determining the person in charge of a target task based on the outcome of a game in which multiple users U1 participate, with the person in charge being the bet, and registering the determined person in charge in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) and linking it to the target task.

[0148] As already mentioned, the game is one in which each user U1 cannot directly intervene in the outcome, such as roulette, and is executed on each user U1's information processing terminal 3. However, the game may also be one in which each user U1 can directly intervene in the outcome, such as rock-paper-scissors, a card game, or a board game.

[0149] In the example shown in Figure 33, the processing unit 12 determines the "Shopping (detergent)" task (target task) based on a log from the washing machine, which is device 2, indicating "detergent remaining amount (low)". Then, the processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for the target task by referring to the condition information stored in the storage device 13 (task DB 131, etc.).

[0150] Specifically, the processing unit 12 runs a game (in this case, a roulette game) on each user U1's information processing terminal 3. Then, the processing unit 12 determines that the user U1 who wins the game (in other words, is selected) will be in charge of the target task. The probability of winning the game is determined based on the number of times each user U1 has performed one or more tasks other than the target task, which are registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131). In this case, since "Mom" has performed the task 2 times and "Dad" has performed the task 1 time, the probability of "Mom" winning is set to 33.3 (≒100-100×2 / 3)%, and the probability of "Dad" winning is set to 66.7 (≒100-100×1 / 3)%. Note that the probability of winning the game may also be determined based on, for example, the points each user U1 has earned.

[0151] In the example shown in Figure 33, since the winner of the game is "Dad," the processing unit 12 determines that "Dad" will be in charge of the target task, "Shopping (detergent)." Then, the processing unit 12 registers the determined person in charge, "Dad," in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) and associates him with the target task, "Shopping (detergent)."

[0152] As mentioned above, in the fifth example of operation, the person responsible for the target task is determined based on the outcome of the game, so dissatisfaction is less likely to arise from the person assigned to the target task.

[0153] [2-7. Example of the 6th action] Next, the sixth operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2 will be explained using Figure 34. Figure 34 is a schematic diagram showing the sixth operation example of the task management system 100A according to Embodiment 2. The sixth operation example differs from the first to fifth operation examples in that a person in charge of the target task has already been assigned. The sixth operation example is a specific example of the process in which the processing unit 12 re-determines the person in charge of the target task based on environmental information indicating a change in the environment in which the target task is placed.

[0154] Environmental information may include information indicating changes in weather at the execution location of the target task, such as a change from sunny to rainy weather. The processing unit 12 can acquire such information, for example, by obtaining weather information from a server that provides weather information via the communication unit 11. Environmental information may also include information indicating changes in the presence or absence of the person in charge of the target task, such as a delay in returning home due to disruptions in public transportation, such as train delays. The processing unit 12 can acquire such information, for example, by obtaining location information of the information processing terminal 3 of the person in charge of the target task (for example, positioning information from a positioning system such as GPS (Global Positioning System)) via the communication unit 11.

[0155] In the example shown in Figure 34, the storage device 13 (task DB 131) already has "Dad" assigned as the person responsible for the "bring in the laundry" task (target task). At this point, the processing unit 12 determines that the target task should be given priority if it receives weather information indicating a change from sunny to rainy weather. The processing unit 12 then determines whether the person responsible for the target task is at home or not by referring to the presence / absence information of each user U1 stored in the storage device 13 (present / absence DB 137).

[0156] In this case, since "Dad," who is responsible for the task "bringing in the laundry," is absent, the processing unit 12 updates the person responsible for the task by changing it to "Mom," who is at home. After that, the processing unit 12 sends notification information to each user U1's information processing terminal 3. This allows "Mom" to understand that she should perform the task "bringing in the laundry."

[0157] As described above, in the sixth example of operation, the person in charge of the target task can be changed based on changes in the environment in which the target task is placed, making it easier to have the target task executed by the appropriate person.

[0158] [3. Advantages, etc.] The advantages of the task management system 100A (task management method) according to Embodiment 2 are described below. As described above, the task management system 100A (task management method) according to Embodiment 2 automatically determines who is responsible for a task (target task) executed by any of the multiple users U1 based on condition information indicating the conditions for each of the multiple users U1's tasks. For this reason, the task management system 100A (task management method) according to Embodiment 2 has the advantage that users do not have to manually assign responsible persons in the UI provided by the application, and the burden of managing tasks is easily reduced. In addition, since responsible persons are automatically assigned to tasks in the task management system 100A (task management method) according to Embodiment 2, it is easier to avoid situations in which user U1 feels stressed when assigning another user U1 to be responsible for a task, such as being refused or getting into an argument with another user U1.

[0159] (Embodiment 3) [1. Overview] The following describes the overview of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3 with reference to Figure 35. Figure 35 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the executable operation of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3. In the following, explanations of points in the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3 that are common with the task management system 100 according to Embodiment 1 will be omitted as appropriate.

[0160] In Embodiment 3, the processing unit 12 of the task management system 100B generates pattern information indicating the action patterns to be performed on the device 2 during a predetermined time period, based on the acquired logs. If the acquired logs during the predetermined time period do not include the action pattern indicated by the pattern information, the processing unit 12 determines that action pattern to be an emergency task.

[0161] An urgent task is a task that user U1, who is using device 2, should perform. More specifically, an urgent task is a task that user U1 is recommended to perform immediately. Determining an urgent task means, if a task corresponding to the behavioral pattern is not registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131), registering the task in the storage device 13 and increasing the importance of the registered task. Alternatively, if the task is already registered in the storage device 13, determining an urgent task means increasing the importance of that task.

[0162] Importance, also known as urgency, indicates the degree to which a task should be prioritized for user U1. In Embodiment 3, importance is expressed in three levels: "low," "medium," and "high." A task with "low" importance is one that user U1 can perform at their convenience and does not need to prioritize. A task with "medium" importance is one that is recommended to be performed with higher priority than a task with "low" importance. A task with "high" importance is one that user U1 should perform immediately and should be given the highest priority.

[0163] The processing unit 12 generates pattern information by, for example, accumulating a predetermined number of logs acquired by the acquisition unit 11 and performing statistical processing such as finding the mode of the accumulated predetermined number of logs. Alternatively, the processing unit 12 may generate pattern information using a trained model that has been trained by machine learning, for example, using a large number of logs as training data and taking the logs acquired by the acquisition unit 11 as input to output pattern information.

[0164] Figure 36 shows an example of pattern information generation. In the example shown in Figure 36, the processing unit 12 generates pattern information indicating the behavioral pattern "Make a rice cooking start reservation (16:00)" and the behavioral pattern "Start rice cooking at 16:00 on weekdays" based on numerous logs indicating that, for example, the operation "Start rice cooking (16:00)" was performed on a rice cooker and that this operation was performed between 7:00 and 7:30 on a weekday. The processing unit 12 also generates pattern information indicating the behavioral pattern "Perform the drum cleaning course at the end of each month" based on numerous logs indicating that, for example, the operation "Tub cleaning course" was performed on a washing machine and that this operation was performed between 22:00 and 22:30 at the end of the month.

[0165] Figure 37 shows another example of pattern information generation. In the example shown in Figure 37, the processing unit 12 generates pattern information indicating the behavioral pattern "Measure weight daily" based on numerous logs indicating, for example, that an operation called "Measure weight" was performed on a weighing scale, and that this operation was performed daily between 6:30 and 7:00. The processing unit 12 also generates pattern information indicating the behavioral pattern "Measure blood pressure daily" based on numerous logs indicating, for example, that an operation called "Measure blood pressure" was performed on a blood pressure monitor, and that this operation was performed daily between 6:30 and 7:00. Here, since these behavioral patterns share a common time period and are performed daily, the processing unit 12 generates pattern information that combines these behavioral patterns into a single behavioral pattern, "Measure weight / blood pressure daily." The pattern information generated by the processing unit 12 is stored in the pattern DB 138 of the storage device 13.

[0166] Returning to Figure 35, the task management system 100B (1) acquires logs from device 2, (2) determines tasks based on the logs, and registers the determined tasks in the task DB 131. The task management system 100B also (3) determines the person responsible for the determined task (target task) based on the condition information. Then, the task management system 100B (4) sends notification information to user U1's information processing terminal 3 indicating that the task, including the person responsible, has been registered. In the example shown in Figure 35, there are multiple users U1, and the notification information is sent to each of the information processing terminals 3 of the multiple users U1. The multiple users U1 are, for example, family members.

[0167] Furthermore, the task management system 100B (1) acquires logs from device 2, and (5) determines an emergency task by referring to the pattern information stored in the storage device 13 (pattern DB 138). Then, the task management system 100B (6) sends emergency notification information indicating that an emergency task has occurred to each user U1's information processing terminal 3. Note that the processes (2) to (4) above do not necessarily have to be performed by the task management system 100B.

[0168] Figure 38 is a schematic diagram showing an example of emergency notification information in the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3. Figure 38(a) shows a list of emergency notification information, and Figure 38(b) shows the notification information itself. In the example shown in Figure 38(a), the content of the emergency task, "Rice Cooking Start Reservation," is displayed on the display of the information processing terminal 3, as shown in the area enclosed by the dashed line.

[0169] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 38(b), as indicated by the area enclosed by the dashed line, a message indicating that an urgent task regarding the rice cooker has occurred, and a hyperlink for remotely scheduling the start of the rice cooking operation of the rice cooker, labeled "Reserve Rice Cooking," are displayed on the display of the information processing terminal 3.

[0170] Thus, the processing unit 12 may include information for remotely controlling the device 2 (in this case, a rice cooker) that is the target of the emergency task in the emergency notification information and send it to each user U1's information processing terminal 3. Alternatively, the processing unit 12 may send the emergency notification information to each user U1's information processing terminal 3 without including information for remote control.

[0171] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 38, the area enclosed by the dashed line may be displayed in a manner that is visually more emphasized than other areas. For example, if the text is displayed in black in other areas, the text may be displayed in red in the area enclosed by the dashed line. Also, for example, the area enclosed by the dashed line may be displayed higher on the display than other areas.

[0172] [2. Operation] The operation of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3 (i.e., the task management method) will be described in detail below.

[0173] [2-1. Examples of basic operations] First, a basic operation example of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3 will be explained using Figure 39. Figure 39 is a flowchart illustrating a basic operation example of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3. Here, the task management system 100B will be described assuming that it acquires logs from device 2. Also, here, it will be described assuming that there is one user U1.

[0174] When a log is generated in device 2, device 2 sends a signal containing the generated log to server 1 (task management system 100B) via network N1. As a result, the communication unit (acquisition unit) 11 acquires the log via network N1 (S21).

[0175] Next, the processing unit 12 generates pattern information indicating the behavioral pattern based on the logs acquired by the communication unit (acquisition unit) 11 (S22). Step S22 does not have to be performed every time step S21 is executed. For example, step S22 may be performed, for example, every time a predetermined number of logs acquired in step S21 are accumulated.

[0176] Next, the processing unit 12 determines whether or not the log for a predetermined time period contains an action pattern (S23). Here, the processing unit 12 determines whether or not the action pattern executed during a predetermined time period is included in the log for that predetermined time period by referring to the pattern information stored in the storage device 13 (pattern DB 138).

[0177] If the log for the specified time period does not contain the behavioral pattern (S23: No), the processing unit 12 determines that it is an urgent task (S24). In this case, the processing unit 12 determines that the behavioral pattern is an urgent task.

[0178] Then, the processing unit 12 sends emergency notification information indicating that an emergency task has occurred to the user U1's information processing terminal 3 (S25). However, if the log for a predetermined time period contains an action pattern (S23: Yes), the processing unit 12 does not execute steps S24 and S25.

[0179] The following lists specific examples of operations that the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3 can perform. In the first and second operation examples shown below, it will be explained that the multiple users U1 are two people, "Dad" and "Mom". Also, in the first and second operation examples shown below, it will be explained that pattern information has already been generated. Furthermore, the task management system 100B may perform operations by appropriately combining the first and second operation examples shown below.

[0180] [2-2. Example of the first operation] First, a first operational example of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3 will be explained using Figure 40. Figure 40 is a schematic diagram showing a first operational example of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3. The first operational example is a specific example of the process in which the processing unit 12 determines an urgent task by referring to pattern information.

[0181] In the example shown in Figure 40, device 2 is a rice cooker. Normally, when the "rice cooking start reservation" operation is performed between 7:00 and 7:30, the rice cooker sends a signal to the task management system 100B that includes a log indicating that the "rice cooking start reservation" operation was performed during that time. However, in the example shown in Figure 40, since the "rice cooking start reservation" operation was not performed during that time, the rice cooker does not send a signal to the task management system 100B that includes a log indicating that the "rice cooking start reservation" operation was performed during that time.

[0182] The processing unit 12 of the task management system 100B determines that the "rice cooking start reservation" action pattern is not included in the log, and sends emergency notification information to each user U1's information processing terminal 3. In the example shown in Figure 40, the processing unit 12 normally determines whether or not the "rice cooking start reservation" action pattern is included in the log at a predetermined time (in this case, 2 hours) before 16:00, which is the time when the rice cooker's cooking operation is usually started.

[0183] In the example shown in Figure 40, one of the multiple users U1 sees the emergency notification information received on the information processing terminal 3, recognizes that an emergency task, "rice cooking start reservation," has occurred, and remotely performs the "rice cooking start reservation" operation on the rice cooker (i.e., completes the emergency task). As a result, the rice cooker starts the rice cooking operation at the reserved time (in this case, 4pm).

[0184] In this first operational example, the processing performed by the processing unit 12 differs depending on whether the determined emergency task is not registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) or whether the determined emergency task is already registered.

[0185] Figure 41 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a first operation example of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3, in which no determined emergency task is registered. In the example shown in Figure 41, the processing unit 12 determines the action pattern "Rice Cooking Start Reservation (16:00)" included in the pattern information stored in the storage device 13 (Pattern DB 138) as an emergency task. Then, since the task "Rice Cooking Start Reservation (16:00)" is not registered in the storage device 13 (Task DB 131), the processing unit 12 registers the task "Rice Cooking Start Reservation (16:00)" with its importance set to "High" in the storage device 13. As a result, the task "Rice Cooking Start Reservation (16:00)" is registered in the storage device 13 as an emergency task.

[0186] Figure 42 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a first operation example of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3, where a determined emergency task is registered. In the example shown in Figure 42, the processing unit 12, similar to the example shown in Figure 41, determines the action pattern "Rice Cooking Start Reservation (16:00)" included in the pattern information stored in the storage device 13 (Pattern DB 138) as an emergency task. Then, since the task "Rice Cooking Start Reservation (16:00)" is already registered in the storage device 13 (Task DB 131), the processing unit 12 updates the "Rice Cooking Start Reservation" task by changing its importance from "Medium" to "High". As a result, the "Rice Cooking Start Reservation (16:00)" task is registered in the storage device 13 as an emergency task.

[0187] As described above, in the first operational example, if a task (behavioral pattern) that is normally being executed is not being performed, the task is designated as an emergency task, and emergency notification information is sent to each user U1's information processing terminal 3. Therefore, in the first operational example, each user U1 is more likely to notice tasks they have forgotten to perform (emergency tasks), and it becomes easier to avoid situations where such tasks are left unfinished.

[0188] [2-3. Second example of operation] Next, a second operation example of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3 will be described using Figure 43. Figure 43 is a schematic diagram showing the second operation example of the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3. The second operation example differs from the first operation example in that it determines an emergency task based on environmental information indicating changes in the environment in which one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) are located.

[0189] Environmental information may include information indicating changes in weather at the location where the target task is performed, such as a change from sunny to rainy weather. The processing unit 12 can acquire such information, for example, by obtaining weather information from a server that provides weather information via the communication unit (acquisition unit) 11. Furthermore, environmental information may include information indicating changes in the presence or absence of the person in charge of the target task, such as a delay in returning home due to disruptions in public transportation, such as train delays. The processing unit 12 can acquire such information, for example, by obtaining location information (for example, positioning information from a positioning system such as GPS) of the person in charge of the target task via the communication unit 11.

[0190] In the example shown in Figure 43, the task "bring in the laundry" is already registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131). Here, the processing unit 12 determines that the task should be given priority when it receives weather information indicating a change from sunny to rainy weather. The processing unit 12 then registers the task as an urgent task by changing its importance from "medium" to "high".

[0191] Furthermore, the processing unit 12 determines whether the person responsible for an urgent task is at home or not by referring to the presence / absence information of each user U1 stored in the storage device 13 (Presence / Absence DB 137). In this case, since "Dad," who is responsible for the urgent task "Bring in the laundry," is absent, the processing unit 12 updates the person responsible for the urgent task by changing it to "Mom," who is at home. After that, the processing unit 12 sends the urgent notification information to the information processing terminal 3 of each user U1. This allows "Mom" to understand that she should perform the urgent task "Bring in the laundry."

[0192] As described above, in the second operational example, an emergency task is determined based on a change in the environment in which one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) are located, and emergency notification information is sent to each user U1's information processing terminal 3. Therefore, in the second operational example, each user U1 is more likely to notice tasks that need to be executed due to changes in the environment (emergency tasks), and it becomes easier to avoid situations where such tasks are left unexecuted.

[0193] By the way, in the above explanation, multiple users U1 are assumed to be one group, such as a family, but this is not limited to this. For example, as shown in Figure 44, multiple users U1 may include multiple (in this case, two) groups. Figure 44 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a recipient of emergency notification information in the task management system 100B according to Embodiment 3.

[0194] In the example shown in Figure 44, "Group α" is a family and "Group β" is the grandparents. In this case, if an urgent task occurs in "Group β", the processing unit 12 of the task management system 100B not only sends urgent notification information to the information processing terminal 3 of each user U1 belonging to "Group β", but also sends urgent notification information to the information processing terminal 3 of each user U1 belonging to "Group α". This makes it easier for each user U1 in "Group α" to notice that an urgent task has occurred in "Group β", and even if each user U1 in "Group β" forgets to perform the urgent task, it can still be performed.

[0195] [3. Advantages, etc.] The advantages of the task management system 100B (task management method) according to Embodiment 3 will be described below. As described above, the task management system 100B (task management method) according to Embodiment 3 generates pattern information indicating the action patterns to be performed on the device 2 during a predetermined time period based on the acquired logs. The task management system 100B (task management method) according to Embodiment 3 then determines that the action pattern indicated by the pattern information is an urgent task if the acquired logs do not include the action pattern indicated by the pattern information during the predetermined time period. Therefore, the task management system 100B (task management method) according to Embodiment 3 has the advantage that if a task (action pattern) that is normally performed is not performed, that task is determined to be an urgent task, making it easier for each user U1 to notice tasks they have forgotten to perform (urgent tasks) and making it easier to avoid situations where such tasks are left unperformed.

[0196] (modified version) As described above, Embodiments 1 to 3 have been explained as examples of the technology disclosed in this application. However, the technology in this disclosure is not limited thereto and can be applied to Embodiments 1 to 3 that have been modified, replaced, added, or omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, it is possible to combine the components described in Embodiments 1 to 3 above to create new Embodiments 1 to 3.

[0197] Therefore, the following are examples of modifications of Embodiments 1 to 3.

[0198] In the above embodiment 1, the task management system 100 includes both a registration function that registers a task determined based on the acquired log in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) if it is a new task, and an update function that updates the task with the content of the determined task if it is already registered in the storage device 13, but is not limited to this.

[0199] For example, the task management system 100 may only have the registration function described above. That is, the task management method obtains logs regarding the status of device 2 by communicating with device 2 or an external system that manages device 2. Based on the obtained logs, this task management method determines the tasks to be performed by user U1 using device 2. This task management method registers the determined tasks in the storage device 13.

[0200] Furthermore, for example, the task management system 100 may only have the update function described above. That is, the task management method obtains a log regarding the status of device 2 by communicating with device 2 or an external system that manages device 2. Based on the obtained log, this task management method determines the task to be executed by user U1 using device 2. This task management method updates the content of tasks of the same type as the determined task that are registered in the storage device 13 to the content of the determined task.

[0201] In the above embodiment 3, the processing unit 12 of the task management system 100B may decide whether or not to send emergency notification information based on schedule information that shows the schedule of each user U1. For example, if the processing unit 12 decides that the "rice cooking start reservation" task is an emergency task, it does not need to send emergency notification information if the schedule information indicates that each user U1 is going out to eat.

[0202] In the above embodiment 3, the processing unit 12 of the task management system 100B may change the importance level of one or more tasks registered in the storage device 13 (task DB 131) based on various information such as schedule information. For example, if the schedule information indicates that there is a sports day on the weekend, the processing unit 12 may increase the importance level of the "Shopping (eggs)" task, as it is estimated that there is a high probability of including eggs in the lunch box prepared for the sports day. Also, for example, if the task "Make fried rice" is registered in the storage device 13, the processing unit 12 may increase the importance level of the "Shopping (eggs)" task, which is also registered in the storage device 13.

[0203] In embodiments 1 to 3 described above, the task management systems 100, 100A, and 100B may be implemented on devices other than Server 1. Furthermore, for example, in embodiments 1 to 3, the task management systems 100, 100A, and 100B were implemented as a single device, but they may be implemented by multiple devices. When the system is implemented by multiple devices, the components of the task management systems 100, 100A, and 100B may be distributed among the multiple devices in any way. For example, some of the components of the task management systems 100, 100A, and 100B in embodiments 1 to 3 may be installed in the facility where user U1 resides. In other words, this disclosure may be implemented by cloud computing or by edge computing.

[0204] Furthermore, for example, all or part of the components of the task management systems 100, 100A, and 100B in this disclosure may be configured in dedicated hardware, or they may be realized by executing software programs suitable for each component. Each component may be realized by a program execution unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or processor reading and executing a software program recorded on a recording medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or semiconductor memory.

[0205] Furthermore, the components of the task management systems 100, 100A, and 100B in this disclosure may consist of one or more electronic circuits. Each of these one or more electronic circuits may be a general-purpose circuit or a dedicated circuit.

[0206] One or more electronic circuits may include, for example, semiconductor devices, ICs (Integrated Circuits), or LSIs (Large Scale Integrations). ICs or LSIs may be integrated on a single chip or on multiple chips. While referred to here as ICs or LSIs, the terminology may vary depending on the degree of integration; they might also be called system LSIs, VLSIs (Very Large Scale Integrations), or ULSIs (Ultra Large Scale Integrations). Furthermore, FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays), which are programmed after the LSI is manufactured, can also be used for the same purpose.

[0207] Furthermore, the general or specific aspects of this disclosure may be implemented as a system, apparatus, method, integrated circuit, or computer program. Alternatively, the computer program may be implemented on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as an optical disk, HDD, or semiconductor memory on which the computer program is stored. For example, this disclosure may be implemented as a program for causing a computer to execute the task management method of Embodiments 1 to 3 described above. This program may also be recorded on a computer-readable non-temporary recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or distributed via a communication channel such as the Internet.

[0208] Furthermore, for example, the above program is not limited to a program executed by a single computer, but may also be a program executed in a distributed manner by multiple computers.

[0209] As described above, Embodiments 1 to 3 have been explained as examples of the technology described herein. For this purpose, the accompanying drawings and detailed description have been provided.

[0210] Therefore, the components described in the attached drawings and detailed descriptions may include not only components essential for solving the problem, but also components that are not essential for solving the problem, provided that they illustrate the technology described above. For this reason, the mere presence of these non-essential components in the attached drawings and detailed descriptions should not be immediately assumed to mean that they are essential.

[0211] Furthermore, since the embodiments 1 to 3 described above are for illustrative purposes of the technology described herein, various modifications, substitutions, additions, omissions, etc., can be made within the scope of the claims or equivalents thereof.

[0212] (summary) As described above, in the task management method according to the first embodiment, the person responsible for a target task executed by any of the multiple users U1 is determined based on condition information indicating the conditions for each of the multiple users U1's tasks (S11). In this task management method, information indicating the target task to which the determined person responsible is associated is output (S13).

[0213] According to this approach, the person responsible for the target task is automatically determined based on the condition information, eliminating the need for users to manually assign personnel in the UI provided by the application, thus reducing the burden of task management.

[0214] Furthermore, in the task management method relating to the second embodiment, in the first embodiment, the person in charge is determined based on the degree of completion of one or more tasks other than the target task for each of the multiple users U1, which are used as conditional information.

[0215] According to this approach, the person responsible for a given task is determined based on the degree to which each user U1 has completed that task, which has the advantage of reducing the likelihood of uneven distribution of responsibility among different tasks.

[0216] Furthermore, in the task management method relating to the third embodiment, the person in charge is determined based on the status of responsibility for related tasks associated with each of the target tasks of multiple users U1, which are used as conditional information, in the first or second embodiment.

[0217] According to this, assigning the same person to two or more tasks that are more efficient when performed together has the advantage of making it easier for the person in charge to perform the tasks efficiently.

[0218] Furthermore, in the task management method relating to the fourth embodiment, the person in charge is determined based on the category of the task assigned to each of the multiple users U1 as conditional information, in any one of the first to third embodiments.

[0219] According to this approach, the person responsible for a given task is determined based on the category of tasks assigned to each user U1, which has the advantage of reducing the likelihood of dissatisfaction from the person assigned to that task.

[0220] Furthermore, in the fifth aspect of the task management method, in any one of the first to fourth aspects, the person in charge is determined based on the outcome of a game in which multiple users U1 participate, with the person in charge being the prize as conditional information.

[0221] According to this method, since the person responsible for the target task is determined based on the outcome of the game, there is an advantage in that dissatisfaction is less likely to arise from the person assigned to the target task.

[0222] Furthermore, in the task management method relating to the sixth embodiment, if a person in charge has been assigned to the target task in any one of the first to fifth embodiments, the person in charge is re-determined based on environmental information indicating a change in the environment in which the target task is located.

[0223] According to this approach, the person responsible for a task can be changed based on changes in the environment surrounding that task, which has the advantage of making it easier to ensure that the task is performed by the appropriate person.

[0224] Furthermore, the program relating to the seventh embodiment causes one or more processors to execute the task management method of any one of the first to sixth embodiments.

[0225] According to this approach, the person responsible for the target task is automatically determined based on the condition information, eliminating the need for users to manually assign personnel in the UI provided by the application, thus reducing the burden of task management.

[0226] Furthermore, the task management system 100A according to the eighth embodiment comprises a processing unit 12 and a communication unit (acquisition unit) 11. The processing unit 12 determines the person responsible for a target task executed by any of the multiple users U1 based on condition information indicating the conditions for each of the tasks of the multiple users U1. The communication unit 11 outputs information indicating the target task to which the person responsible determined by the processing unit 12 is associated.

[0227] According to this approach, the person responsible for the target task is automatically determined based on the condition information, eliminating the need for users to manually assign personnel in the UI provided by the application, thus reducing the burden of task management. [Industrial applicability]

[0228] This disclosure is applicable to systems that manage tasks performed by users of equipment. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0229] 1 server 11. Acquisition Department (Communications Department) 12 Processing Units 13 Storage device 131 Task DB 132 Task determination database 133 Database for task deletion 134 Task Selection Database 135 Task update database 136 Condition DB 137 Presence / absence DB 138 Pattern DB 2 equipment 3. Information Processing Terminal 100, 100A, 100B Task Management System N1 Network U1 User U11 First User U12 Second User

Claims

1. Obtain a log from the device indicating the status of the device, The target task is determined from the aforementioned log, The person responsible for the target task to be performed by any of the multiple users is determined based on condition information indicating the conditions for each of the multiple users' tasks. The system outputs information indicating the target task to which the assigned person is linked. Task management methods.

2. Based on the degree to which each of the multiple users has completed one or more tasks other than the target task, the person in charge is determined. The task management method according to claim 1.

3. Based on the status of each of the multiple users' responsibilities for related tasks associated with the target task, as conditional information, the person in charge is determined. The task management method according to claim 1.

4. Based on the category of tasks assigned to each of the multiple users as the conditional information, the person in charge is determined. The task management method according to claim 1.

5. The person in charge is determined based on the outcome of a game in which multiple users participate, with the person in charge being the subject of the aforementioned condition information. The task management method according to claim 1.

6. If the aforementioned person is assigned to the aforementioned task, the person is reassigned based on environmental information indicating a change in the environment in which the aforementioned task is performed. The task management method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. One or more processors, The task management method described in any one of claims 1 to 5 is to be executed. program.

8. A task management system capable of communicating with devices and information processing terminals via a network, The aforementioned task management system is A storage unit that stores the correspondence between the state of the aforementioned device and the task, (i) When a log indicating the status of the device is received from the device, a processing unit determines the target task based on the correspondence relationship stored in the storage unit, and (ii) determines the person responsible for the target task to be performed by any of the multiple users based on condition information indicating the conditions for each of the multiple users' tasks, The system includes a communication unit that outputs information indicating the target task to which the person in charge determined by the processing unit is associated, Task management system.

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