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

Abstract

This information processing device uses a Web application that implements push-to-talk communication. The information processing device includes an acquisition unit, a setting unit, and a communication control unit. The acquisition unit acquires, from a terminal, authentication information including a URL for accessing the Web application, information on the position of the terminal, and the IP address of an access point accessed by the terminal. If the authentication information is determined to be valid by authentication processing for the authentication information, the setting unit sets the terminal such that the terminal is able to execute the push-to-talk communication via the Web application. The communication control unit determines whether or not to permit the terminal, which is set to be able to execute the push-to-talk communication, to execute the push-to-talk communication on the basis of the authentication processing for the authentication information.

Description

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

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

[0002] PTT (Push To Talk) communication, a half-duplex voice communication method, is known as a technology that enables one-to-many group voice communication. In recent years, with the widespread use of devices capable of multiple uses, such as smartphones, PoC (Push-to-Talk over Cellular), which broadcasts packets containing voice data to multiple devices, has been attracting attention. In PoC, one of the multiple devices that make up a talk group acquires the right to transmit voice data. The terminal that has acquired the right then broadcasts the voice data to the other devices.

[0003] To perform PTT communication, a user first installs an application for performing PTT on a device such as a smartphone. After that, the user starts the installed application and enters a user ID and password for authentication. Then, the user can perform PTT communication using the assigned user ID.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-219297

[0005] However, when a user attempts to conduct PTT communication using the above-mentioned application, there are times when the user finds it troublesome to install the application on a smartphone or to enter a specific assigned user ID for authentication. For example, in situations where a PTT communication is conducted only once and is no longer needed, or in situations where a user wishes to conduct PTT communication immediately, the need to install the application and access the smartphone without using the assigned user ID can be inconvenient for the user. Therefore, this can be an obstacle to the easy use of PTT communication by an unspecified number of users.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program that improve user convenience.

[0007] An information processing device according to the present invention utilizes a web application that enables push-to-talk communication. The information processing device includes an acquisition unit, a setting unit, and a communication control unit. The acquisition unit acquires authentication information from a terminal, the authentication information including a URL for accessing the web application, location information of the terminal, and an IP address of an access point accessed by the terminal. The setting unit performs an authentication process on the authentication information and, if the authentication information is found to be valid, sets the terminal to be able to perform the push-to-talk communication via the web application. The communication control unit determines, based on the authentication process on the authentication information, whether the push-to-talk communication is permitted for the terminal that has been set to be able to perform the push-to-talk communication.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve convenience for users.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a communication system according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a processing server according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a terminal according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a flowchart explaining the operation of a communication system according to this embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a user management table according to this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of use of a communication system according to this embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of display of text data related to PTT communication shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing another example of use of a communication system according to this embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a staff group talk display screen when a user rings a ringer. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a ringer editing function.

[0010] Hereinafter, an information processing device, an information processing method, and an information processing program according to embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, elements that are identical or similar to elements already described will be assigned the same or similar reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will generally be omitted. For example, when multiple identical or similar elements exist, a common reference numeral may be used to describe each element without distinguishing between them, or a subnumber may be used in addition to the common reference numeral to describe each element with distinction between them.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a communication system 1 according to this embodiment. The communication system 1 shown in FIG. 1 uses, for example, PoC (Push-to-Talk over Cellular) communication to realize one-to-many voice communication on a group basis. The communication system 1 shown in FIG. 1 includes, for example, a processing server 10, terminals 20-1 to 20-m, and base stations 30-1 to 30-n. n and m are natural numbers equal to or greater than 2. In the following description, unless otherwise specified, they will be simply referred to as terminal 20 and base station 30.

[0012] The processing server 10 and the base stations 30-1 to 30-n are connected via a network such as the Internet and a communication network provided by a telecommunications carrier. The terminals 20-1 to 20-m wirelessly connect to one of the base stations 30-1 to 30-n that forms a wireless area including the terminal's current location.

[0013] The processing server 10 is an information processing device that controls the broadcast transmission of audio data or video data transmitted from a terminal having a transmission right among the terminals 20-1 to 20-m to terminals 20 owned by multiple users who are in the same talk group as the transmitting user, i.e., performs push-to-talk communication (hereinafter referred to as PTT communication). In this embodiment, the transmission right refers to the right to transmit audio data or video data in PoC. In this embodiment, the processing server 10 realizes PTT communication by providing an application (referred to as a Web application) without requiring each terminal 20 to install an application, and allowing each terminal 20 to access and use the Web application.

[0014] Terminals 20-1 to 20-m are terminals owned by users, such as mobile phones, smartphones, tablet PCs, and designated dedicated terminals. Terminals 20-1 to 20-m perform one-to-many voice communication using PoC via the processing server 10. For example, terminals 20-1 to 20-m join a talk group in response to a user's operation. One of terminals 20-1 to 20-m acquires the right to transmit in response to the user's operation. A terminal 20 that has acquired the right to transmit accepts voice input from the user and transmits voice data based on the accepted voice to other terminals 20 participating in the same talk group via the processing server 10. Terminals 20-1 to 20-m also receive text data created by the processing server 10 based on the voice and display characters based on the text data on their own displays.

[0015] Base stations 30-1 to 30-n are provided for each area of ​​a predetermined size, forming a predetermined wireless area. Base stations 30-1 to 30-n are wirelessly connected to terminals 20-1 to 20-m that exist within the wireless area formed by the base station itself.

[0016] Next, an example of the functional configuration of the processing server 10 will be described with reference to the block diagram of Fig. 2. The processing server 10 shown in Fig. 2 includes, for example, a processing unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication interface 13. The processing unit 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication interface 13 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other, for example, via a bus. The processing unit 11 is also referred to as an information processing device.

[0017] The processing unit 11 is, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The CPU reads, for example, an application program stored in the storage unit 12 and executes the application program. In this way, the processing unit 11 realizes various functions corresponding to the application program.

[0018] The storage unit 12 is a so-called auxiliary storage device that includes a non-volatile storage circuit such as a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid state drive (SSD) that store various information. Note that the storage unit 12 may also be a drive device that reads and writes various information from and to portable storage media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and flash memories. The storage unit 12 stores the application program according to this embodiment.

[0019] The storage unit 12 also stores user information about users participating in talk groups under the control of the processing unit 11. The storage unit 12 also stores, under the control of the processing unit 11, call data created based on voice data transmitted from the terminal 20 with the transmission right, text data obtained by converting the call data into text, and video data captured by the terminal 20. The storage unit 12 also stores translated text data obtained by translating the text data under the control of the processing unit 11. The storage unit 12 also stores, in a group management table, a correspondence relationship between one or more talk groups and the group position information defining the one or more talk groups. The storage unit 12 also stores, in the user management table, a correspondence relationship between users participating in talk groups and the talk groups they participate in.

[0020] The communication interface 13 is a circuit that connects to a network. The communication interface 13 transmits data via the network to at least one of the terminals 20-1 to 20-m that are wirelessly connected to the base stations 30-1 to 30-n. The communication interface 13 also receives data via the network that is transmitted from at least one of the terminals 20-1 to 20-m that are wirelessly connected to the base stations 30-1 to 30-n.

[0021] 2 executes an application program stored in the storage unit 12 to implement the functions of a web application corresponding to the application program. For example, by executing the application program, the processing unit 11 implements the functions of a registration processing unit 111, a transmission right granting unit 112, an acquisition unit 113, a setting unit 114, a communication control unit 115, a text processing unit 116, and a translation processing unit 117.

[0022] The processing unit 11 shown in Fig. 2 may be formed by combining multiple CPUs. That is, the registration processing unit 111, transmission right granting unit 112, acquisition unit 113, setting unit 114, communication control unit 115, text conversion processing unit 116, and translation processing unit 117 shown in Fig. 2 may be realized by each CPU executing an application program, for example.

[0023] The processing unit 11 may be formed of a dedicated hardware configuration having the functions of the registration processing unit 111, the transmission right granting unit 112, the acquisition unit 113, the setting unit 114, the communication control unit 115, the text conversion processing unit 116, and the translation processing unit 117. The processing unit 11 may be formed of an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), another complex programmable logic device (CPLD), or a simple programmable logic device (SPLD) incorporating dedicated hardware circuits having the functions of the registration processing unit 111, the transmission right granting unit 112, the acquisition unit 113, the setting unit 114, the communication control unit 115, the text conversion processing unit 116, and the translation processing unit 117.

[0024] The registration processing unit 111 registers users who will participate in talk groups that conduct one-to-many voice communication. Specifically, for example, the registration processing unit 111 acquires user information about users who will participate in a specific talk group based on a request from terminals 20-1 to 20-m. The registration processing unit 111 associates the acquired user information with the participating talk group and stores it in the storage unit 12. The user information includes, for example, the talk group ID, the IDs of users participating in the talk group, the IP addresses of the terminals owned by the users, the language codes for the languages ​​set by the users, the login status of the users, and terminal location information. The registration processing unit 111 stores definition information about which users will participate in which talk groups, i.e., for example, the talk group IDs and the IDs of users participating in the talk groups, in the storage unit 12. The registration processing unit 111 also stores information that dynamically changes depending on the state of the terminal 20, i.e., for example, the IP address, language code, login status, and location information, in the storage unit 12.

[0025] The transmission right granting unit 112 grants transmission rights to any of the terminals owned by users participating in a predetermined talk group.

[0026] The acquisition unit 113 acquires authentication information related to the use of the Web application from the terminal 20. The setting unit 114 sets the terminal 20 that has transmitted the authentication information so that it can perform PTT communication via the Web application.

[0027] The communication control unit 115 controls communication so that one-to-many voice communication is realized among the terminals 20 owned by the users participating in the talk group. Specifically, for example, the communication control unit 115 transmits voice data or video data transmitted from a terminal 20 that has been granted the transmission right to terminals 20 owned by users participating in the same talk group.

[0028] Furthermore, the communication control unit 115 controls communication so that text data converted from the voice data is transmitted to the devices 20 owned by the users participating in the talk group. Specifically, for example, when the voice data is converted into text data, the communication control unit 115 transmits a notification that the text conversion is complete to the devices 20 owned by the users participating in the talk group. When a request to transmit text data is received from the device 20, the communication control unit 115 transmits the text data to the requesting device 20.

[0029] Furthermore, the communication control unit 115 controls communication so that translated text data obtained by translating text data into a predetermined language is transmitted to a terminal requiring translation. Specifically, for example, when the translation of the text data is completed, the communication control unit 115 transmits a message indicating that the translation is complete to the terminal 20 carried by the user participating in the talk group. When a request for transmission of translated text data is received from the terminal 20, the communication control unit 115 transmits the translated text data to the requesting terminal 20.

[0030] The text conversion processing unit 116 converts the voice data transmitted from the terminal having the transmission right into text data. Specifically, for example, the text conversion processing unit 116 converts the voice data into text data based on information on grammar, information on language structure, information on the composition of the voice data, stored word information, etc. Note that the voice-to-text data conversion process employed by the text conversion processing unit 116 may utilize existing technology.

[0031] The translation processing unit 117 creates translated text data by performing a translation process on the text data converted by the text conversion processing unit 116. Specifically, for example, the translation processing unit 117 translates the text data converted by the text conversion processing unit 116 into text data in a language corresponding to the language code associated with the users participating in the talk group. The translation process employed by the text conversion processing unit 116 may utilize existing technologies such as statistical machine translation and neural machine translation.

[0032] Although not shown, the processing server 10 may have an input interface. The input interface is realized by, for example, a mouse, a keyboard, and a touch panel where instructions are input by touching the operation surface. The input interface converts input instructions from an operator into electrical signals and outputs the electrical signals to the processing unit 11. The input interface is not limited to physical operation devices such as a mouse and a keyboard. The input interface may include, for example, a receiving port that receives electrical signals input from an external input device.

[0033] Furthermore, although not shown, the processing server 10 may have an output interface. The output interface is realized, for example, by a display device, a printing device, etc. Any display can be used as the display device, for example, a CRT display, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, an LED display, a plasma display, etc. The display device displays image data of the display object. The printing device is, for example, a printer. The printing device prints image data of the print object on a specified sheet of paper. Note that the output interface is not limited to physical output devices such as a display device and a printing device. The output interface may include, for example, a transmission port that transmits image data to an external output device.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the terminal 20. The terminal 20 shown in Fig. 3 includes, for example, a processing unit 21, a storage unit 22, an input interface 23, an output interface 24, a communication interface 25, a GPS receiver 26, and a scanning unit 27.

[0035] The processing unit 21 is, for example, a CPU. The CPU loads, for example, an application program stored in the storage unit 22 into a RAM. The CPU executes the application program loaded into the RAM. In this way, the processing unit 21 realizes various functions corresponding to the application program.

[0036] The storage unit 22 is a so-called auxiliary storage device that includes a non-volatile storage circuit such as a NAND or NOR flash memory. The storage unit 22 may also be a drive that reads and writes various information from and to a portable storage medium such as an SD card or a microSD card. The storage unit 22 stores the application program according to this embodiment. The storage unit 22 also stores information about talk groups that the terminal can join.

[0037] The input interface 23 is realized by, for example, a button, a touch panel where instructions are input by touching the operation surface, a microphone where voice is input, etc. The input interface 23 converts the input instructions from the operator into electrical signals and outputs the electrical signals to the processing unit 21.

[0038] The output interface 24 is realized by, for example, a display device and a speaker. Examples of the display device include a liquid crystal display and an organic EL display. The display device displays image data and video data of the display target. The speaker reproduces audio data associated with audio communication.

[0039] The communication interface 25 is a circuit that wirelessly connects to the base stations 30-1 to 30-n. The communication interface 25 is realized by, for example, an antenna and a radio unit. The antenna receives incoming radio signals. The radio unit also transmits radio signals output from the radio unit. The radio unit converts the radio signals received by the antenna in accordance with a preset demodulation method and outputs the converted data to the processing unit 21. The radio unit also converts the data created by the processing unit 21 into radio signals in accordance with a preset modulation method and outputs the converted radio signals to the antenna.

[0040] The GPS receiver 26 receives signals transmitted from GPS satellites and generates terminal location information related to the terminal's own location based on the received signals. The scanning unit 27 is, for example, a camera or an infrared camera mounted on the terminal 20, and reads one-dimensional or two-dimensional codes in which information such as a uniform resource locator (URL) related to a web application is embedded, and extracts the information embedded in the codes. An example of one-dimensional codes is a barcode. An example of two-dimensional codes is a QR code (registered trademark).

[0041] The processing unit 21 shown in FIG. 3 implements the functions of a communication control unit 211, a display control unit 212, and a playback control unit 213. The communication control unit 211 controls communication with the processing server 10. Specifically, for example, when a terminal 20 accesses a web application, PTT communication becomes executable, and then the terminal 20 obtains a transmission right, the communication control unit 211 converts the voice input from the microphone in accordance with a proprietary TCP / IP-based protocol. The communication control unit 211 transmits the converted voice data to the processing server 10 executing the web application via the network NW and the base station 30. As a result, the processing server 10 can acquire the voice data from the terminal 20 using the web application, distribute the voice data, and generate text data corresponding to the voice data. Therefore, the terminal 20 can access the web application provided by the processing server 10 to display the voice data and the corresponding text data on its own display, etc.

[0042] Furthermore, for example, the communication control unit 211 of the terminal 20 that does not have the transmission right can access a web application provided by the processing server 10 and output voice data transmitted by the terminal 20 that has the transmission right via the playback control unit 213. The communication control unit 211 can also access the web application and display text data, which is voice data converted into text, on a display or the like via the display control unit 212. Furthermore, if the language set in the terminal 20 that does not have the transmission right is different from the language set in the terminal 20 that has the transmission right, the communication control unit 211 can access the web application and display translated text data, which is text data translated into a desired language by the translation processing unit 117 of the processing server 10, on a display or the like via the display control unit 212. The communication control unit 211 transmits the terminal location information created by the GPS receiver 26 to the processing server 10 at a timing when a user instructs it or periodically at predetermined intervals.

[0043] The display control unit 212 controls display processing on the display, which is the output interface 24. Specifically, for example, the display control unit 212 controls the display so as to display various received notifications, the screen of a web application, and received video data.

[0044] The playback control unit 213 controls the playback of audio corresponding to characters based on text data displayed on the display. Specifically, for example, the playback control unit 213 controls the speaker, which is the output interface 24, so as to play call data corresponding to characters based on text data displayed on the display. The playback control unit 213 also acquires video data and displays the video data on a display or the like.

[0045] The playback control unit 213 also controls the reading of characters based on the translated text data. Specifically, for example, when there is a request to read out characters based on the translated text data displayed on the display, the playback control unit 213 controls the speaker, which is the output interface 24, to play back audio data corresponding to the translated text data. Note that the playback control unit 213 may be realized by, for example, an API (Application Program Interface) provided by an OS (Operating System).

[0046] Next, an example of the operation of the information processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0047] In step SA1, the user operates terminal 20 to read the two-dimensional code via scanning unit 27. Specifically, the QR code is read using, for example, a camera, which is scanning unit 27 of terminal 20. This makes it possible to obtain a URL for accessing a web application embedded in the two-dimensional code.

[0048] In step SA2, the terminal 20 accesses the web application based on the read two-dimensional code, and the acquisition unit 113 of the processing server 10 acquires authentication information from the terminal 20. The acquired authentication information is stored, for example, in the storage unit 12. Here, the authentication information includes elements such as a URL for accessing the web application embedded in the two-dimensional code, and at least one of terminal location information indicating the location of the terminal 20 and an IP address indicating the sender assigned by an access point or the like accessed by the terminal 20. Note that the authentication information is not limited to this, and may also include other elements such as time information regarding the time of access, model information including the model of the terminal 20 and the OS type.

[0049] In step SA3, the setting unit 114 determines whether the authentication information transmitted from the terminal 20 is valid. For example, if the authentication information includes terminal location information, the setting unit 114 references GPS information transmitted from the terminal 20 and determines that the authentication information is valid if the access is from within a specific area on the map coordinate system, such as a store or a school. Alternatively, if the authentication information includes an IP address, the setting unit 114 references the IP address transmitted from the terminal 20 and determines that the authentication information is valid if the IP address is a predetermined address. Similarly, if time information is included as one element of the authentication information, the setting unit 114 references the time information and determines that the authentication information is valid if the time when the web application was used by the terminal 20 is within a predetermined time period. Note that the setting unit 114 may determine whether multiple elements of the terminal location information, IP address, and time information are valid, or may determine that the authentication information is valid if all of the combined elements satisfy a condition. In other words, the setting unit 114 may determine whether the authentication information is valid using at least one element of the authentication information. If the authentication information is valid, proceed to step SA4; if the authentication information is not valid, access from the current terminal 20 is denied, and return to step SA2 to repeat the same process in order to obtain access from the terminal 20 using new authentication information.

[0050] In step SA4, the setting unit 114 sets the terminal 20 to be able to perform PTT communication via a web application. Specifically, the terminal 20 is set with a usage authority to be able to perform PTT communication via a web application. A terminal 20 for which usage authority has been set is also referred to as an authenticated terminal 20. For example, instead of individual settings for performing PTT communication using an individually assigned user ID and password, the terminal 20 may be registered as a default user with usage authority to perform PTT communication without individually setting a user ID and password. This allows an unspecified number of users to easily perform PTT communication without having to install an application for performing PTT communication.

[0051] In step SA5, the communication control unit 115 determines whether or not PTT communication of the terminal 20 authenticated in step SA4 is permitted. For example, if the terminal 20 is accessing the web application from outside the specific area determined in step SA3, it may be determined that PTT communication of the terminal 20 is not permitted. Alternatively, if the IP address of the terminal 20 is not a specific address and the access is not via an access point in the specific area that permits PTT communication, it may be determined that PTT communication of the terminal 20 is not permitted. Alternatively, if the time of access by the terminal 20 is outside a specific time period, it may be determined that the time is outside of reception or response hours and that PTT communication of the terminal 20 is not permitted. If PTT communication of the terminal 20 is not permitted, the process proceeds to step SA6. If PTT communication of the terminal 20 is permitted, the determination process of step SA5 is repeated at predetermined intervals while the terminal 20 is executing PTT communication. In step SA5, a determination process may be performed by the element that has determined in step SA3 whether the authentication information is valid.

[0052] In step SA6, the communication control unit 115 stops the PTT communication of the authenticated terminal 20. Note that, instead of immediately stopping the PTT communication when the PTT communication is no longer permitted after the determination in step SA5, the communication control unit 115 may first send a message to the terminal 20 urging the terminal 20 to access the PTT communication from a specific area and a specific access point. The communication control unit 115 may stop the PTT communication when the PTT communication is not being performed from a specific area or a specific access point even if a predetermined period of time has elapsed since sending the message.

[0053] Next, an example of a user management table according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 5 . In the user management table 50 shown in FIG. 5 , user IDs, terminal location information, and IP addresses are associated with each other as authentication information. The user ID "User01" is associated with the terminal location information "Terminal Location Information 01_12:00:00." The terminal location information is stored as time-series data, in which GPS information (corresponding to Terminal Location Information 01) transmitted from the terminal 20 at predetermined intervals is associated with time information. To conserve storage space, the time-series data of the terminal location information may be deleted after a certain period of time has elapsed. Furthermore, "IP Address 01," which is the IP address of the source when the terminal 20 accesses the web application, is associated with the user management table. Of course, other items included in the information data transmitted from the terminal 20 may also be associated with the usage administrator table.

[0054] Next, a usage example of the communication system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a usage example of the communication system according to this embodiment in an unmanned store that handles clothing without staff.

[0055] 6A, it is assumed that a user carrying a terminal 20 enters an unmanned clothing store and searches for clothing of their choice. The user activates the scanning unit 27 of the terminal 20 and reads a two-dimensional code 60 displayed on a shelf.

[0056] 6B, the user accesses the URL to the web application obtained from the read two-dimensional code 60. Terminal location information is sent from the terminal 20 to the processing server 10 as identification information.

[0057] Here, the authentication information includes terminal location information sent from the terminal 20 to the web application. If the authentication information is deemed valid if the access is from within the store, the terminal 20 accesses the store by reading a two-dimensional code inside the store. Therefore, the setting unit 114 of the processing server 10 determines that the access from the terminal 20 is from within the store and can determine that the authentication information is valid by referring to the terminal location information. Therefore, as an example, a screen 61 with the content "PTT communication available. Would you like to make an inquiry? Store: Store A, Person in charge: Staff B" is displayed on the terminal 20. The user selects "Yes."

[0058] In Fig. 6(c), the terminal 20 is capable of PTT communication using a web application. In the example of Fig. 6(c), staff member B, who is the responder, outputs a voice message via PTT communication saying "Sorry to keep you waiting. What can I do for you?" from the speaker of the terminal 20.

[0059] 6(d), the user uses the camera of the terminal 20 to take a picture of the clothing item (here, a T-shirt) that he or she wants to inquire about, and then speaks, "Do you have this T-shirt in size L?", which causes voice data to be sent via PTT communication to the web application. After that, PTT communication can continue between the user and the person in charge in the same way.

[0060] Next, a display example of text data related to the PTT communication shown in Fig. 6 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 shows a text display screen 100 of a talk group on a web application. The respondent's speech is shown as text 101 surrounded by a dashed line, and the user's speech is shown as text 102 surrounded by a solid line. The display is not limited to dashed and solid lines, and any display mode that allows the speech of the talk group participants to be uniquely distinguished may be used. Alternatively, the display may be such that the speech of the user can be distinguished from that of others.

[0061] Furthermore, after reading the two-dimensional code, other functions may be executed in addition to PTT communication. Another example of use of the communication system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 8. FIG. 8 shows an example of executing a function equivalent to a call bell for a user to call staff (hereinafter simply referred to as a call bell). FIG. 8 shows, for example, the state of FIG. 6(b), i.e., the display screen 81 of the terminal 20 after the two-dimensional code has been read.

[0062] In this example, the display screen 81 of the terminal 20 displays multiple buttons 82 for questions that are expected to be asked to the staff member. Specifically, buttons 82 for "I'd like to know more about the product," "I'd like to discuss delivery," and "Other" are displayed. Furthermore, a language switch button 83 is displayed for switching the display content to multiple languages. For example, Japanese, English, and Chinese are available, and by tapping the language switch button 83, the display can be switched to the desired language. The user taps the desired question. In the example of FIG. 8 , it is assumed that the user taps the button labeled "I'd like to know more about the product." The display screen 81 of the terminal 20 then displays text indicating that a staff member is being called, such as "A staff member is on their way. Please wait a moment." This allows the user to scan the two-dimensional code and tap the button to ring the call. Furthermore, by tapping the button 82 related to the question, the relevant question can be communicated to the staff member in advance, facilitating smooth communication after the staff member arrives.

[0063] Next, Figure 9 shows the display screen of the staff group chat when a user activates the call bell. As shown in Figure 8, when a user taps the "I want to know more about the product" button, a message 103 indicating that a call has been made is displayed in the staff group chat. Here, the message 103 reads, "This is a call from the AA department. Requirement: I want to know more about the product." Note that, in the terminal 20 used by the staff, the playback control unit 213 may read the message 103 aloud using voice synthesis processing. Alternatively, the processing server 10 may transmit synthesized voice data corresponding to the message 103, and the playback control unit 213 may play the synthesized voice data. In the example of Figure 9, a push notification is sent to the group chat informing the staff of a call from the store, allowing the staff to respond flexibly to the call from the user, such as a message 104 saying, "Is anyone available right away?" or a message 105 saying, "I'll come."

[0064] Next, the call bell editing function will be described with reference to FIG. 10 . FIG. 10 shows an example of a management table 300 for setting and editing the message displayed by the call bell. For example, the registration processing unit 111 in the processing server 10 reflects the settings and edits of the management table 300 from an administrator and stores them in the storage unit 12. The management table 300 includes a "name" for management purposes, a "notification group" to which calls are notified by the call bell, a "supported language" indicating the supported language, a "default language" indicating the default language, and a "description" and "options" for each language. The registration processing unit 111 accepts and updates the management table 300 by modifying or adding the content of one or more options based on user instructions. In this way, for example, a call bell administrator can freely set the content and language displayed as the call bell for each language by editing the content, particularly the description and options, as appropriate.

[0065] According to the information processing device of the present embodiment described above, if the authentication information transmitted from a terminal is valid, the terminal is configured to enable push-to-talk communication via a web application. This allows PTT communication to be easily performed simply by scanning the code with the terminal's scanner, eliminating the need to install an application for PTT communication and omitting the user ID / password setup process. This allows an unspecified number of people to easily perform PTT communication on the spot or for a limited period of time, improving the service for users of PTT communication. Furthermore, simply by scanning the code with the terminal's scanner, the expected inquiry content is displayed on the terminal screen, and the inquiry content specified by the user is sent via push notification to the group chat. This allows for a call bell that allows the user's inquiry content to be known in advance.

[0066] Although the embodiment according to the present invention has been described above, this embodiment has been presented as an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

[0067] 1...communication system, 10...processing server, 11...processing unit (information processing device), 21...processing unit, 12, 22...storage unit, 13, 25...communication interface, 20, 20-1 to 20-m...terminal, 23...input interface, 24...output interface, 26...GPS receiver, 27...scanning unit, 30, 30-1 to 30-n...base station, 50...user management table, 60...two-dimensional code, 61, 81...screen, 82...button, 83...language switching button, 100...text display screen, 101, 102...text, 103 to 105...talk, 111...registration processing unit, 112...transmission right granting unit, 113...acquisition unit, 114...setting unit, 115, 211...communication control unit, 116...text conversion processing unit, 117...translation processing unit, 212...display control unit, 213...playback control unit, 300...management table.

Claims

1. An information processing device that uses a web application that realizes push-to-talk communication, comprising: an acquisition unit that acquires from a terminal authentication information including a URL for accessing the web application, location information of the terminal, and an IP address of an access point accessed by the terminal; a setting unit that sets the terminal to be able to perform the push-to-talk communication via the web application if the authentication information is found to be valid through authentication processing of the authentication information; and a communication control unit that determines whether the push-to-talk communication is allowed for the terminal that has been set to be able to perform the push-to-talk communication, based on the authentication processing of the authentication information.

2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the push-to-talk communication via the web application to be executable when the location information is within a predetermined range.

3. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the setting unit sets the push-to-talk communication via the web application to be executable when the IP address is a predetermined address.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the authentication information is embedded in a one-dimensional code or a two-dimensional code.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein said communication control unit executes said push-to-talk communication with said terminal when it is determined that said push-to-talk communication with said terminal is permissible.

6. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the web application causes the terminal to display a display screen relating to one or more options including the contents of an inquiry from a user of the terminal, and when the communication control unit obtains information relating to an option designated by the user from the terminal, it notifies a talk group in the push-to-talk communication of the contents corresponding to the designated option.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the Web application includes a display screen for one or more options including the content of an inquiry from a user of the terminal, and the information processing device further includes a registration processing unit that accepts and updates modifications and additions to the content of the one or more options displayed on the display screen.

8. An information processing method that utilizes a web application that realizes push-to-talk communication, comprising the steps of: acquiring authentication information from a terminal, the authentication information including a URL for accessing the web application, location information of the terminal, and an IP address of an access point accessed by the terminal; if an authentication process for the authentication information determines that the authentication information is valid, setting the terminal to be able to perform the push-to-talk communication via the web application; and determining, based on the authentication process for the authentication information, whether or not the push-to-talk communication is permitted for the terminal that has been set to be able to perform the push-to-talk communication.

9. An information processing program that utilizes a web application that realizes push-to-talk communication, comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring authentication information from a terminal, the authentication information including a URL for accessing the web application, location information of the terminal, and an IP address of an access point accessed by the terminal; a setting means for setting the terminal to be able to perform the push-to-talk communication via the web application when the authentication information is found to be valid through authentication processing; and a communication control means for determining whether the push-to-talk communication is permissible for the terminal that has been set to be able to perform the push-to-talk communication, based on the authentication processing of the authentication information.

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