Information processing system, information processing method, and program

Abstract

Provided is an information processing system capable of utilizing content relating to research and development that has been input into a user terminal.　The present invention provides an information processing system for supporting research and development, the information processing system comprising a control means, wherein: the control means comprises a note display processing unit, an input information processing unit, and a material identification unit; the note display processing unit is configured to display, on a screen of a user terminal used by a user, a research and development content description region into which at least one of a research and development material and a research and development procedure to be used in the research and development is input; the input information processing unit is configured to acquire the content relating to the research and development that has been input into the research and development content description region; and the material identification unit is configured to identify a research and development material to be used in the research and development on the basis of the content acquired by the input information processing unit.

Description

Information processing system, information processing method and program

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing system that accepts input of content related to research and development.

[0002] Conventionally, there have been systems for converting information related to research and development into electronic data. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a system for converting experimental materials, experimental procedures, experimental results, etc. used in experiments for research and development into a database that can be shared.

[0003] International Publication No. 2016 / 208623

[0004] However, conventional research and development support systems were basically developed with the purpose of "replacing paper notebooks" and "sharing the contents of the notebooks," and no consideration was given to utilizing the input research and development content.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides an information processing system that can utilize content related to research and development input into a user terminal.

[0006] According to the present invention, the following inventions are provided: [1] An information processing system for supporting research and development, comprising control means, the control means comprising a notebook display processing unit, an input information processing unit, and a material identification unit, the notebook display processing unit being configured to display, on a screen of a user terminal used by a user, a research and development content description area for inputting at least one of research and development materials and research and development procedures to be used in the research and development, the input information processing unit acquiring content related to the research and development entered in the research and development content description area, and the material identification unit identifying the research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the content acquired by the input information processing unit. [2] The information processing system according to [1], wherein the control means further comprises a notebook output unit, the notebook output unit outputs the content entered in the research and development content description area as a printable research and development notebook and displays, in the printable research and development notebook, an identifier for accessing data corresponding to the content entered in the research and development content description area. [3] The information processing system described in [2], wherein the control means further includes a non-digital information acquisition unit, which acquires non-digital information that has been photographed or scanned after being written in or attached to the printed research and development notebook, and the notebook display processing unit further displays a non-digital information area on the screen of the user terminal for displaying the non-digital information. [4] The information processing system described in [3], wherein the notebook display processing unit displays a paper notebook identification information input area on the screen of the user terminal for inputting paper notebook identification information for identifying the paper notebook to which the research and development notebook is attached, and the input information processing unit records content related to research and development input to the user terminal in association with the paper notebook identification information. [5] The information processing system described in [3] or [4], wherein the control means further includes a timestamp assignment unit, which assigns timestamps to the content input in the research and development content description area and to the acquired non-digital information.[6] An information processing system according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the control means further includes a timestamp assigning unit, which assigns timestamps to the research and development content acquired by the input information processing unit. [7] An information processing system according to any one of [1] to [6], wherein the note display processing unit, when displaying the research and development content description area on the screen, displays a template of content to be entered into these areas. [8] An information processing system according to any one of [1] to [7], wherein the control means further includes an external system linking unit, which transmits the content acquired by the input information processing unit to an external research and development system to acquire research and development results from the external research and development system, and the note display processing unit further displays a result area on the screen of the user terminal that displays the research and development results. [9] An information processing system according to any one of [1] to [8], wherein the control means further includes an order processing unit, which proposes to the user via the user terminal an order for the research and development material identified by the material identification unit.

[10] An information processing system as described in [9], wherein the order processing unit presents past order information for the research and development material when proposing an order for the research and development material.

[11] An information processing system as described in [9], wherein the order processing unit obtains inventory information for the research and development material in the organization to which the user belongs, and proposes an order for the research and development material to the user via the user terminal based on the inventory information.

[12] An information processing system as described in [9], wherein the order processing unit presents order candidates and their quantities for the research and development material to the user terminal, and accepts an order for the order candidate and quantity selected by the user.

[13] The information processing system according to any one of [1] to

[12] , wherein the control means further comprises an assessment processing unit, and when the research and development materials identified by the material identification unit include a target material to be assessed, the assessment processing unit acquires assessment information of the target material and presents the assessment information on the screen of the user terminal.

[14] The information processing system according to

[13] , wherein, when the assessment processing unit receives input via the user terminal that an assessment of the research and development material has been conducted, it displays on the screen that the assessment has been completed.

[15] The information processing system according to any one of [1] to

[14] , wherein the control means further comprises a literature information acquisition unit, and the literature information acquisition unit acquires literature information related to the acquired content of the research and development, and the material identification unit is configured to identify the research and development material to be used in the research and development based on the literature information.

[16] The information processing system according to any one of [1] to

[14] , wherein the material identification unit identifies the research and development material based on the literature information if the content related to the research and development includes literature information.

[17] An information processing system for supporting research and development, comprising a control means, the control means comprising a notebook display processing unit, an input information processing unit, and a material identification unit, wherein the notebook display processing unit displays a blank electronic notebook on a screen of a user terminal used by a user, the input information processing unit acquires the content of a research and development plan created when planning new research and development, which has been entered into the blank electronic notebook, and the material identification unit is configured to identify the research and development material to be used in the research and development based on the content of the research and development plan.

[18] The information processing system according to

[17] , wherein the control means further comprises a literature information acquisition unit, wherein the literature information acquisition unit acquires literature information related to the acquired content of the research and development plan, and the material identification unit is configured to identify the research and development material to be used in the research and development based on the literature information.

[19] An information processing method for supporting research and development, executed by a computer, comprising: a note display process, an input information process, and a material identification process; in the note display process, a research and development content description area for inputting at least one of research and development materials and research and development procedures to be used in the research and development is displayed on a screen of a user terminal used by a user; in the input information process, content related to the research and development inputted in the research and development content description area is acquired; and in the material identification process, the research and development materials to be used in the research and development are identified based on the content acquired in the input information process.

[20] A program for supporting research and development, comprising: a computer executing a note display process, an input information process, and a material identification process; in the note display process, a computer executing a research and development content description area for inputting at least one of research and development materials and research and development procedures to be used in the research and development is displayed on a screen of a user terminal used by a user; in the input information process, content related to the research and development inputted in the user terminal used by the user is acquired; and in the material identification process, the program

[0007] According to the present invention, the note display processing unit displays a research and development content description area on the screen of the user terminal in which at least one of the research and development materials and the research and development procedures to be used in the research and development is input, the input information processing unit acquires the content input in the research and development content description area, and the material identification unit can identify the research and development materials to be used in the research and development. By identifying the research and development materials to be used in the research and development, the content input in the research and development content description area can be used for, for example, ordering, assessment, etc.

[0008] 2A is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an information processing system SYS according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a server 100 of the information processing system SYS of FIG. 1, and FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of a user terminal 200 of the information processing system SYS. FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control means 1 of the server 100 of FIG. 2A. FIG. 2B is a diagram showing an example of a screen showing an initial screen of an electronic experiment notebook EN displayed on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2C is an example of a screen showing a list screen D1 of the electronic experiment notebook EN displayed on the display means 205. FIG. 2D is an example of a screen showing an electronic experiment notebook EN with necessary information entered in the title area A1, background / objective area A2, reagent area A3, and procedure area A4 displayed on the display means 205. FIG. 2E is an example of a screen showing a reagent ordering screen D2 displayed on the display means 205. FIG. 2F is an example of a screen showing an assessment information presentation screen D3 displaying assessment information displayed on the display means 205. 1 is a screen example showing a state in which the change history CH of the electronic experiment notebook EN is displayed on the display means 205. FIG. 2 is a screen example showing a state in which the electronic experiment notebook EN for which risk assessment has been completed is displayed on the display means 205. FIG. 3 is a screen example showing the contents of a printable experiment notebook PN output by the notebook output unit 15. FIG. 4 is a screen example showing a state in which the electronic experiment notebook EN in which necessary information has also been entered in the result area A5 and conclusion area A6 is displayed on the display means 205. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an information processing method by which the information processing system SYS of FIG. 1 supports experiments using the experiment notebook function. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control means 1 of the server 100 of the information processing system SYS relating to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0009] The following describes embodiments of the present invention. The various features shown in the following embodiments can be combined with each other. Furthermore, each feature can be an independent invention.

[0010] 1. First Embodiment 1.1 Overall Configuration of Information Processing System SYS Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of an information processing system SYS according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The information processing system SYS of this embodiment is a system for supporting biological and chemical experiments in research and development, and is a system that is expected to be used in conjunction with conventional paper notebooks (so-called laboratory notebooks) for use in the operation of research institutions.

[0011] As shown in FIG. 1 , the information processing system SYS of this embodiment is specifically configured by connecting a server 100 and a user terminal 200 via a network N. Here, the user terminal 200 is a terminal used by a person conducting an experiment (user U) along with a paper notebook. The server 100 is a device that generates a predetermined response (output) in response to a request (input) from the user terminal 200. In addition, the network N is a two-way communication line such as the Internet, an intranet, a wireless LAN, or mobile communication. The network N is also connected to an external ordering system 300 and a lab automation system 400 as an external research and development system, as external systems used by the information processing system SYS of this embodiment. Each component will be described in detail below.

[0012] 2A is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server 100. As shown in FIG. 2A, the server 100 specifically includes a control unit 1, a storage unit 2, and a communication unit 3.

[0013] The control means 1 is composed of one or more processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and controls the overall operation of the server 100 by executing a predetermined program stored in the storage means 2. The control means 1 may also include other processors such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). At least a part of the control means 1 may be an integrated circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array).

[0014] A part of the storage means 2 is configured, for example, by RAM (Random Access Memory) or DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory), and is used as a work area when the control means 1 executes processes based on various programs. Also, a part of the storage means 2 is, for example, a non-volatile memory such as ROM (Read Only Memory), HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or SSD (Solid State Drive), and stores various data and programs used in the processing of the control means 1. Note that at least a part of the storage means 2 may be configured from an external cloud or distributed storage.

[0015] The programs stored in the storage means 2 include, for example, an OS (Operating System) for realizing the basic functions of the server 100, drivers for controlling various hardware, programs for realizing various functions, etc., and include the computer program related to this embodiment.

[0016] The communication means 3 is, for example, a NIC (Network Interface Controller) and has a function of connecting to the network N. Note that, instead of or in addition to the NIC, the communication means 3 may have a function of connecting to a wireless LAN (Local Area Network), a function of connecting to a wireless WAN (Wide Area Network), a function of enabling short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), infrared communication, etc. The server 100 is connected to the user terminal 200, the external ordering system 300, the lab automation system 400 (see FIG. 1 ), etc. via the network N, and can send and receive various data.

[0017] The control means 1, storage means 2, and communication means 3 are electrically connected to one another via a bus 4. Therefore, the control means 1 can access the storage means 2 and communicate with the user terminal 200, external ordering system 300, lab automation system 400, etc. via the communication means 3.

[0018] 2, the server 100 may be realized by a plurality of devices using so-called cloud or distributed computing technology, etc. Furthermore, the various data (information) stored in the storage unit 2 may not be configured in a single database as shown in the figure, but may be configured in a distributed database.

[0019] 1.3 Hardware Configuration of User Terminal 200 Figure 2B is a block diagram showing the hardware configuration of the user terminal 200. The user terminal 200 is a terminal used by a user U who conducts research and development, and is, for example, an information processing terminal such as a personal computer (PC), a smartphone, or a tablet terminal. As shown in Figure 2B, the user terminal 200 specifically includes a control means 201, a storage means 202, a communication means 203, an input means 204, and a display means 205. These components are electrically connected to each other via a bus 206.

[0020] The general configurations of the control means 201, storage means 202 and communication means 203 are the same as those of the server 100 described above, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted.

[0021] The input unit 204 is a device that accepts input from the user U, and is composed of various input units such as a mouse, keyboard, touch panel, etc. The display unit 205 is a liquid crystal display, touch panel display, etc., and displays images, etc. to the user U.

[0022] 1.4 Functional Configuration of Server 100 (Control Means 1) As shown in FIG. 3, the control means 1 of the server 100 includes a notebook display processing unit 10, an input information processing unit 11, a material identification unit 12, an order processing unit 13, an assessment processing unit 14, a notebook output unit 15, a non-digital information acquisition unit 16, a timestamp assignment unit 17, and an external system linkage unit 18. The information processing system SYS of this embodiment is configured to realize an experiment notebook function on the user terminal 200 using these functional configurations. In this embodiment, the experiment notebook function is provided as a web application. Each functional configuration will be described below.

[0023] 4, the notebook display processing unit 10 is configured to display an electronic experiment notebook EN including a title area A1, a background / objective area A2, a reagent area A3, a procedure area A4, a result area A5, and a conclusion area A6 on a screen displayed on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200. The notebook display processing unit 10 of this embodiment also displays a paper notebook identification information input area A7 on the screen. Details of each element of the electronic experiment notebook EN will be described later.

[0024] The input information processing unit 11 acquires details about the experiment that have been input to the user terminal 200 used by the user U. Specifically, the input information processing unit 11 acquires the details that have been input to at least the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4 (see FIG. 4 ) on the screen displayed on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200, and records them in the storage means 2 of the server 100.

[0025] The material identification unit 12 is configured to identify experimental materials to be used in an experiment as research and development materials based on the experiment-related content acquired by the input information processing unit 11. Specifically, the material identification unit 12 analyzes the content (character strings) entered in the reagent area A3 and procedure area A4 on the screen displayed on the display unit 205 of the user terminal 200 acquired by the input information processing unit 11, and identifies the experimental materials (reagents, equipment used in the experiment, etc.) contained in the character strings. The material identification unit 12 can identify the experimental materials, for example, by matching the character strings with a database of experimental materials stored in the storage unit 2 of the server 100. Alternatively, the experimental materials may be identified by querying an experimental material database (not shown) on the Web. Furthermore, the material identification unit 12 can input the content entered in the reagent area A3 and procedure area A4 into the generation AI along with a predetermined prompt, without querying a specific database, and use the generation AI to identify the experimental materials. Information on the identified experimental materials is recorded in the storage unit 2.

[0026] The order processing unit 13 is configured to propose to the user U, via the user terminal 200, the ordering of the experimental materials identified by the material identification unit 12. Specifically, if inventory information of the experimental materials of the organization to which the user U belongs can be obtained from a database managed by the organization, the order processing unit 13 proposes the ordering of the experimental materials based on the inventory information. The proposal to order the experimental materials is made, for example, when there is a shortage or a shortage of experimental materials to be used in an experiment to be conducted, by displaying this fact on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200.

[0027] In this embodiment, the order processing unit 13 is configured to present past order information for the proposed experimental materials when proposing an order for the experimental materials. If the past order information is stored in a database managed by the above-mentioned organization, it may be obtained from the database. Alternatively, the past order information of the above-mentioned organization may be stored in the storage means 2 of the server 100, and the stored information may be read and obtained from the storage means 2. The specific process for ordering experimental materials will be described later.

[0028] If the experimental materials identified by the material identification unit 12 include a reagent that is a target material for risk assessment, the assessment processing unit 14 is configured to acquire assessment information for the reagent and present the assessment information on the display unit 205 of the user terminal 200, as shown in FIG. 8 . In the illustrated example, the assessment information includes a table T showing the chemical substance name, CAS registration number (CAS RN: registered trademark), molecular formula, and physical properties in addition to representative risk information. However, table T may also display other items, or some items may be omitted. Furthermore, the information may be displayed in other formats, such as text or diagrams, rather than in table format. Whether the experimental materials include a reagent that is a target material for risk assessment and the assessment information for the reagent may be acquired from the assessment information for each reagent stored in the storage unit 2 of the server 100, or may be identified using a web-based reagent database (not shown).

[0029] Furthermore, after the user U has performed a risk assessment of the reagent in accordance with the presented assessment information, the assessment processing unit 14 accepts an input indicating that the assessment has been performed. Specific processing of the risk assessment of the reagent will also be described later.

[0030] The notebook output unit 15 outputs the electronic experiment notebook EN in its pre-experiment state, with the title area A1, background / objective area A2, reagent area A3, and procedure area A4 filled in (the result area A5 and conclusion area A6 are blank), as a printable experiment notebook PN (the printable research and development notebook in the claims) to be printed on a single sheet of paper, as shown in FIG. 11 . A QR code (registered trademark) Q, which contains a link to the corresponding electronic experiment notebook EN, is added to the printable experiment notebook PN as an identifier for accessing the corresponding electronic experiment notebook EN stored in the storage means 2. However, the identifier is not limited to the QR code Q and can be another two-dimensional code such as a barcode. Furthermore, a character string such as alphanumeric characters can also be used as the identifier.

[0031] Furthermore, the printable experiment notebook PN is also provided with an identification information ID for identifying the paper notebook to which the printable experiment notebook PN will be attached. This identification information ID is entered as the number of paper notebooks to which the user U plans to attach the printable experiment notebook PN. It is assumed that the printable experiment notebook PN will be printed out and pasted onto a paper experiment notebook for use. Specific usage of the printable experiment notebook PN will be described later.

[0032] The non-digital information acquisition unit 16 is configured to acquire data (non-digital information) of the printed experiment notebook PN that has been photographed or scanned after the experimental results have been written or attached to the results area A5 of the printed experiment notebook PN. Here, the acquisition of data by photographing or scanning may be performed on only the results area A5 of the printed experiment notebook PN, or on the entire experiment notebook PN.

[0033] If the user terminal 200 is equipped with a camera, the experiment notebook PN for printing can be photographed or scanned using that camera. If the user terminal 200 is not equipped with a camera, the experiment notebook PN for printing can be photographed or scanned using a camera or scanner that can be connected to the user terminal 200 or can be imported into the user terminal 200.

[0034] The timestamp assignment unit 17 is configured to assign timestamps to the content entered in the reagent area A3 and procedure area A4, and to the content entered in the results area A5 (including non-digital information). A timestamp is assigned for each edit (change) made by the user U to each area, and the timestamp is preferably displayed as a change history CH on the display unit 205 of the user terminal 200, as shown in FIG. 9 . In the illustrated example, the "December 6, 10:02 version" is selected and displayed. Furthermore, the timestamp is preferably certified by an external public certification authority to officially prove that electronic data corresponding to a certain date and time existed and that the contents of the electronic data have not been tampered with since that date and time (for proof of existence and proof of non-tampering). Note that timestamps may also be assigned to the content entered in the title area A1, background / purpose area A2, and conclusion area A6.

[0035] The external system linking unit 18 is configured to transmit the contents entered in the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4 to the lab automation system 400 and acquire research and development results from the lab automation system 400. Here, the lab automation system 400 has a robot perform tasks such as mixing reagents, acquire and store experimental result data, and provide a service for reporting the experimental results. The external system linking unit 18 links with the lab automation system 400 to automatically acquire experimental results. The acquired experimental results may be imported into the result area A5, or may be displayed in a separate area (separate window) and manually entered (transcribed) by the user U.

[0036] The above-described functional configurations may be realized by software (including so-called apps) appropriately installed on the server 100, or may be realized by hardware. When realized by software, the control unit 1 can realize various functions by executing programs that constitute the software. Furthermore, the functions may be realized by multiple pieces of software rather than a single piece of software.

[0037] When the functions are realized by executing a program, the program may be stored in the storage means 2 built into the server 100, or may be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium. Alternatively, the functions may be realized by reading out a program stored in an external storage device and using so-called cloud computing. Alternatively, when the functions are realized by hardware, the functions may be realized by various circuits such as an ASIC, an SOC, an FPGA, or a DRP. Furthermore, at least some of the functions described above may be processed by software or hardware on a user terminal 200 that accepts input.

[0038] The above-described functional configuration may be realized by a plurality of computers, and in that case, each of the above-described functional configurations may be distributed and arranged among the plurality of computers.

[0039] 1.5 Information Processing Method by Information Processing System SYS Below, we will explain the information processing method by which the information processing system SYS of this embodiment supports experiments using the experiment notebook function, using the screen examples of Figures 4 to 12 and the flowchart of Figure 13. As described above, the experiment notebook function is realized by executing the web service provided by the server 100 on the user terminal 200 used by the user U.

[0040] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 13 , the information processing method of this embodiment provides an electronic experiment notebook function to a user U using a user terminal 200 by executing a notebook display process, an input information process, a material identification process, an ordering process, an assessment process, a notebook output process, and a non-digital information acquisition process. The information processing method of this embodiment also executes a timestamp assignment process and an external system linkage process as appropriate. Note that these processes are not necessarily executed in the above order. Each process will be described in detail below.

[0041] <Notebook Display Processing> When providing an electronic experiment notebook function to a user U using a user terminal 200, first, in step S1, the notebook display processing unit 10 of the control means 1 of the server 100 displays the electronic experiment notebook EN shown in Fig. 4 on the screen displayed by the display means 205 of the user terminal 200, as shown in Fig. 13. As described above, the electronic experiment notebook EN includes at least a title area A1, a background / objective area A2, a reagent area A3, a procedure area A4, a result area A5, a conclusion area A6, and a paper notebook identification information input area A7.

[0042] Here, the title area A1 is an area for inputting the title of the experiment to be conducted, and the title input in this area is used as the heading of the list screen D1 shown in Figure 5. The background / purpose area A2 is an area for inputting the background and purpose of the experiment to be conducted. The reagent area A3 is an area for inputting the reagents to be used in the experiment. The procedure area A4 is an area for inputting the procedure of the experiment as a research and development procedure. In this embodiment, the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4 correspond to the research and development content description area in the claims.

[0043] The result area A5 is an area for inputting the results of the conducted experiment. In this embodiment, at least a portion of the experimental results are input as non-digital information obtained by photographing or scanning a printable experiment notebook PN (described below) in which the experimental results are written or attached. Therefore, in this embodiment, the result area A5 is also defined as a non-digital information area for displaying non-digital information. The result input function will be described later. The conclusion area A6 is an area for inputting the conclusion of the conducted experiment.

[0044] In addition, the paper notebook identification information input area A7 is an area for inputting paper notebook identification information (e.g., the number of notebooks) for identifying the paper notebook to which the printable experiment notebook PN (described later) will be attached. Note that the information entered in the paper notebook identification information input area A7 can be revised or added to if the number of notebooks actually attached changes or if the number of pages can be identified (see FIG. 12).

[0045] As shown in Fig. 4, the note display processing unit 10 displays a heading to indicate each area above it, and when displaying each area, it also displays a template of the content to be entered into each area. The template can be edited by the user U.

[0046] 6, the note display processing unit 10 accepts input by the user U via the input means 204 of the user terminal 200 to the above-mentioned title area A1, background / objective area A2, reagent area A3, procedure area A4, result area A5, conclusion area A6, and paper note identification information input area A7. However, input to the result area A5 and conclusion area A6 usually occurs after the non-digital information acquisition process in step S9, which will be described later.

[0047] <Input Information Processing> Next, in step S2, the input information processing unit 11 of the control means 1 acquires the contents input in at least the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4. The input information processing unit 11 also records the contents input in these reagent area A3 and procedure area A4 in association with the paper notebook identification information input in the paper notebook identification information input area A7.

[0048] <Material Identification Processing> Next, in step S3, the material identification unit 12 of the control means 1 identifies the experimental materials to be used in the experiment from the contents entered in the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4. <Ordering Processing> Then, in the next step S4, the order processing unit 13 of the control means 1 determines whether or not an order is necessary for the identified experimental materials. Whether or not an order is necessary is determined automatically or by having the user U make the determination based on the organization's inventory information of experimental materials and past order information. If it is determined that an order is necessary, the ordering process is performed in the next step S5. On the other hand, if it is determined that an order is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0049] If it is determined that an order is necessary, in step S5, the order processing unit 13 proposes to the user U via the user terminal 200 that the experimental material identified by the material identification unit 12 be ordered. When proposing to order the experimental material, the order processing unit 13 presents past order information related to the proposed experimental material.

[0050] In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the order processing unit 13 presents an order screen D2 on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200, which includes order candidates (candidates for available products) for experimental materials and their quantities X1 and X2. The order screen D2 accepts the user U's selected order candidate and quantity, and, upon pressing the order button B1, executes the order for the experimental materials in cooperation with the external ordering system 300. The order screen D2 may be displayed automatically or by pressing button B6 shown in FIG. 6 or the like. Furthermore, if there are multiple products for the same experimental material, it is preferable to list these products according to predetermined criteria so that the user U can select one. However, if the user U specifies the product name, product number, etc. in the reagent area A3 or procedure area A4, it is also preferable to present only the corresponding products.

[0051] It is preferable that actual orders are placed in cooperation with external e-commerce services, online malls, etc. It is also preferable that orders can be placed anonymously via an anonymous delivery service. This prevents the seller of experimental materials from guessing the type of experiment to be performed from the order contents.

[0052] When an order for experimental materials is placed, the order information is recorded in the storage means 2 so that it can be read out the next time an order is placed. Once the order for experimental materials has been placed, the process proceeds to the next step S6. If the experimental materials are not in stock, the next step S6 will be executed once the experimental materials are available.

[0053] <Assessment Processing> Next, in step S6, the assessment processing unit 14 of the control means 1 determines whether a risk assessment is necessary before the experiment. In this embodiment, the assessment processing unit 14 determines whether a risk assessment is necessary when the user U presses the "Pre-experiment Assessment" button B2 on the electronic experiment notebook EN shown in Figure 6 after the user U has completed input into the reagent area A3. However, this determination may also be performed automatically at the same time as input into the reagent area A3.

[0054] Whether or not a risk assessment is necessary is determined by, specifically, whether or not a reagent that is the subject of risk assessment is included in the experimental materials identified by the material identification unit 12. If it is determined that a risk assessment is necessary, an assessment process is performed in the next step S7. On the other hand, if it is determined that a risk assessment is not necessary, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0055] If it is determined that a risk assessment is necessary, in step S7, the assessment processing unit 14 acquires assessment information for the corresponding reagent and presents the assessment information on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200, as shown in Fig. 8. Then, after the user U conducts a risk assessment of the reagent based on the presented assessment information, the assessment processing unit 14 accepts an input indicating that the assessment has been conducted. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 8, the assessment information presentation screen D3 for presenting the assessment information includes a "Send report to instructor" button B3 for sending a report to the instructor (such as a teacher). When this button B3 is pressed, the assessment processing unit 14 sends a report indicating that the risk assessment has been conducted to the instructor and displays a message in the electronic lab notebook EN on the display means 205 indicating that the assessment has been completed (see mark M in Fig. 10).

[0056] <Note Output Processing> Next, in step S8, the notebook output unit 15 of the control means 1 outputs the printable experiment notebook PN shown in Fig. 11. By printing this, the user U can bring it with them to the actual experiment and use it as a form for recording the experiment results. The printable experiment notebook PN is output by pressing the print button B4 displayed on the electronic experiment notebook EN, as shown in Fig. 10.

[0057] <Non-digital Information Acquisition Processing> After the user U has entered the experiment results on the form, the user U photographs or scans the form. Then, in step S9, the non-digital information acquisition unit 16 acquires the content (non-digital information) written in the position corresponding to the result area A5 from the photographed or scanned image, and the notebook display processing unit 10 displays the content in the result area A5 (see FIG. 12 ). Finally, the user U can complete the experiment notebook for the conducted experiment by entering a conclusion in the conclusion area A6.

[0058] <Time Stamp Assignment Process> In the information processing method of this embodiment, the time stamp assigning unit 17 assigns a time stamp (change history CH) to the input to each area A1 to A6 by the notebook display processing unit 10 in each step. A time stamp is assigned for each edit (change) made by the user U to each area, and as shown in FIG. 9, the time stamp can be displayed as the change history CH on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200. In the illustrated example, the "December 6th, 10:02 version" is selected and displayed. The change history CH is executed by pressing the history display button B5 displayed on the electronic experiment notebook EN, as shown in FIGS. 6, 10, 12, etc.

[0059] <External System Linkage Processing> Furthermore, in the information processing method of this embodiment, instead of or in addition to the user U conducting an actual experiment, the external system linkage unit 18 can link with an external lab automation system 400 to automatically obtain at least some of the experiment results. In this case, the obtained experiment results can be imported into the result area A5.

[0060] 1.6 Effects and Benefits (1) According to the information processing system SYS of this embodiment, the material identification unit 12 identifies experimental materials to be used in an experiment from the content entered in the reagent area A3 and procedure area A4 of the electronic experiment notebook EN, the order processing unit 13 proposes ordering the identified experimental materials, and the assessment processing unit 14 presents assessment information for a specific reagent among the experimental materials. This configuration allows the information processing system SYS of this embodiment to allow the user U to perform ordering and risk assessments necessary for the operation of a research institution while naturally using the electronic experiment notebook EN. This eliminates the need for the user U to access external sites or other devices to check ordering and risk assessment information, thereby avoiding, for example, accidents or health problems caused by neglecting risk assessment.

[0061] (2) The information processing system SYS according to this embodiment is configured to present past order information and inventory information for the organization to which the user U belongs when the order processing unit 13 proposes the ordering of experimental materials. Furthermore, the order processing unit 13 is configured to present an order screen D2 containing order candidates and their quantities on the user terminal 200 and to execute the ordering of the experimental materials in cooperation with the external ordering system 300. This configuration allows even a user U who has recently joined an organization or is inexperienced in experiments to properly order experimental materials for their experiments. Furthermore, even a user U who has been a member of the organization for a long time or a user U who is accustomed to experiments can prevent ordering errors and avoid having to wait for the materials to arrive after they have run out of stock.

[0062] (3) When the assessment processing unit 14 of the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment receives input indicating that an assessment has been conducted on a reagent used in an experiment, the information processing system SYS displays on the screen that the assessment has been conducted. This allows the user U's supervisor and other people involved in the experiment to easily determine whether a risk assessment has been conducted. In recent years, laws and regulations have created the cumbersome task of having organizational superiors report the status of assessments to their affiliated organizations. In this regard, by using the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment, it becomes possible to easily obtain information that organizational superiors are conducting risk assessments, thereby simplifying some of the reporting tasks.

[0063] (4) In the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment, the notebook display processing unit 10 displays an electronic experiment notebook EN, including a title area A1, a background / objective area A2, a reagent area A3, a procedure area A4, a result area A5, and a conclusion area A6, on the screen displayed by the user terminal 200, and accepts input to these areas via the input means 204. This allows content that would previously have been written in a paper experiment notebook to be written in the electronic experiment notebook EN and the experiment notebook to be stored electronically. Furthermore, by storing the experiment notebook electronically, it is possible to search the stored content by entering keywords, for example, in the search box SB on the list screen D1 of Figure 5. While searching for necessary information from a large number of paper experiment notebooks requires a great deal of effort, electronic storage significantly reduces search costs. Furthermore, by storing information electronically, content that has been entered once can be copied and reused without having to be entered from scratch.

[0064] (5) When displaying the electronic experiment notebook EN, the notebook display processing unit 10 of this embodiment displays templates of the content to be entered into each field. This allows even users U conducting an experiment for the first time or using the experiment notebook function for the first time to properly enter the necessary content. If necessary information is not entered in the experiment notebook, a problem arises in that it becomes difficult for a successor who takes over research and development to reproduce the experiment. However, by using a common template, necessary information can be reliably entered, thereby eliminating such a problem.

[0065] (6) In the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment, the notebook output unit 15 outputs a printable experiment notebook PN. By printing out the printable experiment notebook PN, user U can bring it with them to an actual experiment and use it as paper to record experimental results. While bringing a user terminal 200, such as a PC or tablet, into a laboratory where an experiment is actually conducted can potentially result in contamination, printing out the printable experiment notebook PN and bringing it into the laboratory avoids this risk and allows for easy scribbling of diagrams, illustrations, chemical structures, and the like in addition to text. Furthermore, the notebook output unit 15 according to this embodiment adds a QR code Q to the printable experiment notebook PN, which contains a link to the corresponding electronic experiment notebook EN. This allows not only user U, but also user U's supervisor and other people involved in the experiment, to easily access the corresponding electronic experiment notebook EN by scanning the QR code Q. This is particularly useful, for example, when user U leaves an organization due to graduation or a job change, allowing supervisors or those who take over research and development from user U to access the database.

[0066] (7) In the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment, the non-digital information acquisition unit 16 acquires the experimental results written or attached to the printed experiment notebook PN, and the notebook display processing unit 10 displays the acquired information in the results area A5. This makes it easy to create an experiment notebook for an experiment that has been conducted. Furthermore, because the experimental results are captured as image data, this, along with the addition of a timestamp (described later), makes it possible to prevent subsequent forgery.

[0067] (8) In the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment, the notebook display processing unit 10 displays a paper notebook identification information input area A7 and prompts the user U to input paper notebook identification information in this area to identify the paper notebook to which the printable experiment notebook PN will be attached. This configuration allows the user U to input information about the paper notebook to which the printable experiment notebook PN will be attached. When the user subsequently views the electronic experiment notebook EN, the paper notebook can be identified from the paper notebook identification information and its contents can be confirmed. This makes it possible to confirm information by referring to the paper notebook, even if, for example, attachments that are difficult to digitize are attached to the paper notebook, or even if the experiment results have not been scanned or photographed and therefore not digitized.

[0068] (9) In the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment, the timestamp assigning unit 17 is configured to assign timestamps to the content entered in at least the reagent area A3, the procedure area A4, and the result area A5. This makes it possible to prove the existence and non-tampering of the content entered in each area. Furthermore, the timestamp assigning unit 17 according to this embodiment assigns a timestamp to each edit (change) made by the user U to each area, which can then be displayed as a change history CH on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200. It is also possible to restore the electronic experiment notebook EN to the state it was in at any date and time, or to check the contents of the electronic experiment notebook EN at any date and time.

[0069] (10) In the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment, the external system linking unit 18 links with the lab automation system 400 to transmit the contents entered in the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4 to the lab automation system 400, and can acquire research and development results from the lab automation system 400 and display them in the results area A5. This makes it possible to set experimental conditions and execute commands on the electronic experiment notebook EN. It also eliminates the need to write experimental results from dedicated experimental equipment to a USB or other device and then import them into a PC or other device. Furthermore, it is possible to properly manage experimental results output by the lab automation system 400 without losing them.

[0070] Research support tools, including electronic lab notebooks, have existed for some time, and some research institutions are already utilizing them. However, in Japan, for example, there is a strong tendency to emphasize paper notebooks, often referred to as a "paper culture," and electronic lab notebooks have not yet been widely adopted. Therefore, the inventors of this application developed the information processing system SYS of this embodiment as a tool to electronically supplement paper notebooks, regarding paper notebooks as the "main" (i.e., official) and electronic lab notebooks as the "secondary" (i.e., supplementary) notebooks. Specifically, the information processing system SYS of this embodiment assumes that the notebooks will also be kept after being photographed or scanned, and is configured to enable mutual reference between paper notebooks and electronic data (electronic lab notebook EN) using two means: an identifier (QR code Q) and paper notebook identification information. In this way, by providing an area in the electronic lab notebook EN where content that should be written in a paper notebook can be entered, it is possible to first popularize the information processing system SYS as a tool to supplement paper notebooks, while gradually transitioning paper notebooks to electronic lab notebooks EN. In this way, the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment enables gradual DX (digital transformation) in research institutions. It should be noted that in the "field" of research institutions that place importance on paper notebooks, as described above, there may be situations where, after printing, researchers find it troublesome to "not scan" the printable R&D notebooks containing results, etc. However, with the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment, even in such cases, if paper notebook identification information is entered in advance into the printable R&D notebook before printing, it is possible to identify the paper notebook (the notebook to which the printed printable R&D notebook is attached) from the electronic notebook.

[0071] 2. Second Embodiment Next, an information processing system SYS according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The information processing system SYS according to this embodiment is similar to the information processing system SYS according to the first embodiment, and the hardware configurations of the server 100 and the user terminal 200 are the same (see FIGS. 2A and 2B). However, the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment differs from the information processing system SYS according to the first embodiment in that it has a design notebook function instead of an experiment notebook function. Below, the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment will be described, focusing on the differences.

[0072] 2.1 Functional configuration of the server 100 (control means 1) Specifically, as shown in Fig. 14, the information processing system SYS according to this embodiment includes a control means 1 of the server 100, which includes a note display processing unit 10, an input information processing unit 11, a material identification unit 12, an order processing unit 13, a timestamp assignment unit 17, and a document information acquisition unit 19. The functions of the order processing unit 13 and the timestamp assignment unit 17 in this embodiment are basically the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0073] The notebook display processing unit 10 of this embodiment displays, for example, a blank electronic notebook (not shown) instead of the electronic experiment notebook EN of the first embodiment. When designing a new experiment, the user U can freely take notes on the blank electronic notebook as content related to research and development.

[0074] The input information processing unit 11 acquires the content (research and development plan) input into the blank electronic notebook displayed by the notebook display processing unit 10. The content input into the blank electronic notebook is given a timestamp by the timestamp giving unit 17.

[0075] The document information acquisition unit 19 acquires document information such as papers and patent documents related to the research and development plan (experimental design) acquired by the input information processing unit 11. The document information acquisition unit 19 can acquire document information, for example, by appropriately processing the character string input as the research and development plan and querying a paper database and a patent database on the Web. It is also possible to process the input character string to create a prompt and have an external LLM (large-scale language model) acquire the document information.

[0076] The material identification unit 12 of this embodiment identifies experimental materials and their quantities related to the research and development plan from the experiments and experimental materials disclosed in the literature information acquired by the literature information acquisition unit 19. In addition, if the literature information includes product names, product numbers, etc. of the experimental materials, the material identification unit 12 also identifies them. After the experimental materials are identified, the ordering processing unit 13 can order the identified experimental materials.

[0077] 2.2 Effects and Effects According to the information processing system SYS of this embodiment, during the design stage of a new experiment, prior to creating a laboratory notebook, the literature information acquisition unit 19 acquires literature information, such as papers and patent documents, related to the experimental design based on the content entered into a blank electronic notebook or the like. The material identification unit 12 then identifies experimental materials related to the experimental design from the acquired literature information. As with the information processing system SYS of the first embodiment, the ordering processing unit 13 can then order the identified experimental materials. This configuration allows for the preparation of necessary experimental materials in advance, prior to creating a laboratory notebook, enabling an experiment to begin early. Furthermore, extracting necessary information (e.g., experimental materials and experimental methods) from literature, such as papers, can be difficult for beginners or users U conducting research and development in a new field. However, the information processing system SYS of this embodiment reduces this effort.

[0078] Furthermore, by having the timestamp assigning unit 17 assign a timestamp to the content entered into a blank electronic notebook, it is possible to prove the existence and non-tampering of the content.

[0079] 3. Modifications The present invention can also be implemented in the following aspects.

[0080] In the first embodiment described above, a determination is made in step S4 as to whether an order is necessary, and then a determination is made in step S6 as to whether an assessment is necessary. However, the timing of the order and the determination as to whether an assessment is necessary may be simultaneous. When the order and the assessment determination are made simultaneously, for example, the order screen D2 (see FIG. 7) and the assessment information presentation screen D3 (see FIG. 8) can be displayed on the same screen, and the user U can place an order or send an assessed report by pressing buttons (B1, B3) as necessary. Furthermore, the determination as to whether an assessment is necessary can also be made first.

[0081] In the first embodiment, the input information processing unit 11 acquires the content entered in the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4 as the content related to the experiment, and the material identification unit 12 identifies the experimental materials based on that content. However, the input information processing unit 11 may acquire only the content of the reagent area A3 and identify the experimental materials from that content. Alternatively, the input information processing unit 11 may also acquire the content entered in the title area A1 and the background / purpose area A2 to identify the experimental materials. Furthermore, if literature information (e.g., a PDF of the full text of a paper) is entered (pasted) in either area, it is also possible to identify the experimental materials based on that information.

[0082] In the first embodiment, the control means 1 of the server 100 includes both the order processing unit 13 and the assessment processing unit 14. However, the control means 1 may be configured to include only either the order processing unit 13 or the assessment processing unit 14, and to execute only one of the order processing and the assessment processing. Even in a configuration that includes only one of these, the experiment-related content input to the user terminal 200 can be utilized in the operation of the research institution.

[0083] In the first embodiment, the notebook display processing unit 10 was configured to display an electronic experiment notebook EN including a title area A1, a background / objective area A2, a reagent area A3, a procedure area A4, a result area A5, and a conclusion area A6 on the screen displayed on the display means 205 of the user terminal 200. However, the areas displayed in the electronic experiment notebook EN do not have to be divided in this way. For example, the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4 may be combined into a single area in which reagents and procedures can be entered together.

[0084] In each of the above embodiments, the material identification unit 12 is configured to identify experimental materials by querying the database of experimental materials stored in the storage means 2 of the server 100 or on the Web, or by using generated AI. However, it is also possible to have the user U accurately enter product numbers of reagents, equipment, etc. in the reagent area A3 or a blank lab notebook, and identify experimental materials solely from the information entered by the user U.

[0085] In each of the above embodiments, the order processing unit 13 is configured to present inventory information and past order information for the organization to which the user U belongs, and the user U determines whether or not to place an order based on this information. However, it is not essential for the order processing unit 13 to present such information. In other words, the order processing unit 13 may simply be configured to suggest ordering experimental materials entered in the reagent area A3 or a blank lab notebook, etc.

[0086] In the above embodiment, at least a part of the information processing system SYS is configured on the server 100 connected via the network N, but the server 100 may be configured on-premise. Also, the research and development notebook function and the design notebook function of the information processing system SYS are provided as web applications, but they may be provided as software executed on a terminal used by a user U who conducts research and development.

[0087] The information processing system SYS of the above embodiment is a system for supporting biological and chemical experiments, which are one type of research and development. However, the information processing system SYS of the present invention can also be used for experiments other than biological and chemical experiments and other research and development activities, such as designing, manufacturing, and prototyping machines, tools, and devices, raising animals and plants, researching literature and markets, and numerical analysis (simulation). Even in such research and development, the input information processing unit 11 acquires information related to the research and development, and the material identification unit 12 identifies the research and development materials to be used in the research and development. The ordering processing unit 13 proposes ordering the research and development materials, and the assessment processing unit 14 acquires and presents assessment information. This allows the acquired information related to the research and development to be utilized in the operations of the research institution.

[0088] In the case of research and development activities such as those described above, the materials identified by the material identification unit 12 include not only experimental materials such as reagents, laboratory equipment, tissue samples, laboratory animals (e.g., mice), microorganisms (e.g., E. coli), and laboratory devices in the above embodiments, but also stationery, books, daily necessities, information devices, software, databases, data sets, contracted analysis, research, and questionnaire services, etc., and include all materials used in research and development.

[0089] The assessment processing unit 14 of the information processing system SYS in the first embodiment is configured to present risk assessment information for reagents. However, in the present invention, the objects to be assessed are not limited to reagents. For example, it is also possible to present assessment information for all legal regulations, such as environmental assessments required for research and development, other laws, ordinances, statutes, and export trade controls based on the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act.

[0090] In the first embodiment, the external system linkage unit 18 is configured to link with the lab automation system 400 as an external research and development system. However, the external research and development system, which is a service that executes the experiment linked with the external system linkage unit 18 on behalf of the user U and reports the experiment results, may be a system in which the experiment itself is performed manually and the experiment results are reported.

[0091] In the first embodiment, the input information processing unit 11 acquires the content entered in the reagent area A3 and the procedure area A4 as content related to the experiment, and the material identification unit 12 identifies experimental materials based on the acquired content. However, the information processing system SYS of the first embodiment may also include a literature information acquisition unit 19, which acquires literature information such as papers and patent documents related to the content entered in the reagent area A3, the procedure area A4, etc., and the material identification unit 12 may identify experimental materials based on the literature information.

[0092] In the information processing system SYS according to the second embodiment, the literature information acquisition unit 19 acquires literature information, such as papers and patent documents, related to the experimental design based on the content entered into a blank electronic notebook or the like during the stage of designing a new experiment, and the material identification unit 12 identifies experimental materials based on the literature information. However, if the user U directly inputs literature information, such as a PDF of the full text of a paper, into the electronic notebook or the like, the literature information acquisition unit 19 may not be provided. Even in such a case, the material identification unit 12 identifies experimental materials from the literature information entered by the user U, thereby enabling the user U to place orders and perform risk assessments necessary for the operation of the research institution.

[0093] (Additional Notes) The following provides an overview of other aspects of the present invention.

[0094] [1] An information processing system for supporting research and development, comprising a control means, the control means comprising an input information processing unit and a material identification unit, the input information processing unit being configured to acquire details related to research and development input to a user terminal used by a user, and the material identification unit being configured to identify research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the acquired details related to the research and development, the information processing system further comprising at least one of the following configurations (1) and (2): (1) An order processing unit being further configured to propose to the user via the user terminal an order for the research and development materials identified by the material identification unit; (2) An assessment processing unit being further configured to, when the research and development materials identified by the material identification unit include a target material to be assessed, acquire assessment information for the target material and present the assessment information on the screen of the user terminal. [2] The information processing system according to [1], comprising the configuration (1), wherein the order processing unit presents past order information for the research and development material when proposing to order the research and development material. [3] An information processing system as described in [1], wherein the control means has the configuration (1), and the order processing unit acquires inventory information of the research and development materials in the organization to which the user belongs, and proposes to the user via the user terminal to order the research and development materials based on the inventory information. [4] An information processing system as described in [1], wherein the control means has the configuration (1), and the order processing unit presents order candidates and their quantities of the research and development materials to the user terminal, and accepts an order for the order candidate and its quantity selected by the user. [5] An information processing system as described in [1], wherein the control means has the configuration (2), and when the assessment processing unit accepts input via the user terminal that an assessment of the research and development materials has been conducted, it displays on the screen that the assessment has been completed.[6] An information processing system according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein the control means further comprises a notebook display processing unit, which displays a research and development content description area on the screen of the user terminal for inputting at least one of the research and development materials and the research and development procedure, the input information processing unit acquires the content entered in the research and development content description area, and the material identification unit identifies the research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the content acquired by the input information processing unit. [7] An information processing system according to [6], wherein the notebook display processing unit, when displaying the research and development content description area on the screen, displays a template of the content to be entered in these areas. [8] An information processing system according to [6], wherein the control means further comprises a notebook output unit, which outputs the content entered in the research and development content description area as a printable research and development notebook and displays in the printable research and development notebook an identifier for accessing data corresponding to the content entered in the research and development content description area. [9] The information processing system described in [8], wherein the control means further includes a non-digital information acquisition unit, which acquires non-digital information that has been photographed or scanned after being written in or attached to the printed research and development notebook, and the notebook display processing unit further displays a non-digital information area on the screen of the user terminal for displaying the non-digital information.

[10] The information processing system described in [8], wherein the notebook display processing unit displays a paper notebook identification information input area on the screen of the user terminal for inputting paper notebook identification information for identifying the paper notebook to which the research and development notebook is attached, and the input information processing unit records content related to research and development input to the user terminal in association with the paper notebook identification information.

[11] The information processing system described in [9], wherein the control means further includes a timestamp assignment unit, which assigns timestamps to the content input in the research and development content description area and to the acquired non-digital information.

[12] The information processing system according to [1], wherein the control means further comprises a timestamp assigning unit, and the timestamp assigning unit assigns a timestamp to the content related to the research and development acquired by the input information processing unit.

[13] The information processing system according to [6], wherein the control means further comprises an external system linking unit, and the external system linking unit transmits the content acquired by the input information processing unit to an external research and development system to acquire research and development results from the external research and development system, and the note display processing unit further displays a result area on the screen of the user terminal that displays the research and development results.

[14] The information processing system according to any of [1] to [4], comprising the configuration (1), wherein the input information processing unit acquires the content of a research and development plan created when planning new research and development, which is input to the user terminal, and the material identification unit is configured to identify research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the content of the research and development plan.

[15] The information processing system according to

[14] , wherein the control means further comprises a literature information acquisition unit, wherein the literature information acquisition unit acquires literature information related to the acquired content of the research and development plan, and the material identification unit is configured to identify research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the literature information.

[16] The information processing system according to any of [1] to [5], wherein the control means further comprises a literature information acquisition unit, wherein the literature information acquisition unit acquires literature information related to the acquired content of the research and development, and the material identification unit is configured to identify research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the content of the research and development.

[17] The information processing system according to any of [1] to [5], wherein, if the content of the research and development includes literature information, the material identification unit identifies the research and development materials based on the literature information.

[18] An information processing method for supporting research and development, comprising: performing input information processing and material identification processing; acquiring details about research and development input into a user terminal used by a user in the input information processing; identifying research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the acquired details about research and development in the material identification processing; and further performing at least one of the following processes (1) and (2): (1) further performing an ordering processing, in which the ordering processing proposes to the user via the user terminal that the identified research and development materials be ordered; (2) further performing an assessment processing, in which, if the identified research and development materials include a target material to be assessed, assessment information for the target material is acquired and the assessment information is presented on the screen of the user terminal.

[19] A program for supporting research and development, the program causing a computer to execute an input information process and a material identification process, in which the input information process acquires details about research and development input into a user terminal used by a user, and in which the material identification process identifies research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the acquired details about the research and development, and further causes the computer to execute at least one of the following processes (1) and (2): (1) further execute an ordering process, in which the ordering process proposes to the user via the user terminal that the identified research and development materials be ordered, and (2) further execute an assessment process, in which, if the identified research and development materials include a target material to be assessed, assessment information for the target material is acquired and the assessment information is presented on the screen of the user terminal.

[0095] According to the present invention, the material identification unit identifies the research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the research and development content acquired by the input information processing unit, and the ordering processing unit proposes ordering the research and development materials, and the assessment processing unit acquires and presents assessment information, making it possible to utilize the acquired research and development content in the operations of the research institution.

[0096] 1: Control means, 2: Storage means, 3: Communication means, 4: Bus, 10: Note display processing unit, 11: Input information processing unit, 12: Material identification unit, 13: Order processing unit, 14: Assessment processing unit, 15: Note output unit, 16: Non-digital information acquisition unit, 17: Timestamp assignment unit, 18: External system collaboration unit, 19: Literature information acquisition unit, 100: Server, 200: User terminal, 201: Control means, 202: Storage means, 203: Communication means, 204: Input means, 205: Display means, 206: Bus, 300: External ordering system, 400: Laboratory Automation system, A1: Title area, A2: Objective area, A3: Reagent area, A4: Procedure area, A5: Result area, A6: Conclusion area, B1: Order button, B2: Button, B3: Button, B4: Print button, B5: History display button, CH: Change history, D1: List screen, D2: Order screen, D3: Assessment information presentation screen, EN: Electronic lab notebook, M2: Mark, N: Network, PN: Printable lab notebook, SB: Search box, SYS: Information processing system, T: Table, TS: Time stamp, U: User

Claims

1. An information processing system for supporting research and development, comprising a control means, the control means comprising a note display processing unit, an input information processing unit, and a material identification unit, the note display processing unit displays a research and development content description area on the screen of a user terminal used by a user, in which at least one of the research and development materials and research and development procedures to be used in the research and development is input, the input information processing unit acquires the content related to the research and development inputted in the research and development content description area, and the material identification unit is configured to identify the research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the content acquired by the input information processing unit.

2. An information processing system as described in claim 1, wherein the control means further comprises a notebook output unit, which outputs the content entered in the research and development content description area as a printable research and development notebook, and causes the printable research and development notebook to display an identifier for accessing data corresponding to the content entered in the research and development content description area.

3. An information processing system as described in claim 2, wherein the control means further comprises a non-digital information acquisition unit, which acquires non-digital information that has been photographed or scanned after being written or attached to the printed research and development notebook, and the notebook display processing unit further displays a non-digital information area on the screen of the user terminal that displays the non-digital information.

4. An information processing system as described in claim 3, wherein the note display processing unit displays a paper notebook identification information input area on the screen of the user terminal for inputting paper notebook identification information for identifying the paper notebook to which the printable research and development notebook is attached, and the input information processing unit records the content related to the research and development input to the user terminal in association with the paper notebook identification information.

5. An information processing system as described in claim 3, wherein the control means further comprises a timestamp assignment unit, and the timestamp assignment unit assigns timestamps to the content entered into the research and development content description area and to the acquired non-digital information.

6. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the control means further comprises a timestamp assignment unit, and the timestamp assignment unit assigns a timestamp to the content related to research and development acquired by the input information processing unit.

7. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the note display processing unit displays a template of the content to be entered into the research and development content description area when displaying the area on the screen.

8. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means further comprises an external system linkage unit, the external system linkage unit transmits the content acquired by the input information processing unit to an external research and development system and acquires research and development results from the external research and development system, and the note display processing unit further displays a results area on the screen of the user terminal that displays the research and development results.

9. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means further comprises an order processing unit, and the order processing unit proposes to the user via the user terminal an order for the research and development material identified by the material identification unit.

10. An information processing system according to claim 9, wherein the order processing unit, when proposing to order the research and development material, presents past order information relating to the research and development material.

11. An information processing system as described in claim 9, wherein the order processing unit obtains inventory information of the research and development materials in the organization to which the user belongs, and based on the inventory information, proposes to the user via the user terminal to order the research and development materials.

12. An information processing system as described in claim 9, wherein the order processing unit presents order candidates and their quantities for the research and development materials to the user terminal, and accepts an order for the order candidates and their quantities selected by the user.

13. An information processing system as set forth in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means further comprises an assessment processing unit, and when the research and development materials identified by the material identification unit include a target material to be assessed, the assessment processing unit obtains assessment information for the target material and presents the assessment information on the screen of the user terminal.

14. An information processing system as described in claim 13, wherein the assessment processing unit, upon receiving input via the user terminal indicating that an assessment has been conducted on the research and development material, displays on the screen that the assessment has been completed.

15. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the control means further comprises a literature information acquisition unit, the literature information acquisition unit acquires literature information related to the acquired content of the research and development, and the material identification unit is configured to identify research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the literature information.

16. An information processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the material identification unit, if the content relating to the research and development includes literature information, identifies the research and development material based on the literature information.

17. An information processing system for supporting research and development, comprising a control means, the control means comprising a note display processing unit, an input information processing unit, and a material identification unit, the note display processing unit displays a blank electronic notebook on the screen of a user terminal used by a user, the input information processing unit acquires the contents of a research and development plan created when planning new research and development, which are input into the blank electronic notebook, and the material identification unit is configured to identify research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the contents of the research and development plan.

18. An information processing system as described in claim 17, wherein the control means further comprises a literature information acquisition unit, the literature information acquisition unit acquires literature information related to the content of the acquired research and development plan, and the material identification unit is configured to identify research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the literature information.

19. An information processing method for supporting research and development, executed by a computer, comprising: a note display process, an input information process, and a material identification process; in the note display process, a research and development content description area is displayed on the screen of a user terminal used by a user, in which at least one of the research and development materials and research and development procedures to be used in the research and development is input; in the input information process, the content related to the research and development inputted in the research and development content description area is acquired; and in the material identification process, the research and development materials to be used in the research and development are identified based on the content acquired in the input information process.

20. A program for supporting research and development, which causes a computer to execute a note display process, an input information process, and a material identification process, wherein the note display process causes the computer to display a research and development content description area on the screen of a user terminal used by a user, into which at least one of the research and development materials and research and development procedures to be used in the research and development is input, the input information process acquires the content related to the research and development inputted in the research and development content description area, and the material identification process identifies the research and development materials to be used in the research and development based on the content acquired in the input information process.

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