User assistance device and computer-readable recording medium

Abstract

A user assistance device according to the present disclosure comprises: an inquiry content acquisition unit that acquires an inquiry pertaining to an industrial machine from a user; an answer source search unit that, on the basis of the content of the inquiry, searches for one or more answer sources from an answer source storage unit that stores information serving as a source of an answer to the inquiry; a prompt creation unit that, on the basis of the inquiry content and the result of search of the answer source, creates a prompt that can be inputted to an interactive response device; a transmission unit that transmits the prompt to the interactive response device; a reception unit that receives a response from the interactive response device; an output unit that outputs a first answer to the inquiry included in the response; an inquiry destination selection unit that selects an inquiry destination on the basis of the designation of switching of the inquiry destination, and outputs the content of the inquiry to the selected inquiry destination; an answer acquisition unit that acquires a second answer from the selected inquiry destination; and an exemplary answer storage unit that stores exemplary answer data in which the content of the inquiry is associated with the content of the second answer inputted by an operator.

Description

User assistive device and computer-readable recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a user assistive device and a computer-readable recording medium.

[0002] Chatbots are being used as a method for responding to inquiries about industrial machinery such as machine tools and robots (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). One method for realizing a chatbot is to use large language models (LLMs).

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-028783

[0004] Chatbots using current large-scale language models may experience a phenomenon called hallucination, in which incorrect information is output. In particular, current large-scale language models often fail to provide answers that require specialized knowledge, such as in the field of factory automation (FA). To improve this situation, it is necessary to collect information related to inquiries and answers in the field. However, collecting such information requires a lot of effort. Therefore, a system for collecting information related to inquiries and answers is desired in the field.

[0005] The user assistance device according to the present disclosure solves the above problem by switching from an automatic response to a manual response when a large-scale language model responds with incorrect information, and by collecting and storing the content of manual responses by humans and using them to improve the large-scale language model in the future.

[0006] an output unit that outputs a first answer to the inquiry included in the response; an inquiry destination selection unit that selects an inquiry destination based on a designation to switch the inquiry destination and outputs the content of the inquiry to the selected inquiry destination; an answer acquisition unit that acquires a second answer from the selected inquiry destination; and a model answer storage unit that stores model answer data that associates the content of the inquiry with the content of the second answer.

[0007] 1 is a schematic hardware configuration diagram of a user assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the schematic functions of a user assistance device according to a first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a prompt created by a prompt creation unit. FIG. 4 is a table diagram showing an example of information related to an inquiry destination stored in an inquiry destination storage unit. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the schematic functions of a user terminal. FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the schematic functions of a service staff terminal. FIG. 7 is a block diagram showing the schematic functions of a user assistance device according to a second embodiment. FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing the schematic functions of a user assistance device according to a third embodiment. FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the schematic functions of a user assistance device according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the schematic functions of a user assistance device according to a fifth embodiment. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a prompt related to the designation of a service staff. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a response related to the designation of a service staff.

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, components having the same or similar functions will be denoted by the same reference numerals. Duplicate descriptions of those components may be omitted.

[0009] In this application, "based on XX" means "based on at least XX," and includes cases where it is based on other elements in addition to XX. Furthermore, "based on XX" is not limited to cases where XX is used directly, but also includes cases where it is based on XX that has been calculated or processed. "XX" is any element (for example, any information).

[0010] 1 is a schematic hardware configuration diagram showing the main parts of a user assistance device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment can be implemented on a computer, such as a personal computer attached to a control device, a personal computer connected to the control device via a wired or wireless network, a cell computer, a fog computer 6, or a cloud server 7. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the user assistance device 1 is implemented on a computer connected via a network to a control device that controls industrial machinery.

[0011] The CPU 11 provided in the user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment is a processor that controls the entire user assistance device 1. The CPU 11 reads a system program stored in the ROM 12 via the bus 22 and controls the entire user assistance device 1 in accordance with the system program. The RAM 13 temporarily stores temporary calculation data, display data, and various data acquired from outside.

[0012] The non-volatile memory 14 is composed of, for example, a battery-backed memory (not shown) or an SSD (Solid State Drive), and retains its stored state even when the user assistance device 1 is powered off. The non-volatile memory 14 stores programs and data read from an external device 72 via the interface 15, programs and data input via the input device 71, and programs and data acquired from the control device 3 that controls the industrial machine 4 or other devices via the network 5. The programs and data stored in the non-volatile memory 14 may be expanded into the RAM 13 when executed / used. In addition, various system programs such as known analysis programs are pre-written in the ROM 12.

[0013] The interface 15 is an interface for connecting the CPU 11 of the user assistance device 1 to an external device 72 such as a USB device. For example, system programs, setting data, etc. are read from the external device 72. In addition, programs and setting data created or edited within the user assistance device 1 can be stored in external storage means via the external device 72.

[0014] The interface 20 is an interface for connecting the CPU 11 of the user assistance device 1 to a wired or wireless network 5. The network 5 may communicate using technologies such as serial communication such as RS-485, Ethernet (registered trademark), optical communication, wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. The network 5 is connected to at least one control device 3 that controls an industrial machine 4 to be verified, an interactive response device 2 that responds to inquiries from users, a fog computer 6, a cloud server 7, a user terminal 8, a service staff terminal 9, etc., and exchanges data with the user assistance device 1.

[0015] The display device 70 displays data and the like obtained as a result of executing various data and programs loaded into the memory, output via the interface 17. An input device 71, which is composed of at least one input device such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a voice input device, an imaging device, etc., passes commands, data, etc. based on user operations to the CPU 11 via the interface 18.

[0016] The interactive response system 2 is configured as a system that returns data such as response sentences, images, and display components in response to predetermined sentences or data. The interactive response system 2 includes a large-scale language model that has learned response sentences for predetermined sentences. This model can be a known model such as a BERT model or a Transformer model. The large-scale language model learns, for each text, the probability that a given sentence will be a response to the given sentence when the given sentence is input. It also learns the probability that each of the given texts will be followed by other texts. By repeating this learning process, the large-scale language model, when input, comes to output a text string with a high probability as a response to the given sentence. Depending on how the learning process learns documents that will be responses to the given sentences, the interactive response system 2 can be used for purposes such as dialogue, question and answer session, text summarization, text editing, text translation, text conversion, text modification, text optimization, text interpretation, text detection, recognition, prediction, judgment, code generation, image generation, and comprehensive judgment.

[0017] The user assistance device 1 according to the present disclosure is assumed to be connected to an interactive response device 2 via a network 5. The interactive response device 2 includes a model trained based on various information publicly available on the Internet, for example. Examples of publicly available information include manuals for the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4, and documents containing inquiries related to the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 and responses to those inquiries. If necessary, additional training (fine-tuning) may be performed in advance using various documents, including specifications and technical documents for the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4, and materials related to responses to past inquiries stored in call centers, etc. By narrowing down the information to this range, an interactive response device 2 that returns responses to inquiries with a certain degree of accuracy can be prepared.

[0018] The user terminal 8 is a computer that the user uses to make inquiries about the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4. The user terminal 8 has standard computer hardware, similar to the user assistance device 1. The user terminal 8 may be a stationary computer. It may also be a portable computer. There may be one user terminal 8, or if there are multiple users, multiple user terminals 8 may be provided. The user terminal 8 accepts input from the user and transmits the inquiry content, etc. to the user assistance device 1 via the network 5. The user terminal 8 also displays the response sent from the user assistance device 1 on a display device.

[0019] The service staff terminal 9 is a computer used by a service staff to respond to inquiries about the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4. Like the user assistance device 1, the service staff terminal 9 has standard computer hardware. The service staff terminal 9 may be a stationary computer. It may also be a portable computer. There may be one service staff terminal 9, or if there are multiple service staff, multiple service staff terminals 9 may be provided. The service staff terminal 9 displays inquiries from users sent from the user assistance device 1 on a display device. It also transmits responses including answers to the inquiries to the user assistance device 1 via the network 5.

[0020] 2 is a schematic block diagram showing functions of the user assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function of the user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment is realized by the CPU 11 of the user assistance device 1 shown in FIG. 1 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each part of the user assistance device 1.

[0021] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment includes an inquiry content acquisition unit 100, an answer source search unit 110, a prompt creation unit 130, a transmission unit 140, a reception unit 150, an output unit 160, an inquiry destination selection unit 170, and an answer acquisition unit 180. The RAM 13 to the nonvolatile memory 14 of the user assistance device 1 are provided with an answer source storage unit 200, which is an area that pre-stores answer sources, which are documents used to create answers to inquiries, an inquiry destination storage unit 210, which is an area that pre-stores information related to inquiry destinations, and a model answer storage unit 220, which is an area for storing answers given by service personnel to inquiries as model answers.

[0022] The inquiry content acquisition unit 100 acquires an inquiry regarding the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 made to the interactive response device 2. For example, when a malfunction such as an alert occurs in the control device 3 or the industrial machine 4, the inquiry content acquisition unit 100 may automatically create an inquiry regarding the malfunction based on the details of the malfunction. Furthermore, the inquiry content acquisition unit 100 may acquire information expressed in natural language that indicates the contents of an inquiry entered by a user regarding a malfunction, operation method, setting method, etc. related to the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4. The inquiry content acquisition unit 100 outputs the contents of the acquired inquiry to the answer source search unit 120. Furthermore, the inquiry content acquisition unit 100 outputs the contents of the acquired inquiry to the prompt creation unit 130.

[0023] The answer source search unit 110 searches for one or more answer sources from multiple answer sources stored in the answer source storage unit 200 based on the content of the inquiry acquired by the inquiry content acquisition unit 100. The answer source storage unit 200 stores multiple answer sources, such as manuals and specifications for various control devices and various industrial machines, and documents showing past inquiries and their answers. These answer sources may be divided into predetermined document units (e.g., chapters, sections, or a certain number of characters). Each answer source may also be stored together with a feature vector indicating the characteristics of the answer source. The answer source search unit 110 may search for at least one answer source related to the model names of the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 included in the inquiry content and the content of the inquiry based on, for example, keywords included in the inquiry content. The answer source search unit 110 outputs the searched at least one answer source to the prompt creation unit 130.

[0024] The prompt creation unit 130 creates a prompt that can be input to the interactive response system 2 based on the information related to the inquiry acquired by the inquiry content acquisition unit 100 and at least one answer source searched by the answer source search unit 110. The prompt creation unit 130 may assign prompt identification information that allows the created prompt to be uniquely identified to the prompt. The prompt creation unit 130 may create a standard prompt by performing a predetermined document creation process for the inquiry and the answer source. The prompt creation unit 130 outputs the created prompt to the transmission unit 140.

[0025] 3 shows an example of a prompt created by the prompt creation unit 130. In the example of FIG. 3, a prompt is created that combines an opening template with the inquiry content and answer source. The answer source may be directly embedded in the prompt, or, as shown in the example of FIG. 3, may be sent together with the prompt in the form of an attached file.

[0026] The transmitting unit 140 transmits the prompt created by the prompt creating unit 130 to the interactive response device 2. The interactive response device 2 that receives the prompt from the transmitting unit 140 generates a response to the prompt. Generally, an interactive response device 2 such as ChatGPT generates a response based on information included in an answer source when an answer source is specified. The interactive response device 2 transmits the generated response to the user assistance device 1.

[0027] The receiving unit 150 receives the response transmitted from the interactive response apparatus 2. Then, the receiving unit 150 outputs the received response to the output unit 160.

[0028] The output unit 160 outputs the response from the interactive response apparatus 2 received by the receiving unit 150. The output unit 160 transmits and outputs the response from the interactive response apparatus 2 to the user terminal 8, for example. The output unit 160 may also record and output the response from the interactive response apparatus 2 in a file format on a memory such as the nonvolatile memory 14.

[0029] The response of the interactive response device 2 output by the output unit 160 is viewed by the user operating the user terminal 8. The user performs work while viewing this response. For example, if an inquiry is made regarding a malfunction occurring in the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 and a response is received, the user responds to the malfunction of the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 according to the content of the response. Furthermore, if the inquiry is regarding the operation or setting of the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4, the user operates or sets the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 according to the content of the response. If the user checks the content of the response and does not receive the answer they desire, they may make a further inquiry via the inquiry content acquisition unit 100. The inquiry may include the user's evaluation of the most recent response from the interactive response device 2. In this way, the user assistance device 1 can be configured to repeatedly acquire an inquiry from the user, send a prompt to the interactive response device 2, receive a response from the interactive response device 2, and output a response to the user. If the response from the interactive response device 2 does not resolve the problem, the user operates the user terminal 8 to request a change of inquiry destination.

[0030] The inquiry destination selection unit 170 receives an inquiry destination switching instruction from the user terminal 8. Then, based on the switching instruction, it selects an inquiry destination to send an inquiry to. For example, the inquiry destination selection unit 170 may acquire connection information related to the service personnel terminal 9 operated by the service personnel from the inquiry destination storage unit 210 and select the acquired service personnel terminal 9 as the inquiry destination. The inquiry destination may be a fixed service personnel, or may be appropriately selected from among multiple service personnel. When selecting from among multiple service personnel, for example, the user terminal 8 may be configured to allow the user to specify the ID or specialty of the service personnel to be contacted, and the service personnel may be selected based on the service personnel specification included in the switching instruction from the user terminal 8. Furthermore, the service personnel to be contacted may be selected based on the content of the inquiry, or may be selected based on indicators such as the service personnel's priority or proficiency. Furthermore, the service personnel to be contacted may be selected taking into consideration the user's proficiency. For example, if the user is not very skilled, it may be possible to select a service personnel with as high a level of proficiency as possible. In this case, the user's proficiency level may be acquired in advance, or may be estimated based on the content of a series of inquiries. For example, words used in the FA field may be associated with the user's proficiency level in advance, and the user's proficiency level may be estimated based on the words used in the inquiries.

[0031] 4 is a diagram showing an example of information related to the contact points stored in the contact point storage unit 210. The information related to each contact point includes at least information such as the service personnel ID and the IP address of the service personnel terminal. The information related to the contact points may also be stored in association with information such as the specialty, priority, and proficiency of each service personnel. The contact point selection unit 170 sends a query to the service personnel terminal 9 of the selected contact point.

[0032] The service staff terminal 9 receives an inquiry from a user and displays the content of the received inquiry on a display device. The service staff then creates a response to the inquiry and inputs it into the service staff terminal 9. The service staff terminal 9 then transmits the input response to the user assistance device 1.

[0033] The answer acquisition unit 180 acquires a response including an answer transmitted from the service staff terminal 9. Then, it outputs the acquired answer to the output unit 160. In response to this, the output unit 160 transmits and outputs the answer included in the input response to the user terminal 8. At this time, the answer acquisition unit 180 also associates the answer included in the received response with the inquiry to create data related to a model answer. Then, it stores the created data related to the model answer in the model answer storage unit 220. The data related to the model answer stored in the model answer storage unit 220 can be used later as an answer source, used for fine-tuning the parameters of a large-scale language model provided in the interactive response system 2, or for various other purposes.

[0034] 5 is a schematic block diagram illustrating functions provided in the user terminal 8 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function provided in the user terminal 8 according to this embodiment is realized by a CPU provided in the user terminal 8 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each unit of the user terminal 8.

[0035] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment includes an inquiry content receiving unit 810 , an answer presenting unit 820 , and an inquiry destination switching receiving unit 830 .

[0036] The inquiry content receiving unit 810 receives inquiries from the user regarding the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 to the interactive response device 2. The inquiry content receiving unit 810 may, for example, display a user interface for receiving the inquiry content to the user and receive the inquiry via an operation on the user interface. At this time, for example, it may receive input by voice, or, if necessary, receive an image captured by an imaging device or the like. The user interface displayed by the inquiry content receiving unit 810 may be constructed as a general application or as a so-called Internet browser application. The inquiry content receiving unit 810 transmits the received inquiry to the user assistance device 1. The transmitted inquiry is acquired by the inquiry content acquisition unit 100.

[0037] The answer presentation unit 820 presents to the user a response including the answer received from the user assistance device 1. The answer presentation unit 820 may present to the user the answer included in the received response by, for example, displaying it on a display device or the like. Alternatively, the answer included in the response may be presented to the user by playing guidance including audio or the like.

[0038] The inquiry destination switching reception unit 830 receives an instruction to switch the inquiry destination from the user. The inquiry destination switching reception unit 830 may, for example, display a user interface for receiving the inquiry destination switching instruction from the user and receive the inquiry destination switching instruction via an operation on the user interface. At this time, for example, a user interface may be displayed that allows the user to specify the ID and specialty of the service representative to be contacted, allowing the user to specify the service representative to be contacted and the service representative's specialty based on the user's operation. An example of the user interface may be a button on the screen displayed on the user terminal 8 that reads, for example, "The problem was not resolved by the response from the generation AI, so request a service representative's response." Alternatively, a list of service representatives and specialty areas to be contacted may be displayed and selected from the list. The inquiry destination switching reception unit 830 transmits a notification that the inquiry destination switching instruction has been received to the user assistance device 1. The inquiry destination selection unit 170 acquires the transmitted inquiry destination switching instruction.

[0039] 6 is a schematic block diagram showing functions of the service staff terminal 9 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function of the service staff terminal 9 according to this embodiment is realized by a CPU included in the service staff terminal 9 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each unit of the service staff terminal 9.

[0040] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment includes an inquiry content display unit 910 and an answer receiving unit 920 .

[0041] The answer receiving unit 920 receives answers to inquiries from service personnel. The answer receiving unit 920 may, for example, display a user interface for receiving answers to the service personnel and receive the answers via operations on the user interface. At this time, for example, voice input may be received, or, if necessary, images captured by an imaging device may be received. The user interface displayed by the answer receiving unit 920 may be constructed as a general application or as a so-called Internet browser application. The answer receiving unit 920 transmits the received answers to the user assistance device 1. The transmitted answers are acquired by the answer acquisition unit 180.

[0042] The user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment having the above configuration can respond to inquiries that cannot be resolved by the response from the interactive response device 2 by switching the contact point to a service staff member. The responses from the service staff members are then stored as model responses and used to improve the quality of subsequent automatic responses, thereby enabling gradual improvement.

[0043] Second Embodiment A user assistance device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the user assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0044] 7 is a schematic block diagram showing functions of the user assistance device 1 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function of the user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment is realized by the CPU 11 of the user assistance device 1 shown in FIG. 1 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each part of the user assistance device 1.

[0045] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment includes a machine information acquisition unit 105 in addition to an inquiry content acquisition unit 100, an answer source search unit 110, a prompt creation unit 130, a transmission unit 140, a reception unit 150, an output unit 160, an inquiry destination selection unit 170, and an answer acquisition unit 180. The RAM 13 to the nonvolatile memory 14 of the user assistance device 1 also include an answer source storage unit 200, which is an area that pre-stores answer sources, which are documents used to create answers to inquiries, an inquiry destination storage unit 210, which is an area that pre-stores information related to inquiry destinations, and a model answer storage unit 220, which is an area for storing answers given by service personnel to inquiries as model answers.

[0046] The answer source search unit 110, prompt creation unit 130, transmission unit 140, reception unit 150, output unit 160, inquiry destination selection unit 170, and answer acquisition unit 180 in this embodiment have the same functions as those in the first embodiment.

[0047] The inquiry content acquisition unit 100 according to this embodiment acquires an inquiry regarding the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 made to the interactive response device 2. The inquiry content acquisition unit 100 also commands the machine information acquisition unit 105 to acquire machine information regarding the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 that are the subject of the inquiry. The inquiry content acquisition unit 100 identifies the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 that are the subject of the inquiry, based on information that uniquely identifies the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4, which is included in the content of the inquiry acquired from the user terminal 8, for example. Then, the inquiry content acquisition unit 100 commands the machine information acquisition unit 105 to acquire machine information from the identified control device 3 and industrial machine 4.

[0048] The machine information acquisition unit 105 acquires machine information related to the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 based on a command from the inquiry content acquisition unit 100. The machine information acquisition unit 105 acquires machine information related to the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4, for example, via the network 5. The machine information acquired by the machine information acquisition unit 105 may include, for example, the model names and specifications of the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4, the mechanical configuration of the industrial machine 4 (number of axes, drawing number of the motor used, machine name, drawing number, manufacturer), each parameter set in the control device 3, alarm information generated in the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4, and detection values ​​of various sensors attached to the industrial machine 4. The machine information acquisition unit 105 outputs the acquired machine information to the inquiry content acquisition unit 100.

[0049] The inquiry content acquisition unit 100 includes the machine information related to the control device 3 and the industrial machine 4 input from the machine information acquisition unit 105 in the inquiry content and outputs the same to the answer source search unit 110. The inquiry content acquisition unit 100 also includes the machine information in the inquiry content and outputs the same to the prompt creation unit 130.

[0050] The user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment, which has the above configuration, can automatically include machine information related to the control device 3 and industrial machine 4 that are the subject of the inquiry in the inquiry content. As long as the user includes information that can identify the control device 3 and industrial machine 4 in the inquiry content, the user does not need to manually input the machine information, thereby reducing the effort required for the inquiry. Furthermore, when switching the inquiry destination, since the automatically acquired machine information related to the control device 3 and industrial machine 4 is included in the inquiry content, it is expected that the user will be able to select an inquiry destination that is estimated to be able to more appropriately respond to the inquiry content.

[0051] Third Embodiment A user assistance device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the user assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0052] 8 is a schematic block diagram showing functions of the user assistance device 1 according to the third embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function of the user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment is realized by the CPU 11 of the user assistance device 1 shown in FIG. 1 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each part of the user assistance device 1.

[0053] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment includes a query content acquisition unit 100, an answer source search unit 110, a prompt creation unit 130, a transmission unit 140, a reception unit 150, an output unit 160, an inquiry destination selection unit 170, and an answer acquisition unit 180, as well as a knowledge extraction unit 190. The RAM 13 to the nonvolatile memory 14 of the user assistance device 1 are provided with an answer source storage unit 200, which is an area that pre-stores answer sources, which are documents used to create answers to inquiries, an inquiry destination storage unit 210, which is an area that pre-stores information related to inquiry destinations, and a model answer storage unit 220, which is an area for storing answers given by service personnel to inquiries as model answers.

[0054] The inquiry content acquisition unit 100, answer source search unit 110, prompt creation unit 130, transmission unit 140, reception unit 150, output unit 160, inquiry destination selection unit 170, and answer acquisition unit 180 in this embodiment have the same functions as those in the first embodiment.

[0055] The knowledge extraction unit 190 extracts data related to model answers stored in the model answer storage unit 220 as knowledge data. Then, the extracted knowledge data is added to the answer source storage unit 200. The knowledge data is a document containing at least one query and an answer to the query. The knowledge data may include multiple queries and answers to the queries.

[0056] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment, which has the above configuration, can accumulate answers from service personnel as model answers and then use the knowledge data extracted from them as an answer source later, thereby enabling gradual improvement in the quality of automatic responses.

[0057] Fourth Embodiment A user assistance device according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the user assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0058] 9 is a schematic block diagram showing functions of the user assistance device 1 according to the fourth embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function of the user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment is realized by the CPU 11 of the user assistance device 1 shown in FIG. 1 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each part of the user assistance device 1.

[0059] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment includes an inquiry content acquisition unit 100, an answer source search unit 110, a prompt creation unit 130, a transmission unit 140, a reception unit 150, an output unit 160, an inquiry destination selection unit 170, and an answer acquisition unit 180, as well as a learning data creation unit 195. The RAM 13 to the nonvolatile memory 14 of the user assistance device 1 are provided with an answer source storage unit 200, which is an area that pre-stores answer sources, which are documents used to create answers to inquiries, an inquiry destination storage unit 210, which is an area that pre-stores information related to inquiry destinations, and a model answer storage unit 220, which is an area for storing answers given by service personnel to inquiries as model answers.

[0060] The inquiry content acquisition unit 100, answer source search unit 110, prompt creation unit 130, transmission unit 140, reception unit 150, inquiry destination selection unit 170, and answer acquisition unit 180 in this embodiment have the same functions as those in the first embodiment.

[0061] The training data creation unit 195 creates training data based on data related to model answers stored in the model answer storage unit 220. The training data created by the training data creation unit 195 is in a format that allows the inquiry content and the answer to be understood, for example, in XML format or JSON format. This format may be created in accordance with the specifications of the large-scale language model provided in the interactive response system 2. The training data creation unit 195 outputs the created training data to the output unit 160.

[0062] The output unit 160 according to this embodiment outputs the training data created by the training data creation unit 195. The output unit 160 may output the training data in a form that displays it on the display device 70, for example. Alternatively, the output unit 160 may output the training data in a form that records it on the external device 72. Furthermore, the output unit 160 may output the training data in a form that transmits it to the fog computer 6, the cloud server 7, or another computer via the network 5. The output training data can be used for fine-tuning, which adjusts the parameters of a large-scale language model provided in the interactive response system 2.

[0063] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment, which has the above-mentioned configuration, can accumulate answers from service personnel as model answers and then use the learning data created from them for fine-tuning the parameters of the large-scale language model provided in the interactive response device 2, thereby enabling gradual improvement in the quality of automatic responses.

[0064] Fifth Embodiment A user assistance device according to a fifth embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. The user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment has the same hardware configuration as the user assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment.

[0065] 10 is a schematic block diagram showing functions of the user assistance device 1 according to the fifth embodiment of the present disclosure. Each function of the user assistance device 1 according to this embodiment is realized by the CPU 11 of the user assistance device 1 shown in FIG. 1 executing a system program and controlling the operation of each part of the user assistance device 1.

[0066] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment includes an inquiry content acquisition unit 100, an answer source search unit 110, a prompt creation unit 130, a transmission unit 140, a reception unit 150, an output unit 160, an inquiry destination selection unit 170, and an answer acquisition unit 180. The RAM 13 to the nonvolatile memory 14 of the user assistance device 1 are provided with an answer source storage unit 200, which is an area that pre-stores answer sources, which are documents used to create answers to inquiries, an inquiry destination storage unit 210, which is an area that pre-stores information related to inquiry destinations, and a model answer storage unit 220, which is an area for storing answers given by service personnel to inquiries as model answers.

[0067] The inquiry content acquisition unit 100, the answer source search unit 110, the output unit 160, and the answer acquisition unit 180 according to this embodiment have the same functions as those according to the first embodiment.

[0068] The inquiry destination selection unit 170 acquires an inquiry destination switching instruction from the user terminal 8. Then, based on the switching instruction, it selects an inquiry destination to send an inquiry to. The inquiry destination selection unit 170 according to this embodiment differs from the inquiry destination selection unit 170 according to the first embodiment in that it requests the interactive response device 2 to designate an appropriate service member as an inquiry destination in accordance with the content of the inquiry from the user. The inquiry destination selection unit 170 instructs the prompt creation unit 130 to create a prompt for requesting the interactive response device 2 to designate an appropriate service member, based on the information related to the inquiry destination stored in the inquiry destination storage unit 210.

[0069] The prompt creation unit 130 according to this embodiment creates a prompt for requesting the interactive response system 2 to designate an appropriate service representative based on an instruction from the inquiry destination selection unit 170. This prompt can be created by performing a predetermined document creation process using a template and information related to the inquiry destination. The prompt creation unit 130 outputs the created prompt to the transmission unit 140.

[0070] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a prompt created by the prompt creation unit 130 to request the designation of an appropriate service person. As illustrated in FIG. 11 , the prompt requesting the designation of a service person includes information related to the contact point. The information related to the contact point may include, for example, an ID that uniquely identifies the service person, the service person's specialty, and the service person's level of expertise. The prompt may also include wording inquiring about the reason for designating the service person and the reliability of the designation of the service person. The interactive response device 2 remembers the flow of inquiries and responses that have been exchanged up to that point, and therefore, by sending this prompt, it will designate a service person that it deems appropriate.

[0071] The sending unit 140 according to this embodiment sends the prompt created by the prompt creating unit 130 to request the designation of an appropriate service person to the interactive response apparatus 2. The interactive response apparatus 2 generates a response including the designation of an appropriate service person as a response to the prompt. The receiving unit 150 according to this embodiment receives the response including the designation of an appropriate service person created by the interactive response apparatus 2, and outputs the received response to the inquiry destination selecting unit 170.

[0072] The inquiry destination selection unit 170 according to this embodiment selects an inquiry destination based on a response input from the receiving unit 150, the response including the designation of an appropriate service person. FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example response from the interactive response device 2. The example response in FIG. 12 includes the service person's ID, the reason for selecting the service person, and the reliability of the designation of the service person. The inquiry destination selection unit 170 can select a service person to contact based on the content of such a response. If the reliability of the designation of the service person in the response from the interactive response device 2 is low, the inquiry destination selection unit 170 may output the information to the user terminal 8 to request a user's decision. The inquiry destination selection unit 170 then transmits an inquiry to the service person terminal 9 of the service person who was finally selected.

[0073] The user assistance device 1 of this embodiment, which has the above-mentioned configuration, is expected to select a service member who can appropriately respond to the inquiry by requesting the interactive response device 2 to select a service member to contact.

[0074] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the individual embodiments described above. Various additions, substitutions, modifications, partial deletions, etc. are possible in these embodiments without departing from the gist of the invention or the idea and intent of the present disclosure derived from the content described in the claims and their equivalents. For example, in the above-described embodiments, the order of each operation and the order of each process are shown as examples and are not limited to these. The same applies when numerical values ​​or mathematical expressions are used in the description of the above-described embodiments.

[0075] The following are supplementary notes according to embodiments of the present disclosure. (Supplementary Note 1) A user assistance device (1) according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a query content acquisition unit (100) that acquires a query related to an industrial machine (4) from a user, an answer source search unit (110) that searches for one or more answer sources from an answer source storage unit (200) that stores information that will be a source of an answer to the query based on the content of the query, a prompt creation unit (130) that creates a prompt that can be input to an interactive response device (2) based on the query content and the search results of the answer sources, a transmission unit (140) that transmits the prompt to the interactive response device (2), and a user assistance device (1) according to the content of the query. The interactive response device (2) includes a receiving unit (150) for receiving a response from the interactive response device (2), an output unit (160) for outputting a first response to the inquiry included in the response, an inquiry destination selecting unit (170) for selecting an inquiry destination based on a designation for switching the inquiry destination and outputting the content of the inquiry to the selected inquiry destination if the first response does not lead to a solution, an answer acquiring unit (180) for acquiring a second response from the selected inquiry destination, and a model answer storage unit (220) for storing model answer data that associates the content of the inquiry with the content of the second answer.

[0076] (Supplementary Note 2) The inquiry content acquisition unit (100) included in a user assistance device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure has a function of acquiring a response from the user to the first answer. (Supplementary Note 3) The user assistance device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure further includes a knowledge extraction unit (190) that extracts information to be added to the answer source storage unit (200) from the model answer data stored in the model answer storage unit (220). (Supplementary Note 4) The user assistance device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure further includes a learning data creation unit (195) that creates learning data used to adjust parameters of the interactive response device (2) based on the model answer data stored in the model answer storage unit (220).

[0077] (Supplementary Note 5) The inquiry destination selection unit (170) included in a user assistance device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure selects an inquiry destination taking into consideration the user's level of proficiency. (Supplementary Note 6) The inquiry destination selection unit (170) included in a user assistance device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure estimates the user's level of proficiency based on a series of inquiries entered by the user. (Supplementary Note 7) The inquiry destination selection unit (170) included in a user assistance device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure requests the interactive response device (2) to specify an inquiry destination, and selects an inquiry destination based on the response.

[0078] (Supplementary Note 8) A user assistance device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure further includes a machine information acquisition unit (105) that acquires machine information related to the industrial machine (4) that is the target of the inquiry, and the inquiry content acquisition unit (100) includes the machine information in the inquiry. (Supplementary Note 9) The inquiry destination selection unit (170) included in the user assistance device (1) according to another aspect of the present disclosure selects an inquiry destination based on the machine information.

[0079] (Supplementary Note 10) A user terminal (8) according to one aspect of the present disclosure is a user terminal (8) that inputs the inquiry to a user assistance device (1), and includes an inquiry content receiving unit (810) that receives an inquiry from a user and transmits it to the user assistance device (1), an answer presentation unit (820) that presents an answer to the inquiry received from the user assistance device (1) to the user, and an inquiry destination switching receiving unit (830) that receives an instruction from the user to switch the inquiry destination and transmits it to the user assistance device (1).

[0080] (Appendix 11) A computer-readable recording medium according to one aspect of the present disclosure has recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to operate as an inquiry content acquisition unit (100) that acquires an inquiry related to an industrial machine (4) from a user, an answer source search unit (110) that searches for one or more answer sources from an answer source storage unit (200) that stores information that will be the source of an answer to the inquiry, based on the content of the inquiry, a prompt creation unit (130) that creates a prompt that can be input to an interactive response device (2) based on the inquiry content and the search results of the answer sources, a transmission unit (140) that transmits the prompt to the interactive response device (2), a reception unit (150) that receives a response from the interactive response device (2), an output unit (160) that outputs a first answer to the inquiry included in the response, an inquiry destination selection unit (170) that selects an inquiry destination based on a designation to switch the inquiry destination and outputs the content of the inquiry to the selected inquiry destination, an answer acquisition unit (180) that acquires a second answer from the selected inquiry destination, and a model answer storage unit (220) that stores model answer data that associates the content of the inquiry with the content of the second answer.

[0081] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 User assistance device 2 Interactive response device 3 Control device 4 Industrial machine 5 Network 6 Fog computer 7 Cloud server 8 User terminal 9 Service staff terminal 11 CPU 12 ROM 13 RAM 14 Non-volatile memory 15, 17, 18, 20 Interface 22 Bus 70 Display device 71 Input device 72 External device 100 Inquiry content acquisition unit 105 Machine information acquisition unit 110 Answer source search unit 130 Prompt creation unit 140 Transmission unit 160 Output unit 180 Answer acquisition unit 170 Inquiry destination selection unit 190 Knowledge extraction unit 195 Learning data creation unit 200 Answer source storage unit 210 Inquiry destination storage unit 220 Model answer storage unit 810 Inquiry content reception unit 820 Answer presentation unit 830 Inquiry destination switching reception unit 910 Inquiry content display section 920 Answer reception section

Claims

1. A user assistance device comprising: an inquiry content acquisition unit that acquires an inquiry related to industrial machinery from a user; an answer source search unit that searches for one or more answer sources from an answer source memory unit that stores information that will be the source of an answer to the inquiry based on the content of the inquiry; a prompt creation unit that creates a prompt that can be input to an interactive response device based on the inquiry content and the search results of the answer sources; a transmission unit that transmits the prompt to the interactive response device; a reception unit that receives a response from the interactive response device; an output unit that outputs a first answer to the inquiry included in the response; an inquiry destination selection unit that selects an inquiry destination based on a specification to switch the inquiry destination and outputs the content of the inquiry to the selected inquiry destination if the first answer does not lead to a solution; an answer acquisition unit that acquires a second answer from the selected inquiry destination; and a model answer memory unit that stores model answer data that associates the content of the inquiry with the content of the second answer.

2. The user assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the inquiry content acquisition unit has a function of acquiring a response from the user to the first answer.

3. The user assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising a knowledge extraction unit that extracts information to be added to said answer source storage unit from model answer data stored in said model answer storage unit.

4. The user assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising a learning data creation unit that creates learning data used to adjust parameters of said interactive response device based on the model answer data stored in said model answer storage unit.

5. The user assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the inquiry destination selection unit selects an inquiry destination taking into consideration the user's level of proficiency.

6. The user assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the inquiry selection unit estimates the user's level of proficiency based on a series of inquiries input by the user.

7. The user assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the inquiry destination selection unit requests the interactive response device to specify an inquiry destination, and selects an inquiry destination based on the response.

8. The user assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising a machine information acquisition unit that acquires machine information relating to the industrial machine that is the subject of the query, wherein the query content acquisition unit includes the machine information in the query.

9. The user assistance device according to claim 8, wherein the inquiry destination selection unit selects an inquiry destination based on the machine information.

10. A user terminal for inputting an inquiry to a user assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, comprising: an inquiry content receiving unit that receives an inquiry from a user and transmits it to the user assistance device; an answer presentation unit that presents to the user an answer to the inquiry received from the user assistance device; and an inquiry destination switching receiving unit that receives an instruction from the user to switch the inquiry destination and transmits it to the user assistance device.

11. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to operate as: an inquiry content acquisition unit that acquires an inquiry related to industrial machinery from a user; an answer source search unit that searches for one or more answer sources from an answer source memory unit that stores information that will be the source of an answer to the inquiry, based on the content of the inquiry; a prompt creation unit that creates a prompt that can be input to an interactive response device, based on the content of the inquiry and the search results of the answer sources; a transmission unit that transmits the prompt to the interactive response device; a reception unit that receives a response from the interactive response device; an output unit that outputs a first answer to the inquiry included in the response; an inquiry destination selection unit that selects an inquiry destination based on a designation to switch the inquiry destination, and outputs the content of the inquiry to the selected inquiry destination; an answer acquisition unit that acquires a second answer from the selected inquiry destination; and a model answer memory unit that stores model answer data that associates the content of the inquiry with the content of the second answer.

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