Relationship-Based Question Display for Complete Information Gathering

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing information gathering systems face inefficiencies and confusion during management consultations due to the consulter's disorganized thoughts and insufficient hearing skills of the information gathering party, leading to omitted or repeated questions and decreased efficiency.

Innovation Solution

An information processing system and program that organizes consulter thoughts by displaying and storing first and second question items, ensuring efficient data input and output, with priority settings and changes, and displaying related question items based on answer data, preventing omissions and duplications.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If prior information is assigned to information gathering items, then information gathering efficiency should be improved, but question omission or repetition occurs when the information gathering person lacks sufficient knowledge or experience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveinformation gathering efficiencyVSAvoidcompleteness of information gathering

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system automatically generates feedback by analyzing the relationship between first answer data and second question items. When two first answer data are input, the system determines whether a corresponding second question item exists and notifies the information gathering person, ensuring that no questions are omitted or repeated based on the actual answers provided.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system acts as an intermediary between the information gathering person and the question items. It automatically manages the complex relationships between multiple first question items and second question items, reducing the cognitive burden on the information gathering person who may lack sufficient knowledge or experience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Loss of information

If the information gathering person attempts to look into relationships between information gathering items, then comprehensive understanding is improved, but the situation becomes more complicated and efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveunderstanding of relationships between information itemsVSAvoidcomplexity of information gathering process

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing relationships between answer data and question items without requiring the information gathering person to manually trace complex relationships. The system autonomously determines which second question items should be displayed based on the input first answer data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the mechanical cognitive process of manually analyzing relationships between information items with an automated information processing system. The control unit automatically determines relationships between first answer data and second question items, substituting human cognitive effort with computational analysis.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Reliability

If multiple question items are displayed to ensure comprehensive coverage, then information gathering completeness is improved, but the display becomes cluttered and difficult to manage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompleteness of question coverageVSAvoidease of managing displayed questions

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments question items into two distinct categories: first question items (basic information) and second question items (relationship-based information). This segmentation allows the display to be organized and manageable while ensuring comprehensive coverage, as each type of question item serves a specific purpose in the information gathering process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12436978B2Information processing system and information processing program

Publication Date: 2025.10.07 KOBAYASHI YOSHINORI

AI summary

The present invention provides an information processing system including a storage unit configured to store a plurality of first question items set in advance and a second question item set in advance based on a relationship between at least one pair of first question items selected from the plurality of first question items, an input reception unit configured to receive an input from a user, a display unit, and a control unit. The control unit first displays all first question items, and when first answer data corresponding to each of two first question items is input, displays a second question item corresponding to the two pieces of input first answer data, and repeats this processing until all first answer data and second answer data is input.