JP6784795B2 - Communication device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a method of providing information from a business operator to a user, and a program or system for realizing the method of providing information.

With the widespread use of communication terminals such as computers and mobile phones and the dramatic development of communication networks, much of the communication between businesses that provide various services and customers or users (hereinafter collectively referred to as users). Has come to be done via communication networks. However, direct or telephone dialogue between the operator and the user is still a highly reliable method that can give the customer a great sense of security.

Business operators are specialized departments (also called call centers, customer centers, contact points, and inquiries) that respond to inquiries, inquiries, or requests from users (hereinafter collectively referred to as inquiries) by telephone. Is often installed. As a result, not only the convenience for the user is improved, but also the employees who deal with the user (hereinafter referred to as the operator) can be efficiently assigned, and as a result, the business efficiency can be improved. However, as the scale of business grows, inquiries are often subdivided for each service provided in order to provide detailed support to users. On the contrary, such subdivision means that the inquiries are complicated for the user, and it is not always a method that can maintain customer satisfaction. In addition, if many users concentrate on some of the inquiries, inconveniences such as not being able to make a telephone connection or increasing the time to connect will occur, and the users will be dissatisfied.

As a method of avoiding such a decrease in user satisfaction, it is disclosed that the congestion status of the inquiry destination is disclosed to the communication terminal of the user and the timing at which the user calls the inquiry destination is dispersed (Patent Document 1). reference).

JP-A-2007-243657

One of the problems of the present invention is to reduce the time required for a call with a business operator without consuming human resources of the business operator, and to provide users with high-quality and high-value-added services in a timely manner. It is to provide a method of providing information for providing.

One of the embodiments of the present invention is an information providing system. The information providing system transmits the communication status of the inquiry destination specified as an input value in the user's first communication terminal to the processing unit that estimates the communication status based on the information obtained from the inquiry destination, and the communication status to the first communication terminal. The information providing program is specified by the first communication terminal or the user when there is a call back call request, a receiver that receives a call back call request transmitted from the first communication terminal, and a receiver. Also includes a setting unit that is set to be activated by the second communication terminal.

The information providing system further outputs input information input by the user to the first communication terminal or the second communication terminal via the information providing program, and outputs the input information to the first communication terminal or the second communication terminal. It may include a communication management unit that stores the output information associated with the input information. The information providing system may further have a display device associated with the input value for displaying the input information and the output information.

The information providing system further includes a voice recognition unit that recognizes the user's voice information, a dialogue unit that selects a response message for the voice information from a plurality of messages, and the selected response message at least one of voice information and text information. As one, it may further have a compositing unit configured to transmit to a communication terminal.

One of the embodiments of the present invention is an information providing method. The information providing method estimates the communication status of the inquiry destination specified as an input value in the user's first communication terminal based on the information obtained from the inquiry destination, transmits the communication status to the first communication terminal, and first. This includes receiving a request for a return call transmitted from the communication terminal of the above and activating the information providing program on the first communication terminal or the second communication terminal designated by the user when the request is made.

The information providing method is input information input by the user to the first communication terminal or the second communication terminal via the information providing program, and is output to the first communication terminal or the second communication terminal. , It may further include storing the output information associated with the input information. The information providing method may further include displaying the input information and the output information on the display device associated with the input value.

In the information providing method, the voice recognition unit recognizes the user's voice information, the dialogue unit selects a response message for the voice information from a plurality of messages, and the synthesis unit selects at least the voice information and characters of the selected response message. It may further include transmitting to the communication terminal as any one of the information.

One of the embodiments of the present invention receives the communication status of the inquiry destination designated as an input value on the user's first communication terminal, displays the communication status, and displays the display for accepting a call back call request. It is a program that causes the first communication terminal to start the information providing program on the first communication terminal after transmitting the call back call request and transmitting the call back call request.

The program may be configured to cause the first communication terminal to start the information providing program on the second communication terminal designated by the user.

The program may be configured to cause the communication terminal to transmit the user's voice information to the voice recognition unit and to receive the reply message to the voice information as at least one of the voice information and the text information. Good.

The information providing program can be configured to find the answer to the user's inquiry through the interaction with the user. The information providing program can be configured such that the dialogue with the user is performed in a state where the image is displayed on the first communication terminal or the second communication terminal. The above image may be a virtual operator.

Information provision method to reduce the time spent on calls with the operator without consuming human resources of the operator, and to provide users with high-quality and high-value-added services in a timely manner. It is possible to provide a system or a program for realizing this.

A configuration example of the information providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. A configuration example of a communication terminal of the information providing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart explaining the information providing method of embodiment of this invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart explaining the information providing method of embodiment of this invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart explaining the information providing method of embodiment of this invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention. An example of an image displayed in the information providing method of the embodiment of the present invention.

An information providing system according to one of the embodiments of the present invention, an information providing method using the information providing system, and a program for realizing the information providing system will be described with reference to the drawings.

[1. Information provision system]
FIG. 1 shows an example of an information providing system 100 which is one of the embodiments of the present invention. The information providing system 100 includes an information processing server (or information processing unit) 120. The information processing server 120 can be connected to the communication terminal (first communication terminal) 110 owned by the user by a network or a telephone line. Therefore, the information providing system 100 can be recognized as including the communication terminal 110.

The information processing server 120 has a transmission unit 121 for transmitting a signal to the communication terminal 110, a reception unit 122 for receiving a signal from the communication terminal 110, a setting unit 123 for setting an instruction to be transmitted to the communication terminal 110, and the like. ..

The information processing server 120 can be connected to the contact information 170 of the business operator via a network or a telephone line, and can be configured to grasp the communication status including the congestion status of the line of the inquiry destination 170. For example, the information processing server 120 includes a terminal monitor 124 for monitoring the operating status of the terminal of the operator of the inquiry destination 170, a database 125 capable of storing the skill of the operator, or the status and schedule of the operator in real time. It is possible to have a processing unit or the like that grasps the information and statistically calculates the time until the operator can respond to a new user from the past history. Here, the operator's state is information indicating whether or not the user is responding, whether or not the user is waiting, and whether or not the user is taking a break. The schedule is the working hours and attendance status. The terminal monitor 124, the database 125, and the processing unit may be installed at the inquiry destination 170, and these may be connected to the information processing server 120 via a network, a telephone line, or the like.

The information providing system 100 further includes a communication server (or communication unit) 130, a voice recognition server (or a voice recognition server) (or a communication unit) used for a conversation with an operator via a communication terminal 110 and a dialogue with a user when an information providing program is started, which will be described later. A voice recognition unit) 140, a dialogue server (or dialogue unit) 150, a synthesis server (or synthesis unit) 160, and the like can be included. The details will be described later, but the information providing program is a program for inputting various inquiries and deriving answers to them in an interactive manner. The dialogue may be performed with the image displayed. The dialogue is performed by using voice information or text information, and is a program that can grasp the contents of the user's inquiry through the dialogue and guide the user to the answer to the inquiry. Further, in the present specification, the dialogue is not only an oral dialogue between a user and an operator through a telephone line or a network, but also a dialogue using text information, a dialogue using both text information and voice information, or voice information. Conversations using only are included. Further, the latter can be performed between the user and the dialogue server via the communication terminal 110.

The communication server 130 enables a call between the user's communication terminal 110 and the operator's terminal via a communication network. The communication server 130 has a communication status management unit (or communication management unit) 132 for storing the contents and history of dialogue with the user. The communication server 130 may be configured to connect the user's communication terminal 110 and the operator's terminal by a telephone line, or may be provided by a provider that provides a broadband service and connect the communication terminals to each other via a network. It may be configured to use a so-called IP telephone. In the latter case, the user's or operator's voice is compressed by various methods, which are transmitted over the network.

The voice recognition server 140 is a server that analyzes voice information transmitted by a user via a communication terminal 110 and converts it into character data (text). The voice recognition server 140 has, for example, a feature amount extraction unit 141, a decoder 142, a text output unit 143, and the like as a voice recognition engine. The feature amount extraction unit 141 analyzes the transmitted voice information and extracts the feature amount parameter. The decoder 142 calculates the best candidate from the feature amount parameters while referring to databases such as the language model 144, the acoustic model 145, and the vocabulary dictionary 146, and outputs the recognition result. The output recognition result is converted into text by the text output unit 143 and output.

The dialogue server 150 is a server that generates and selects an appropriate answer to the text generated by the voice recognition server 140. The dialogue server 150 can have a dialogue engine, an information database 158, and the like. The dialogue engine can include a controller 152, a selector 156, a response generator 154, and the like. The controller 152 controls the dialogue engine, and has a function of grasping the intention of the user and causing the selector 156 to select an appropriate message 159. The selector 156 has a function of narrowing down and selecting an appropriate message 159 for the user's intention understood by the controller 152. The selector 156 is also called a narrowing engine. The response generation unit 154 has a function of creating a response to the user based on the selected message 159. The response generation unit 154 may create one message by fusing a plurality of messages 159.

The information database 158 can store terms, knowledge, situations, etc. related to the business of the business operator, and is referred to by the dialogue engine. For example, it is possible to store parameters such as store functions and location information, information such as the contents of services that can be provided, store congestion status, and product inventory status, which change with time. Personal information such as standard data of user's biometric information may be stored in the information database 158. The response generation unit 154 may generate a response message by appropriately fusing the selected message 159 with the personal information stored in the information database 158. The dialogue server 150 may be connected to a communication server 130 that stores the dialogue content and history between the user and the dialogue server. Further, the message 159 in the dialogue server 150 may be stored in the database 125 of the information processing server 120 and selected by the selector 156.

The message 159 selected by the selector 156 is an answer message corresponding to various questions from the user, and can be prepared and managed as character information. Alternatively, it can be an inquiry message for asking a user a question when the answer message cannot be narrowed down.

A function as artificial intelligence may be mounted on the dialogue server 150, and a new answer message may be created by learning through dialogue with the user. That is, the dialogue server 150 may be provided with a function of drawing a new conclusion from the dialogue with the user and a function of learning from the dialogue history with the user, and a response message may be created by using these functions. ..

The synthesis server 160 is a server for converting the message 159 selected by the dialogue server into voice information and transmitting the message 159 to the user's communication terminal 110, or transmitting the message 159 as text to the user's communication terminal 110. The synthesis server 160 has, for example, a text input unit 162, a language analysis unit 164, a waveform generation unit 166, and the like as a speech synthesis engine.

In the text input unit 162, the character information of the message 159 selected by the dialogue server is input. This character information is linguistically analyzed by the linguistic analysis unit 164, and the position of accents, reading information, and the like are analyzed while referring to the linguistic dictionary 165, which is a database. The waveform generation unit 166 refers to the voice synthesis database 167 created by using the waveform data obtained from the actually recorded voice, and generates the voice waveform. The voice data generated by the waveform generation unit 166 is transmitted to the communication terminal 110 via a network or a telephone line.

Each of the above-described configurations included in the information providing system 100 is not limited to the dependency relationship shown in FIG. Therefore, each configuration may belong to any server, and a certain configuration may be distributed and included in a plurality of servers. Further, a plurality of servers may function as one server.

The communication terminal 110 is a terminal that can be operated by a user, and examples thereof include a stationary (desktop) computer, a notebook computer, and a mobile communication terminal such as a mobile phone, a tablet, or a smartphone. A configuration example of the communication terminal 110 is shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, the communication terminal 110 includes a CPU (central processing unit) 111, a memory 112, a display unit 113, an input unit 114, a voice input unit 115, a voice output unit 116, a communication unit 117, and an image capture device 118. Etc. are included.

The CPU 111 has a function of interpreting and executing various programs stored in the communication terminal 110. The memory 112 has a function of storing information such as programs and data, and includes a non-volatile memory element such as a flash memory. The display unit 113 includes a liquid crystal display device, an EL organic device, and the like, and functions as a user interface. The input unit 114 has a function as an interface for the user to input information to the communication terminal 110 through physical contact, and typically includes a touch panel, a keyboard, an input button, and the like. The voice input unit 115 has a function of taking in voice and transmitting the input voice information to the communication unit 117. The voice output unit 116 has a function of reproducing voice information transmitted from a server and voice information transmitted from another communication terminal through a communication network such as a telephone line. The communication unit 117 has a function of transmitting and receiving voice information, character information, and the like to and from a server and other communication terminals via a network.

[2. Information provision method]
The information providing method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[2-1. start]
A user who makes an inquiry to a business operator first starts a dedicated program provided by the business operator (step 200). The program can be installed on the communication terminal 110 owned by the user. Hereinafter, this information providing method is described as being executed by using a program, but this information providing method can also be performed within a site provided by a business operator through a network without using a dedicated program.

When the program is started, various services provided by the business operator via the network are displayed on the screen 300 of the display unit 113 of the communication terminal 110. The screen display at this time is called the initial screen. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, a plurality of icons 302 classified by service are displayed on the screen 300.

[2-2. inquiry]
The inquiry operation is started by the user who wants to make an inquiry by selecting an icon (for example, icon 304 in FIG. 4) for shifting to a screen where it is possible to select whether or not to display the inquiry destinations in a list. It should be noted that the area having a specific shape such as an icon may not be displayed on the screen 300, and the operation button simply displayed as text may be displayed on the screen 300.

FIG. 5 shows an example of a screen in which it is possible to select whether or not to display a list of inquiries. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, an icon 320 for shifting to a screen on which a list of inquiries can be displayed can be displayed on the screen 300. The user making the inquiry operates this icon 320 (step 202 in FIG. 3), and according to this operation, the program communicates so that the operator sends a list of inquiries to the information processing server 120 that manages all or part of it. Have the terminal 110 make a request. The program is configured so as to shift from the initial screen (Fig. 4) to the screen where the list of inquiries is directly displayed without going through the screen (Fig. 5) in which it is possible to select whether or not to display the inquiries in a list. You may.

FIG. 6 shows an example of the screen 300 in which the contact list is displayed. The content of user inquiries differs from user to user. Therefore, in this information providing method, as shown in FIG. 6, a list of a plurality of inquiries that can be provided by the business operator is displayed on the screen 300 so that the user can quickly select the optimum inquiries 170. To do. Normally, when a user makes an inquiry to a business operator by telephone, he / she first tries to connect to the line that controls the contact information of the business operator. When the line is connected, a recorded message provided by the operator is played. The recorded message introduces inquiries that match various inquiries in order. This requires the user to listen carefully to the recorded message. In addition, it is not always easy to instantly and intuitively determine the optimum contact information only from the recorded message, which is information that depends only on hearing, and in some cases, it is necessary to repeatedly listen to a very long recorded message.

On the other hand, in the information providing method of the present embodiment, the inquiries are collectively displayed as a list on the screen 300 of the communication terminal 110. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, the icon 330 corresponding to each inquiry can be displayed on the screen 300. Such a display allows the user to visually and instantly understand the whole picture of the information. Therefore, it is possible to easily determine the inquiry destination 170 that best matches the user's inquiry, and it is possible to significantly reduce the user's stress.

The user selects the most suitable inquiry destination 170 for the inquiry on the screen 300 and operates the corresponding icon (step 204 in FIG. 3). That is, the user specifies the selected inquiry destination 170 as an input value. According to this operation, the program requests the information processing server 120 to transmit the user's selection result to the information processing server 120 and the communication status of the inquiry destination 170 in response to the inquiry to the communication terminal 110. The information processing server 120 acquires the communication status of the inquiry destination 170 selected by the user from the processing unit 126 that estimates the communication status based on the information obtained from the inquiry destination 170 in accordance with the request from the communication terminal 110, and transmits the transmission unit 121. To the communication terminal 110. After that, the communication terminal 110 that has received this information displays the information on the screen 300 (step 206 in FIG. 3). For example, as shown in FIG. 7, the information can be displayed in the area 340 at the top of the screen 300.

The communication status is the number of other users (waiting users) who have succeeded in connecting to the contact 170 but have not started the dialogue with the operator, or until all the waiting users have completed the dialogue with the operator. Can include the expected time (expected waiting time) and the like. The expected waiting time is estimated by the processing unit 126 of the information processing server 120.

By disclosing to the user the communication status such as the congestion status of the inquiry destination 170, the user can estimate the time during which the dialogue with the operator can be started. Normally, when inquiries from users are concentrated on the inquiries of the operator, even if the line is connected to the inquiries, the user follows the instructions in the recorded message and the operator keeps the line connected while maintaining the line connection. You may be forced to wait for a long time until it becomes available. In this case, the time to start the interaction with the operator cannot be predicted, which is the most frustrating cause for the user. On the other hand, by clearly indicating the communication status of the inquiry destination 170 to the communication terminal 110 of the user, not only the frustration of the user can be reduced, but also various actions are selected for the user as described below. (Action option) Can give an opportunity.

For example, as shown in FIG. 7, not only the icon 350 for directly calling the inquiry 170, but also the icon 352 for reserving a call (call back) from the inquiry 170 to the user, or the direct operator. Although it does not interact, the program can be configured to display the icon 354 for starting the above-mentioned information providing program, or the icon 356 for migrating to the site for installing the information providing program on the communication terminal 110. it can. Further, an icon 358 for transitioning to a screen on which inquiries (FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions) frequently performed by many users are posted may be displayed. This can provide an action option in which the user finds the answer to the inquiry himself. By giving the opportunity to select various actions in this way, the user does not have to spend a long waiting time meaninglessly, and the time can be effectively utilized.

[2-3. Call by user]
A user who wants to give the highest priority to dialogue with the operator of the inquiry destination 170 may, for example, operate the icon 350 to directly call the inquiry destination 170 (step 208 in FIG. 3). For example, when the inquiry includes an urgent matter, or when the communication status of the inquiry destination 170 is within the allowable range of the user, the user can operate the icon 350 to directly call the inquiry destination 170. According to this operation, the program causes the communication terminal 110 to call the inquiry destination 170 via the communication server 130. The user can then get answers to the inquiries through dialogue with the operator.

[2-4. Call back reservation]
On the other hand, when the communication status of the inquiry 170 is out of the allowable range of the user, or when the user is in an environment where the call cannot be made, the user operates the icon 352 and a call request signal for reserving a call back call. May be transmitted (step 210 in FIG. 3). According to this operation, the program can be configured to display a screen for reserving a return call, for example, as shown in FIG. Before or after displaying the screen shown in FIG. 8, a screen for selecting whether or not the user agrees with the disclaimer of the operator regarding the return call may be displayed. The disclaimer here includes a case where the business operator is exempted from liability for the number of call back calls, restrictions on the date, and line connection failure caused by the user.

When booking a call back, the program should enter the user's name and phone number to call back, or display a pop-up window 360 to select the desired time and time of the call back, as shown in FIG. Can be configured. Although not shown, the program may be configured so that the telephone number of the communication terminal 110 and the name of the user can be automatically input. The user may request the communication terminal 110 to make a call, or may specify a communication terminal (second communication terminal) different from the communication terminal 110 and request the call. The call request signal from the user is received by the receiving unit 122.

The desired time for the return call can be appropriately set according to the business form of the business operator. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the time zone may be selected in units of several hours, or a specific time may be specified. When the remaining time of the selected time zone or the time until the designated time is short, a signal for making it impossible to select the corresponding time zone or time may be transmitted from the information processing server 120 to the communication terminal 110. Alternatively, based on the judgment of the processing unit 126, information is provided so that a time or time zone in which it is known in advance that inquiries from users will be concentrated, or a time or time zone in which a sufficient number of operators cannot be assigned to the inquiry destination cannot be selected. A signal may be transmitted from the processing server 120 to the communication terminal 110. According to this signal, the program adjusts the pop-up window 360 so that the corresponding time zone or time cannot be selected. Further, the pop-up window 360 may be provided with an option for the user not to specify the time of the call back. In this case, the system may be constructed so that the call back call is started by the operator after all the waiting users have finished the dialogue when the reservation of the call back call is completed. After inputting the necessary items, the user can confirm and register the reservation of the return call by using the icon 362 (step 210 in FIG. 3). After the operation of the icon 362, a display may be displayed to notify the user that the reservation for the return call is completed (see FIG. 9). After that, the communication between the communication terminal 110 and the information processing server 120 is cut off once. Alternatively, based on the determination of the processing unit 126, the information processing server 120 may transmit a signal to the communication terminal 110 so that the icon 352 cannot be selected depending on the congestion status of the inquiry destination 170 displayed in the area 340.

[2-5. Use of information provision program]
The flow after starting the information providing program is shown in FIG. In the information providing method of the present embodiment, before the operator makes a call back call, a signal in response to the call request signal for reserving the call back call transmitted from the user's communication terminal 110 is sent to the communication terminal 110. The communication terminal 110 that has transmitted and received this signal can execute the information providing program (step 220 in FIG. 3). Specifically, when the user specifies the time zone for the call back call reservation, the setting unit 123 of the information processing server 120 sets the time for starting the information providing program on the user's communication terminal 110. According to the setting of the setting unit 123, the information processing server 120 sends a command from the transmission unit 121 to the communication terminal 110 or the second communication terminal designated by the user, and the information providing program is sent to the communication terminal 110 or the second communication terminal by this command. Start up with the communication terminal of. In the time zone specified by the user, the operator who responds to the user may transmit the start-up command of the information providing program from the information processing server 120 to the communication terminal 110.

Alternatively, according to the setting of the setting unit 123, the information processing server 120 may make a call from the transmission unit 121 to the communication terminal 110 or the second communication terminal designated by the user. The program may be configured to automatically start the information providing program when the user responds to the call. More specifically, after the communication unit 117 of the communication terminal 110 (or the second communication terminal) receives the call signal transmitted by the information processing server 120, the call is received by the display unit 113 of the communication terminal 110. Display an image showing that. The image may include, for example, an icon or slider for answering a call. The response to the call is made by the user operating an icon, a slider, or the like. At this time, the program can be configured so that the information providing program is started by using these operations by the user as a trigger. In this case, the two operations of answering the call and activating the information providing program can be achieved by one operation.

When the user responds to the above-mentioned call, a message prompting the user to start the information providing program may be output by using the voice output unit 116 of the communication terminal 110. According to this message, the user operates the communication terminal 110 (or the second communication terminal) by himself / herself to activate the information providing program.

Alternatively, the notification signal may be transmitted from the transmission unit 121 to the communication terminal 110 at a time zone specified by the user. When the communication terminal 110 receives the communication signal, the operating system (OS) installed in the communication terminal 110 notifies the user that the notification signal has been received, so that the corresponding text information is displayed on the display unit 113 with a banner or the like. Display using icons, pop-up dialogs, etc. At the same time, the voice output unit 116 may output voice to notify the user of the reception of the notification signal. According to this display, the user operates the communication terminal 110 (or the second communication terminal) by himself / herself to activate the information providing program. The program may be configured so that the information providing program is automatically started by directly manipulating this display.

Alternatively, the program may be configured so that the time of the return call specified by the user is stored in the memory 112 of the communication terminal 110, and the information providing program is started in the communication terminal 110 at this time. In this case, a snooze function may be added to the program, and if the user cannot respond at that time, the information providing program may be started again after a certain period of time. The snooze function may be configured to function only within a time zone selected by the user. At this time, the program may be configured so that the information providing program is started on the second communication terminal. In this case, when the user specifies the second communication terminal, the program sends a command to the second communication terminal at that time, and the second communication terminal that receives this command activates the information providing program. To do.

The various triggers described above activate the information providing program at the user's communication terminal 110 (step 400). At the same time, the communication terminal 110 may notify the user by voice or vibration that the information providing program has been activated.

When the information providing program is started, the information providing program can be configured to display an image for dialogue with the user on the screen 300 of the communication terminal 110. The image may be a static icon, or part or all of it may move regularly or irregularly. The movement may be non-mechanical. For example, the image may be a virtual operator imitating an employee who handles the user (see FIG. 11A). At this time, the virtual operator may be set to perform natural human movements (for example, changes in facial expressions, movements of the head and hands, etc.), and the program may be configured to give the user a sense of familiarity. In FIG. 11A, the remarks of the virtual operator are displayed as text, but the remarks may be reproduced as voice instead of the text display or together with the text display. At this time, the information providing program may be configured to display or reproduce the user's name. This makes it possible to give the user a stronger sense of intimacy. Hereinafter, an example of using a virtual operator as an image for dialogue will be described.

The information providing program is configured to display, for example, an icon 370 in addition to the virtual operator. The icon 370 is an icon that allows the user to input voice, and the information providing program can activate the voice input unit 115 built in the communication terminal 110 to input the user's voice according to the operation of the icon 370. As a result, the user can input the inquiry content as voice information by an extremely simple operation without being forced to perform a complicated operation of inputting the inquiry content as text. Further, as an arbitrary configuration, the information providing program may be configured to display the icon 372 for shifting to the screen for displaying the store information of the business operator on the screen 300. By using this icon 372, for example, an information providing program may be configured to display the service content provided by each store of the business operator, the congestion status and location of the store, the route to the store, and the like.

The inquiry input by the user is transmitted as voice information or text to the voice recognition server 140 by the communication unit 117 of the communication terminal 110 (step 404), and the voice information is analyzed by the voice recognition server 140 and converted into text. The dialogue server 150 generates an answer to the query and sends it to the synthesis server 160. In the synthesis server 160, the message 159 selected by the dialogue server is converted into voice information, or the message 159 is transmitted as text to the user's communication terminal 110. As shown in FIG. 11B, the voice information of the reply message may be reproduced on the communication terminal 110, or the text of the reply message may be displayed as a dialog 376 on the screen 300 (step 406 in FIG. 10). ). At the same time, the inquiry content input by the user and analyzed by the voice recognition server 140 may be displayed as a dialog 374 on the screen 300.

If the answers are not narrowed down to one and multiple answer messages are displayed (see FIG. 11B), the user operates the dialog 376 showing the best answer or voice-inputs to select the corresponding answer. I do. By repeating these processes interactively between the user and the virtual operator, the user can be guided to the answer that best matches the user's inquiry (step 222 in FIG. 3).

The history of dialogue between the user and the virtual operator, that is, the information (input information) input by the user to the communication terminal 110 or the communication terminal specified by the user, and the information output in the state of displaying the virtual operator which is an image (output). Information) can be recorded and managed by the communication status management unit 132 in the communication server 130. Further, the dialogue history is provided to the inquiry destination 170 at any time via the communication network, and the system can be configured so that the operator can view it on the display device 172 associated with the inquiry destination 170. As a result, the operator in charge of the call back can monitor the dialogue with the virtual operator, accurately grasp the contents of the user's inquiry, and prepare an appropriate answer. Furthermore, it is possible to relocate the optimum operator for the query based on the dialogue history.

Although not shown, the program may be configured to move to a screen for canceling a call back request when the user obtains a satisfactory answer through the dialogue performed by the information providing program. In this case, since the user's inquiry is completed at this stage, the operator does not need to respond to the call back request. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the burden on the operator and avoid the consumption of human resources of the business operator, and as a result, it is possible to improve work efficiency, productivity, and customer service.

As shown in FIG. 3, the user may directly activate the information providing program to provide an opportunity to solve the inquiry without making a reservation for the return call. For example, by displaying the icon 354 for activating the information providing program on the screen showing the communication status of the inquiry destination (see FIG. 7), such an action option can be taught to the user. The display of the icon 354 is not limited to the screen of FIG. 7, and for example, the initial screen of FIG. 4, a screen at which it is possible to select whether or not to display the inquiry contacts shown in FIG. 5 in a list, and the inquiry contact list of FIG. 6 are displayed. It may be displayed on the screen.

[2-6. Dialogue with the operator]
On the other hand, depending on the information providing program, if a satisfactory answer cannot be obtained, or if a satisfactory answer is obtained to some extent but more detailed information is obtained, it is possible to switch to a dialogue with the operator (step in FIG. 3). 224).

You can switch to dialogue using various triggers. For example, after the information providing program displays the reply message on the communication terminal 110 or outputs it as voice, a screen for selecting whether to start the dialogue with the operator may be displayed. In this case, as shown in FIG. 12A, the program may be configured to display a dialog 378 prompting the virtual operator to make the above selection.

Alternatively, the operator may make a call back to the user at the discretion of the operator who monitors the interaction with the virtual operator. It is effective for the operator to make a call back by such a trigger when the dialogue between the user and the virtual operator is stagnant, or when it is determined that the virtual operator does not provide an appropriate answer. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 12B, the command may be transmitted to the communication terminal 110 via the information processing server 120 so as to display a notice that the operator in charge will make a return call. In accordance with this command, the program displays a call back call advance notice dialog 380 from the operator on the screen 300.

Even if the call back is reserved by specifying the time and time zone in advance, the user is not always able to answer the call back reliably. In that case, the program may be configured to display a screen for rebooking the call back and give the user an opportunity to rebook the call back.

As described above, the interaction between the user and the virtual operator can be monitored by the operator on the display device 172 of the contact 170. Therefore, the operator does not need to ask the user in detail about the inquiry contents again, and similarly, the user is freed from the trouble of repeating the inquiry. Therefore, the operator can efficiently provide an appropriate answer to the user, and the user can also promptly obtain an appropriate answer from the operator. As a result, the burden on the business operator can be reduced, work efficiency can be achieved, and at the same time, user satisfaction can be improved.

[2-7. Information provision program installation]
When the information providing program is not installed in the communication terminal, the program of the present embodiment may display an icon 356 on the screen 300 that can lead to a site for installing the information providing program. The icon 356 may be displayed in, for example, a screen showing the communication status of the inquiry destination (see FIG. 7), or the program may be configured to be displayed in the initial screen of FIG. Alternatively, the program is configured to investigate whether or not the information providing program is installed in the user's communication terminal before moving to the screen shown in FIG. 7 or before moving to the call back reservation screen (FIG. 8). You may. If the information providing program is not installed, the program may be configured to automatically move to the site for installing the information providing program.

As described above, in the information providing method described in the present embodiment, the user can visually browse the list of inquiries provided by the business operator. Therefore, it is possible to quickly and intuitively grasp the optimum inquiry destination for each user, and the user does not feel annoyed. This information providing method provides a communication status including information on the congestion status of the selected inquiry destination, and at the same time provides the user with an opportunity to select various actions. Therefore, each user can select various actions according to his / her taste and environment without causing the victim's psychology of being "waited". One of the actions that the user can select is to request the operator to make a call back at the time or time zone desired by the user, which is the time consumed for the line connection between the user operators. The waste can be prevented and the user can surely interact with the operator. In addition, prior to the call back, the user has the opportunity to obtain the optimum answer to the inquiry by acquiring uniform and abundant information in real time through dialogue with the virtual operator, and at the same time, the operator can obtain the user's inquiry content. Can be grasped accurately. For this reason, there is no waste in the dialogue between the user and the operator, and it is possible to efficiently guide the user to the optimum answer, which not only improves the self-solving rate by the user but also greatly improves the user satisfaction. be able to. Furthermore, for the business operator, it is possible to avoid the consumption of human resources due to user correspondence, and it is possible to efficiently operate the inquiries, and as a result, it is possible to realize the efficiency of business and the improvement of productivity. ..

[3. Concrete example]
Hereinafter, an operation example of the system described in the present embodiment will be described assuming a case where the user changes the address registered in the bank by taking a bank as an example as a business operator. Here, an example in which a user performs a main operation on a business operator's site via a communication network will be described, but as described in the present embodiment, an inquiry will be made using a dedicated application provided by the business operator. May be done. The flowchart in this assumed case is shown in FIG.

First, the user operates the communication terminal 110 to access the site provided by the business operator via the communication network. At that time, the display as shown in FIG. 4 can be displayed on the screen 300 of the communication terminal 110. The user further operates the icon 304 for making an inquiry, and proceeds to the inquiry screen (see FIG. 5).

Next, the user operates the icon 320 (see FIG. 5) for displaying the contact list. As a result, the communication terminal 110 information processing server 120 is requested to transmit information including a list of inquiries (step 500 in FIG. 13). The information processing server 120 transmits the corresponding information to the communication terminal 110 in accordance with the request from the user's communication terminal 110 (step 502). The communication terminal 110 displays the received information on the screen 300. An example of the display at this time is shown in FIG. Here, a plurality of icons 382 in which expected user inquiries are classified by item are displayed. In the conventional inquiry method, the user makes a direct call to the business operator, listens carefully to the recorded message created by the business operator, and can determine the relevant inquiry destination only after understanding the contents. On the other hand, by applying the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to instantly determine the optimum inquiry destination for the user.

The user selects the contact 170 most suitable for his / her inquiry from the inquiries displayed in the list. According to this operation, the communication terminal 110 transmits the user's selection result to the information processing server 120 (step 504), and then the information processing server 120 transmits the communication status of the inquiry destination 170 to the communication terminal 110 (step 510). When the terminal monitor 124 or the processing unit 126 is installed at the inquiry destination 170, the communication status is requested to the inquiry destination 170 (step 506), and the inquiry destination 170 transmits the communication status to the information processing server 120 (step). 508). The communication terminal 110 displays the congestion status on the screen 300, and at the same time, displays the congestion status for providing various action options to the user (see FIG. 7).

Here, the user operates the icon 352 in order to make a reservation for a return call after grasping the communication status. The user can input necessary information and a desired time zone for the return call on the screen (see FIG. 8) regarding the call back call reservation that continues to appear. After the information is input, the communication terminal 110 transmits a call back call request signal to the information processing server 120 (step 512). These pieces of information may be input to the setting unit 123 and further transmitted directly from the information processing server 120 or to the inquiry destination 170 via the communication server 130 (step 514). After that, as an arbitrary configuration, a disclaimer may be displayed or a display indicating that the reservation for the return call has been completed (see FIG. 9) may be performed. At this stage, the user can interrupt the operation on the Web and disconnect the communication between the communication terminal 110 and the operator's site (or information processing server 120), effectively utilizing the time up to the specified time. be able to.

At this time, the information processing server 120 may transmit a signal to the communication terminal communication terminal 110 for investigating whether or not the information providing program is installed in the communication terminal 110. If the information providing program is not installed, a display prompting the installation may be displayed on the screen 300.

When the time or time zone specified by the user arrives, the information processing server 120 transmits a signal to the communication terminal 110 according to the setting in the setting unit 123, and activates the information providing program (step 516). The information providing program is started by transmitting a signal from the information processing server 120 under the control of the operator when the operator in charge of the user's inquiry can make a call back. May be good. After that, the user starts the dialogue in the manner of talking to the virtual operator illustrated in FIG. 11A. During the dialogue between the user and the virtual operator, the communication terminal 110 transmits the dialogue content to the voice recognition server 140 as voice information or text, while the dialogue server 150 and the synthesis server 160 answer messages to questions from the user and the like. Is created, selected, and transmitted to the communication terminal 110 (steps 518 and 520). Depending on the progress of the dialogue, each of these transmission / reception processes may occur multiple times.

In the case assumed here, for example, the user may talk to the virtual operator, "I want to change the address." The voice recognition server 140 understands the user's voice information, and the dialogue server 150 selects one or a plurality of answers matching the contents and transmits the answer to the communication terminal 110 via the synthesis server 160. FIG. 15 shows an example of the display on the screen 300 at that time. As illustrated in FIG. 15, based on the user's voice information, the user's inquiry content and the response message to the user's inquiry are displayed on the screen 300 as dialogs 390 and 392, respectively. The information providing program may be configured so that the user selects an appropriate one from these and shifts to a screen in which more detailed information is described. Alternatively, the user may repeat the voice input in order to obtain a more suitable answer.

The dialogue at this time is provided to the inquiry destination 170 via the information processing server 120 or the communication server 130 (step 540), and is displayed on the display device 172 of the inquiry destination 170. As a result, the operator in charge can monitor the dialogue at any time, and can more accurately grasp the needs of the user.

If, for example, the information providing program determines that the problem cannot be solved, the user may prompt for a call back (step 542). Alternatively, when it is recognized that the operator in charge has accurately grasped the contents of the user's inquiry, a call back may be made (step 544). Therefore, the information providing program may be configured so that the icon 396 for requesting a call back from the contact is displayed on the screen 300 (see FIG. 15). By interacting with the user based on the information obtained through the information providing program, the operator can provide information that better meets the user's needs and can contribute to the improvement of the user's customer satisfaction.

On the contrary, if a satisfactory answer is obtained by using the information providing program and the user determines that the dialogue with the operator is no longer necessary, the reservation for the return call may be canceled. Therefore, the information providing program may be configured so that the icon 394 for canceling the reservation is displayed on the screen (see FIG. 15).

As described in the present embodiment, by applying the embodiment of the present invention, an information providing program capable of automatically responding to the user can be utilized as an interface for the user. As a result, it is possible to improve the convenience for the user, reduce the work load of the business operator, improve the efficiency of the business, and provide the user with a high-quality service.

Those skilled in the art who have appropriately added, deleted, or changed the design of components and processes based on the above-described embodiments are also included in the scope of the present invention as long as the gist of the present invention is provided.

In addition, even if other effects different from the effects brought about by the above-described embodiments of the above-described embodiments, those that are clear from the description of the present specification or those that can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art are referred to. Naturally, it is understood that it is brought about by the present invention.

100: Information providing system, 110: Communication terminal, 111: CPU, 112: Memory, 113: Display unit, 114: Input unit, 115: Voice input unit, 116: Voice output unit, 117: Communication unit, 118: Image acquisition Icon, 120: Information processing server, 121: Transmitter, 122: Receiver, 123: Setting, 124: Terminal monitor, 125: Database, 126: Processing, 130: Communication server, 132: Communication status management, 140: Speech recognition server, 141: Feature extraction unit, 142: Decoder, 143: Text output unit, 144: Language model, 145: Acoustic model, 146: Word dictionary, 150: Dialogue server, 152: Controller, 154: Response Generation unit, 156: Selector, 158: Information database, 159: Message, 160: Synthesis server, 162: Text input unit, 164: Language analysis unit, 165: Language dictionary, 166: Waveform generation unit, 167: Speech synthesis database, 170: Contact, 172: Display, 300: Screen, 302: Icon, 304: Icon, 320: Icon, 330: Icon, 340: Area, 350: Icon, 352: Icon, 354: Icon, 356: Icon, 358: Icon, 360: Pop-up window, 362: Icon, 370: Icon, 372: Icon, 374: Dialog, 376: Dialog, 378: Dialog, 380: Dialog, 382: Icon, 390: Dialog, 392: Dialog, 394 : Icon: 396: Icon

Claims (9)

Based on the inquiry operation using the user's communication terminal, the transmission unit that transmits the communication status of the inquiry destination and the inquiry destination to the communication terminal, and the transmission unit that reserves the return call from the communication terminal after transmitting the communication status. a receiving unit that receives a call request signal,
The transmitting unit is further configured Ru communication device to the information providing program for transmitting a signal to be executed by the communication terminal to the communication terminal for the interaction with the user. A transmitter that transmits the communication status of the inquiry destination and the inquiry destination to the communication terminal based on the inquiry operation using the user's communication terminal, and a transmission unit.
A receiving unit for receiving a call request signal for reserving a return call from the communication terminal after transmitting the communication status is provided.
The transmission unit is further configured to transmit a signal to the communication terminal in response to the call request signal to allow the user to input information through an information providing program for dialogue with the user. Communication device. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the communication status includes the number of waiting users or the expected waiting time. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the receiving unit is configured to receive a signal based on the inquiry transmitted from the communication terminal. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising a processing unit for estimating the communication status. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the call request signal includes a desired time for the call back. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the call request signal includes an instruction for requesting a call to a second communication terminal different from the communication terminal. The communication device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the information providing program is a program including an image for the dialogue with the user. The transmitting unit is configured to send the pre-SL signal before performing said folding call communication apparatus according to claim 1 or 2.