JP6931336B2 - Information notification system, information notification method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information notification system, an information notification method, and a program.

In recent years, there is known an information notification system that notifies information using a user terminal such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal and communicates between users (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP-A-2017-84329

However, in the conventional information notification system described above, for example, it is necessary for the user to manually select the information notification destination one by one, which is inconvenient.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an information notification system, an information notification method, and a program capable of improving convenience.

In order to solve the above problem, one aspect of the present invention is based on a user terminal associated with a user who is an employee and location information indicating the location of the user acquired by the user terminal. , At least the place information indicating the place where the user is and the context information indicating the situation of the user including the state of the user, and the context information for grasping where and what the user is doing. Based on the estimated context estimation unit and the context information estimated by the context estimation unit, a user who has the same user status as the source user is selected as the notification destination user of the notification information. An information notification including a notification processing unit for transmitting the notification information to the user terminal corresponding to the user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection unit. It is a system.

Further, in one aspect of the present invention, in the above information notification system, the context estimation unit is based on the information acquired from the user when the information for estimating the context information is insufficient. It is characterized in that the context information is estimated and the information acquired from the user is used for the next estimation .

Further, in one aspect of the present invention, in the above information notification system, the notification destination selection unit classifies the user into a group related to the context information based on the context information, and the user of the notification source. The group is selected based on the context information specified by, and the user classified into the selected group is selected as the user of the notification destination.

Further, one aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above information notification system, the notification destination selection unit selects the group corresponding to the context information of the user who is the notification source.

Further, in one aspect of the present invention, the context estimation unit is at least a place where the user is located based on the location information indicating the location of the user acquired by the user terminal associated with the user who is an employee. The context estimation step of estimating the context information for grasping where and what the user is doing, which is the location information indicating the location information indicating the user and the context information indicating the situation of the user including the state of the user. notification destination selecting unit selects, based on the context information estimated by the context estimating step, the user is a situation of the same of the user and the source of the user, as a notification destination of the user of the notification information The notification processing unit includes a notification processing step of transmitting the notification information to a user terminal corresponding to the user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection step. This is an information notification method.

Further, one aspect of the present invention indicates at least the place where the user is located on the computer based on the location information indicating the location of the user acquired by the user terminal associated with the user who is an employee. A context estimation step for estimating the context information for grasping where and what the user is doing, which is context information indicating the situation of the user including the location information and the state of the user, and the context. based on the context information estimated by the estimating step, the user is a situation of the same of the user and the source of the user, a notification destination selection step of selecting a notification destination of the user of the notification information, the This is a program for causing a user terminal corresponding to the user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection step to execute the notification processing step of transmitting the notification information.

According to the present invention, convenience can be improved.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the information notification system by 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the data example of the user information storage part in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the data example of the location information storage part in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the data example of the related information storage part in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the data example of the user situation storage part in 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the estimation process of the user's situation in 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation of the information notification system by 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the display screen example at the time of automatically registering the location information by 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the menu screen example of the user terminal by 1st Embodiment, and the display screen example at the time of manually registering the location information. It is a figure which shows an example of another operation of the information notification system by 1st Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the display screen example at the time of confirming the location from the employee name by 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the information notification system by 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the data example of the group storage part in 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the selection process of a notification destination in 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the operation of the information notification system by 2nd Embodiment. It is a figure which shows the example of the display screen at the time of notifying a user of a specific area of a message by a 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the information notification system by 3rd Embodiment.

Hereinafter, the information notification system and the information notification method according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the information notification system 1 according to the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 1, the information notification system 1 includes user terminals (10-1, 10-2, ...), a location information server 20, and a chat server 30.
The user terminal (10-1, 10-2, ...) Will be described as the user terminal 10 when indicating an arbitrary user terminal included in the information notification system 1, or when not particularly distinguished.

Further, the plurality of user terminals 10, the location information server 20, and the chat server 30 are connected via the network NW1.
Further, the information notification system 1 is a system for transmitting and receiving information such as a message between users (users).

The user terminal 10 (an example of a user terminal) is, for example, a portable device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal, and is a terminal device that the user can possess. The user terminal 10 can connect to the location information server 20 and the chat server 30 via the network NW1. Further, the user terminal 10 acquires the location information indicating the location of the user (user), and transfers the location information and the user identification information (user identification information) for identifying the user to the location information server via the network NW1. Send to 20.

Here, the location information includes, for example, location information for specifying a location such as a location name, location information indicating a location, and the like. Further, the user identification information includes, for example, a user ID, a telephone number, a name, a terminal ID for identifying the user terminal 10 possessed by the user, and the like.
Further, the user terminal 10 includes a NW (network) communication unit 11, an input unit 12, a display unit 13, a terminal control unit 14, and a position detection unit 15.

The NW communication unit 11 connects to the network NW1 by using wireless LAN (Local Area Network) communication, mobile communication of a mobile phone, or the like, and performs various communications via the network NW1. The NW communication unit 11 connects to the location information server 20 and the chat server 30 via the network NW1, for example, and performs various communications with the location information server 20 or the chat server 30.

The input unit 12 is, for example, an input device such as a keyboard or a touch panel, and receives user input information such as a user input of a message or selection of an option. The input unit 12 outputs the input information of the received user to the terminal control unit 14.
The display unit 13 (an example of an output unit) is, for example, a liquid crystal display device or the like, and displays various information. The display unit 13 displays various information such as various operation screens, information input screens, and messages notified to the user terminal 10.

The terminal control unit 14 is, for example, a processor including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and the like, and controls the user terminal 10 in an integrated manner. The terminal control unit 14 executes various processes such as chat and Web display processing, for example. Further, the terminal control unit 14 receives data on the display screen and the operation screen including various information such as options and notification information received from the location information server 20 and the chat server 30 via the NW communication unit 11, and the terminal control unit 14 receives the data of the display screen and the operation screen. The display screen and the operation screen are displayed on the display unit 13. Further, the terminal control unit 14 periodically (for example, every minute) NW communication of the location information such as the location information detected by the location detection unit 15 described later or the location name based on the location information and the user identification information. It is transmitted to the location information server 20 via the unit 11.

The position detection unit 15 uses, for example, GPS (Global Positioning System), a beacon for position detection, wireless LAN communication, a two-dimensional code indicating various locations, various sensors for position detection, and the like to indicate a position. Detect information. Here, the position information is, for example, longitude / latitude information by GPS, access point information indicating an access point for wireless LAN communication, position information obtained from a two-dimensional code such as a UUID of a beacon or a QR code (registered trademark). be. The position detection unit 15 may output the detected longitude / latitude information, access point information, UUID, etc. as the location information to the terminal control unit 14 as it is, or the location name corresponding to these position information. It may be converted to and output to the terminal control unit 14 as location information.

The location information server 20 is a server device that can be connected to the user terminal 10 via the network NW1, accumulates the location information acquired by the user terminal 10, and estimates the user's situation based on the location information. The location information server 20 notifies the estimated user status to the outside by an information notification function (chat function) or a Web function using the chat server 30, which will be described later.

Here, the user's situation is contextual information indicating when (time, etc.), where (location information such as place name), with whom, and what the user is doing (user's state and behavior). , When (time, etc.), where (location information such as place name), who, what, etc. may be a part of the information. The location information server 20 estimates any information about when (time, etc.), where (location information such as place name), who, and what.
Further, the location information server 20 includes a NW communication unit 21, a server storage unit 22, and a server control unit 23.

The NW communication unit 21 connects to the network NW1 by using wireless LAN communication, wired LAN communication, etc., and performs various communications via the network NW1. The NW communication unit 21 connects to the user terminal 10 and the chat server 30 via the network NW1, for example, and performs various communications with the user terminal 10 and the chat server 30.
The server storage unit 22 stores various information used by the location information server 20. The server storage unit 22 includes, for example, a user information storage unit 221, a location information storage unit 222, a related information storage unit 223, and a user status storage unit 224.

The user information storage unit 221 stores, for example, user information which is information of a user who uses the information notification system 1. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the user information storage unit 221 stores the "user ID", the "terminal ID", the "name", the "affiliation", and the "boss ID" in association with each other.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a data example of the user information storage unit 221 according to the present embodiment.
In this figure, the "user ID" is the identification information for identifying the user, and the "terminal ID" is the identification information for identifying the user terminal 10 possessed by the user. Further, the "name" indicates the name of the user, the "affiliation" indicates the affiliation information such as the department to which the user belongs, and the "boss ID" indicates the user ID of the user's boss.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, it is shown that the "terminal ID" corresponding to the "user ID" is "U001" is "T001" and the "name" is "○○ Taro". Further, it is shown that the "affiliation" of the user is "XX department" and the "boss ID" is "U005".
In addition to the information shown in FIG. 2, the user information storage unit 221 may store, for example, a user's e-mail address, a login password used when using the Web function of the information notification system 1, and the like.

Returning to the description of FIG. 1, the location information storage unit 222 stores the location information and the user identification information that identifies the user in association with each other. As shown in FIG. 3, for example, the location information storage unit 222 stores the "terminal ID", the "location information", the "acquisition date and time", and the "manual input flag" in association with each other.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a data example of the location information storage unit 222 in the present embodiment.
In this figure, the "terminal ID" is the identification information of the user terminal 10, and is an example of the user identification information that identifies the user. Further, the "location information" is information indicating the location of the user, and the "acquisition date and time" indicates the date and time when the location information was acquired. The "manual input flag" is a flag that determines whether the "location information" is manually input by the user or mechanically and automatically acquired by GPS, wireless LAN communication, a beacon, or the like. Shows information. The "manual input flag" indicates that the user manually input the flag when the value is "1".

In the example shown in FIG. 3, the "location information" corresponding to the "terminal ID" of "T001" is the access point "AP1" for wireless LAN communication, and the "acquisition date and time" is "18/01/30 09:00". It shows that it is. Further, this "manual input flag" is "0", indicating that the "location information" has been automatically acquired.
Further, the "location information" corresponding to the "terminal ID" of "T002" is the latitude / longitude information "(XX.XXX, YYY.YY)" detected by GPS, and the "acquisition date and time" is "18 / It indicates that it is "01/30 10:00". Further, this "manual input flag" is "0", indicating that the "location information" has been automatically acquired.

Further, the "location information" corresponding to the "terminal ID" of "T003" is "customer A", and the "acquisition date and time" is "18/01/30 10:00". Further, this "manual input flag" is "1", indicating that the "location information" has been manually input.

Returning to the description of FIG. 1 again, the related information storage unit 223 stores the location information and the related information related to the user. The related information storage unit 223 stores the related information of the location information, for example, as shown in FIG. 4A. Further, the related information storage unit 223 stores the user's related information, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 (b).

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a data example of the related information storage unit 223 in the present embodiment.
FIG. 4A shows a data example of related information of the location information stored in the related information storage unit 223. As shown in FIG. 4A, the related information storage unit 223 associates the "location information", the "location name", the "state", and the "attribute information" with each other as related information of the location information. Remember.
Here, the "place name" indicates the name of the place and the like, and the "state" indicates the state of the user related to the location information. Further, the "attribute information" indicates the attribute information related to the location information.

In the example shown in FIG. 4A, the "place name" corresponding to "AP1" in the "location information" is "meeting room A", and the "state" is "meeting". In addition, "attribute information" is "a place to hold a meeting, with a projector", which indicates the application and usable equipment.
Further, it indicates that the "place name" corresponding to "bXXXXXX_XX ..." of the "location information" is "area B" and the "state" is "present". Further, the "attribute information" is a "free address area", which indicates that the area can be operated with a free address.

Further, FIG. 4B shows an example of data of user-related information stored in the related information storage unit 223. As shown in FIG. 4B, the related information storage unit 223 includes a "user ID", a "name", and an "attribute information". The "schedule information" and the "schedule information" are associated with each other and stored as user-related information.
Here, the "name" indicates the name of the user, and the "attribute information" indicates the attribute information related to the user. Further, the "schedule information" indicates a storage location for storing the user's schedule information and indicates information, and the "schedule information" indicates the user's current schedule information acquired by the schedule information.

In the example shown in FIG. 4B, it is shown that the "name" of "U001" of the "user ID" is "○○ Taro" and the "attribute information" is "○○ project member". .. Further, it is shown that the "schedule information" is "ABC / xxx / U001" and the "schedule information" is "10: 00-11: 00 meeting".
The related information stored in the related information storage unit 223 is added, changed, and updated, for example, when the location information, the user's state, or the like is manually input.

Returning to the description of FIG. 1 again, the user status storage unit 224 stores the user status (context information). As shown in FIG. 5, for example, the user status storage unit 224 stores the "user ID", the "name", the "location", the "state", and the "person in the same location" in association with each other. do.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a data example of the user situation storage unit 224 in the present embodiment.
In this figure, "state" indicates the state of the user, and "person in the same place" indicates the user ID of the person in the same place.
In the example shown in FIG. 5, the "name" of the "user ID" of "U001" is "○○ Taro", and the "location" is "meeting room A". It also indicates that this "state" is "during a meeting" and the "people in the same place" are "U008, U010, ...". That is, it is shown that "○○ Taro" whose "user ID" is "U001" is "in a meeting" with people "U008, U010, ..." in "meeting room A".

Further, the "name" of the "user ID" of "U002" is "○○ Hanako", and the "location" is "5F area A". It also indicates that this "state" is "in attendance" and that "the person in the same place" is "-" (not). That is, it is shown that "Hanako XX" whose "user ID" is "U002" is "in attendance" alone in "5F area A".
The user's state stored as the "state" is stored or updated in the user situation storage unit 224 when it is estimated by the situation estimation unit 233 described later.

Returning to the description of FIG. 1 again, the server control unit 23 is a processor including, for example, a CPU, and controls the location information server 20 in an integrated manner. The server control unit 23 executes, for example, a process of acquiring the location information from the user terminal 10 and storing it in the location information storage unit 222, a process of estimating the user's situation, and a process of notifying the user. The server control unit 23 includes a location information collection unit 231, a related information acquisition unit 232, a situation estimation unit 233, a notification processing unit 234, and a Web processing unit 235.

The related information acquisition unit 232 collects the location information acquired by the user terminal 10 and stores it in the location information storage unit 222. The related information acquisition unit 232 receives, for example, the location information and the user identification information (for example, the terminal ID) from the user terminal 10 via the NW communication unit 21, and the received location information and the user identification information are shown in FIG. As shown in the above, the location information storage unit 222 stores the data. That is, the related information acquisition unit 232 stores the "terminal ID", the "location information", the "acquisition date and time", and the "manual input flag" in association with each other.

The related information acquisition unit 232 acquires the location information and the user's related information and stores them in the related information storage unit 223. The related information acquisition unit 232 uses, for example, the related information of the location information and the user's location information from the user terminal 10 or the schedule storage location shown in the “schedule information” of the related information storage unit 223 via the NW communication unit 21. Acquire user-related information such as schedule information. The related information acquisition unit 232 stores the acquired related information in the related information storage unit 223 as shown in FIGS. 4 (a) and 4 (b).

The situation estimation unit 233 is the user's situation indicating the situation in which the user is placed based on the location information and the user identification information stored in the location information storage unit 222, and at least the location information indicating the location where the user is and the location information indicating the location of the user. Estimate the user's situation, including the user's state. The situation estimation unit 233 acquires, for example, at least the location information stored in the related information acquisition unit 232 and the related information related to any of the users, and is based on the acquired related information and the location information and the user identification information. , Estimate the user's situation.

The situation estimation unit 233, for example, shows FIG. 4A when the location information and the user identification information are "AP1" of the "location information" and "T001" of the "terminal ID", as shown in FIG. It is acquired that the "location" is "meeting room A" and the "state" is "meeting" from the related information of the location information shown in. Further, the situation estimation unit 233 searches the user information storage unit 221 and acquires the "U001" of the "user ID" corresponding to the "T001" of the "terminal ID" as related information corresponding to the "U001". , Acquire related information such as "○○ Taro" of "name" and "10: 00-11: 00 meeting" of "scheduled information" shown in FIG. 4 (b). The situation estimation unit 233 estimates the user's situation that "Mr. Taro XX is in a meeting in the meeting room A" based on the acquired "location information" and "terminal ID" and related information. do. The situation estimation unit 233 stores the estimated user situation in the user situation storage unit 224 as shown in FIG. 5 described above.

The situation estimation unit 233 estimates, for example, that the user's state is "resting" when the user is in a break room or smoking room, and for example, when the user is in a free address area (living room), the situation estimation unit 233 estimates the user's state as "resting". Estimate the user's status as "in attendance". In addition, the situation estimation unit 233 acquires a person who is (near) with the user through the user terminal 10 or from schedule information, etc., and obtains the relationship (relationship) with the user and the place. The user's state may be estimated.
The user's situation includes information such as when (time, etc.), where (location information such as place name), with whom, and what the user is doing (user's state and behavior). The situation estimation unit 233 estimates any of these pieces of information.

Further, when the information is insufficient for estimating the user's situation, the situation estimation unit 233 causes the notification processing unit 234, which will be described later, to execute an inquiry process or the like for the user, and the information is insufficient. The lack information, which is information, is acquired, and the user's situation is estimated based on the acquired lack information.
Further, the situation estimation unit 233 is a notification processing unit, which will be described later, for acquiring information that can determine the user's situation from among the plurality of estimated user's situations when a plurality of user's situations are estimated. It is transmitted to 234, and the user's situation is determined from a plurality of estimated user's situations based on the determinable information.

The notification processing unit 234 transmits the user's situation estimated by the situation estimation unit 233 to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the designated user. The notification processing unit 234 transmits the user's status to, for example, the boss of the user to be estimated. Further, the notification processing unit 234 transmits the user's situation to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the designated user when the predetermined notification condition is satisfied. Here, the predetermined notification conditions include, for example, when a predetermined time is reached, when the location information is acquired at the beginning of the day, an inquiry about the user's situation from another user such as a boss, or the like. For example, when there is a notification request. When notifying the user's status, the notification processing unit 234 transmits the notification to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the designated user via the NW communication unit 21 and the chat server 30 described later.

Further, the notification processing unit 234 can determine the user's situation from among the plurality of estimated user's situations when the situation estimation unit 233 estimates a plurality of user's situations for the user to be estimated. Is transmitted to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the user to be estimated. The notification processing unit 234 transmits, for example, a notification of an inquiry or a notification for selecting one of a plurality of estimated user situations to the user to be estimated via the chat server 30.

Further, the notification processing unit 234 is for the situation estimation unit 233 to acquire the insufficient information for estimating the user's situation when the information for estimating the user's situation is insufficient. The notification is transmitted to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the user to be estimated. For example, when the place name cannot be specified from the location information, the notification processing unit 234 sends a notification inquiring about the current place name to the user to be estimated. The notification processing unit 234 stores information obtained by the inquiry, such as insufficient information, as related information in the related information storage unit 223.

The Web processing unit 235 executes Web processing for notifying and providing various information and acquiring various input information. The Web processing unit 235 performs, for example, processing such as adding the user's position to the seating chart in the living room area and displaying it on the user terminal 10, setting processing of various information of the information notification system 1, registration processing, and the like. Run.

The chat server 30 is a server device that can be connected to the user terminal 10 via the network NW1 and notifies the user of information such as message notification and chat. The chat server 30 includes, for example, a NW communication unit 31 and a chat processing unit 32.

The NW communication unit 31 connects to the network NW1 by using wireless LAN communication, wired LAN communication, etc., and performs various communications via the network NW1. The NW communication unit 31 connects to the user terminal 10 and the location information server 20 via the network NW1, for example, and performs various communications with the user terminal 10 and the location information server 20.
The chat processing unit 32 executes chat processing such as sending and receiving a message (notification) between the user terminals 10 or between the user terminals 10 and the location information server 20.

Next, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the user's situation estimation process in the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 6, in the information notification system 1, when estimating the user's situation, the situation estimation unit 233 of the location information server 20 first acquires the location information of the target user (user to be estimated) (the location information of the target user (user to be estimated)). Step S101). The situation estimation unit 233 acquires the location information corresponding to the target user from the location information storage unit 222.

Next, the situation estimation unit 233 acquires related information (step S102). The situation estimation unit 233 acquires the related information related to the target user and the related information related to the location information from the related information storage unit 223.

Next, the situation estimation unit 233 determines whether or not the situation of the target user can be estimated (step S103). The situation estimation unit 233 advances the process to step S105 when the situation of the target user can be estimated (step S103: YES). Further, the situation estimation unit 233 advances the process to step S104 when the situation of the target user cannot be estimated (impossible) (step S103: NO).

In step S104, the situation estimation unit 233 executes a process of acquiring insufficient information (step S104). The situation estimation unit 233 causes, for example, the notification processing unit 234 to execute the inquiry processing or the like for the user to acquire the insufficient information. The notification processing unit 234 sends an inquiry notification to the user terminal 10 of the target user via the chat server 30, and acquires insufficient information via the chat server 30.

Further, in step S105, the situation estimation unit 233 estimates the situation of the target user. The situation estimation unit 233 estimates the user's situation such as the user's location and the user's state based on, for example, the above-mentioned user identification information, location information, and related information. Here, the situation estimation unit 233 estimates a plurality of situations of the target user when a plurality of situations can be estimated.

Next, the situation estimation unit 233 determines whether or not the estimated situation of the target user is unique (step S106). The situation estimation unit 233 advances the process to step S108 when the estimated situation of the target user is unique (step S106: YES). Further, the situation estimation unit 233 advances the process to step S107 when the estimated situation of the target user is not unique (plurality) (step S106: NO).

In step S107, the situation estimation unit 233 executes a process of determining the situation of the target user. That is, the situation estimation unit 233 executes a process of acquiring information that can determine the user's situation. The situation estimation unit 233 causes, for example, the notification processing unit 234 to send a notification for acquiring information that can determine the user's situation, and acquires information that determines the situation of the target user. The notification processing unit 234 sends an inquiry notification to the user terminal 10 of the target user via the chat server 30, and acquires information to be confirmed via the chat server 30. Then, the situation estimation unit 233 determines the situation of the target user based on the information to be confirmed.

Further, in step S108, the situation estimation unit 233 stores the situation of the target user in the user situation storage unit 224. The situation estimation unit 233 stores the situation of the target user in the user situation storage unit 224, for example, as shown in FIG. 5 described above. After the process of step S108, the situation estimation unit 233 ends the estimation process.

Next, an example of the operation of the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 7.
FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment.
In the example shown in FIG. 7, the user terminal 10 possessed by another user user B (for example, a boss) when the situation of the user A possessing the user terminal 10-1 satisfies a predetermined notification condition. The operation when notifying -2 is shown.

As shown in FIG. 7, first, the user terminal 10-1 detects the location information and periodically transmits the location information and the terminal ID to the location information server 20 (step S201). The terminal control unit 14 of the user terminal 10-1 uses the position information such as the UUID of the beacon detected by the position detection unit 15 as the location information, and transmits the location information together with the terminal ID to the location information server 20 via the NW communication unit 11.

Note that FIG. 8A is an example of a display screen of the user terminal 10-1 when the location information is detected by the beacon. Further, in this case, the user terminal 10-1 causes the display unit 13 to display the display screen G1. Further, as shown on the display screen G1, the user terminal 10-1 may display the detected date and time and the place name when the location information is detected by the beacon.

Next, the location information server 20 stores the location information and the terminal ID (step S202). That is, the location information collection unit 231 of the location information server 20 receives the location information and the terminal ID via the NW communication unit 21, and stores the location information and the terminal ID in the location information storage unit 222 together with the date and time information, for example, as shown in FIG. Let me. Further, during the process of step S202, the notification processing unit 234 of the location information server 20 notifies the user of the user A via the chat server 30 that the location information has been registered, as shown in FIG. 8 (b). The terminal 10-1 may be notified. The display screen G2 shown in FIG. 8B shows a display example indicating that the location information has been registered in the display unit 13 of the user terminal 10-1 of the user A.
The processes of steps S201 and S202 are periodically executed for each user terminal 10.

Further, the location information server 20 determines whether or not the notification condition is satisfied (step S203). The server control unit 23 of the location information server 20 determines whether or not the notification conditions are met. Here, the notification processing unit 234 determines, for example, whether or not the location information is acquired at the beginning of the day. When the location information is acquired at the beginning of the day and the notification conditions are met (step S203: YES), the server control unit 23 advances the process to step S204. If the notification condition is not met (step S203: NO), the server control unit 23 returns the process to step S203.

In step S204, the situation estimation unit 233 of the server control unit 23 estimates the situation of the user A. The situation estimation unit 233 is based on the location information corresponding to the user A stored in the location information storage unit 222 and the related information stored in the related information storage unit 223, and the status of the user A (where and who the user A is). And what you are doing). The situation estimation unit 233 stores the estimated user A's situation in the user situation storage unit 224.

Next, the location information server 20 transmits a message notifying the status of the user A to the chat server 30 (step S205). That is, the notification processing unit 234 of the location information server 20 sends a message including the status of the user A to the user B (for example, the boss) designated in advance in order to notify the status of the user A to the NW communication unit 21. Is transmitted to the chat server 30 via.

Next, the chat server 30 transmits a message notifying the status of the user A to the user terminal 10-2 (step S206). The chat processing unit 32 of the chat server 30 transmits a message including the status of the user A to the user terminal 10-2 of the user B via the NW communication unit 31.

Next, the user terminal 10-2 displays the status of the user A (step S207). The terminal control unit 14 of the user terminal 10-2 causes the display unit 13 to display a message indicating the status of the user A, for example, as shown in the display screen G3 of FIG. 8C.

In the example shown in FIG. 7 described above, in step S204, the location information server 20 estimates the situation of user A by the situation estimation unit 233 and notifies the user terminal 10-2 of user B of the situation of user A. However, it is possible to notify that the location information has been registered without performing the estimation by the situation estimation unit 233.

Further, in the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment, the user terminal 10 can manually input the location information when the location information cannot be automatically detected by a beacon or the like.
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a menu screen of the user terminal 10 according to the present embodiment and an example of a display screen when the location information is manually registered.

The user terminal 10 displays the display screen G4 as shown in FIG. 9A on the display unit 13. When the "Register location information" button is input from the selection button BT1 on the display screen G4 via the input unit 12, the user terminal 10 displays the display screen G5 as shown in FIG. 9B. Is displayed on the display unit 13. The user terminal 10 manually acquires the location information by receiving the location information in the input window W1 via the input unit 12.
The user terminal 10 may display a candidate for the location information registered in advance or the location information manually input in the past on the display unit 13 as the selection button BT2.

The user terminal 10 transmits the manually acquired location information to the location information server 20 via the NW communication unit 11 as in the case of the automatically acquired location information. The location information server 20 stores the manually acquired location information in the location information storage unit 222 with the “manual input flag” set to “1” as shown in FIG.

Next, another operation of the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of another operation of the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 10 describes the operation of the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment when a user is designated and the user's situation is confirmed. Here, an example is shown in which the information notification system 1 notifies the user terminal 10-2 possessed by the user B of the status of the user A designated by the user B.

In FIG. 10, the processes of steps S301 and S302 are the same as the processes of steps S201 and S202 shown in FIG. 7 described above, and are therefore omitted here.

Next, the user terminal 10-2 transmits an inquiry about the status of the user A to the chat server 30 (step S303). The terminal control unit 14 of the user terminal 10-2 possessed by the user B transmits a request for inquiring the user's status to the designated user A to the chat server 30 via the NW communication unit 11 via the input unit 12. do.

Note that FIG. 11A is an example of a display screen when the user terminal 10-2 accepts the designation of the user A. Further, in this case, the user terminal 10-2 displays the display screen G6 on the display unit 13 and accepts the "employee name" as the user's name via the input unit 12. Further, the user terminal 10-2 may display the candidate of the user's name (“employee name”) on the display unit 13 as the selection button BT3.

Next, the chat server 30 transmits an inquiry about the status of the user A to the location information server 20 (step S304). The chat processing unit 32 of the chat server 30 transmits an inquiry about the status of the user A to the location information server 20 via the NW communication unit 31.

Next, the location information server 20 estimates the status of the user A (step S305). The situation estimation unit 233 of the location information server 20 estimates the situation of the user A. The situation estimation unit 233 is based on the location information corresponding to the user A stored in the location information storage unit 222 and the related information stored in the related information storage unit 223, and the status of the user A (where and who the user A is). And what you are doing).

Since the subsequent processing of steps S306 to S308 is the same as the processing of steps S205 to S307 shown in FIG. 7, the description thereof will be omitted here.
In step S307, the user terminal 10-2 causes the display unit 13 to display a message indicating the status of the user A, for example, as shown in the display screen G7 of FIG. 11B.

Further, when the location (location information) included in the situation of the user A can display more detailed information, the user terminal 10-2 additionally provides detailed information as shown in FIG. 11 (c). , May be displayed on the display unit 13.
FIG. 11C shows a display screen G7 showing a seating chart of “○○ Building 5F Area A”. The user terminal 10-2 may display the seating chart on the display unit 13 as shown on the display screen G7.

As described above, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a user terminal 10 (user terminal), a location information storage unit 222, a situation estimation unit 233, and a notification processing unit 234. The user terminal 10 acquires the location information indicating the location of the user (user). The location information storage unit 222 stores the location information acquired by the user terminal 10 in association with the user identification information that identifies the user. The situation estimation unit 233 is the user's situation indicating the situation in which the user is placed based on the location information and the user identification information stored in the location information storage unit 222, and at least the location information indicating the location where the user is and the location information indicating the location of the user. Estimate the user's situation, including the user's state. The notification processing unit 234 transmits the user's situation estimated by the situation estimation unit 233 to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the designated user.

Thereby, in the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment, for example, the user B can grasp the situation of the user A without inquiring the user A about where and what he / she is doing. Therefore, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment can reduce the barrier of face-to-face dialogue at, for example, a free address, and can improve convenience.

Further, in the present embodiment, the situation estimation unit 233 acquires at least the location information and the related information related to any of the users, and based on the acquired related information and the location information and the user identification information, the user's situation. To estimate.
As a result, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment can improve the accuracy of estimating the user's situation based on the related information.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the notification processing unit 234 estimates a plurality of user situations for the user to be estimated by the situation estimation unit 233, the notification processing unit 234 estimates the user's situation from among the plurality of estimated user situations. A notification for acquiring information that can be determined is transmitted to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the user to be estimated. Then, the situation estimation unit 233 determines the user's situation from a plurality of estimated user situations based on the determinable information acquired in response to the notification for acquiring the determinable information by the notification processing unit 234. Confirm the situation.
As a result, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment can estimate a more appropriate user situation.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the notification processing unit 234 lacks information for estimating the user's situation by the situation estimation unit 233, the notification processing unit 234 lacks information for estimating the user's situation. Is transmitted to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the user to be estimated. The situation estimation unit 233 estimates the user's situation based on the shortage information acquired in response to the notification for acquiring the shortage information by the notification processing unit 234.
As a result, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment can reduce the case where the user's situation cannot be estimated due to lack of information, and can further improve the convenience.

In addition, in the prior art described in Patent Document 1, it could not be used except in the place where the device and the program specified in advance were arranged. On the other hand, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment is used even in a place other than the place where the device and the program specified in advance are arranged in order to acquire the insufficient information and estimate the user's situation. Can be done.

Further, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment may use the information input by the user for estimating the situation of the next user. By doing so, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment can improve the estimation accuracy of the user's situation.

Further, in the present embodiment, the notification processing unit 234 transmits the user's situation to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the designated user when the predetermined notification condition is satisfied.
As a result, the information notification system 1 according to the present embodiment can grasp the user's situation at an appropriate timing according to the notification conditions.

Further, in the information notification method according to the present embodiment, the user terminal 10 that acquires the location information indicating the location of the user, the location information acquired by the user terminal 10 and the user identification information that identifies the user are stored in association with each other. An information notification method of an information notification system 1 including a location information storage unit 222, which includes a situation estimation step and a notification processing step. In the situation estimation step, the situation estimation unit 233 stores the location information transmitted from the user terminal 10 and the user identification information that identifies the user in association with each other, and the location information storage unit 222 stores the location information and the user identification information. Based on this, the user's situation indicating the situation in which the user is placed is estimated, including at least the location information indicating the place where the user is and the user's state. In the notification processing step, the notification processing unit 234 transmits the user's situation estimated by the situation estimation step to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the designated user.
As a result, the information notification method according to the present embodiment has the same effect as the information notification system 1 described above, and the convenience can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, the information notification system 1a according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, a modified example in which the notification destination of the notification information is selected based on the user's situation (context information) such as the location and the user's state will be described.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the information notification system 1a according to the second embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 12, the information notification system 1a includes a user terminal 10 (10-1, 10-2, ...), a location information server 20a, and a chat server 30.
In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those in FIG. 1 described above, and the description thereof will be omitted here.

The location information server 20a is a server device that can be connected to the user terminal 10 and the chat server 30 via the network NW1, and its basic functions are the same as those of the location information server 20 of the first embodiment. The location information server 20a selects a user to whom notification information such as a message is to be notified based on context information indicating the user's situation, and notifies the selected user of the notification information.
Further, the location information server 20a includes a NW communication unit 21, a server storage unit 22a, and a server control unit 23a.

The server storage unit 22a stores various information used by the location information server 20a. The server storage unit 22a includes, for example, a user information storage unit 221, a location information storage unit 222, a related information storage unit 223, a user status storage unit 224, and a group storage unit 225. The basic function of the server storage unit 22a is the same as that of the server storage unit 22 according to the first embodiment, and the server storage unit 22a is different from the first embodiment in that it includes a group storage unit 225.

The group storage unit 225 stores group information regarding the notification destination group. For example, as shown in FIG. 13, the group storage unit 225 stores the "group name" and the "target user" in association with each other.
FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a data example of the group storage unit 225 in the present embodiment.
In this figure, the "group name" is identification information that identifies a group, and is, for example, a part of context information. Further, the "target user" indicates the user ID of the user classified in this group.

In the example shown in FIG. 13, the "group name" corresponds to the "meeting room A" and the "target user" is "U001, U003, ...". It also indicates that the "target user" corresponding to the "group name" being "out of the office" is "U002, U009, ...".

Returning to the description of FIG. 12, the server control unit 23a is a processor including, for example, a CPU, and controls the location information server 20a in an integrated manner. The server control unit 23a includes a location information collection unit 231, a related information acquisition unit 232, a situation estimation unit 233, a notification processing unit 234, a Web processing unit 235, and a notification destination selection unit 236. The basic function of the server control unit 23a is the same as that of the server control unit 23 according to the first embodiment, and the server control unit 23a is different from the first embodiment in that the notification destination selection unit 236 is provided.

The notification destination selection unit 236 selects the user to be notified of the notification information based on the context information indicating the user's situation. The notification destination selection unit 236 selects the notification destination user, for example, based on the user status (context information) estimated by the context estimation unit. For example, the notification destination selection unit 236 classifies the users into groups related to the context information based on the context information, selects the group based on the context information specified by the notification source user, and selects the group. Select the users classified in as the user to be notified.

Specifically, the notification destination selection unit 236 classifies the users into groups related to the specified context information, and as shown in FIG. 13, associates the "group name" with the "target user" and stores the group. It is stored in the part 225. In addition, the notification destination selection unit 236 selects the "target user" corresponding to the group related to the designated context information as the notification destination user in the group storage unit 225.

When selecting a notification destination based on context information, for example, when notifying all attendees of materials and messages during a meeting or seminar, to the user in the same situation as the sender. There is a case of notifying, and there is a case of notifying a user in a situation different from the sender, for example, when notifying a message to a user who is out of the office. For example, when notifying a user in the same situation as the transmission source, the notification destination selection unit 236 selects a group corresponding to the context information of the notification source user.

Further, the notification destination selection unit 236 does not need to perform the above-mentioned group classification every time. For example, when notifying after the second time, the notification destination selection unit 236 is stored in the group storage unit 225 without classifying the groups. You may want to select the group you are in.
Further, the notification destination selection unit 236 may generate, add, change, and delete the group information stored in the group storage unit 225 according to the change in the user's situation. The generation, addition, modification, and deletion here include the creation, addition, modification, and deletion of each group itself, and the addition, modification, and deletion of the target user.

The notification processing unit 234 in this embodiment has the same basic functions as those in the first embodiment, but the processing related to the notification destination selection unit 236 is different. The notification processing unit 234 transmits, for example, the notification information to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection unit 236.

Next, the operation of the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
Since the process of estimating the user's situation in the present embodiment is the same as the process shown in FIG. 6 described above, the description thereof will be omitted here. Further, when the predetermined notification condition in the present embodiment is satisfied, the process of notifying another user of the user's status and the process of designating the user and confirming the user's status are shown in FIGS. 7 and 10. Since it is the same as the process shown in the above, the description thereof will be omitted here.

FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of a notification destination selection process depending on the user's situation in the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 14, in the information notification system 1a, when the notification destination is selected according to the user's situation, the notification destination selection unit 236 of the location information server 20a first stores the user corresponding to the specified situation in the user status storage. A group is generated by selecting from the unit 224 (step S401). That is, the notification destination selection unit 236 searches the user situation storage unit 224 and extracts the user corresponding to the specified situation. Then, as shown in FIG. 13, the notification destination selection unit 236 stores the “group name” and the “target user” in the group storage unit 225 in association with each other. Here, the "group name" is the name of the specified situation, and the "target user" is a list of user IDs of the extracted users.

Next, the notification processing unit 234 transmits a message to the users classified in the group as the notification destination (step S402). The notification processing unit 234 reads, for example, a user corresponding to a group (designated situation) from the group storage unit 225 and sets it as a notification destination. The notification processing unit 234 transmits notification information such as a message to the notification destination user via the chat server 30. After the process of step S402, the notification processing unit 234 ends the process.

Next, an example of the operation of the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 15 is a diagram showing an example of the operation of the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment.
The example shown in FIG. 15 shows an operation when a user A possessing a user terminal 10-1 notifies all users (user B, user C, ...) In the conference room A of a message. Here, the user terminal 10-2 is the user terminal 10 possessed by the user B, and the user terminal 10-3 is the user terminal 10 possessed by the user C.

As shown in FIG. 15, first, the user terminal 10-1 transmits a message notification request to all the users in the conference room A to the location information server 20a (step S501). The terminal control unit 14 of the user terminal 10-1 transmits the notification request to the location information server 20a via the NW communication unit 11.

Note that FIG. 16A shows an example of a menu screen of the user terminal 10-1 according to the present embodiment. In the menu screen G8 shown in FIG. 16A, when the button "send a message to a person in a specific area" is input from the selection button BT4 via the input unit 12, the user terminal 10-1 Displayes the display screen G9 as shown in FIG. 16B on the display unit 13. The user terminal 10-1 receives information such as "meeting room A" in the input window W2 via the input unit 12.

Next, the location information server 20a selects a notification destination (step S502). The notification destination selection unit 236 of the location information server 20a selects a user whose user status corresponds to “meeting room A” from the user status storage unit 224, and displays group information (group information of group GR1) in FIG. As shown, it is stored in the group storage unit 225.

Next, the location information server 20a transmits a message to the selected notification destination (step S503). That is, the notification destination selection unit 236 reads the user corresponding to the selected "meeting room A" from the group storage unit 225 as the notification destination, and transmits a message addressed to the notification destination to the chat server 30. The location information server 20a may check the user status of the selected group information and send a message to the user who may be notified. That is, the notification destination selection unit 236 reads the user corresponding to the selected "meeting room A" from the group storage unit 225 as a notification destination candidate, and then calls the situation estimation unit 233 to estimate the state of the notification destination user. For example, when the user's status is "not" customer service in progress "", the notification destination selection unit 236 determines whether or not to notify the user. The notification destination selection unit 236 sets the notification destination to the user who has determined that the notification is possible. The destination message is transmitted to the chat server 30.

Next, the chat server 30 sends a message to the user B (step S504). The chat processing unit 32 of the chat server 30 transmits a message addressed to the user B to the user terminal 10-2 of the user B via the NW communication unit 31.

Next, the user terminal 10-2 displays a message (step S505). The terminal control unit 14 of the user terminal 10-2 causes the display unit 13 to display a message from the user A, for example, as shown in the display screen G10 of FIG. 16 (c).

Further, the chat server 30 transmits a message to the user C (step S506). The chat processing unit 32 of the chat server 30 transmits a message addressed to the user C to the user terminal 10-3 of the user C via the NW communication unit 31.

Next, the user terminal 10-3 displays a message (step S507). The terminal control unit 14 of the user terminal 10-3 causes the display unit 13 to display a message from the user A, for example, as shown in the display screen G10 of FIG. 16 (c).
The chat server 30 also sends a message to another user in the conference room A in the same manner.

In the example shown in FIG. 15 described above, an example in which the notification destination selection unit 236 sends a message to all the users in the conference room A has been described. For example, a message, additional materials, and a questionnaire are sent to all the participants of the seminar. When transmitting such as, the notification destination selection unit 236 selects all the participants of the seminar as notification destinations. Further, the notification destination selection unit 236 selects all the users who are out of the office as notification destinations when, for example, it is specified as being out of the office as context information.
Further, in the example shown in FIG. 15 described above, the notification destination selection unit 236 is an example in which a user who is in the same place as the notification source user (user A) is selected as the notification destination, but it seems that he / she is out. A user whose status is different from that of the notification source user may be selected as the notification destination.

As described above, the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment includes a user terminal 10 associated with the user, a notification destination selection unit 236, and a notification processing unit 234. The notification destination selection unit 236 selects the user to be notified of the notification information based on the context information indicating the user's situation. The notification processing unit 234 transmits the notification information to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection unit 236.
As a result, the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment can notify the message by selecting the notification destination without performing the complicated process of manually selecting the notification destination of the information one by one by the user, for example. Convenience can be improved.

Further, the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment is based on the location information indicating the location of the user acquired by the user terminal 10, and at least the location information indicating the location of the user and the context information including the state of the user (of the user). A situation estimation unit 233 (an example of a context estimation unit) for estimating a situation) is provided. The notification destination selection unit 236 selects the notification destination user based on the context information estimated by the situation estimation unit 233.
As a result, in the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment, the user needs to input the context information (user status) in order to select the notification destination based on the estimated location information and the context information including the user status. There is no. Therefore, the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment can further improve the convenience.

Further, in the present embodiment, the notification destination selection unit 236 classifies the users into groups related to the context information based on the context information (user status), and based on the context information specified by the notification source user. , Select a group, and select the users classified in the selected group as the notification destination users.
As a result, the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment can appropriately select the user of the notification source depending on the group. Further, in the information notification system 1a according to the present embodiment, by selecting a group, it is only necessary to select the already classified group at the time of the second and subsequent notifications, and the process can be simplified.

Further, the information notification method according to the present embodiment includes a notification destination selection step and a notification processing step. In the notification destination selection step, the notification destination selection unit 236 selects the user to be notified of the notification information based on the context information indicating the user's situation. In the notification processing step, the notification processing unit 234 transmits the notification information to the user terminal 10 corresponding to the user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection step.
As a result, the information notification method according to the present embodiment has the same effect as the information notification system 1a described above, and the convenience can be improved.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, the information notification system 1b according to the third embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the present embodiment, a modified example in which the history of the location information is accumulated as the location history information and various analyzes are performed using the location history information will be described.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram showing an example of the information notification system 1b according to the third embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 17, the information notification system 1b includes a user terminal 10 (10-1, 10-2, ...), a location information server 20b, and a chat server 30.
In this figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same configurations as those in FIG. 12 described above, and the description thereof will be omitted here.

The location information server 20b is a server device that can be connected to the user terminal 10 and the chat server 30 via the network NW1, and its basic functions are the same as those of the location information server 20a of the second embodiment. The location information server 20b includes a NW communication unit 21, a server storage unit 22b, and a server control unit 23b.

The server storage unit 22b stores various information used by the location information server 20b. The server storage unit 22b includes, for example, a user information storage unit 221, a location information storage unit 222, a related information storage unit 223, a user status storage unit 224, a group storage unit 225, and a location history storage unit 226. ing. The basic function of the server storage unit 22b is the same as that of the server storage unit 22a according to the second embodiment, and the server storage unit 22b is different from the second embodiment in that the location history storage unit 226 is provided.

The location history storage unit 226 stores the history of the information stored in the location information storage unit 222 as the location history information. The location history storage unit 226 may store the location history information including the estimated user status stored by the user status storage unit 224.

The server control unit 23b is, for example, a processor including a CPU and the like, and controls the location information server 20b in an integrated manner. The server control unit 23b includes a location information collection unit 231, a related information acquisition unit 232, a situation estimation unit 233, a notification processing unit 234, a Web processing unit 235, a notification destination selection unit 236, and a history information analysis unit 237. And have. The basic function of the server control unit 23b is the same as that of the server control unit 23a according to the second embodiment, and the server control unit 23b is different from the second embodiment in that the history information analysis unit 237 is provided.

The history information analysis unit 237 performs various analyzes based on the location history information accumulated in the location history storage unit 226. The history information analysis unit 237 analyzes, for example, the used area of the living room in the business of each user based on the location history information, and estimates the optimum used area and the like. Further, the history information analysis unit 237 analyzes, for example, the business hours (business load, etc.) of each user based on the location history information, and generates data that can be used for improving business efficiency. Further, the history information analysis unit 237 analyzes the user's situation estimated by the situation estimation unit 233 based on the location history information, and generates a countermeasure plan for improving the estimation accuracy of the user's situation.

As described above, the information notification system 1b according to the present embodiment includes a location history storage unit 226 for storing location history information.
Thereby, the information notification system 1b according to the present embodiment can be used, for example, for improving the estimation accuracy of the user's situation and for appropriate business improvement.

Further, the information notification system 1b according to the present embodiment includes a history information analysis unit 237 that performs analysis based on the accumulated location history information.
Thereby, the information notification system 1b according to the present embodiment can analyze, for example, the analysis of the business situation of the user, the analysis of the usage situation, and the like.

The present invention is not limited to each of the above embodiments, and can be modified without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
For example, in each of the above embodiments, an example in which the location information server 20 (20a, 20b) is configured as one server device has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the location information server 20 (20a, 20b) is configured to be configured by a plurality of server devices. You may.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the example in which the chat server 30 is provided outside the location information server 20 (20a, 20b) has been described, but the location information server 20 (20a, 20b) is a function of the chat server 30. May be included. In this case, the location information server 20 (20a, 20b) and the chat server 30 may be configured as one information notification device. Further, the chat server 30 may be configured to include a notification processing unit 234. Further, the notification processing unit 234 and the chat server 30 may be combined to form the notification processing unit.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the location information server 20 (20a, 20b) has been described as having the Web processing unit 235, but the Web processing unit 235 may be externally provided as the Web server. Further, the Web processing unit 235 may be an example of a notification processing unit that transmits (notifies) a message or information to the user terminal 10.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the location information server 20 (20a, 20b) includes the server storage unit 22 (22a, 22b), but a part of the server storage unit 22 (22a, 22b) or All of them may be provided outside the location information server 20 (20a, 20b).

Further, in each of the above embodiments, when the user manually inputs the location information, the user himself / herself inputs the location information to the user terminal 10 and the location information servers 20 (20a, 20b) accumulate the information. It is not limited to this. For example, another person other than the person may manually input the location information. In this case, the location information collection department may preferentially adopt the input of a manager such as a boss, or may adopt the location information input by many others by majority vote.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the example in which the user terminal 10 is a smartphone, a tablet terminal, or the like has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, a portable personal computer or a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). It may be another terminal device such as. In addition to the location information, the user terminal 10 uses short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) or NFC (Near Field Communication) to acquire information on other users in the vicinity of the user. The information of another user may be transmitted to the location information server 20 (20a, 20b) as related information.

Further, in each of the above embodiments, the situation estimation unit 233 has described an example of estimating the user's situation, but even if the situation is estimated in more detail based on the already known user's situation. good. The situation estimation unit 233 estimates detailed seat information from information on rough locations such as a conference room and a living room, and estimates a more detailed user situation from attending members, such as during a XX project meeting. You may try to do it.

Further, in the second embodiment described above, the notification destination selection unit 236 has described an example of selecting a notification destination based on the user's situation (context information) estimated by the situation estimation unit 233. It is not limited. The notification destination selection unit 236 may explain an example of simply selecting a notification destination based on the user's situation stored in advance in the user status storage unit 224.
Further, in the second embodiment described above, the notification destination selection unit 236 has described an example in which a group is generated and stored in the group storage unit 225, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the group storage unit 225 is not limited thereto. It is also possible to select the notification destination each time based on the context information when making a notification.

Further, in the third embodiment described above, the example in which the location information server 20b includes the history information analysis unit 237 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the history information analysis unit 237 is provided externally. You may.

Each configuration included in the above-mentioned information notification system 1 (1a, 1b) has a computer system inside. Then, a program for realizing the functions of each configuration included in the above-mentioned information notification system 1 (1a, 1b) is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium, and the program recorded on the recording medium is read into the computer system. By executing the processing, the processing in each configuration provided in the above-mentioned information notification system 1 (1a, 1b) may be performed. Here, "loading and executing a program recorded on a recording medium into a computer system" includes installing the program in the computer system. The term "computer system" as used herein includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.
Further, the "computer system" may include a plurality of computer devices connected via a network including a communication line such as the Internet, WAN, LAN, and a dedicated line. Further, the "computer-readable recording medium" refers to a portable medium such as a flexible disk, a magneto-optical disk, a ROM, or a CD-ROM, or a storage device such as a hard disk built in a computer system. As described above, the recording medium in which the program is stored may be a non-transient recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

The recording medium also includes an internal or external recording medium that can be accessed from the distribution server to distribute the program. It should be noted that the configuration in which the program is divided into a plurality of programs, downloaded at different timings, and then combined with each configuration provided in the information notification system 1 (1a, 1b), and the distribution server that distributes each of the divided programs are different. You may. Furthermore, a "computer-readable recording medium" is a volatile memory (RAM) inside a computer system that serves as a server or client when a program is transmitted via a network, and holds the program for a certain period of time. It shall also include things. Further, the above program may be for realizing a part of the above-mentioned functions. Further, it may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that can realize the above-mentioned function in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

Further, a part or all of the above-mentioned functions may be realized as an integrated circuit such as LSI (Large Scale Integration). Each of the above-mentioned functions may be made into a processor individually, or a part or all of them may be integrated into a processor. Further, the method of making an integrated circuit is not limited to LSI, and may be realized by a dedicated circuit or a general-purpose processor. Further, when an integrated circuit technology that replaces an LSI appears due to advances in semiconductor technology, an integrated circuit based on this technology may be used.

1, 1a, 1b Information notification system 10, 10-1, 10-2, 10-3 User terminals 11, 21, 31 NW communication unit 12 Input unit 13 Display unit 14 Terminal control unit 15 Position detection unit 20, 20a, 20b Location information server 22, 22a, 22b Server storage 23, 23a, 23b Server control 30 Chat server 32 Chat processing 221 User information storage 222 Location information storage 223 Related information storage 224 User status storage 225 Group storage 226 Location history storage unit 231 Location information collection unit 232 Related information acquisition unit 233 Situation estimation unit 234 Notification processing unit 235 Web processing unit 236 Notification destination selection unit 237 History information analysis unit NW1 network

Claims (6)

User terminals associated with users who are employees belonging to the company,
Based on the location information indicating the location of the user acquired by the user terminal, at least the location information indicating the location where the user is and the context information indicating the status of the user including the state of the user. And a context estimation unit that estimates context information for grasping where and what the user is doing,
Based on the context information estimated by the context estimation unit, a notification destination selection unit that selects a user who is in the same situation as the sender user as the notification destination user of the notification information, and a notification destination selection unit.
An information notification system comprising a notification processing unit for transmitting the notification information to the user terminal corresponding to the user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection unit. When the information for estimating the context information is insufficient, the context estimation unit estimates the context information based on the information acquired from the user, and next time, the information acquired from the user is estimated. The information notification system according to claim 1, wherein the information notification system is used for estimation. The notification destination selection unit classifies the user into a group related to the context information based on the context information, and selects the group based on the context information specified by the user who is the notification source. The information notification system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the user classified into the selected group is selected as the user of the notification destination. The information notification system according to claim 3, wherein the notification destination selection unit selects the group corresponding to the context information of the user who is the notification source. Based on the location information indicating the location of the user acquired by the user terminal associated with the user who is an employee belonging to the company, the context estimation unit provides at least the location information indicating the location of the user and the location information indicating the location of the user. A context estimation step for estimating context information indicating the user's situation including the user's state and for grasping where and what the user is doing, and a context estimation step.
Based on the context information estimated by the context estimation step , the notification destination selection unit selects a user who has the same user status as the sender user as the notification destination user of the notification information. Notification destination selection step and
A notification processing step in which the notification processing unit transmits the notification information to the user terminal corresponding to the user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection step , and
An information notification method characterized by including. On the computer
Based on the location information indicating the location of the user acquired by the user terminal associated with the user who is an employee belonging to the company, at least the location information indicating the location of the user and the state of the user. Context information indicating the situation of the user including the above, and a context estimation step for estimating context information for grasping where and what the user is doing.
Based on the context information estimated by the context estimation step, a notification destination selection step of selecting a user who has the same user status as the sender user as the notification destination user of the notification information. ,
A program for causing a user terminal corresponding to a user of the notification destination selected by the notification destination selection step to execute a notification processing step of transmitting the notification information.

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