Consultation service/support system, consultation service terminal, and server

• US 20040117471A1
• Filed: 11/10/2003
• Published: 06/17/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Original Assignee: OKI Electric Industry Company Limited
• Inventors: Nakamura, Kazutaka
• Application Number:
  US10/703,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117471A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

In recent years, the content of consultation services in various fields has become more sophisticated, and hence it is sometimes impossible for a single counselor to respond sufficiently. As a result, it may be impossible for a consultation service to proceed smoothly. In a consultation service/support system according to the present invention, a consultation service terminal for performing a consultation service with a customer is connected to a consultation service support terminal which supports the consultation service with the customer by outputting data for supplementing the content of a past or present display image on the consultation service terminal, and the consultation service terminal is provided with two displays.

Claims

1. A consultation service/support system comprising:

a consultation service terminal comprising a customer display, which is disposed so as to be viewable from a customer side and a counselor side on a service provider side, for displaying screens to a customer, and a counselor display, which is disposed so as to be viewable from the counselor side but not from the customer side, for displaying screens that are to be concealed from the customer, said terminal being constituted in a consultative interactive form allowing face-to-face dialogue between the customer and counselor such that a consultation service with the customer is performed while the customer and counselor converse through the display on said customer display of appropriate screens for the consultation subject of the customer; and

a consultation service support terminal for supporting the consultation service with the customer by outputting data for assisting the consultation service with the customer.

2. The consultation service/support system according to claim 1, further comprising a server which is connected to said consultation service terminal and said consultation service support terminal via a communication network, which stores an application that can be operated by both said consultation service terminal and said consultation service support terminal, and which executes said application on the basis of an operation performed on said consultation service terminal or said consultation service support terminal,

wherein said consultation service terminal and said consultation service support terminal obtain from said server a screen indicating the result of an execution of said application by said server, and display said screen.

3. A consultation service terminal comprising a customer display, which is disposed so as to be viewable from a customer side and a counselor side on a service provider side, for displaying screens to a customer, and a counselor display, which is disposed so as to be viewable from the counselor side but not from the customer side, for displaying screens that are to be concealed from the customer, said terminal being constituted in a consultative interactive form allowing face-to-face dialogue between the customer and counselor such that while the customer and counselor converse, appropriate screens for the consultation subject of the customer can be displayed on said customer display, and data for assisting the consultation service with the customer, outputted by a consultation service support terminal for supporting the consultation service with the customer, can be displayed on said counselor display.

4. The consultation service terminal according to claim 3, wherein said data for assisting the consultation service with the customer are alphanumeric data, and are transmitted from and received by said consultation service support terminal and displayed on said counselor display.

5. The consultation service terminal according to claim 3, wherein the display position of a region for displaying specific data can be limited to a position within a screen which is concealed from said customer.

6. A server which stores an application that can be operated by a consultation service terminal for performing a consultation service with a customer, and which executes said application on the basis of an operation performed on said consultation service terminal to create a screen indicating the result of this execution, whereupon said screen is outputted to said consultation service terminal.

7. The server according to claim 6, wherein the created screen is outputted to said consultation service terminal after being divided into a screen to be provided to the customer and a screen to be concealed from the customer.

8. The server according to claim 7, wherein the display position of a region for displaying specific data can be limited to a position within a screen which is concealed from said customer.

9. A computer-readable medium having software for performing, on a computer comprising a customer display which is disposed so as to be viewable from a customer side and a counselor side on a service provider side for displaying screens to a customer, and a counselor display which is disposed so as to be viewable from the counselor side but not from the customer side for displaying screens that are to be concealed from the customer, said computer being constituted in a consultative interactive form allowing face-to-face dialogue between the customer and counselor, a method of displaying on said customer display appropriate screens for the consultation subject of the customer, and displaying on said counselor display data for assisting the consultation service with the customer which are outputted by a consultation service support terminal for supporting the consultation service with the customer.

10. A computer-readable medium having software for performing, on a computer which is connected to a consultation service terminal for performing a consultation service with a customer and which stores an application that can be operated by said consultation service terminal, a method of executing said application on the basis of an operation performed on said consultation service terminal to create a screen indicating the result of this execution, and outputting said screen to said consultation service terminal.