Information supplementing device, system, method and program

• US 8,244,797 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2005
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Suito, Akiko, Koseki, Yoshiyuki, Ochiai, Katsuhiro, Tabuchi, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUI, JONATHAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/571,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20080010604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,609 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

With an operation information supplement instructing unit (16), a service progress dependent information storage unit (11), a service progress dependent information search unit (12) and a service progress dependent information answering unit (13) provided, when the operation information supplement instructing unit (16) is pressed, the service progress dependent information search unit (12) searches the service progress dependent information storage unit (11) for supplemental contents recorded in pair with the same service progress as a current service progress (information indicating how far service progresses) and presents the searched supplemental contents to a user through the service progress dependent information answering unit (13).

Claims

1. An information supplementing method, comprising the steps of:

including an operation terminal and at least one server, wherein

in said server,

recording, in a storage device, a service progress indicative of a degree of a progress of service and operation information in said service progress in pair or said service progress and service contents in said service progress in pair or said service progress, said operation information and said service contents in said service progress in pair as supplemental contents by a service progress dependent information storage unit;

searching the storage device of said service progress dependent information storage unit for supplemental contents recorded as a pair with the same service progress as a current service progress by a service progress dependent information search unit; and

obtaining, by a service progress dependent information answering unit, supplemental contents in said current service progress by said service progress dependent information search unit and by using said operation information contained in said supplemental contents, automatically operating user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and providing the restored service contents to an operation terminal used by said user,

wherein before recording said supplemental contents in said service progress dependent information storage unit, causing a user to select whether said supplemental contents are to be recorded or not, and controlling existence/non-existence of recording of the supplemental contents according to a selection result of said user applied through an input device, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of operation information are stored in said service progress dependent information storage unit, said service progress dependent information answering unit presents at least one operation information among said plurality of pieces of operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplemented through an input device.

2. The information supplementing method as set forth in claim 1, wherein when expressly instructed by operation information supplement instructing unit to supplement operation information or when a trigger designated by an operation unit used by the user is performed, the service progress dependent information search unit searches said service progress dependent information storage unit.

3. An information supplementing device included in a server, comprising:

operation information supplement instructing unit, service progress dependent information storage unit which records, in a storage device, a service progress indicative of a degree of a progress of service and operation information in said service progress in pair or said service progress and service contents in said service progress in pair or said service progress, said operation information and said service contents in said service progress in pair as supplemental contents,

service progress dependent information search unit which searches said service progress dependent information storage unit for supplemental contents corresponding to a service progress, and

service progress dependent information answering unit which restores said searched supplemental contents, wherein

upon receiving an instruction from said operation information supplement instructing unit, said service progress dependent information search unit searches for supplemental contents corresponding to a current service progress,

said service progress dependent information answering unit obtains supplemental contents in said current service progress by said service progress dependent information search unit and by using said operation information contained in said supplemental contents, automatically operates user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and provides the restored service contents to an operation terminal used by said user, wherein

before recording supplemental contents, said service progress dependent information storage unit causes a user to select whether the supplemental contents are to be recorded or not and controls existence/non-existence of recording of said supplemental contents according to a selection result applied through an input device by said user, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of operation information are stored in said service progress dependent information storage unit, said service progress dependent information answering unit presents at least one operation information among said plurality of pieces of operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplemented through an input device.

4. The information supplementing device as set forth in claim 3, which is connected to at least one server which provides service contents through a communication path, or service contents are stored in said operation terminal used by the user is performed.

5. The information supplementing device as set forth in claim 3, wherein

said service progress dependent information search unit is activated during communication with an arbitrary communication partner.

6. The information supplementing device as set forth in claim 5, wherein said operation unit includes an input device provided in said operation terminal or consists of a button presented by said display unit.

7. The information supplementing device as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

display unit which presents existence/non-existence of supplemental information searched by said service progress dependent information search unit, wherein

when the supplemental information exists, said operation information supplement instructing unit is displayed on said display unit or assigned to a predetermined button or input unit.

8. A server comprising:

service progress dependent information storage unit which records, in a storage device, a service progress indicative of a degree of a progress of service and operation information in said service progress in pair or said service progress and service contents in said service progress in pair or said service progress, said operation information and said service contents in said service progress in pair as supplemental contents,

service progress dependent information search unit which searches said service progress dependent information storage unit for supplemental contents corresponding to a service progress, and

service progress dependent information answering unit obtains supplemental contents in said current service progress by said service progress dependent information search unit and by using said operation information contained in said supplemental contents, automatically operates user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and provides the restored service contents to an operation terminal used by said user, wherein

before recording supplemental contents, said service progress dependent information storage unit causes a user to select whether the supplemental contents are to be recorded or not and controls existence/non-existence of recording of said supplemental contents according to a selection result applied through an input device by said user, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of operation information are stored in said service progress dependent information storage unit, said service progress dependent information answering unit presents at least one operation information among said plurality of pieces of operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplemented through an input device.

9. A server comprising, for each group formed of at least one user:

service progress dependent information storage unit which records a service progress indicative of a degree of a progress of service and operation information in said service progress in pair or said service progress and service contents in said service progress in pair or said service progress, said operation information and said service contents in said service progress in pair as supplemental contents,

service progress dependent information search unit which searches said service progress dependent information storage unit for supplemental contents corresponding to a service progress, and

service progress dependent information answering unit which obtains supplemental contents in said current service progress by said service progress dependent information search unit and by using said operation information contained in said supplemental contents, automatically operates user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and provides the restored service contents to an operation terminal used by said user, wherein

before recording supplemental contents, said service progress dependent information storage unit causes a user to select whether the supplemental contents are to be recorded or not and controls existence/non-existence of recording of said supplemental contents according to a selection result applied through an input device by said user, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of operation information are stored in said service progress dependent information storage unit, said service progress dependent information answering unit presents at least one operation information among said plurality of pieces of operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplemented through an input device.

10. A server for providing service contents, comprising:

service progress dependent information storage unit which records a service progress indicative of a degree of a progress of service and operation information in said service progress in pair or a service progress and service contents in said service progress in pair or said service progress, said operation information and said service contents in said service progress in pair as supplemental contents,

service progress dependent information search unit which searches said service progress dependent information storage unit for supplemental contents corresponding to a service progress, and

service progress dependent information answering unit which obtains supplemental contents in said current service progress by said service progress dependent information search unit and by using said operation information contained in said supplemental contents, automatically operates user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and provides the restored service contents to an operation terminal used by said user, wherein

before recording supplemental contents, said service progress dependent information storage unit causes a user to select whether the supplemental contents are to be recorded or not and controls existence/non-existence of recording of said supplemental contents according to a selection result applied through an input device by said user, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of operation information are stored in said service progress dependent information storage unit, said service progress dependent information answering unit presents at least one operation information among said plurality of pieces of operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplemented through an input device.

11. An information supplementing system including an operation terminal and at least one server having an information supplementing device, wherein

said operation terminal includes

unit for obtaining service contents, and

operation information supplement instructing unit,

said server includes

service progress dependent information storage unit which records a service progress indicative of a degree of a progress of service and supplemental contents corresponding to said service progress in pair,

service progress dependent information search unit which searches said service progress dependent information storage unit for supplemental contents corresponding to a service progress, and

service progress dependent information answering unit which, obtains supplemental contents in said current service progress by said service progress dependent information search unit and by using said operation information search unit and by using said operation information contained in said supplemental contents, automatically operates user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and provides the restored service contents to an operation terminal used by said user, wherein

before recording supplemental contents, said service progress dependent information storage unit causes a user to select whether the supplemental contents are to be recorded or not an controls existence/non-existence of recording of said supplemental contents according to a selection result applied through an input device by said user, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of operation information are stored in said service progress dependent information storage unit, said service progress dependent information answering unit presents at least one operation information among said plurality of pieces of operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplement through an input device.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program which causes a computer forming an information supplementing device to execute the processing of:

recording, in a storage device, a service progress indicative of a degree of a progress of service and operation information in said service progress in pair or a said service progress and service contents in said service progress in pair or said service progress, said operation information and said service contents in said service progress in pair as supplemental contents,

searching the storage device for supplemental contents recorded as a pair with the same service progress as a current service progress, and

obtaining supplemental contents in said current service progress and by using said operation information contained in said supplemental contents, automatically operating user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and providing the restored service contents to an operation terminal used by said user, wherein

before recording said supplemental contents in said storage unit, causing a user to select whether said supplemental contents are to be recorded or not, and controlling existence/non\-existence of recording of the supplemental contents according to a selection result of said user applied through an input device, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of operation information are stored in said storage unit, presenting at least one operation information among said plurality of pieces of operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplemented through an input device.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program as set forth in claim 12, which causes said computer to execute processing of recording, in pair with service progress information, as supplemental contents,

operation executed from a predetermined communication time point to a time point instructed by operation information supplement instructing unit or,

operation executed from a time point instructed by said operation information supplement instructing unit to a time point instructed next by said operation information supplement instructing unit or,

operation executed from a time point instructed by said operation information supplement instructing unit to the end of communication, or

operation executed from a predetermined communication time point to the communication end.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program as set forth in claim 12, which causes said computer to execute processing of causing a user to select whether operation information is to be recorded or not.

15. An information communication system including an operation terminal and at least one server, comprising:

said server includes

service progress dependent information storage unit which records supplemental contents with a service progress indicative of a degree of a progress of service and operation information in said service progress in pair,

service progress dependent information search unit which, upon receiving an instruction to supplement operation information, searches said service progress dependent information storage unit to obtain operation information recorded in pair with a service progress coincident with a current service progress in a time point of said operation terminal being operated by the user,

service progress dependent information answering unit which obtains operation information in said current service progress by said service progress dependent information search unit and by using said operation information obtained, automatically operates user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and provides the restored service contents to an operation terminal used by a user,

said operation terminal includes

service contents acquisition unit which obtains service contents with operation information supplemented from said service progress dependent information answering unit, and

operation information supplement instructing unit which instructs on supplement of operation,

wherein

in said operation terminal, said service contents acquisition unit being instructed to supplement operation notifies supplement request information to said service progress dependent information search unit of said server,

said service progress dependent information search unit having obtained supplement request information from said service contents acquisition unit of said operation terminal collates a terminal identifier contained in the supplement request information and a terminal identifier contained in current service information, obtains a service progress recorded in pair with the terminal identifier contained in the supplement request information, collates the obtained service progress and a service progress recorded in said service progress dependent information storage unit and obtains operation information recorded in pair with said service progress to transmit said service progress and the operation information, and the terminal identifier obtained from the service contents acquisition unit of said operation terminal to said service progress dependent information answering unit, and

said service progress dependent information answering unit, upon obtaining a service progress, operation information and a terminal identifier transmitted from said service progress dependent information search unit, supplements user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from the service progress by vicariously executing user operation based on the operation information, and provides a result of the supplement to said operation terminal,

wherein before recording supplemental contents, said service progress dependent information storage unit causes a user to select whether the supplemental contents are to be recorded or not and controls existence/non-existence of recording of said supplemental contents according to a selection result applied through an input device by said user, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of operation information are stored in said service progress dependent information storage unit, said service progress dependent information answering unit presents at least one operation information among said plurality of pieces of operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplemented through an input device.

16. The information communication system as set forth in claim 15, wherein

when registering operation information at an operation terminal of a user, an operation information start request is transmitted from said operation information supplement instructing unit to said service progress dependent information search unit,

said service progress dependent information search unit obtains a service progress at operation start,

said operation terminal stores information of operation executed by said operation terminal and at the end of operation to be registered, transmits said operation information together with an operation information registration request from said operation information supplement instructing unit to said service progress dependent information search unit, and

said service progress dependent information search unit having received said operation information registration request records supplemental contents with a service progress at operation start and its corresponding operation information paired.

17. An information communication system including an operation terminal and a server connected to said operation terminal by communication in which a user sequentially executes predetermined input operation by said terminal according to each operation process to provide desired service to said operation terminal side through said server, wherein

said server comprises

a data base which stores, to be correlated with each operation process, input operation information applied in one operation process from the start of operation executed on said terminal in relation to provision of said service to the end or a series of input operation information applied from said one operation process to other operation process downstream said one operation process,

a search unit which, upon input of an operation supplement instruction in one operation process by predetermined input unit of said operation terminal, receives said operation supplement instruction from said operation terminal to search whether input operation information correlated with said one operation process at said operation terminal is registered in said data base, and

an answering unit which, when search by said search unit results in finding that in relation to said operation terminal, input operation information correlated with said one operation process or with a process from said one operation process to other operation process downstream said one operation process is registered in said data base, obtains said input operation information from said data base and by using said input operation information, automatically operates user'"'"'s operation related to a blank or selections on service contents in the current service progress or a transition between service contents in the current service progress and a transition between service contents in place of said user to control supplement of said input operation by the user operation to reach a predetermined service progress from said current service progress, and provides the restored result to said operation terminal used by said user,

wherein before recording input operation information, said data base causes a user to select whether the input operation information are to be recorded or not and controls existence/non-existence of recording of said input operation information according to a selection result applied through an input device by said user, and

when in the same service progress, a plurality of pieces of input operation information are stored in said data base, said answering unit presents at least one input operation information among said plurality of pieces of input operation information to an output device as a candidate for operation to be supplemented, and a user is caused to input one supplement operation among said presented candidates for operation to be supplemented through an input device.

18. The information communication system as set forth in claim 17, wherein

said operation terminal is a telephone set,

said server is a server accessed by said telephone set, and

in said data base, a telephone number for accessing said server and input operation information at said telephone set are registered correlated with each other as said operation process and said input operation information related to said operation terminal.

19. The information communication system as set forth in claim 17, further comprising unit for registering operation information applied at said operation terminal in said data base so as to be correlated with said operation process.