JP6470246B2 - User support system, user support program and user support method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a user support system, a user support program, and a user support method using an interactive agent having a natural language user interface such as a virtual agent.

  Conventionally, in a user support system for a web page or the like, as a computer program that automatically responds in response to a user's message in natural language using natural language dialogue, a chat bot, artificial intelligence (AI), Interactive agents such as automatic dialogue, natural language user interface, and voice dialogue have been implemented. As an example, various programs called chatbots have been developed that perform a natural language dialogue in response to text input by a user.

  These are programs that extract a keyword or an intent from a message input by a user and perform a response that matches a word in a database. For example, there is a system disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the system disclosed in Patent Document 1, situation input data corresponding to information input is determined by collating information input by a user with the situation specification data, and information input according to the situation is determined. A system is disclosed that extracts status data to be responded, generates response data according to an output format associated with the status data to be responded by response output generation means, and performs output processing (see Patent Document 1).

JP 2006-172280 A

  By the way, in recent years, interactive agents such as those described above have been used in various Web services, and depending on the type of service, specialized response may be required. It is becoming distributed on a network or Web service. The user had to switch between these agents by hand, and had to know in advance what kind of agents existed.

  In order to solve the above problem, the present invention enables a distributed arrangement by switching a highly specialized conversation agent specialized in the genre of various services with which a user interacts on the service provider side, and enables a plurality of conversation agents. It is an object of the present invention to provide a user support system, a user support program, and a user support method capable of expanding the range of information that can be provided by increasing the cooperation between the two, and avoiding infinite loops between interactive agents.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the present invention is a user support system including a plurality of dialogue agent means for outputting a response sentence corresponding to an input of a conversation sentence from a user terminal,
The plurality of dialogue agent means includes:
A response information storage unit that stores response text and presentation information corresponding to keywords and intents and combinations included in the conversation text as response information;
An agent information accumulating unit for associating agent identification information for identifying each of the plurality of dialogue agent means and an attribute of response information accumulated in the response information accumulating unit possessed by each dialogue agent, as agent information; ,
A conversation sentence acquisition unit for acquiring a conversation sentence from the user terminal;
A response search unit that searches the information storage unit for response based on keywords and intents included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit;
When the response search unit cannot detect appropriate response information, the agent information storage unit is searched based on a keyword or intent included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit, and the user A transfer destination search unit for detecting agent identification information of other dialog agent means to which a conversation sentence from the terminal is to be transferred;
A transfer processing unit that transfers a conversation sentence using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination search unit;
A history management unit that sends a history of transfer processing by the transfer processing unit as transfer history information in association with a conversation sentence related to the transfer to the transfer destination is provided.

The present invention is a user support method including a plurality of dialogue agent means for outputting a response sentence corresponding to an input of a conversation sentence from a user terminal,
In the plurality of dialogue agent means, a response information storage unit stores response sentences and presentation information corresponding to keywords and intents and combinations included in the conversation sentences as response information, and the plurality of dialogue agent means An information accumulation step in which the agent information accumulation unit accumulates as agent information by associating the agent identification information for identifying each of the information and the attribute of the response information accumulated in the response information accumulation unit respectively possessed by each interactive agent;
A conversation response step in which the conversation sentence acquisition unit acquires the conversation sentence from the user terminal, and the response search unit searches the information storage unit for response based on a keyword or intent included in the acquired conversation sentence;
When the response search unit cannot detect appropriate response information in the conversation response step, the agent information storage unit is searched based on a keyword or intent included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit. A transfer destination search step in which a transfer destination search unit detects agent identification information of another dialog agent means to which a conversation sentence from the user terminal is to be transferred;
The transfer processing unit transfers the conversation sentence using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination search unit, and the transfer processing history by the transfer processing unit is used as transfer history information in association with the conversation sentence related to the transfer. And a transfer processing step that the history management unit sends to the transfer destination.

  According to the present invention, by providing a plurality of dialogue agent means (chat BOT or the like) for providing various services for each service, a dialogue agent specialized for each service can be created. Compared to system construction, installation and operation costs can be reduced, and specialized services can be provided by specializing in each service. On the other hand, when each agent cannot respond by itself, it is possible to guide the user terminal to the dialog agent that can respond more appropriately by transferring the conversation sentence to other dialog agent means. At this time, by sharing the interactive agent involved in the interactive session with other interactive agents as history information, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of an infinite loop that repeatedly follows the same transfer route.

In the above invention, when the conversation sentence related to the search is a conversation sentence transferred from another conversation agent means, the other conversation related to the transfer recorded in the transfer history information sent in association with the conversation sentence. It further comprises a circular reference detection unit that notifies the agent means to the transfer destination search unit,
Based on the notification from the circular reference detection unit, the transfer destination search unit uses the agent identification information as the transfer destination as a search result, except for other dialog agent means related to transfer recorded in the transfer history information. It is preferable to output.

  In this case, by excluding other dialog agents recorded in the transfer history information at the stage of searching for the transfer destination and searching for the transfer destination, the same dialog agent means or transfer route is not repeatedly selected. The occurrence of the infinite loop described above can be avoided.

In the above invention, when the conversation sentence related to the search is a conversation sentence transferred from another conversation agent means, the other conversation related to the transfer recorded in the transfer history information sent in association with the conversation sentence. The agent means further comprises a circular reference detection unit for determining whether or not the transfer result is included in the search result by the transfer destination search unit ,
When the circular reference detection unit determines that other dialogue agent means related to the transfer is included in the search result, or when no other dialogue agent to be transferred is detected, the transfer processing unit performs the transfer process. It is preferable to stop.

  In this case, when the same interactive agent means or transfer route is likely to be repeatedly selected, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of the above infinite loop by stopping the transfer process. At the time of this cancellation, for example, by outputting a message informing that the transfer process has been canceled, inquiring to change the keyword or intent, or executing a process such as transferring to the operator, Can continue.

In the above invention, an operator terminal used by an operator is connected to the dialog agent means,
The transfer destination search unit preferably has a function of selecting the operator terminal as a transfer destination when a predetermined keyword or intent is included in a conversation sentence related to the search.

  In this case, when it is difficult to deal with the dialogue agent, the service can be further enhanced by transferring the dialogue to the operator terminal used by the operator.

  The above-described user support system and user support method according to the present invention can be realized by executing the user support program according to the present invention described in a predetermined language on a computer. That is, the program of the present invention is installed in a mobile terminal device, a smart phone, a wearable terminal, a mobile PC or other information processing terminal, an IC chip or a memory device of a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer or a server computer, and executed on the CPU. Thus, it is possible to construct a system having the functions described above and implement the real estate evaluation method.

That is, user support program of the present invention, a computer, a user support program for functioning as a plurality of dialog agent means for outputting the response sentence corresponding to the input conversational sentence from the user terminal, the computer,
A response information storage unit that stores response text and presentation information corresponding to keywords and intents and combinations included in the conversation text as response information;
An agent information accumulating unit for associating agent identification information for identifying each of the plurality of dialogue agent means and an attribute of response information accumulated in the response information accumulating unit possessed by each dialogue agent, as agent information; ,
A conversation sentence acquisition unit for acquiring a conversation sentence from the user terminal;
A response search unit that searches the information storage unit for response based on keywords and intents included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit;
When the response search unit cannot detect appropriate response information, the agent information storage unit is searched based on a keyword or intent included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit, and the user A transfer destination search unit for detecting agent identification information of other dialog agent means to which a conversation sentence from the terminal is to be transferred;
A transfer processing unit that transfers a conversation sentence using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination search unit;
The transfer processing history by the transfer processing unit is used as transfer history information in association with a conversation sentence related to transfer, and functions as a history management unit for sending to the transfer destination.

  In such a user support program of the present invention, for example, as a package application that can be distributed through a communication line and that operates on a stand-alone computer by recording on a computer-readable recording medium. Can be transferred. Specifically, the recording medium can be recorded on various recording media such as a magnetic recording medium such as a flexible disk and a cassette tape, an optical disk such as a CD-ROM and a DVD-ROM, and a RAM card. According to the computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded, the above-described system and method can be easily implemented using a general-purpose computer or a dedicated computer, and the program can be stored, transported, and Easy installation.

It is a conceptual diagram which shows the whole structure of the user support system which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the service provision side server which concerns on embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of the user terminal device which concerns on embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement (with no transfer history) of the user support system which concerns on embodiment. It is a sequence diagram which shows operation | movement (with a transfer history) of the user support system which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing about the dialog transfer in the user support system which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing about the dialog transfer (at the time of circulation reference) in the user support system which concerns on embodiment. It is explanatory drawing about the dialog transfer (at the time of operator transfer) in the user support system which concerns on embodiment. It is a table | surface which shows the content of the information for a response of the user support system which concerns on embodiment.

  Embodiments of a user support system according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the case where the user support system of the present invention is applied to a user support service of a website is illustrated.

(Overall configuration of user support system)
FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing an overall configuration of a user support system according to the present embodiment. The user support system according to the present embodiment provides a dialog agent (chat BOT 20a-g shown in FIGS. 6 to 8) that outputs a response text corresponding to the input of a conversation text from the user terminal device 1 used by the user U. It is a system including service providing side servers 2a to 2c. Specifically, in this user support system, service providing servers 2 (2a to 2c) are arranged on the communication network 3, and the user U uses these service providing servers 2a to 2c through the communication network 3. The information processing terminal 4a and the telephone 4b used by the operator OP are connected to the user terminal device 1 to be used. Note that the conversation agents (chat BOTs 20a to 20g) may be distributed and arranged in a plurality of servers, and some conversation agents may be provided by a single server.

  Here, the user U is a user of the user support service, and makes an inquiry regarding the product sales service and the communication service provided by the service provider through the communication network 3. On the other hand, the operator OP is a person who is resident in a customer center or the like and engages in customer support services, and can respond to inquiries from the user U who is an accessor using the information processing terminal 4a and the telephone 4b installed in the customer center. It has become.

  Here, the communication network 3 is an IP network using the communication protocol TCP / IP, and includes various communication lines (telephone lines, ISDN lines, ADSL lines, optical lines such as optical lines, dedicated lines, WCDMA (registered trademark)). ) And 3rd generation (3G) communication systems such as CDMA2000, 4th generation (4G) communication systems such as LTE, and 5th generation (5G) and later communication systems, WiFi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (A wireless communication network such as (registered trademark)) is a distributed communication network constructed by connecting each other. This IP network includes a LAN such as an intranet (company network) or a home network based on 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, or the like.

  The service providing side servers 2a to 2c are servers for receiving product sales and various procedures for communication services. The service providing side servers 2a to 2c are distributed on the communication network 3 and respond to user messages in natural language using natural language dialogue. As a mechanism for automatically responding, dialogue agent programs 5a to 5c using a chat bot, artificial intelligence (AI), automatic dialogue, natural language user interface, voice dialogue, and the like are implemented.

  The dialog agent programs 5a to 5c are programs that provide chat BOTs 20a to 20g (FIGS. 6 to 8) which are virtual dialog agents (virtual agents), and are based on a conversation sentence such as a message or an inquiry input by the user U. Service providers in which chat BOTs 20a-g, which are interactive agents specializing in various services, are distributed on the network, extracting keywords and intents, responding to sentences, keywords and intents in the database. Provided by the servers 2a-2c. Each service providing server 2a to 2c can be configured by a single or a plurality of server device groups, and the function of each server device is realized by a server computer that executes various information processing or software having the function. The The service providing servers 2a to 2c include an application server configured by a server computer that executes application software for the server, or middleware that assists in managing the execution of the application on such a computer.

  The service providing servers 2a to 2c include a web server that processes an HTTP response request from a client device such as the user terminal device 1, and this web server is a back-end relational database management system (RDBMS). It is responsible for bridging to the database core layer, which performs data processing. The relational database server is a server on which a database management system (DBMS) is operating, and transmits requested data to client devices and application servers (AP servers), and accepts operation requests to rewrite or delete data. It has a function to do. The database server may be a NoSQL database such as a cloud service, a non-relational database, or a big data database.

  The user terminal device 1 used by each user is a client device connected to the communication network 3 and includes an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU and provides various functions by executing application software. This information processing terminal can be realized by, for example, a general-purpose computer such as a personal computer or a dedicated device specialized in function, and includes a smartphone, a mobile computer, a mobile phone, a wearable terminal device, and the like.

  Further, the user terminal device 1 can access the service providing side servers 2a to 2c through browser software or a dedicated application, and can transmit and receive information. This browser software is a module for browsing Web pages, downloads HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files, image files, music files, and the like from the communication network 3, analyzes the layout, and displays / reproduces them. It is also possible for a user to transmit data to a Web server using a form, or to operate application software written in JavaScript (registered trademark), Flash, Java (registered trademark), or the like. Chat BOTs 20a-g according to the present embodiment are also provided through such browser software.

(Configuration of each device)
Next, the configuration of each device will be described in detail. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the service providing servers 2a to 2c according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an internal configuration of the user terminal device 1 according to the present embodiment. The “module” used in the description refers to a functional unit that is configured by hardware such as an apparatus or device, software having the function, or a combination thereof, and achieves a predetermined operation. .

(1) Configuration of Service Providing Servers 2a to 2c As shown in FIG. 2A, the service providing servers 2a to 2c according to the present embodiment include a Web page distribution service and database for user support through the communication network 3. It is a server device group that provides a service, and the function of each server device is realized by a server computer that executes various information processing or software having the function. Specifically, the service providing servers 2a to 2c include a communication interface 201, a session management unit 202, a dialog agent unit 203, an application execution unit 204, a transfer control unit 205, and various databases 210 to 212. Yes.

  The communication interface 201 is a module that transmits / receives data to / from other devices through the communication network 3. As a communication method, for example, a public line such as a telephone line, an ISDN line, an ADSL line, an optical line, a dedicated line, WCDMA Wireless communication networks such as third-generation (3G) communication systems such as (registered trademark) and CDMA2000, fourth-generation (4G) communication systems such as LTE, and fifth-generation (5G) and later communication systems are included. .

  The session management unit 202 is a module that manages a series of communication sessions established with the user terminal device 1. When one user accesses one server and a conversation is started, the communication is disconnected. Or a series of operations until termination processing such as termination of browser software or the like occurs is managed as one access unit. In addition, the session management unit 202 records data transmission / reception and transfer / circulation to other servers as history information during a series of sessions. In this embodiment, when a dialog is transferred to another server, the session at the original server is taken over by the other server and managed as a series of sessions. In this communication session, conversation sentences are transmitted and received, and transfer history information is transmitted and received.

  Note that the session management unit 202 may perform an authentication process to identify the accessing user if necessary depending on the type and content of the service. This authentication process is a computer that verifies the legitimacy of an accessor or software having a function thereof, and executes user identification based on a user ID that identifies each user.

  The transfer control unit 205 is a module that executes processing for transferring the communication session established by the session management unit 202 to another service providing server 2 or the information processing terminal 4a that is an operator terminal. The operation of the transfer control unit 205 includes a case where a dialogue by a dialogue agent is transferred to another dialogue agent and a case where the dialogue is transferred to an operator. The transfer destination is transfer control by the transfer destination search unit 203f and the transfer processing unit 203i. Selected based on

  The various databases include a response information database 210, an agent information database 211, and a dialog history storage unit 212. These databases can mutually refer to information by a relational database management system (RDBMS). It is possible. The agent information database 211 associates agent identification information (such as a server address) that identifies each of the plurality of dialog agent units 203 with the attributes of the response information stored in the response information database 210 that each dialog agent has. The database device stores the information as agent information. The database server may be a NoSQL database such as a cloud service, a non-relational database, or a big data database.

  The response information database 210 is a database that accumulates response text and presentation information corresponding to keywords, intents, and combinations included in the conversation text during the conversation session as response information. More specifically, in the response information database 210, as shown in FIG. 9, for each intent name which is an attribute of the user intention, a keyword (“example” in FIG. 9) for identifying an intent, learning data, A conversation sentence as an example and a process (“summary” in the figure) for the conversation sentence are associated and accumulated.

  The dialogue history storage unit 212 is a storage device that records the history of dialogue with the user. The dialogue history during the dialogue and the response to the dialogue, the subsequent page transition by the user, the browsing page, the operation on the web, the access time Record time spent on the site.

  The application execution unit 204 is a module in which each functional module of the interaction agent unit 203 is virtually constructed on the CPU by executing the interaction agent program of the present invention, and is realized by an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU. . The conversation agent unit 203 is a module that operates chat BOTs 20a to 20g as user interfaces, acquires conversation sentences such as messages and inquiries input by the user U through the chat BOTs 20a to g, and extracts keywords and intents from the conversation sentences. Is extracted and a response that matches a keyword or intent in the database is performed.

  More specifically, as shown in FIG. 2B, the dialogue agent unit 203 includes a conversation sentence acquisition unit 203a, an analysis unit 203b, and a response search unit 203c as interactive modules. The dialogue agent unit 203 includes a history management unit 203d, a circular reference detection unit 203e, a transfer destination search unit 203f, and a transfer processing unit 203i as history management modules. Furthermore, the dialogue agent unit 203 includes an output generation unit 203h and a dialogue history recording unit 203g as modules common to the dialogue system and the history management system.

  The conversation sentence acquisition unit 203 a is a module that acquires a conversation sentence from the user terminal device 1 through the session management unit 202 in a communication session with the user terminal device 1. The conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit 203a is input to the analysis unit 203b.

  The analysis unit 203b analyzes the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit 203a, extracts keywords included in the conversation sentence, analyzes grammar by morphological analysis, and example sentences that become pre-recorded learning data A module that classifies intents using conversational sentence classifiers constructed by machine learning algorithms, such as neural networks, selects responses by conditional branching using intents and entities, and generates response sentences It is. The analysis unit 203b includes a response search unit 203c, acquires information necessary for generating a response sentence from the response information database 210, and generates a response sentence based on the acquired response information and response pattern. To do.

  The response search unit 203c is a module that searches the response information database 210 based on keywords and intent information included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit 203a, and for the response detected by the response search unit 203c. The information is transferred to the analysis unit 203b and used to create a response sentence.

  The history management unit 203d is a module that sends the transfer processing history by the transfer processing unit 203i as transfer history information to the transfer destination via the transfer processing unit 203i in association with the conversation sentence related to the transfer. Specifically, the history management unit 203d acquires history information in a series of communication sessions, and newly generates history information when history information has not yet been generated immediately after the communication session is started. On the other hand, when history information already exists and there is a user transition history or dialogue history up to the server, the history information is transferred to the circular reference detection unit 203e. On the other hand, when history information is newly generated, the conversation history at the server is added to the history information and transferred to the transfer processing unit 203i.

  In this embodiment, the presence or absence of the transfer history information by the history management unit 203d is confirmed, for example, by checking whether or not information holding data such as Cookie exists on the user terminal device 1 side. If it exists, the contents are analyzed, and the elapsed time from the time of new generation and the presence / absence of termination processing are checked to determine whether the communication session is currently in progress. This cookie is a mechanism in which a website provider temporarily writes and stores data on an accessor's computer through a web browser. Information about the user's identification and attributes, and the date and time when the website was last visited. The session start time and end time can be recorded. In addition, as a mechanism for transmitting transfer history information without using an information holding data function such as Cookie, the information transmission function between pages such as HTML includes information such as the above user identification and attributes at the time of Web page transition. The method of executing the transfer is mentioned.

  The circulation reference detection unit 203e is a module that manages the circulation of the transfer, which is so-called “trailing”, and prevents the circulation from being interrupted, and detects and blocks the occurrence of an infinite loop. For example, when the conversational sentence related to the search is a conversational sentence transferred from another interactive agent, the other interactive agent (chat BOT 20a˜) related to the transfer recorded in the transfer history information transmitted in association with the conversational sentence. g) is included in the search result, or it is determined whether any other interaction agent to be transferred is detected. In particular, the circular reference detection unit 203e analyzes the transfer history and, when the conversation sentence has already been transferred, notifies the transfer destination search unit 203f of the identifier of another conversation agent on the transfer route. To do. The transfer destination search unit 203f is related to the transfer recorded in the transfer history information based on the notification from the circular reference detection unit 203e when the conversation sentence related to the search is a conversation sentence transferred from another dialog agent. The search is performed except for other interactive agents so that the same interactive agent or transfer route is not repeatedly selected.

  When the response search unit 203c cannot detect appropriate response information, the transfer destination search unit 203f searches the agent information database 211 based on the keyword or intent included in the conversation sentence, and the user terminal device 1 This is a module for detecting agent identification information of other interactive agents to which a conversation sentence from the user should be transferred.

  In this embodiment, two types of transfer methods are prepared. One is a method of transferring to a chat BOT that has a high possibility of becoming a hub in order to prevent interruption of traversing when the transfer destination is unknown. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, when a user inputs a conversation sentence “I want to make an Italian reservation”, first, it is transferred to the furniture BOT 20 a that seems to be related to the keyword “Italian”, and the furniture BOT 20 a is appropriate. When a simple response cannot be made, the packet is transferred to the communication carrier BOT 20b which is likely to be a hub for the time being. Thereby, even when the gourmet BOT 20c is not registered in the agent information database 211 of the furniture BOT 20a, the transfer circulation can be prevented from being interrupted. Note that the chat BOT that is likely to be a hub is registered in the agent information database 211 in advance.

  Secondly, when the transfer destination is known, an accurate transfer is executed based on a keyword and an intent for a frequently received query that should not be answered by the chat BOT itself. For example, inquiries about gourmet reservations frequently come to gourmet BOT 20c, but when it is known that more accurate answers can be made with Italian BOT 20d, refer to the past response history even for queries that can respond with confidence. Thus, the transfer to the chat BOT with higher transfer frequency is preferentially executed.

  The transfer destination search unit 203f has a function of selecting an operator terminal as a transfer destination when a predetermined keyword or intent is included in the conversation sentence, or when no other dialogue agent to be transferred is detected. An operator who uses the conversation through the transfer processing unit 203i as one of error processing when it is estimated that it is difficult to respond to the conversation agent from keywords or intents included in the conversation sentence. Transfer to the terminal. For example, when a keyword or an intent such as “Fool” in the intent name “Angry” as shown in FIG. 9 is included in the conversation sentence, as shown in FIG. Detect that BOT 20g) is a complaint / complaint and forward it to the operator. The operator OP can take over the communication session with the operator terminal, interact with the user by sending and receiving text by the chat function, and respond by voice and video through a call function such as a soft phone.

  The transfer processing unit 203i is a module that transfers a conversation sentence using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination searching unit 203f. In this embodiment, the transfer processing unit 203i detects when the circular reference detection unit 203e determines that another interactive agent on the transfer route is included in the search result, or an appropriate other interactive agent to be transferred is detected. It has a function to stop the transfer process when it is not done, and to prevent an infinite loop or interruption of user interaction.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 7, a chat BOT that has already been transferred once, such as when the communication carrier BOT 20 b and the gourmet BOT 20 c are obtained from the furniture BOT 20 a and transferred again to the furniture BOT 20 a. If a “circular reference” that is transferred again is detected, an infinite loop occurs, so that the answer is stopped and error processing is executed. As error processing at this time, for example, a message is transmitted to notify that the transfer processing has been stopped, a question for inducing a keyword change, or a transfer to the operator is executed.

  The output generation unit 203h is a module that converts notifications such as response sentences and error messages to the user into a predetermined format or output format. This output format includes text data, images, sounds, and the like.

  The dialogue history recording unit 203g is a response sentence generated by the output generation part 203h and sent to the user. In addition to the execution record of the output format, etc., the action taken by the user according to the response sentence, for example, a reply It is a module that records further questions, page transitions, response times, etc.

(2) Configuration of Information Processing Terminal The user terminal device 1 used by each user U can be realized by a general-purpose computer or a dedicated device. Specifically, the CPU 102, the memory 103, and the input interface 104 A storage device 101, an output interface 105, and a communication interface 106. In the present embodiment, these devices are connected via a CPU bus and can exchange data with each other.

  The memory 103 and the storage device 101 are devices that store data in a recording medium and read out the stored data in response to a request from each device. For example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), A memory card or the like can be used.

  The input interface 104 is a module that receives an operation signal from an operation device such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a touch panel, or a button. The received operation signal is transmitted to the CPU 402 and can perform operations on the OS and each application. The output interface 105 is a module that transmits a video signal and an audio signal in order to output video and audio from an output device such as a display and a speaker.

  The communication interface 106 is a module that transmits and receives data to and from other communication devices. As a communication method, for example, a public line such as a telephone line, an ISDN line, an ADSL line, and an optical line, a dedicated line, WCDMA (registered trademark) In addition to 3rd generation (3G) communication systems such as CDMA2000, 4th generation (4G) communication systems such as LTE, and 5th generation (5G) and later communication systems, WiFi (registered trademark), Bluetooth ( Wireless communication networks such as registered trademark).

  The CPU 102 is a device that performs various arithmetic processes necessary for controlling each unit, and virtually constructs various modules on the CPU 102 by executing various programs. An operating system (OS) is activated and executed on the CPU 102, and basic functions of the user terminal device 1 are managed and controlled by the OS. Various applications can be executed on the OS, and the OS program is executed by the CPU 102, whereby the basic functions of the information processing terminal are managed and controlled, and the application program is executed by the CPU 102. As a result, various functional modules are virtually constructed on the CPU.

  In the present embodiment, the browser unit 102a is configured by executing browser software or a native application on the CPU 102, and information on the system is browsed and information is input through the browser unit 102a. More specifically, the browser unit 102a is a module for browsing Web pages, and downloads HTML (HyperText Markup Language) files, image files, music files, and the like from the service providing servers 2a to 2c through the communication network 3. Analyze the layout and display / play it back. It is also possible for a user to send data to a Web server using a form, or to operate application software written in JavaScript (registered trademark), Flash, Java (registered trademark), or the like.

(User support system operation)
A user support method can be implemented by operating the user support system described above. 4 and 5 are sequence diagrams showing a case where there is no transfer history and a case where there is a transfer history in the user support system according to the present embodiment.

(1) Operation at the start of a new session First, the operation at the start of a new session will be described. At the start of a new session, as shown in FIG. 4, the user U starts accessing the interactive agent provided by the service providing server 2a using the user terminal device 1 (S101). Here, it is assumed that the furniture BOT 20a provided by the service providing server 2a shown in FIG. 6 is accessed. In response to access from the user terminal device 1, the service providing server 2a establishes a communication session with the user terminal device 1 (S201). Specifically, the session management unit 202 manages a series of communication sessions established with the user terminal device 1, and when one user accesses one server and starts a dialogue, A series of operations while staying at the service providing server 2a is managed as one access unit.

  When establishing this communication session, the presence / absence of transfer history information is confirmed, and if there is transfer history information, a circular reference is made; otherwise, transfer history information is newly generated. Here, since there is no transfer history since the user U first accessed the furniture BOT 20a, a new transfer history is generated. Specifically, at this point in time, immediately after the communication session is started and history information has not yet been generated, the history management unit 203d newly generates history information. Is added to the history information and transferred to the next dialog agent through the transfer processing unit 203i. In this embodiment, the history management unit 203d determines whether or not there is transfer history information by checking whether information holding data such as cookie exists on the user terminal device 1 side. to decide.

  Next, when a communication session is established, a dialogue is started between the user terminal device 1 and the furniture BOT 20a. In this case, it is assumed that a conversation sentence for inquiry is transmitted from the user U (S102). In response to the inquiry from the user U, the furniture BOT 20a acquires a conversation sentence (S202). Specifically, the conversation sentence acquisition unit 203 a acquires a conversation sentence from the user terminal device 1 from data transmitted and received in a communication session with the user terminal device 1. The conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit 203a is input to the analysis unit 203b.

  Next, the conversation sentence is analyzed (S203). Here, it is assumed that predetermined response information and agent information are already stored in the response information database 210 and the agent information database 211. Specifically, the analysis unit 203b analyzes the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit 203a, extracts keywords and intents included in the conversation sentence, and analyzes the grammar by morphological analysis.

  As a result of the analysis of the conversational sentence, if a response by the operator is necessary (“Y” in S204), the operator is connected (S206). Specifically, when it is estimated that it is difficult to interact with the dialogue agent from keywords or intents included in the conversation sentence, the dialogue is transferred to the operator terminal used by the operator OP through the transfer processing unit 203i. Forward. The operator OP can respond by voice and video through a chat function such as a soft phone or a conversation function with a user by means of a chat function.

  On the other hand, when no action is required by the operator (“N” in S204), a response sentence search is performed by the dialog agent (S205). Specifically, the response search unit 203c provided in the analysis unit 203b searches the response information database 210 for information necessary for generating a response sentence. If an appropriate response text is detected in step S205 (“Y” in S207), response processing is executed (S209), and the response text and related presentation information are output on the user terminal device 1 side (step S209). S103). Specifically, the analysis unit 203b generates a response sentence and presentation information based on the response information searched and acquired by the response search unit 203c and the response pattern based on the morphological analysis.

  The response sentence generated by the analysis unit 203b is transferred to the output generation unit 203h, and notifications such as a response sentence and an error message to the user are converted into a predetermined format such as text data, image, audio, etc. It is output on the terminal device 1 side. Thereafter, when the user desires to continue the conversation (“N” in S104), the process returns to step S102 to transmit a new conversation sentence, and the same processing is repeated.

  On the other hand, when an appropriate response sentence is not detected in step S205 (“N” in S207), a transfer destination search is performed to transfer the dialogue to another chat BOT (S208). Specifically, when the response search unit 203c fails to detect appropriate response information, the transfer destination search unit 203f searches the agent information database 211 based on the keyword or intent included in the conversation sentence, Agent identification information of another chat BOT to which a conversation sentence from the user terminal device 1 is to be transferred is detected. At this time, when the conversation sentence related to the search is a conversation sentence transferred from another chat BOT, the transfer destination search unit 203f is recorded in the transfer history information based on the notification from the circular reference detection unit 203e. The search is performed except for other chat BOTs so that the same dialog agent or transfer route is not repeatedly selected. Here, since this server is the beginning of the communication session, this dialog agent is not excluded.

  On the other hand, if an appropriate transfer destination is found in step S208 (“Y” in S210), transfer processing to another chat BOT is executed. Specifically, the transfer processing unit 203i transfers to another chat BOT using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination search unit 203f (S212).

  On the other hand, when an appropriate transfer destination is not found in step S208 ("N" in S210), error processing is executed (S211). More specifically, in this error processing, when the circular reference detection unit 203e determines that another chat BOT related to transfer route transfer is included in the search result, or when no other chat BOT to be transferred is detected. For example, the transfer processing in the transfer processing unit 203i is stopped. As a result, when the same interaction agent or transfer route is likely to be repeatedly selected, the transfer process is stopped, and an infinite loop or interruption of the user's interaction can be avoided. As error processing at this time, for example, a message is transmitted to notify that the transfer processing has been stopped, a question for inducing a keyword change, or a transfer to the operator is executed.

  When the user wishes to end the dialogue (“Y” in S104), or after the error processing (S211) and the transfer processing (S212) are finished, the termination processing such as saving the dialogue history is executed ( S213).

(2) Operation after Transfer Next, the operation when there is already a transfer history will be described. Here, a case where the dialogue is transferred to the communication carrier BOT 20b provided by the service providing server 2b by the transfer process executed in step S212 in the furniture BOT 20a described above will be described as an example.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in response to the transfer processing from the previous service providing server 2a, the service providing server 2b takes over the communication session in the service providing server 2a (S301), and acquires the conversation sentence and transfer history. (S301). When the communication session is taken over, a dialogue is started between the user terminal device 1 and the communication carrier BOT 20b. Specifically, the conversation sentence acquisition unit 203a acquires a conversation sentence from the user terminal device 1 from the data transferred from the service providing server 2a, and the acquired conversation sentence is input to the analysis unit 203b. The

  Next, the conversation sentence is analyzed (S303). Specifically, the analysis unit 203b analyzes the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit 203a, extracts keywords and intents included in the conversation sentence, and analyzes the grammar by morphological analysis.

  As a result of the analysis of the conversational sentence, if a response by the operator is necessary (“Y” in S304), a connection is made to the operator (S306). Specifically, when it is estimated that it is difficult to interact with the dialogue agent from keywords or intents included in the conversation sentence, the dialogue is transferred to the operator terminal used by the operator OP through the transfer processing unit 203i. Forward. The operator OP can respond by voice and video through a chat function such as a soft phone or a conversation function with a user by means of a chat function.

  On the other hand, when no action is required by the operator (“N” in S304), a response sentence search is performed by the dialogue agent (S305). Specifically, the response search unit 203c provided in the analysis unit 203b searches the response information database 210 for information necessary for generating a response sentence. If an appropriate response text is detected in step S305 (“Y” in S307), response processing is executed (S308), and the response text and related presentation information are output on the user terminal device 1 side. Specifically, the analysis unit 203b generates a response sentence and presentation information based on the response information searched and acquired by the response search unit 203c and the response pattern based on the morphological analysis.

  The response sentence generated by the analysis unit 203b is transferred to the output generation unit 203h, and notifications such as a response sentence and an error message to the user are converted into a predetermined format such as text data, image, audio, etc. It is output on the terminal device 1 side. Thereafter, when the user desires to continue the conversation, a new conversation sentence is transmitted from the user terminal device 1 side, and the same processing is repeated.

  On the other hand, when an appropriate response sentence is not detected in step S305 (“N” in S307), circular reference is performed (S309). More specifically, the circulation reference detection unit 203e confirms whether there is transfer history information, and if there is no transfer history ("N" in S310), performs a transfer destination search as it is (S312). Here, since the transfer is from the previous furniture BOT 20a, transfer history information exists ("Y" in S310), the transfer history is analyzed, and the identifier of another chat BOT on the transfer route is searched for the transfer destination. The transfer destination search unit 203f that has received the notification excludes the server on the transfer route (S311) and searches for another chat BOT to be the transfer destination (S312). This prevents the same dialog agent or transfer route from being repeatedly selected.

  On the other hand, if an appropriate transfer destination is found in step S312 (“Y” in S313), transfer processing to another chat BOT is executed. Specifically, the transfer processing unit 203i transfers to another chat BOT using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination search unit 203f (S315).

  On the other hand, if an appropriate transfer destination is not found in step S312 (“N” in S313), error processing is executed (S314). More specifically, in this error processing, when the circular reference detection unit 203e determines that another chat BOT related to transfer route transfer is included in the search result, or when no other chat BOT to be transferred is detected. For example, the transfer processing in the transfer processing unit 203i is stopped. As a result, when the same dialog agent means or transfer route is likely to be repeatedly selected, it is possible to avoid the end of the transfer process and the occurrence of an infinite loop or the interruption of the dialog with the user. As error processing at this time, for example, a message is transmitted to notify that the transfer processing has been stopped, a question for inducing a keyword change, or a transfer to the operator is executed.

  Then, when the user wishes to end the dialogue or after the error processing (S314) and the transfer processing (S315), the termination processing such as saving the dialogue history is executed (S316).

(Action / Effect)
According to this embodiment, by providing a plurality of dialogue agent means for providing various services for each service, a dialogue agent specialized for each service can be created, and a universal system is constructed. Compared to this, the installation and operation costs can be reduced, and highly specialized services can be provided by specializing in each service. On the other hand, when each dialogue agent cannot respond by itself, the user U can be guided to a dialogue agent that can respond more appropriately by transferring the conversation sentence to another chat BOT. At this time, by sharing the conversation agent involved in the conversation session with other chat BOTs as history information, an infinite loop that repeatedly follows the same transfer route occurs, or the conversation and circulation with the user are interrupted. Can be avoided.

OP ... Operator U ... User 1 ... User terminal device 2a-2c ... Service providing server 3 ... Communication network 4a ... Information processing terminal 4b ... Telephone 5a-5c ... Interactive agent program 20a-20g ... Chat BOT
101 ... Storage device 102 ... CPU
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 102a ... Browser part 103 ... Memory 104 ... Input interface 105 ... Output interface 106 ... Communication interface 201 ... Communication interface 202 ... Session management part 203 ... Dialogue agent part 203a ... Conversation sentence acquisition part 203b ... Analysis part 203c ... Response search part 203d ... History management unit 203e ... Circular reference detection unit 203f ... Transfer destination search unit 203g ... Dialog history recording unit 203h ... Output generation unit 203i ... Transfer processing unit 204 ... Application execution unit 205 ... Transfer control unit 210 ... Response information database 211 ... Agent Information database 212 ... Dialog history storage unit

Claims (6)

A user support system including a plurality of dialogue agent means for outputting a response sentence corresponding to input of a conversation sentence from a user terminal,
The plurality of dialogue agent means includes:
A response information storage unit that stores, as response information, response text and presentation information corresponding to keywords and intents and combinations thereof included in the conversation text;
An agent information accumulating unit for associating agent identification information for identifying each of the plurality of dialogue agent means and an attribute of response information accumulated in the response information accumulating unit possessed by each dialogue agent, as agent information; ,
A conversation sentence acquisition unit for acquiring a conversation sentence from the user terminal;
A response search unit that searches the information storage unit for response based on a keyword and an intent included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit;
When the response search unit cannot detect appropriate response information, the agent information storage unit is searched based on a keyword and an intent included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit, and the user A transfer destination search unit for detecting agent identification information of other dialog agent means to which a conversation sentence from the terminal is to be transferred;
A transfer processing unit that transfers a conversation sentence using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination search unit;
A user support system comprising: a history management unit that sends a history of transfer processing by the transfer processing unit as transfer history information in association with a conversation sentence related to transfer to a transfer destination. When the conversation sentence related to the search is a conversation sentence transferred from another conversation agent means, the other conversation agent means related to the transfer recorded in the transfer history information transmitted in association with the conversation sentence is transferred. It further comprises a circular reference detection unit that notifies the previous search unit,
Based on the notification from the circular reference detection unit, the transfer destination search unit uses the agent identification information as the transfer destination as a search result, except for other dialog agent means related to transfer recorded in the transfer history information. The user support system according to claim 1, wherein the user support system is output. When the conversation sentence related to the search is a conversation sentence transferred from another conversation agent means, the other conversation agent means related to the transfer recorded in the transfer history information transmitted in association with the conversation sentence, A circulation reference detection unit for determining whether or not it is included in a search result by the transfer destination search unit ;
The transfer is performed when the circular reference detection unit determines that other dialog agent means related to the transfer is included in the search result by the transfer destination search unit , or when no other dialog agent to be transferred is detected. The user support system according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit stops the transfer process. An operator terminal used by an operator is connected to the dialog agent means,
The transfer destination search unit has a function of selecting the operator terminal as a transfer destination when a predetermined keyword and an intent are included in a conversation sentence related to the search. User support system. The computer, a user support program for functioning as a plurality of dialog agent means for outputting the response sentence corresponding to the input conversational sentence from the user terminal, the computer,
A response information storage unit that stores, as response information, response text and presentation information corresponding to keywords and intents and combinations thereof included in the conversation text;
An agent information accumulating unit for associating agent identification information for identifying each of the plurality of dialogue agent means and an attribute of response information accumulated in the response information accumulating unit possessed by each dialogue agent, as agent information; ,
A conversation sentence acquisition unit for acquiring a conversation sentence from the user terminal;
A response search unit that searches the information storage unit for response based on a keyword and an intent included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit;
When the response search unit cannot detect appropriate response information, the agent information storage unit is searched based on a keyword and an intent included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit, and the user A transfer destination search unit for detecting agent identification information of other dialog agent means to which a conversation sentence from the terminal is to be transferred;
A transfer processing unit that transfers a conversation sentence using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination search unit;
A user support program that functions as a history management unit that sends a history of transfer processing by the transfer processing unit as transfer history information in association with a conversation sentence related to transfer to a transfer destination. A user support method including a plurality of dialogue agent means for outputting a response sentence corresponding to an input of a conversation sentence from a user terminal,
In the plurality of dialog agent means, the response information storage unit stores response sentences and presentation information corresponding to keywords, intents and combinations thereof included in the conversation sentence as response information, and the plurality of dialog agent means An information accumulation step in which the agent information accumulation unit accumulates as agent information by associating the agent identification information for identifying each of the information and the attribute of the response information accumulated in the response information accumulation unit respectively possessed by each interactive agent;
A conversation response step in which the conversation sentence acquisition unit acquires the conversation sentence from the user terminal, and a response search unit searches the information storage unit for response based on a keyword and an intent included in the acquired conversation sentence;
When the response search unit cannot detect appropriate response information in the conversation response step, the agent information storage unit is searched based on a keyword and an intent included in the conversation sentence acquired by the conversation sentence acquisition unit. A transfer destination search step in which a transfer destination search unit detects agent identification information of another dialog agent means to which a conversation sentence from the user terminal is to be transferred;
The transfer processing unit transfers the conversation sentence using the agent identification information searched by the transfer destination search unit, and the transfer processing history by the transfer processing unit is used as transfer history information in association with the conversation sentence related to the transfer. And a transfer processing step that the history management unit sends to the transfer destination.