JP7657700B2 - Information processing device, information processing method, and program - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, and a program.

Various methods for solving the problems that individuals have have been considered for some time. In particular, in recent years, as values regarding work and work styles have become more diverse, the problems that individuals have have also become more diverse, and various methods and technologies have been proposed to help solve such individual problems. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose an example of a technology that prompts a user to input the problems that he or she has and supports the solving of those problems.

JP 2003-256550 A JP 2002-245156 A

On the other hand, there are cases where a person with a problem (hereinafter also referred to as a user) is unable to properly organize their problems and is unclear about what they are worried about (in other words, they are unable to clearly recognize the problems they are having). In such a situation, it may not be possible to identify a solution to the problem the user is having, and as a result, it may be difficult to lead the user to a solution to their problem. Against this background, there is a demand for the realization of a system that draws out the problems that users are having (for example, potential problems) and supports them in solving those problems.

In consideration of the above problems, the present invention aims to extract the concerns of users in a more suitable manner and assist them in resolving those concerns.

The information processing device according to the present invention includes a first setting means for presenting a plurality of concerns to be designated to a user, accepting designation of one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns from the user, and setting the designated one or more concerns as candidates; a first extraction means for extracting questions corresponding to the designated one or more concerns; a first presentation means for presenting to the user one or more questions including at least a question extracted by the first extraction means; a reception means for receiving from the user answers to the presented one or more questions; a second extraction means for attempting to extract one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns to be designated in response to answers to at least some of the one or more questions; a second setting means for adding one or more concerns to the candidates when one or more concerns are extracted by the second extraction means and there is a concern among the extracted one or more concerns that is not set as a candidate; and a second presentation means for presenting to the user one or more solutions that are previously associated with at least some of the one or more concerns that are set as candidates.

The present invention makes it possible to extract the concerns of users in a more suitable manner and assist them in resolving those concerns.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a system configuration of an information processing system. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a UI. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing an example of a functional configuration of an information processing device. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by an information processing device. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a control table related to the presentation of questions. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of correlations between a plurality of worries. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a solution presented in response to a problem. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing another example of a UI.

A preferred embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

<System Configuration>
An example of a system configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The information processing system 1 according to the embodiment includes a server device 100 and one or more terminal devices 200. Note that the terminal devices 200a and 200b shown in Fig. 1 each represent an example of the terminal device 200. In the following description, when there is no particular need to distinguish between the terminal devices 200a and 200b, they will simply be referred to as the terminal devices 200.

The server device 100 and each terminal device 200 are connected via a network N1 so as to be able to transmit and receive information to and from each other.
The type of the network N1 is not particularly limited. As a specific example, the network N1 may be configured by the Internet, a dedicated line, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a WAN (Wide Area Network). The network N1 may be configured by a wired network, or may be configured by a wireless network such as a network based on a communication standard such as 5G, LTE (Long Term Evolution), and Wi-Fi (registered trademark). The network N1 may include a plurality of networks, and a network of a different type from the other networks may be applied as a part of the network. In addition, it is sufficient that the communication between the various information processing devices described above is logically established, and the communication between the various information processing devices may be physically relayed by another communication device or the like.

The terminal device 200 serves as an interface for accepting inputs (e.g., various instructions) from the user and presenting various information (e.g., feedback, etc.) to the user. As a specific example, the terminal device 200 may receive data from the server device 100 described later via a network, and present information based on the data to the user via a predetermined output device (e.g., a display, etc.). In addition, the terminal device 200 may recognize instructions from the user based on an operation accepted from the user via a predetermined input device (e.g., a touch panel, etc.), and transmit information corresponding to the instructions to the server device 100 via the network. This enables the server device 100 to recognize instructions from the user and execute processing corresponding to the instructions.
The terminal device 200 can be realized by an information processing device having a communication function, such as a so-called smartphone, a tablet terminal, or a PC (Personal Computer).

The server device 100 executes various processes to draw out the concerns the user has and assist in resolving those concerns. Specifically, the server device 100 communicates with the terminal device 200, accepting input from the user via the terminal device 200 and presenting various information to the user via the terminal device 200. With this mechanism, for example, the server device 100 presents various questions to the user and accepts input of answers to those questions, identifies the concerns the user has based on the answers, and presents the user with solutions to those concerns. Details of this function of the server device 100 will be described separately below.

Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example and does not necessarily limit the system configuration of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. As a specific example, the server device 100 may be realized as a stand-alone device. In this case, the server device 100 may accept various information inputs from a user and may present various information to the user. Furthermore, a component equivalent to the server device 100 may be realized by multiple devices working together. As a specific example, a component equivalent to the server device 100 may be realized as a so-called cloud service. In this case, the cloud service may be realized by multiple server devices working together.

Above, an example of the system configuration of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure has been described with reference to FIG. 1.

<Hardware Configuration>
With reference to FIG. 2, an example of a hardware configuration of an information processing device 900 applicable as various information processing devices (for example, the server device 100 and the terminal device 200, etc.) constituting the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 will be described. The information processing device 900 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 910, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 920, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 930, an auxiliary storage device 940, and a network I/F 970. The information processing device 900 may also include at least one of an output device 950 and an input device 960. The CPU 910, the ROM 920, the RAM 930, the auxiliary storage device 940, the output device 950, the input device 960, and the network I/F 970 are connected to each other via a bus 980.

The CPU 910 is a central processing unit that controls various operations of the information processing device 900. For example, the CPU 910 may control the operation of the entire information processing device 900. The ROM 920 stores control programs and boot programs that can be executed by the CPU 910. The RAM 930 is the main storage memory of the CPU 910, and is used as a work area or a temporary storage area for expanding various programs.

The auxiliary storage device 940 stores various data and programs. The auxiliary storage device 940 is realized by a storage device capable of temporarily or persistently storing various data, such as a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

The output device 950 is a device that outputs various types of information, and is used to present various types of information to the user. In this embodiment, the output device 950 is realized by a display device such as a display. The output device 950 presents information to the user by displaying various types of display information. However, as another example, the output device 950 may be realized by an audio output device that outputs sounds such as voice and electronic sounds. In this case, the output device 950 presents information to the user by outputting sounds such as voice and telegrams. In addition, the device applied as the output device 950 may be changed as appropriate depending on the medium used to present information to the user. The output device 950 corresponds to an example of an "output unit" used to present various types of information.

The input device 960 is used to receive various instructions from the user. In this embodiment, the input device 960 includes input devices such as a mouse, a keyboard, and a touch panel. However, as another example, the input device 960 may include a sound collection device such as a microphone, and collect the voice spoken by the user. In this case, various analysis processes such as acoustic analysis and natural language processing are performed on the collected voice, and the content indicated by this voice is recognized as an instruction from the user. Furthermore, the device applied as the input device 960 may be changed as appropriate depending on the method for recognizing the instruction from the user. Furthermore, multiple types of devices may be applied as the input device 960.

The network I/F 970 is used for communication with an external device via a network. The device used as the network I/F 970 may be changed as appropriate depending on the type of communication path and the communication method used.

The program of the information processing device 900 may be provided to the information processing device 900 by a recording medium such as a CD-ROM, or may be downloaded via a network or the like. When the program of the information processing device 900 is provided by a recording medium, the program recorded on the recording medium is installed in the auxiliary storage device 940 by setting the recording medium in a specified drive device.

The configuration shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example, and does not necessarily limit the hardware configuration of the information processing device that constitutes the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment. As a specific example, some components such as the input device 960 and the output device 950 may not be included. As another example, components according to the functions realized by the information processing device 900 may be added as appropriate.

Above, with reference to FIG. 2, an example of the hardware configuration of the information processing device 900 that can be used as various information processing devices constituting the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has been described.

<Function Overview>
The functions of the information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment will be outlined with reference to Fig. 3. The information processing system 1 according to the present embodiment interactively and sequentially presents questions to a user and receives answers to the questions, thereby assisting the user in sorting out the worries he or she has according to the received answers, and presenting a solution to the worries. For example, Fig. 3 shows an example of a UI (User Interface) presented to the user by the server device 100 via the terminal device 200.

Specifically, the server device 100 presents a list of multiple worries set as designation targets to the user, and accepts from the user designation of one or more worries the user has from the multiple worries. The server device 100 then presents one or more questions according to the one or more worries designated, and accepts answers to each of the one or more questions. Note that the questions presented to the user by the server device 100 at this time may include a question that is presented in common regardless of the designation of the worry. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the server device 100 interactively presents questions and accepts answers to the questions in sequence, like a so-called chatbot.
The method of answering a question may be changed as appropriate depending on the type of question presented (for example, the content of the question, the content of the expected answer, etc.). Examples of the answering method include a method of presenting multiple options and having the user select an appropriate one from among them, and a method of accepting free-form input of an answer. Even when applying an answering method that allows the user to select an appropriate one from among multiple options, a method of allowing the user to select a predetermined number of options, such as a so-called multiple-choice question, or a method of allowing the user to select each of the applicable options without limiting the number of selectable options may be applied.
Furthermore, the server device 100 may control the question to be presented next, depending on the answer to the question. For example, the server device 100 may selectively switch questions to be presented subsequently, depending on the answer to the question. As another example, the server device 100 may determine whether or not to present some questions subsequently, depending on the answer to the question.
Then, in response to at least some of the answers, the server device 100 attempts to extract one or more concerns not specified by the user (e.g., concerns that the user potentially has) from the multiple concerns set as designated targets.
In this manner, the server device 100 identifies one or more concerns based on the received answers, and sets the one or more concerns as candidates for the user's concerns. The server device 100 then presents the user with solutions to at least some of the one or more concerns set as candidates.

With this mechanism, even in a situation where the user has not been able to properly organize their concerns and is unclear about what they are concerned about, it is possible to draw out the concerns the user is having and support them in resolving those concerns. Therefore, hereinafter, the technical features of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail, with a particular focus on the above-mentioned functions.

<Functional configuration>
An example of the functional configuration of the server device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4. The server device 100 includes a communication unit 101, an input/output control unit 102, an input analysis unit 103, a processing target extraction unit 104, a processing target setting unit 105, an output data extraction unit 106, and a storage unit 107.

The communication unit 101 is an interface that enables each component of the server device 100 to transmit and receive information to and from other devices (e.g., the terminal device 200) via the network N1. The communication unit 101 can be realized, for example, by the network I/F 970. In the following explanation, when each component of the server device 100 transmits and receives information to and from other devices, it is assumed that the information is transmitted and received via the communication unit 101 unless otherwise specified.

The storage unit 107 is a schematic representation of a storage area for storing various data, various programs, etc. For example, the storage unit 107 may store data and programs for each component of the server device 100 to execute processing.
The storage unit 107 may also store information about questions presented to the user and answer candidates (e.g., options) for the questions. The storage unit 107 may also store information about solution candidates for each of the worries, which will be described later.

The input/output control unit 102 executes various processes related to presenting various information to the user and accepting information input from the user (e.g., instructions, etc.). For example, the input/output control unit 102 may execute processes related to presenting questions to the user and accepting answers to the questions, as described with reference to FIG. 3. The input/output control unit 102 may also present information related to solutions to the user's concerns to the user, based on data extracted by the output data extraction unit 106 described below.

The input analysis unit 103 performs a predetermined analysis on the information (i.e., information input by the user) whose input is accepted by the input/output control unit 102, and outputs the result of the analysis to a predetermined output destination (for example, the processing target extraction unit 104, the processing target setting unit 105, etc., which will be described later). For example, the input analysis unit 103 may perform a predetermined analysis process on the answer whose input is accepted from the user to the question presented to the user. As a specific example, the input analysis unit 103 may determine whether or not a combination of answer options specified by the user among the answer options presented to the user satisfies a predetermined condition. In addition, the input analysis unit 103 may perform various analysis processes such as character analysis and semantic analysis on a series of character strings input by the user as an answer to a question, thereby determining whether or not the series of character strings includes a predetermined keyword or sentence.

The processing target extraction unit 104 extracts information that satisfies a desired condition from a series of information stored in the memory unit 107. For example, the processing target extraction unit 104 may set extraction conditions based on the analysis result of the answer to the question by the input analysis unit 103, and extract a concern that satisfies the condition from a plurality of concerns set as designated targets. As a specific example, the processing target extraction unit 104 may extract a concern that is previously associated with an option selected as an answer to a question from a plurality of concerns set as designated targets. As another example, when a predetermined keyword or sentence is included in the answer entered to a question, the processing target extraction unit 104 may extract a concern associated with the keyword or sentence from a plurality of concerns set as designated targets.

The processing target setting unit 105 sets information to be the output target of data based on desired conditions.
For example, the processing target setting unit 105 may set at least some of the multiple problems set as designation targets as candidates for solution presentation targets (in other words, candidates for extraction targets for data related to the presentation of solutions). As a specific example, the processing target setting unit 105 may set one or more problems designated by the user out of the multiple problems set as designation targets as candidates for solution presentation targets. The processing target setting unit 105 may also set one or more problems extracted by the processing target extraction unit 104 as candidates for solution presentation targets. The processing target setting unit 105 may also add one or more new problems as candidates under a situation where a candidate for solution presentation target has already been set. In this case, the processing target setting unit 105 may add a problem that is not included in the candidate for solution presentation target out of the one or more problems to be added to the candidate.
Furthermore, the processing target setting unit 105 specifies at least a part of the information among a series of information set as candidates for data output targets as information to be actually output as data. At this time, when the candidates for data output targets include a plurality of pieces of information, the processing target setting unit 105 may specify at least a part of the plurality of pieces of information as information to be actually output as data. For example, when a plurality of problems are set as candidates for solutions to be presented, the processing target setting unit 105 may specify at least a part of the plurality of problems that satisfy a desired condition as problems to be presented as solutions to be presented. As a specific example, the processing target setting unit 105 may specify at least a part of the problems designated by the user among a plurality of problems set as candidates for solutions to be presented as solutions to be presented.

The output data extraction unit 106 identifies data to be used for presenting information to a user from among a series of data stored in a predetermined storage area (for example, the storage unit 107) based on desired conditions.
For example, the processing target setting unit 105 may extract data corresponding to one or more solutions associated with one or more problems set by the processing target setting unit 105 as solutions to be presented from a series of data stored in a predetermined storage area. In addition, the output data extraction unit 106 may specify at least some solutions that meet desired conditions among the multiple solutions associated with the target problem, and then extract data corresponding to the specified solutions. The data extracted by the output data extraction unit 106 in this manner is used, for example, by the input/output control unit 102 to present various information (for example, information related to solutions to the problem) to the user.

The above-described configuration is merely an example, and the functional configuration of the server device 100 is not necessarily limited to the example shown in FIG. 4. For example, a series of components of the server device 100 may be realized by multiple devices working together. As a specific example, some of the components of the server device 100 may be external to the server device 100. As another example, the load related to the processing of at least some of the components of the server device 100 may be distributed to multiple devices.

An example of the functional configuration of the server device 100 according to this embodiment has been described above with reference to FIG. 4.

<Processing>
An example of the processing of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 5 and Fig. 3, focusing in particular on the processing of the server device 100. The series of processing shown in Fig. 5 is realized, for example, by the CPU 910 of the server device 100 expanding a program stored in the ROM 920 or the auxiliary storage device 940 into the RAM 930 and executing it. In the example shown in Fig. 5, unless otherwise specified, the server device 100 presents various information to the user and accepts input from the user through the terminal device 200 connected via the network N1 based on communication with the terminal device 200.

In S101, the server device 100 presents a list of multiple problems set as designation targets to the user, and accepts designation of one or more of the multiple problems from the user. The server device 100 sets the one or more designated problems as candidates for which a solution will be presented.

In S102, the server device 100 extracts questions associated with the concern specified by the user in S101, presents one or more questions including the extracted question to the user, and accepts answers to each question from the user. The questions presented to the user at this time may include a question that is presented in common regardless of the concern specified by the user. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 3, the server device 100 presents questions and accepts answers to the questions in an interactive manner, in the manner of a so-called chatbot. Also, as described above, the method of answering questions may be changed as appropriate depending on the type of question presented.

In addition, as described above, when presenting questions to the user, the server device 100 may selectively switch the questions to be presented thereafter depending on the answer to the question, or may decide whether or not to present some of the questions.

For example, Fig. 6 shows an example of a control table related to the presentation of questions to a user. In the control table shown in Fig. 6, at least information related to "question ID", "display condition", and "question content" is set for each question to be presented. In addition, when answer candidates (e.g., options) are set in advance for the question to be presented, information related to "option ID" and "option content" is set for each candidate.
The question ID is identification information for identifying each target question.
The display conditions are conditions under which the target question is presented. The information set as the display conditions and the contents of the control based on the information will be described in detail later.
The question content is information presented to the user as a question.
The option ID is identification information for identifying each of the answer candidates (options) set for the target question.
The content of an option is information presented as an answer candidate (option). An option ID and the content of an option are associated one-to-one with each answer candidate.

Here, the information set as the display condition and the contents of the control based on the information will be described in more detail. The display condition is set to information indicating the condition related to the presentation of the target question, or to "none", indicating that no condition is specified.
For questions with the display condition set to "none," no condition is specified, so the questions will always be set as subjects to be presented.
On the other hand, if information other than "none" is set as the display condition, the target question will be set as a target for presentation if the condition indicated by the information is satisfied.
As a specific example, the question with question ID "3" is set as a presentation target when an answer with option ID "1" is specified for the question with question ID "1".
In addition, display conditions can be set by combining multiple conditions using AND conditions or OR conditions. As a specific example, a question with a question ID of "4" is set as a presentation target when an answer with an option ID of "2" is selected for a question with a question ID of "2" and an answer with an option ID of "1" is specified for a question with a question ID of "3".

Here, reference will be made again to Fig. 5. The questions presented in S102 may include questions for identifying other concerns (for example, potential concerns not specified by the user, etc.).
For example, one or more worries may be associated with answers to some questions based on the worries of users (e.g., other users) whose answers have been accepted in the past. Specifically, by analyzing data of users whose answers have been accepted in the past, it may be possible to make an inference that a user who has given a specific answer to a specific question is likely to have a specific worry. In such a case, for example, when a user gives a similar answer to a similar question, the server device 100 may infer that the user has a similar worry and add the worry to the candidates. In this case, data of a user whose answer has been accepted recently (e.g., worries, etc.) may also be used as a sample for the above-mentioned inference in the future.
As another example, the questions to be presented to the user may include questions to identify the cause of the user's worries. As a specific example, when the answer "My boss doesn't respond to my worries about XXX" is received, it is possible to infer that the user has a worry of "XXX" in addition to the worry of "not getting along with my boss." Therefore, in such a case, the server device 100 may add the worry of "XXX" to the candidates.
Furthermore, when the server device 100 adds other worries not specified by the user to the candidates by the above-mentioned method, the server device 100 may confirm with the user whether or not the other worries correspond to worries the user is having. In such a case, the server device 100 may recognize the other worries as worries the user is having if the user agrees.

In S103, the server device 100 determines whether or not there are any other worries that are candidates for solutions other than the worries set as candidates for which solutions are presented.
As a specific example, the server device 100 may present to the user a set of worries that are set as candidates for which a solution will be presented, ask the user whether or not there are any worries other than the set of worries, and then determine whether or not the user has specified any other worries. At the stage where the process of S103 is executed, the user may organize the worries he or she has by answering the questions presented one by one, and may realize that there are worries other than the worries that he or she previously specified. In such a case, the execution of the above process makes it possible to set the worries that the user has newly recognized as candidates for which a solution will be presented.
As another example, when the server device 100 extracts a concern based on the answer received from the user in S102 and the concern is not set as a candidate for which a solution is presented, the server device 100 may determine that there is another concern that is a candidate for the concern.
If the server device 100 determines in S103 that there is another problem that is a candidate for the solution presentation, the process proceeds to S102. In this case, the server device 100 adds the other problem to the candidates for the solution presentation, and then presents a question to the user (particularly a question corresponding to the other problem that was added) and accepts an answer to the question in S102.
Furthermore, if the server device 100 determines in S103 that there are no other worries that are candidates for solutions to be presented, the server device 100 proceeds to the process in S104.

In S104, the server device 100 determines whether or not a plurality of problems have been set as candidates for which a solution is to be presented.
If the server device 100 determines in S104 that a plurality of problems have been set as candidates for which a solution is to be presented, the server device 100 proceeds to the process in S105.
On the other hand, if the server device 100 determines in S104 that multiple problems have not been set as candidates for which a solution is to be presented, the process proceeds to S107.

In S105, when there are two or more problems that satisfy a predetermined condition among the multiple problems set as candidates for which a solution is presented, the server device 100 groups the two or more problems into one group.
For example, the server device 100 may present to the user a number of concerns that have been set as candidates for which a solution may be presented, and may group together two or more concerns designated by the user from among the plurality of concerns into one group.
As another example, two or more concerns to be grouped may be associated in advance. In this case, when two or more concerns that are associated in advance as concerns to be grouped are included among a plurality of concerns set as candidates for which a solution is presented, the server device 100 may group the two or more concerns into one group.

In addition, it is possible to appropriately set conditions for grouping two or more concerns.
As a specific example, it may be possible to find a correlation between two or more worries based on the trend of worries of users (e.g., other users) whose answers have been accepted in the past. In such a case, two or more worries that are correlated may be set as targets for grouping.
For example, Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the correlation between a plurality of mutually different worries, and shows the correlation between each of the worries indicated as A to D. Specifically, many users specify A and B together, and the correlation is high. In such a case, it is advisable to set A and B as targets for grouping. Similarly, since the correlation between B and D is also high, it is advisable to set B and D as targets for grouping.
Under such conditions, for example, it is assumed that the user specifies worries A, B, and C as candidates. In the example shown in FIG. 6, A and B are highly correlated as described above, and therefore are set as targets for grouping. Therefore, the server device 100 may group worries A and B, among worries A, B, and C specified by the user, into one group. In addition, at this time, the server device 100 may confirm with the user whether worries A and B may be grouped into one group, and may group worries A and B if an instruction to group them is received from the user.
In addition, the conditions for grouping candidates may be changeable. For example, the threshold value of the parameter used for the determination as a condition for grouping may be changeable, so that the condition can be controlled by setting the threshold value. As a specific example, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 6, a setting may be selectively switched between setting two or more worries with a correlation of "high" or more as targets for grouping, and setting two or more worries with a correlation of "medium" or more as targets for grouping.
In this case, the data of the user for whom a new answer has been received (e.g., tendencies in concerns, etc.) may also be used as a sample for determining the conditions for subsequent grouping (e.g., determining the correlation between two or more concerns, etc.).

Furthermore, when two or more concerns are grouped together, the server device 100 may prioritize the two or more concerns included in the group.
As a specific example, the server device 100 may set a priority for each of two or more worries included in a group in response to an instruction from a user, which allows the user to determine which of the two or more worries included in the group is more important (e.g., which is closer to the cause).
As another example, the server device 100 may prioritize two or more worries included in a group based on the tendency of worries of a user (e.g., another user) whose answer was accepted in the past. As a specific example, the server device 100 may prioritize the worries A and B according to which of the users who group the worries A and B, the proportion of users who prioritize the worries A or the proportion of users who prioritize the worries B, is larger. The server device 100 may also present the user with candidates for prioritizing the two or more worries included in a group according to the tendency of worries of a user whose answer was accepted in the past, and prioritize the two or more worries according to a designation from the user. In this case, the data of the user whose answer was accepted in the past (e.g., the tendency of worries, etc.) may also be used as a sample for the above-mentioned prioritization in the future.
In addition, when the server device 100 prioritizes two or more worries included in a group based on a predetermined condition, the server device 100 may confirm with the user whether the result of the prioritization is what the user intended. In this case, the server device 100 may determine whether to reflect the result of the prioritization of two or more worries included in a group, according to an instruction from the user.

In S106, the server device 100 identifies at least some of the multiple problems set as candidates for which a solution will be presented, as problems that the user feels are stronger (in other words, problems for which a solution will be presented).
Specifically, the server device 100 presents to the user a plurality of worries set as candidates for which a solution will be presented, and accepts from the user a designation of at least some of the plurality of worries. Note that the server device 100 may limit the number of worries that can be designated when accepting a designation of worries from the user. As a specific example, the server device 100 may accept a designation of one worry that the user is most concerned about among the plurality of worries presented to the user. Then, the server device 100 identifies the one or more worries designated by the user as worries that the user feels are stronger.
Furthermore, the server device 100 may accept the designation of the group set in S105. In this case, the server device 100 may identify at least some of the two or more worries included in the designated group as worries that the user feels stronger. At this time, for example, the server device 100 may identify at least some of the worries designated by the user among the two or more worries included in the designated group as worries that the user feels stronger. As another example, the server device 100 may identify some of the two or more worries based on the priorities set for each of the two or more worries included in the group.

In S107, the server device 100 identifies one or more solutions corresponding to each of the one or more problems set as candidates for which a solution is to be presented, and presents information on the one or more solutions to the user. In this case, if there is only one problem set as a candidate for which a solution is to be presented, the server device 100 presents information on the one or more solutions corresponding to that problem to the user. In addition, if multiple problems are set as candidates for which a solution is to be presented, the server device 100 presents information on the one or more solutions corresponding to the problem identified in S106 to the user.

For example, Figure 8 shows an example of a solution presented for a given problem. Specifically, in Figure 8, solutions are presented for the problem of "not getting along with your boss," such as "get along with your boss," "let your boss know about you," "talk to your boss," "talk to a consultation desk such as HR or the general manager," and "consider changing jobs or moving."

In addition, when multiple solutions are associated with a target problem, the server device 100 may present each of the multiple solutions to the user, or may extract some of the multiple solutions and present them to the user. When the server device 100 extracts some of the multiple solutions and presents them to the user, the conditions for the extraction are not particularly limited. As a specific example, when the multiple solutions associated with each problem have been prioritized in advance, the server device 100 may extract a solution to be presented to the user based on the priority. In this case, the method of prioritizing the multiple solutions is also not particularly limited. As a specific example, the multiple solutions may be prioritized so that a solution that has been specified by more users in the past has a higher priority.

The server device 100 may also present multiple solutions to the user as options and provide more detailed information about the solution corresponding to the selected option.

The server device 100 may also extract solutions recommended to the target user according to the tendency of solutions specified by other users who have received answers similar to those of the target user in the past, and present the solutions to the user. In this case, the server device 100 may present the solutions recommended to the target user in addition to solutions to the concerns that the target user feels are more severe.

The server device 100 may also ask the user a new question about the situation the user is in, and present the user with a solution depending on the answer to the question. As a specific example, the server device 100 may check whether the user has a superior they can consult with, and if the answer "yes" is received, present the user with the solution "consult with your superior." In this case, the server device 100 may present a solution depending on the answer to the user's question, in addition to a solution to the worry that the target user feels is more severe.

Above, with reference to Figures 5 and 3, an example of the processing of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment has been described, focusing in particular on the processing of the server device 100.

<Conclusion>
As described above, the information processing device according to this embodiment accepts the designation of one or more concerns from among a plurality of concerns to be designated, sets the one or more concerns as candidates, presents one or more questions according to the designated concerns, and accepts answers to the one or more questions. The information processing device also attempts to extract one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns to be designated according to the answers to the questions, and when one or more concerns are extracted and there is a concern among the extracted one or more concerns that has not been set as a candidate, adds the concerned concern to the candidates. Then, the information processing device presents one or more solutions that are previously associated with at least some of the concerns set as candidates.
With the above-described configuration, even in a situation where a user is unable to properly organize the worries he or she is unclear about, it is expected that the worries of the user can be elicited in a more suitable manner and assistance in solving the worries can be provided.

Note that the above is merely an example, and does not necessarily limit the configuration or processing of the information processing system according to the present embodiment. As a specific example, in the above, a question is presented to the user in the form of a so-called chatbot, and an answer to the question is received. However, as long as it is possible to present a question and receive an answer, the method is not particularly limited.
For example, Fig. 9 is a diagram showing another example of the UI of the information processing system 1 according to this embodiment, showing an example of a UI in a so-called questionnaire form format. In the example shown in Fig. 9, information indicating the content of a question and an input interface such as a link or button for receiving an answer to the question are presented on the screen, and a transition to the next screen occurs when an operation is performed on the input interface. With the above-mentioned configuration, it is possible to sequentially present a question to the user and receive an answer to the question.

The information processing system according to this embodiment may also be provided with a function for presenting to the user, in response to the answer received from the user, thoughts and comments on the answer. As a specific example, in response to the answer received from the user, a sympathetic comment such as "It seems like you're having a difficult time" or "That must be difficult" may be returned, which is expected to have the effect of reducing the psychological burden on the user. Note that as a mechanism for selectively presenting thoughts and comments in response to the answer received, it is possible to apply a mechanism similar to the example of selectively switching questions to be presented later in response to the answer received based on the control table, as described with reference to FIG. 6.

The information processing system according to this embodiment may also be provided with a function for presenting a solution to the user, and then presenting the user with a question related to the solution, and accepting an answer to the question from the user. As a specific example, the information processing system may check whether the solution specified by the user is likely to be implemented, and if not, the reason why, and present advice to help the user implement the solution. Note that the advice to be presented may be associated in advance with each of the candidate answers to the question presented to the user, for example.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Information processing system 100 Server device 101 Communication unit 102 Input/output control unit 103 Input analysis unit 104 Processing target extraction unit 105 Processing target setting unit 106 Output data extraction unit 107 Storage unit 200 Terminal device

Claims (19)

a first setting means for presenting a plurality of concerns to be designated to a user, receiving designation of one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns from the user, and setting the designated one or more concerns as candidates;
a first extraction means for extracting questions corresponding to the one or more specified worries;
a first presentation means for presenting to the user one or more questions including at least the question extracted by the first extraction means;
a receiving means for receiving answers to the one or more questions presented from the user;
a second extraction means for attempting to extract one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns to be designated in response to answers to at least some of the one or more questions;
a second setting means for adding a concern that has not been set as one of the candidates to the list of concerns when one or more concerns are extracted by the second extraction means and the extracted concern or concerns include a concern that has not been set as one of the candidates;
a second presenting means for presenting to the user one or more solutions associated in advance with at least some of the one or more concerns set as candidates;
An information processing device comprising: a specifying means for specifying at least a part of worries from the one or more worries set as the candidates,
The second presentation means presents to the user one or more solutions that are pre-associated with the identified problem.
The information processing device according to claim 1 . The identification means identifies at least a part of the worries designated by the user from among the one or more worries set as the candidates.
The information processing device according to claim 2 . a third setting means for grouping two or more concerns included in the plurality of concerns as one group when a plurality of concerns are set as the candidates;
the second presentation means, when the group is identified by the identification means, presents one or more solutions that are associated in advance with at least some of the two or more concerns included in the group;
4. The information processing device according to claim 2 or 3. The third setting means sets a priority level for each of the two or more worries to be grouped together;
the second presentation means, when the group is identified by the identification means, identifies one or more problems for which a solution is to be presented in accordance with the priorities set for the two or more problems included in the group;
The information processing device according to claim 4. the third setting means sets a designated priority for each of the two or more worries to be grouped together;
The information processing device according to claim 5 . the third setting means sets priorities for the two or more concerns in accordance with a designated candidate from among a plurality of candidates for prioritization of the two or more concerns, which are set in advance for the combination of the two or more concerns to be grouped together;
The information processing device according to claim 5 . the third setting means, when the plurality of concerns set as the candidates include two or more concerns that are associated in advance, groups the two or more concerns into one group;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 4 to 7. the third setting means groups two or more designated concerns out of the plurality of concerns set as candidates into one group;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 4 to 7. the second extraction means determines, based on trends of user concerns for which answers have been received in the past, one or more concerns to be extracted in response to answers to at least some of the one or more questions from among the plurality of concerns to be designated as designation targets;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. At least some of the questions in the series include questions related to identifying the causes of distress;
the second extraction means extracts, from the plurality of concerns to be designated, concerns that are previously associated with answers received in response to questions related to identifying causes of the concerns;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 10. the second setting means adds a designated concern from among the extracted one or more concerns to the candidates.
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 11. the second presentation means presents at least some of the solutions in the series of solutions based on a priority level preset for each of the series of solutions to be presented;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 12. the first presenting means presents other questions after an answer to a part of the plurality of questions including at least a question corresponding to the one or more specified worries is received, thereby presenting each of the plurality of questions to the user in sequence;
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 13. the first presentation means selectively switches questions to be presented subsequently depending on answers to some of the questions;
The information processing device according to claim 14. the first presentation means presents, when an answer to a part of the questions is accepted, a comment corresponding to the answer to the user;
16. The information processing device according to claim 14 or 15. The first presentation means presents to the user a question associated with the solution presented to the user;
the accepting means accepts from the user an answer to the question associated with the solution;
The second presentation means presents information corresponding to the received answer to the user.
The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 15. An information processing method executed by an information processing device,
a first setting step of presenting a plurality of concerns to be designated to a user, accepting designation of one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns from the user, and setting the designated one or more concerns as candidates;
A first extraction step of extracting questions corresponding to the one or more specified worries;
a first presentation step of presenting to the user one or more questions including at least the question extracted in the first extraction step;
a receiving step of receiving from the user an answer to the one or more questions presented;
a second extraction step of attempting to extract one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns to be designated in response to answers to at least some of the one or more questions;
a second setting step of adding a worry that has not been set as one of the candidates to the one or more worries that are extracted in the second extraction step and that have not been set as one of the candidates to the one or more worries that are extracted in the second extraction step;
a second presentation step of presenting to the user one or more solutions associated in advance with at least some of the one or more concerns set as candidates;
An information processing method comprising: On the computer,
a first setting step of presenting a plurality of concerns to be designated to a user, accepting designation of one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns from the user, and setting the designated one or more concerns as candidates;
A first extraction step of extracting questions corresponding to the one or more specified worries;
a first presentation step of presenting to the user one or more questions including at least the question extracted in the first extraction step;
a receiving step of receiving from the user an answer to the one or more questions presented;
a second extraction step of attempting to extract one or more concerns from the plurality of concerns to be designated in response to answers to at least some of the one or more questions;
a second setting step of adding a worry that has not been set as one of the candidates to the one or more worries that are extracted in the second extraction step and that have not been set as one of the candidates to the one or more worries that are extracted in the second extraction step;
a second presentation step of presenting to the user one or more solutions associated in advance with at least some of the one or more concerns set as candidates;
A program to execute.

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