JP7748743B2 - Processing device, method and program - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. Posted on the website by PRTIMES on May 15, 2023, posted on the website by Tokyo Sangyo Shimbun on May 23, 2023, posted on the website by alma Inc. on August 3, 2023, posted on the website by ProductZine Editorial Department on August 4, 2023, posted on the website by CreatorZine Editorial Department on August 8, 2023, posted on the website by Kenji Kato on December 24, 2023 and January 22, 2024.

This disclosure relates to a processing device, method, and program.

Technologies for presenting knowledge to users are known in the art. For example, Patent Document 1 describes identifying knowledge data based on a phase and outputting it to the user.

JP 2023-87088 A

However, there is room for improvement in technology that helps users organize information. This disclosure was made against the above background and provides a processing device, method, and program that can help users organize information.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure,
A processing device including a processor,
Identify specific points in the target data,
A processing device is provided that is configured to associate attributes with the particular points.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure,
1. A computer-implemented method having a processor, comprising:
Identifying a specific point in the target data;
associating an attribute with the particular point;
A method is provided which includes:

According to one aspect of the present disclosure,
A computer having a processor
Identify specific points in the target data,
A program is provided that functions to associate attributes with the particular points.

This disclosure provides a processing device, method, and program that can assist users in organizing information. Note that the above effects are merely illustrative for the sake of convenience and are not limiting. In addition to or instead of the above effects, any of the effects described in this disclosure or effects that would be obvious to one skilled in the art may also be achieved.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a system including a processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the management server device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a document information table stored in the memory 32 of the management server device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a diagram conceptually illustrating an attribute information table stored in the memory 32 of the management server device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram conceptually illustrating a report information table stored in the memory 32 of the management server device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a processing sequence executed among the first terminal device 11, the second terminal device 12, and the management server device 13 in the processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a document management screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. As shown in FIG. FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a document confirmation screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. As shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an attribute confirmation screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a report list screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a tree diagram display screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a person image display screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a time series diagram display screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an attribute confirmation screen according to another embodiment, which is displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11.

Embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that common components in the drawings are designated by the same reference numerals.

One example of a processing system according to the present disclosure is a system for analyzing target data. In particular, the processing system is advantageously used because it can assign attributes to specific phrases in a document, for example. In this way, in the processing system according to the present disclosure, the first terminal device and the management server device can optimize the user's analysis of target data.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a system including a processing device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Referring to FIG. 1, the processing system 1 includes a first terminal device 11, a second terminal device 12, and a management server device 13. The first terminal device 11, the second terminal device 12, and the management server device 13 are connected to each other via a wireless and/or wired network 5 so that they can communicate with each other.

An example of the first terminal device 11 and the second terminal device 12 is a portable terminal device capable of wireless communication, such as a laptop computer. The management server device 13 stores and manages various information required to run the processing system 1, which is input into the first terminal device 11 and the second terminal device 12, and transmits and receives various information between the first terminal device 11 and the second terminal device 12. The detailed configuration and processing will be described later.

Note that in the example of Figure 1, only one first terminal device 11 and one second terminal device 12 are shown, but it is possible for two or more of each device to be included. Also, in the example of Figure 1, the first terminal device 11 and the second terminal device 12 are shown separately from each other, but they may be referred to collectively as terminal devices. However, even in such cases, this is merely a general reference to each terminal device and does not mean that the first terminal device 11 and the second terminal device 12 have the same processing or configuration. Also, in the example of Figure 1, one server device, such as the management server device 13, is shown, but two or more devices may be included.

Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a terminal device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The terminal device does not need to include all of the components shown in Figure 2; it may have a configuration in which some components are omitted, or it may include other components.

As mentioned above, the terminal device is typically a terminal device capable of wireless communication, such as a laptop computer. Any device capable of executing the programs disclosed herein can be suitably applied as this terminal device, such as a feature phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), smartphone, desktop computer, portable game console, or stationary game console. Furthermore, while the terminal devices in the processing system 1 can include multiple terminal devices, the terminal devices do not need to be of the same type; they can each be a different type.

As shown in FIG. 2, the terminal device includes a processor 21, memory 22 (including RAM, ROM, or non-volatile memory (possibly an SSD)), a communication interface 23 (including a communication processing circuit and an antenna), an input interface 24 (including a mouse, hard keys, etc.), and an output interface 25. These components are electrically connected to each other via control lines and data lines.

The processor 21 is composed of a CPU and functions as a control unit that controls other connected components based on various programs stored in the memory 22. Specifically, the processor 21 reads and executes programs for executing applications related to the present disclosure and programs for executing the OS from the memory 22. In the present disclosure, the processor 21 particularly executes the processes described in the processing sequence of Figure 7 (details of the processes are explained in Figure 7, etc.). The processor 21 may be composed of a single CPU, or may be composed of a combination of multiple CPUs and GPUs.

Memory 22 includes a main storage device (ROM, RAM, non-volatile memory, etc.) and an auxiliary storage device (HDD, SSD, etc.), and functions as a storage unit. ROM stores instructions and commands for executing the applications and OS related to the present disclosure as programs. RAM is used to write and read data while the programs stored in ROM are being processed by processor 21. Non-volatile memory is memory into which data is written and read as the programs are executed, and data written therein is retained even after execution of the programs has ended. In the present disclosure, memory 22 particularly stores programs for executing the processes, etc. described in the processing sequence of Figure 7 (details of the processes are explained in Figure 7, etc.).

The communication interface 23 functions as a communication unit that transmits and receives information to and from other terminal devices and the management server device 13 via a communication processing circuit and antenna. The communication processing circuit processes programs and various information used in the processing system 1 to and from server devices, etc., as processing progresses. The communication processing circuit processes based on a wideband wireless communication method such as the 5G method, but it is also possible to process based on a narrowband wireless communication method or a short-range wireless communication method such as a wireless LAN or Bluetooth (registered trademark) such as IEEE 802.11. Wired communication can also be used instead of or in addition to wireless communication.

The input interface 24 is composed of a mouse, keyboard, etc., and functions as an input unit that accepts instruction inputs related to the execution of the program related to the present disclosure, operation inputs for registering various information, etc. The mouse accepts operations such as moving and selecting a cursor displayed on the display by the user. The keyboard accepts operations such as typing characters by the user. Note that while the present disclosure uses an input interface 24 provided on a terminal device, it is also possible to use a touch panel that detects swiping and tapping operations using, for example, a resistive film method, a capacitive coupling method, or an ultrasonic surface acoustic wave method.

The output interface 25 functions as an output unit that outputs images captured by the camera included in the input interface 24 and various displays output by executing the programs related to the present disclosure to devices such as a display or printer in response to instructions from the processor 21. Note that such displays can also be configured, for example, as liquid crystal displays, organic electroluminescence displays, or electronic paper.

Figure 3 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a management server device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The management server device 13 does not need to include all of the components shown in Figure 3; it is possible to omit some components, or to add other components. Furthermore, the management server device 13 may include one or more of the components shown in Figure 3 distributed across multiple devices.

The management server device 13 includes a processor 31 (comprised of a CPU, etc.), memory 32 (including RAM, ROM, non-volatile memory, HDD, etc.), and a communication interface 33. These components are electrically connected to each other via control lines and data lines. In this embodiment, a database (not shown) that stores various information may be connected via the communication interface 33. In this disclosure, the memory included in the server device may refer to only the memory 32, only the database, or both the memory 32 and the database, unless otherwise specified.

Processor 31 is composed of a CPU and functions as a control unit for controlling other connected components based on various programs stored in memory 32. In this embodiment, processor 31 may be composed of a single CPU, or may be composed of multiple CPUs.

Memory 32 includes RAM, ROM, non-volatile memory, and HDD, and functions as a storage unit. Memory 32 stores instructions and commands for executing the application and OS according to this embodiment as programs. Such programs are loaded and executed by processor 31. Memory 32 also stores the information tables shown mainly in Figures 4 to 6. Furthermore, memory 32 (particularly RAM) is temporarily used to write and read data while the above programs are being executed by processor 31. Memory 32 also stores the information table shown mainly in Figure 7.

The communication interface 33 functions, for example, as a communication unit that performs processes such as modulation and demodulation to send and receive programs and various information used in the system disclosed herein via the first terminal device 11, the second terminal device 12, and the network 5, or via the network 5 with other server devices. The communication interface 33 communicates with other first terminal devices and other server devices according to the above-mentioned wireless communication method or a known wired communication method.

Figure 4 is a conceptual diagram of a document information table stored in memory 32 of a management server device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram of an attribute information table stored in memory 32 of a management server device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram of a report information table stored in memory 32 of a management server device 13 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that the information stored in each information table described below is merely an example, and it is not necessary to store all of this information; information other than this information may also be stored. Furthermore, while the present disclosure describes a case in which each information table is stored in memory 32 of the management server device 13, the various tables may also be stored in memory 22 of the first terminal device 11 and memory 22 of the second terminal device 12. The various tables may also be stored in a database communicatively connected to the management server device 13 via network 5, or may also be stored in a distributed storage database such as a blockchain. In this case, the management server device 13 temporarily reads this information stored in the database into its memory 32 as processing progresses and processes it.

As shown in Figure 4, the document information table stores "folder," "selected description," "seventh paragraph description," "attribute ID," "comment," and other information associated with a document ID. A "document ID" is an identification number assigned to each piece of document data. A "folder" is information that links multiple pieces of document data and manages the multiple pieces of document data as a single group. A "selected description" is information that indicates a portion of a document that a user selectively identifies. A "seventh paragraph description" is information that indicates the paragraph containing the selected description and the three adjacent paragraphs before and after it, i.e., a total of seven paragraphs. An "attribute ID" is an identification number assigned to each attribute. A "comment" is information that indicates a user comment about the document data. Details of this information will be provided later. Information such as a "folder," "selected description," "seventh paragraph description," "attribute ID," and "comment" associated with a document ID may be stored one by one for each document ID, or multiple pieces of each may be stored for each document ID.

As shown in Figure 5, the attribute information table stores "attribute name," "reference information," "last updated date and time," "user ID," "dependent attribute," "tag," "importance," and other information associated with an attribute ID. "Attribute ID" is an identification number assigned to each attribute. "Attribute name" is information indicating the name of the attribute. "Reference information" is information such as reference materials related to the attribute. "Last updated date and time" is information indicating the date and time when various settings on the attribute confirmation screen (described below) were last updated. "User ID" is an identification number assigned to each user. "Dependent attribute" is information indicating the attribute to which the attribute associated with the attribute ID is subordinate. "Tag" is a marker assigned to the attribute. "Importance" is information indicating the importance of the attribute. Details of this information will be provided below. Furthermore, information such as "attribute name," "related information," "last updated date and time," "user ID," "dependent attribute," "tag," and "importance" associated with an attribute ID may be stored one by one for each attribute ID, or multiple pieces of each may be stored for each attribute ID.

As shown in Figure 6, the report information table stores "report name," "report type," "first item," "second item," "attribute ID," "user input," and other information associated with a report ID. "Report ID" is an identification number assigned to each report. "Report name" is information indicating the name of the report. "Report type" is information indicating the type of report (e.g., tree, profile, plan). "First item" and "second item" are information used as items in the report, as described below. "Attribute ID" represents the attribute ID displayed as a higher level in the report and corresponds to the identification number assigned to each attribute, as described above. "User input" is information entered by the user. Note that information such as "report name," "report type," "first item," "second item," "attribute ID," and "user input" associated with a report ID may be stored one per report ID, or multiple pieces of each may be stored per report ID.

Figure 7 is a diagram showing a processing sequence executed between a first terminal device 11, a second terminal device 12, and a management server device 13 in a processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Below, the processing flow in the processing system 1 will be explained with reference to each figure.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first terminal device 11 accepts a data input operation by the user via the input interface 24 (S11). Specifically, the first terminal device 11 accepts input of document data including text information via the input interface 24. The first terminal device 11 transmits the data input by the user to the management server device 13 via the communication interface 23 (T11). Note that this input operation may be an operation in which the user manually inputs data, or an operation in which predetermined data is stored.

Figure 8 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a document management screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. The document management screen is a screen on which a user can view and manage data such as documents. This document management screen includes a document folder section 101 and a document display section 103. The document folder section 101 is a frame displaying multiple folder buttons 102 representing folder data linked to multiple document data. This document folder section 101 is capable of accepting a user's selection operation (e.g., a click operation) of the folder button 102. The document display section 103 is a frame displaying multiple document buttons 105 linked to, for example, a single piece of document data. Specifically, when the document display section 103 accepts a user's selection operation of a folder button 102 in the document folder section 101, it displays document buttons 105 related to multiple document data linked to the folder data related to the accepted folder button 102. This document display section 103 is capable of accepting a user's selection operation of the document button 105. In this way, the first terminal device 11 can execute the corresponding process by accepting the user's selection operation on the folder button 102 and document button 105.

As shown in FIG. 7, the first terminal device 11 accepts, via the input interface 24, an operation to assign attributes to at least a portion of text data based on a sentence entered by the user (S12). The first terminal device 11 also transmits the attributes assigned by the user to the management server device 13 via the communication interface 23 (T12).

Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a document confirmation screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. The document confirmation screen is primarily a screen for accepting a user's operation to assign attributes to document data. This document confirmation screen is displayed upon accepting a selection operation on the document button 105. The document confirmation screen also includes a document header section 111, a document data display section 113, an attribute data display section 115, an attribute assignment section 117, and a bulk registration section 119. The document header section 111 is a frame in which bibliographic information related to the document data selected by the user is entered. As a specific example, the document header section 111 includes, for example, the "folder" to which the document data is linked, the "tags" assigned to the attributes, the "status" of the document data, the "last update date" of the document data, and the "creator" indicating the user who created the document data, based on the document information table. Here, "tags" are, for example, markers that can be set arbitrarily by the user. For example, "tags" can indicate the type of text data, such as "user interview," "inquiry," "business negotiation," and "questionnaire." Furthermore, "status" is information that indicates the registration status of data linked to a document ID. For example, "status" can be "content description," which indicates that document data is linked to a document ID, or "attribute assignment," which indicates that attributes, described below, have been assigned.

The document data display unit 113 is a frame that displays document data related to the selected document ID. For example, if the document data is minutes related to a "user interview," the minutes document is displayed as text data. The first terminal device 11 accepts attribute assignment operations performed by the user for this text data. Specifically, the first terminal device 11 first accepts a user selection operation for a portion of the text data (e.g., an operation in which a portion of the text is selected by moving the mouse left or right while pressing the left mouse button). Next, the first terminal device 11 displays a button (not shown) for assigning an attribute to a portion (e.g., directly above the selected entry 114 (specific point)) near the selected location (the selected entry 114 (specific point)). The first terminal device 11 then accepts the user's selection of the button. The first terminal device 11 then accepts an attribute assignment operation for the selected entry 114 in the attribute assignment unit 117. The first terminal device 11 may display the attribute assignment unit 117 after accepting the selection operation of the button, or may overlay the attribute assignment unit 117 on the document data display unit 113. Also, although the above describes the user selecting the selected description 114, the selected description 114 may be extracted from the text data based on pre-set sorting conditions, or the selected description 114 may be identified based on the calculation results of so-called AI, including a trained model that can determine the characteristics of the selected description 114 using a neural network or the like.

The attribute data display unit 115 is a frame that displays a list of selected entries 114 in the document data displayed in the document data display unit 113. This selected entry box 121 includes an attribute 121a and a comment 121b. The attribute 121a is an attribute assigned to the selected entry 114. That is, if multiple attributes are assigned to the selected entry 114, multiple attributes 121a are displayed. The comment 121b is a comment entered by the user regarding the selected entry 114. In this way, the first terminal device 11 displays a list of selected entries 114 in the document data displayed in the document data display unit 113, and displays the attributes 121a and comments 121b related to the selected entry 114 nearby, thereby improving the user's viewability of the selected entries, etc.

The attribute assignment unit 117 is an input unit for accepting a user's operation to assign an attribute to the selected description 114 described above. This attribute assignment unit 117 has a first recommended assigned attribute 123, a comment input unit 125, and an assigned attribute unit 127. The first recommended assigned attribute 123 indicates an attribute recommended to the user when the user assigns an attribute. The first terminal device 11 displays the first recommended assigned attributes 123 in an order that prioritizes attributes previously assigned by the user in the order in which they were last assigned (i.e., in the order in which they were most recently assigned). This allows the first terminal device 11 to accept the assignment of an attribute to the selected description 114 through a user's selection operation (e.g., a click operation) of the first recommended assigned attribute 123, thereby simplifying the user's attribute assignment process compared to, for example, searching for and selecting attributes using a search function, etc. The first recommended allocation attribute 123 may be an attribute related to the document data or the selected description 114 extracted based on pre-set sorting conditions, or may be allocated based on the results of so-called AI calculations including a trained model that can determine the characteristics of the document data or the selected description 114 using a neural network or the like, or attributes that are frequently allocated by the user may be displayed preferentially.

The comment input unit 125 is an input unit that accepts comments about the selected description 114. In other words, the first terminal device 11 acquires comments about the selected description 114 by accepting input operations by the user into the comment input unit 125. The assigned attribute unit 127 displays the attributes assigned to the selected description 114. In other words, the first terminal device 11 accepts an attribute assignment operation by the user in the attribute assignment unit 117, and displays the attributes assigned to the selected description 114 in the assigned attribute unit 127. In other words, the selected description box 121 described above displays one or more attributes assigned to the selected description 114 by the attribute assignment unit 117 and the comment entered in the comment input unit 125 as attributes 121a and comments 121b. While the above describes assigning attributes to the selected description 114 based on user operation, attributes may also be assigned to the selected description 114 based on pre-set sorting conditions, or attributes may be identified for the selected description 114 based on the results of so-called AI calculations, including a trained model that can determine the characteristics of the selected description 114 and attributes using a neural network or the like.

The bulk registration unit 119 is a registration unit for assigning attributes in bulk to selected descriptions 114 that satisfy specified conditions. This bulk registration unit 119 has a search window 131 and a second recommended allocation attribute 133. The search window 131 accepts the user's input of a search word. That is, when the first terminal device 11 accepts the user's input operation of a search word in the search window 131, it identifies the description corresponding to the search word in the text data. The second recommended allocation attribute 133 indicates an attribute that is recommended to the user when the user assigns an attribute, similar to the first recommended allocation attribute 123. As an example, the second recommended allocation attribute 133 displays an attribute that is assigned to a selected description 114 that includes a description similar to the search word.

Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an attribute confirmation screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. The attribute confirmation screen is a screen that displays a list of set attributes. This attribute confirmation screen includes an attribute list display unit 141 and an attribute details display unit 143. The attribute list display unit 141 is a display unit that displays a list of attributes set by the user. Note that attribute folders linked to multiple attributes may be used to display the attributes linked to those attribute folders. This attribute list display unit 141 displays multiple attribute buttons 145 corresponding to the attributes. The attribute buttons 145 are buttons that can accept selection operations by the user. The attribute details display unit 143 is a screen that displays details of the attribute related to the selected attribute button 145. In other words, when the first terminal device 11 accepts a selection operation of one attribute button 145 by the user, the attribute details display unit 143 displays detailed information of the attribute related to the selected attribute button 145. The attribute details display section 143 has an attribute header section 147, a document data display section 148, and a comment 149.

The attribute header section 147 is a box where bibliographic information related to the attribute selected by the user is entered. As a specific example, the attribute header section 147 may contain, for example, a "tag" assigned to the attribute, the "importance" of the attribute, "related information" associated with the attribute, the "last updated date" of the attribute, and a "creator" indicating the user who created the attribute, based on an attribute information table. Here, "importance" is information indicating the degree of importance that can be set arbitrarily by the user. For example, "importance" may be expressed as "high," "medium," or "low," or may be expressed as a percentage, etc. "Related information" is information related to the attribute that can be set arbitrarily by the user. For example, "related information" may include links to web pages related to the attribute and materials related to the attribute.

The document data display unit 148 displays the description corresponding to the selected description 114 described above in the document to which the attribute is assigned. Specifically, the document data display unit 148 displays the paragraph related to the selected description 114 and information 114a adjacent to the selected description 114 (e.g., the paragraph containing the selected description 114, the three paragraphs immediately preceding the paragraph, and the three paragraphs immediately following the paragraph). This allows the first terminal device 11 to display the selected description 114 to which the user has assigned an attribute on the display when the first terminal device 11 accepts the user's selection of one of the attribute buttons 145. Therefore, the first terminal device 11 can allow the user to confirm the selected description 114 to which the attribute has been assigned. In particular, by displaying the paragraph related to the selected description 114 and information 114a adjacent to the selected description 114, the first terminal device 11 can allow the user to view not only the selected description 114 but also the context surrounding the selected description 114, for example, thereby improving the convenience of the user's viewing of document data.

Here, the selected entry 114 in the document data display unit 148 can accept a selection operation by the user. When the first terminal device 11 accepts a selection operation by the user for the selected entry 114, it displays the range related to the selected entry 114 in the document data display unit 113 (Figure 9). As a result, the first terminal device 11 accepts a selection operation by the user for the selected entry 114 and displays it in the document data display unit 113, thereby reducing the effort required for the user to search for document data containing the selected entry 114. The comment 149 is an input unit that displays a comment entered by the user in the comment input unit 125 (Figure 9) of the attribute assignment unit 117. Note that the comment 149 may also accept editing operations by the user.

7, the first terminal device 11 accepts, via the input interface 24, an input operation for information related to the generation of a tree diagram based on attributes assigned by the user (S13). The first terminal device 11 also transmits the information related to the generation of the tree diagram (tree information) input by the user to the management server device 13 via the communication interface 23 (T13). The information related to the generation of the tree diagram includes information representing the hierarchical relationships between multiple attributes, and is input, for example, by specifying the subordinate attributes of FIG. 5 for one or more attribute IDs. Similarly, the first terminal device 11 accepts, via the input interface 24, an input operation for information related to the generation of a person image based on attributes assigned by the user (S14). The first terminal device 11 also transmits the information related to the generation of a person image (person image information) input by the user to the management server device 13 via the communication interface 23 (T14). The information related to the generation of the person image includes, for example, information indicating which attributes will be displayed in each of the first item display unit 183, second item display unit 185, and third item display unit 187, which will be described later in relation to FIG. 13. Similarly, the first terminal device 11 accepts, via the input interface 24, an input operation for information related to the generation of the time series diagram based on the attributes assigned by the user (S15). The information related to the generation of the time series diagram includes, for example, information indicating which attributes will be specified as major and minor items, which will be described later in relation to FIG. 14. The first terminal device 11 also transmits the information related to the generation of the time series diagram input by the user (time series diagram information) to the management server device 13 via the communication interface 23 (T15). Steps S13 to S15 are described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 11 to 14.

Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a report list screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. The report list screen is a display unit that displays a list of multiple pieces of report information 151. The report information 151 is a button corresponding to a report generated based on the information received in steps S13 to S15. In other words, the first terminal device 11 receives a selection operation by the user on the report information 151 and displays the corresponding report on the display.

Figure 12 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a tree diagram display screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. When the first terminal device 11 accepts a user selection operation for report information 151 with a report type of "tree" from among multiple report information 151, the tree diagram display screen is displayed on the display. The tree diagram display screen is a screen that displays a tree diagram in which multiple attribute information is represented in a tree-like manner. This tree diagram display screen includes a first report setting unit 161, a narrowing down setting unit 163, and a tree diagram display unit 165. The first report setting unit 161 is an input unit that can set and change various information related to the report. Specifically, the first report setting unit 161 includes a report name setting unit, a report type setting unit, and a higher level setting unit.

The report name setting unit is a display unit that displays the name of the report. This first report setting unit 161 is capable of accepting input operations by the user, for example. The report type setting unit is a setting unit that can switch the report type, for example, from "Tree" to "Portrait" and "Plan." The upper level setting unit is a display unit that shows the highest level in the tree diagram displayed in the tree diagram display unit 165. This upper level setting unit is capable of accepting setting operations by the user. In other words, the first terminal device 11 changes the "Report Name," "Report Type," and "Attribute ID" related to the report information table by accepting input operations by the user in the first report setting unit 161.

The filtering setting unit 163 is an input unit that accepts conditions for filtering the attributes displayed in the tree diagram display unit 165. Specifically, the filtering setting unit 163 has input fields such as "tag," "importance," and "user." In other words, the first terminal device 11 displays a tree diagram based on the attributes entered by the "user" in the filtering setting unit 163, including the "tag" and "importance" entered in the filtering setting unit 163, in the tree diagram display unit 165. The tree diagram display unit 165 displays a tree diagram of attributes based on the information entered in the first report setting unit 161 and the filtering setting unit 163. Specifically, the first terminal device 11 first identifies the attribute corresponding to the highest hierarchy based on the "attribute ID" stored in the report information table. Next, the first terminal device 11 extracts attributes subordinate to the identified attribute based on the "dependent attributes" stored in the attribute information table. Next, the first terminal device 11 narrows down the extracted attributes using the narrowing down setting unit 163. The first terminal device 11 then arranges the narrowed down attributes based on the "dependent attributes" stored in the attribute information table and generates a tree diagram by connecting each attribute with a line. In this way, the first terminal device 11 can display the tree diagram generated based on the dependent relationships of the attributes on a display so that the user can visually confirm it.

Figure 13 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a person image display screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. The person image display screen is a screen on which a diagram depicting a person image formed based on attribute information is displayed. When the first terminal device 11 accepts a user selection operation for report information 151 whose report type is "person image" from among multiple report information 151, the first terminal device 11 displays the person image display screen on the display. The person image display screen includes a second report setting unit 171, a person image setting unit 173, and a person image display unit 175. Similar to the first report setting unit 161, the second report setting unit 171 is an input unit that can set and change various information related to the report.

The character image setting unit 173 is a setting unit that allows the user to set multiple items for forming a character image. Here, a character image refers to a representative example of a group of people who fall into a specific category, composed of characteristics common to each individual. Specific examples of character images include a woman in her twenties living in Tokyo, a man who regularly wears glasses, and a man and woman over 60 living in the countryside. The character image setting unit 173 accepts the setting of attributes that are likely to be roughly relevant to such a character image. In other words, the first terminal device 11 accepts a setting operation in which the user sets one or more attributes that are likely to be related to the assumed character image as described above for each item. The character image setting unit 173 is configured to allow the user to input supplemental information. The character image display unit 175 is a display unit that displays a character image generated based on the information input to the character image setting unit 173. This character image display unit 175 includes an image diagram 181, a first item display unit 183, a second item display unit 185, and a third item display unit 187. The image 181 is, for example, an illustration of a person that can be set arbitrarily by the user. Note that the image 181 may be set according to attributes, etc., or may be a photograph, etc.

The first item display unit 183, the second item display unit 185, and the third item display unit 187 are display units corresponding to the respective attributes input into the character image setting unit 173. As a specific example, the first item display unit 183 displays attributes forming the "basic information" of the character image based on the attributes input into the character image setting unit 173. For example, attributes in the first item display unit 183 include age, gender, occupation, hobbies and preferences, and family composition. Furthermore, the second item display unit 185 displays attributes forming the "ordinary behavior" of the character image based on the attributes input into the character image setting unit 173. For example, attributes in the second item display unit 185 include frequency of SNS use, commuting method, and how to spend holidays. Furthermore, the third item display unit 187 displays attributes forming the "challenges faced" of the character image based on the attributes input into the character image setting unit 173. For example, attributes in the third item display unit 187 include qualification exams, future career paths, savings and investments, and health. As a result, by accepting attributes related to a hypothetical person profile for each item, the first terminal device 11 can form a person profile using attributes and provide the user with materials for conducting marketing evaluations based on attributes, for example.

Here, the attributes in the first item display unit 183, the second item display unit 185, and the third item display unit 187 are buttons that can accept a selection operation by the user. When the first terminal device 11 accepts a selection operation by the user in the first item display unit 183, the second item display unit 185, and the third item display unit 187, it displays an attribute confirmation screen (Figure 10) related to the selected attribute on the display. As a result, when the user considers a person's image based on the attributes, the first terminal device 11 allows the user to view the attribute confirmation screen as details of the attributes, thereby allowing the user to consider information behind the person's image.

Figure 14 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a time series diagram display screen displayed on the display of the first terminal device 11. The time series diagram display screen is a screen that displays a time series diagram that depicts a plan formed based on attribute information. When the first terminal device 11 accepts a user selection operation for report information 151 whose report type is "Plan" from among multiple report information 151, the first terminal device 11 displays the time series diagram display screen on the display. The time series diagram display screen includes a third report setting unit 191, a plan setting unit 193, and a time series diagram display unit 195. Similar to the first report setting unit 161 and the second report setting unit 171, the third report setting unit 191 is an input unit that can set and change various information related to the report.

The plan setting unit 193 is a setting unit that accepts input of information such as attributes related to the time series diagram. This plan setting unit 193 sets multiple major items 197. Each major item 197 is set with multiple minor items. Attributes and supplemental information are set for each minor item. The major items 197 set the superordinate concepts, conditions, and periods for each minor item. For example, the major items 197 accept user-specified periods such as "before use," "during use," and "after use" of the target application. Minor items are information that indicates the items obtained by subdividing the major item. For example, minor items include "goal," "action," "graph," and "impression." In other words, if the major item 197 is "before use," the minor items correspond to the operational goals, possible actions, general consumer impressions, and initial and final scores for the "before use" period of the target application. The initial and final scores may be values entered by the user or may be separately calculated values.

The time series diagram display unit 195 is a diagram generated based on information input to the plan setting unit 193. That is, the first terminal device 11 generates a time series diagram and displays it on the display by accepting user input operations to the plan setting unit 193. This time series diagram display unit 195 includes a horizontal axis 201, an attribute display row 203, and a graph 205. The horizontal axis 201 arranges major items in a time series aligned horizontally. The attribute display row 203 displays attributes corresponding to minor items set for the major items on the horizontal axis 201. The graph 205 is a graph connecting line segments plotting the initial scores and final scores set for each major item. In this way, by accepting user input operations for information such as attributes, the first terminal device 11 can generate a time series diagram in which minor items in multiple major items in a time series are connected.

Returning to FIG. 7, the second terminal device 12, for example, accesses the management server device 13 to obtain the information entered and generated in steps S11 to S15 and displays it on the display (S16). Furthermore, when the user of the second terminal device 12 enters various pieces of information similar to those entered in steps S11 to S15, the second terminal device 12 executes processing equivalent to steps S11 to S15 described above. This allows the user operating the second terminal device 12 to view various pieces of information based on the information entered by the user of the first terminal device 11 in steps S11 to S15, and can also accept editing operations, etc., by the user of the second terminal device 12. Therefore, the management server device 13 can allow the user operating the second terminal device 12 to view various pieces of information entered by the user operating the first terminal device 11, thereby suppressing subjective judgments among multiple users.

With the above configuration, the first terminal device 11 according to the present disclosure identifies the selected description 114 as a specific point of the document data, which is the target data, based on, for example, a user input operation, and associates an attribute with the selected description 114 (S12). Similarly, the management server device 13 according to the present disclosure identifies the selected description 114 as a specific point of the document data, which is the target data, based on, for example, information received from the first terminal device 11, and associates an attribute with the selected description 114 based on, for example, information received from the first terminal device 11 (T12).

As a result, the first terminal device 11 and management server device 13 according to the present disclosure can, for example, assist a user in comprehensively viewing the selected statements 114 for each attribute based on the attributes associated with the selected statements 114 of the document data. Furthermore, the first terminal device 11 and management server device 13 according to the present disclosure can generate, as reports, attribute-based tree diagrams, character profiles, and time series diagrams as described above by using the attributes associated with the selected statements 114 of the document data. In particular, the first terminal device 11 and management server device 13 according to the present disclosure can output information 114a adjacent to the selected statement 114, thereby allowing the user to understand the attribute in detail based not only on the selected statement 114 related to the attribute, but also on the information before or after the selected statement 114 from the adjacent information 114a.

Figure 15 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of an attribute confirmation screen displayed on the display of a first terminal device 11 in another embodiment. Below, components with the same or similar functions as those in the above embodiment will be assigned the same reference numerals as in the above embodiment, and their description will be omitted, with differences being described in conjunction with Figure 15.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the first terminal device 11 accepts a user selection operation on a switching button (not shown) on the attribute confirmation screen. In another embodiment, the attribute confirmation screen is displayed on the display when the first terminal device 11 accepts the selection operation. In the attribute confirmation screen in another embodiment, multiple second document data display sections 248 are displayed in the attribute details display section 243. The second document data display section 248 displays a document including selected descriptions (hereinafter referred to as a selected description group) assigned with at least one attribute related to the attribute button 145 (attribute G2 in FIG. 15) for which the user's selection operation was accepted and attributes subordinate to that attribute. This second document data display section 248 includes one or more selected description display sections 248a and attribute display sections 248b.

The selected description display section 248a is a display section that displays one of the selected description group. This selected description display section 248a displays the paragraph related to the selected description 114 as described in the above embodiment and information 114a adjacent to the selected description 114 (for example, the paragraph containing the selected description 114, the three paragraphs immediately preceding that paragraph, and the three paragraphs immediately following that paragraph). The attribute display section 248b is a display section located near the selected description display section 248a (for example, directly below the selected description display section 248a). This attribute display section 248b displays the attributes related to the selected description 114 displayed in the nearby selected description display section 248a.

With this configuration, in a first terminal device 11 according to another embodiment, by displaying on the display multiple second document data display sections 248 including selected descriptions to which at least one of the attributes related to the attribute button 145 that has received a user selection operation and attributes subordinate to that attribute is assigned, it is possible to provide the user with comprehensive information including selected descriptions to which attributes subordinate to the selected attribute are assigned.

In the above-described embodiment, the processing according to the present disclosure has been described, but the processing may also be implemented in an embodiment in which each of the processes is combined as appropriate. Furthermore, the entities executing the processing according to the present disclosure are not limited to those described above; some or all of the processing may be executed by different entities. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the example of step S11 was described as generating document data by inputting a document. However, this is not limited to this. Email, SNS, image data, audio data, and video data may also be input, and text data may be extracted from this data, and these data themselves may be processed as target data. In this case, for example, if the target data is image data, a specific person appearing in a photograph may be used as the feature point, and images around the person may be used as adjacent information. Furthermore, if the target data is audio data and video data, for example, information during a specific time period may be used as the feature point, and information before and after the specific time period may be used as adjacent information.

In addition, although the first terminal device 11 and the management server device 13 are described in this disclosure as separate devices, they may also be used as an integrated device. Furthermore, in this disclosure, the names given to each device are merely used to distinguish one device from another, and other names may be used depending on the function of each device.

Furthermore, even if a term such as "first" or "second" is used in this disclosure, it does not mean that the term is limited to only the two elements to which it is attached. Naturally, it may also include "third," "fourth," and more multiple elements.

Furthermore, the processes and procedures described herein may be implemented not only as explicitly described in this disclosure, but also by software, hardware, or a combination of these. Specifically, the processes and procedures described herein are implemented by implementing logic corresponding to the processes in media such as integrated circuits, volatile memory, non-volatile memory, magnetic disks, and optical storage. Furthermore, the processes and procedures described herein may be implemented as computer programs and executed by various computers, including first terminal devices and server devices.

Even if the processes and procedures described herein are described as being performed by a single device, software, component, or module, such processes or procedures may be performed by multiple devices, multiple software, multiple components, and/or multiple modules. Furthermore, even if various information described herein is described as being stored in a single memory or storage unit, such information may be stored in multiple memories within a single device or in multiple memories distributed across multiple devices. Furthermore, the software and hardware elements described herein may be realized by integrating them into fewer components or by breaking them down into more components.

11 First terminal device (processing device)
12 Second terminal device (processing device)
13 Management server device (processing device)

Claims (4)

A processing device including a processor,
Identifying a selected portion of text information included in each of the plurality of document data as a specific point based on a selection operation by a user;
Associating one or more attributes with the specific point based on a selection operation by the user;
a processing device configured to output , from the plurality of document data, a plurality of pieces of text information about the specific points and text information adjacent to the specific points that have at least one of the associated attributes in common. At least one of the attributes is dependent on another attribute;
The processing device of claim 1 , configured to generate a tree diagram according to the attribute dependencies. 1. A computer-implemented method having a processor, comprising:
a step of identifying a selected portion of text information included in each of a plurality of document data as a specific point based on a selection operation by a user;
associating one or more attributes with the specific point based on a selection operation by the user;
outputting a plurality of pieces of text information of the specific points and adjacent pieces of text information of the specific points, which have at least one of the associated attributes in common, from the plurality of document data ;
A method comprising: A computer having a processor
Identifying a selected portion of text information included in each of the plurality of document data as a specific point based on a selection operation by a user;
Associating one or more attributes with the specific point based on a selection operation by the user;
a program causing the program to function to output a plurality of pieces of text information of the specific points and adjacent to the specific points, which have at least one of the associated attributes in common , from the plurality of document data ;