Information common sharing management system, information common share system management equipment and its method

【0001】

[Technical field to which the invention belongs]

The present invention is an information sharing management system and an information sharing system management device that centrally manages a groupware system (information sharing system) for sharing information, such as a TV conference system that operates on an information processing device connected to a network. And how to do it.

【0002】

[Conventional technology]

Currently, groupware systems using PCs and workstations (video conferencing systems, remote lecture systems, etc.) are widespread. This is a system for sharing information among multiple sites on a network. Among them, in the video conferencing system, the video from the camera connected to each other's terminal and the sound from the microphone are communicated to have a conversation between a plurality of sites. In addition, it has a function to share screens with each other by communicating commands to images on the screen and software applications.

【0003】

In addition, there are many video conferencing systems that have a conference management function so that multiple conferences can be held. In this case, a server of the video conferencing system exists at a certain terminal on the network, and the existence of another conference can be known by sharing the conference information managed by the server.

【0004】

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional video conferencing system, the contents of the conferences currently in progress can be referred to, but the contents of the past conferences cannot be referred to unless the minutes system is operated separately. Also, there was no way to associate past meetings with ongoing ones.

【0005】

FIG. 21 is an example showing the relationship between a conference held in a video conferencing system and a conference management system. FIG. 21 (a) is an example of associating the currently ongoing conference A with the conference B. A user who is participating in conference A also participates in conference B and exchanges data common to both conferences. To achieve this with prior art, users had to attend both meetings. When simply exchanging messages is sufficient, the act of attending both meetings for that purpose is redundant, leading to a decrease in work efficiency.

【0006】

FIG. 21 (b) shows how a conference is repeatedly interrupted and resumed, and then transitions to conference 1, conference 2, and conference 3. In this case, in the prior art, the conference state is saved when the conference is interrupted, and the saved conference status is read when the conference is resumed. However, if the meeting continues with the same members and the content does not have to faithfully reproduce the end of the last time, but only to refer to the digest up to the last time, it is redundant to faithfully reproduce the state of the meeting. This is a complicated process, which leads to a decrease in work efficiency.

【0007】

Figure 21 (c) shows an example of a user observing an ongoing meeting. In the conventional technology, in order to grasp and observe the contents of the conference, it is necessary to participate in the conference itself, and when only viewing the contents of the conference and commenting, the resources of the video conferencing system are wasted. There will be a part to be.

【0008】

In addition to the above, there is a problem that there is no conference management system that uniformly handles the form of conference management as shown in FIGS. 21 (a) to 21 (c).

【0009】

The present invention has been made in view of the above conventional example, and the system history can be referred to without participating in an information sharing system such as a conference, and the history can be referred to and participation in a function such as an ongoing conference can be used. It is an object of the present invention to provide an information sharing system management device and method and a video conference management system realized by one system without deteriorating work efficiency.

【0010】

In addition, by suspending ongoing functions such as conferences without terminating them, processing related to evacuation and restoration of the state is eliminated, and information sharing system management devices and methods and TV conference management systems that improve work efficiency are provided. The purpose is to provide.

【0011】

In addition, an information sharing system management device and method that does not reduce work efficiency and allows information to be exchanged between conferences (groupware systems) without having to participate in multiple conferences (groupware systems) at the same time. It is to provide a conference management system.

【0012】

In addition, we will realize an information sharing system management device and method that does not reduce work efficiency and a video conference management system that allows users who do not participate in the conference (groupware system) to comment on the conference (groupware system). There is.

【0013】

[Means for solving problems]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention has the following configuration. That is, it is an information sharing system management device that manages an information sharing system that shares information with a plurality of terminals.<u style="single">A display control means for displaying an image related to communication in the information sharing system on a display, a communication means for receiving information shared by the information sharing system by communication, and historical information or present from the information received by the receiving means. The communication means includes a generation means for generating the state information of the conference and a transmission means for transmitting the state information or history information generated by the generation means to other terminals other than the plurality of terminals. When communication is impossible, a copy of the image displayed on the display is transmitted as the history information or the state information to be transmitted to the other terminal.</u>【0016】

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. &lt;System Configuration&gt; In the present embodiment, in an environment in which the existing video conferencing system 32 is operating between terminals connected to the network as shown in FIG. 3, the user who operates on the terminal A0 is the terminal A1. ~ Refer to the information about the video conferencing system being held at A2, and explain the case of sending comments and messages.

【0017】

In FIG. 3, the first system of the present invention (hereinafter, simply referred to as the first system) 30 operates on the terminal A1 which is the chair of the video conference, and the second system (hereinafter, simply the second system) is operated on the terminal A0. (Called the system of) 31 is in operation. The first system 30 obtains the information 35 regarding the video conference and notifies the second system 31 of the information as the conference information 36. The second system 31 stores the conference information 36 sent from the first system 30 and provides the information as needed by the user. In addition, the second system 31 has a message composing function, and the created message 38 can be transmitted to the first system 30. Upon receiving the message 38 from the second system 31, the first system 30 outputs the message to the display.

【0018】

Each terminal has a hardware configuration as shown in Fig. 4.

【0019】

In the figure, the CPU 20 controls the RAM 22, the input device 2, the display 1, and the FDD 23 according to the program stored in the ROM 21. The ROM 21 stores various programs for processing data input from the input device 2 and processing the CPU 20. In addition, a program that executes the first system 30 that is executed under the control of the CPU 20 and a program that executes the second system 31 are stored in the ROM 21. The contents of these programs will be described later. The program that executes the video conferencing system 32 is also stored in ROM21. 22 is RAM, which is a work area and a temporary save area for data input from various programs and the input device 2.

【0020】

23 is FDD (<u style="single">flexible</u>It is a disk drive) and can read and write data by attaching an FD. It is also possible to write the program of the flowchart (FIGS. 6 to 12) described later in the mounted FD (not shown) and read the program into the RAM 22 of the present device to execute the process. In the present embodiment, the program is stored in the ROM 21, read from the ROM 21 to the RAM 22 under the control of the CPU 20, and then the processing flow described later is executed.

【0021】

A CD-ROM drive or HDD is provided instead of the FDD23, and the above program is stored in the CD-ROM or HD installed or built in each drive, and the processing is executed by reading the stored program. Is also possible. &lt;Software Configuration of System&gt; Next, the software configuration in the present embodiment will be described.

【0022】

1 and 2 are block diagrams showing a module configuration for realizing the first system and the second system in the present embodiment. &lt;First system&gt; First, each module constituting the first system shown in FIG. 1 will be described. In the first system 30, the communication unit 53 is connected to the network in order to perform message communication with the second system 31 existing in the terminal A0. Then, the message receiving unit 52 receives the message transmitted from the second system 31 via the communication unit 53, and passes it to the message analysis unit 51. The content of the message analyzed by the message analysis unit 51 is sent to the display unit 50 and displayed on the display 1.

【0023】

Further, the communication unit 53 communicates via the socket and exchanges messages. In socket communication, the communication protocol is physically the same regardless of the presence or absence of network intervention, and all communication is performed as communication via the network even between processes on the same terminal. The processing route of the received message is the same as the message received from the second system.

【0024】

The input from the input device 2 is received by the command analysis unit 54. If the received command is a command requesting that information about the video conferencing system 32 be obtained and notified to the second system 31, the command is notified to the conferencing information acquisition unit 55. Upon receiving the order, the conference information acquisition unit 55 creates a message for obtaining conference information such as the conference name, member list, and start time by the message creation unit 57, and issues the message to the TV conference system 32. When the response is received from the video conferencing system 32, the message composing unit 57 is requested to compose a message together with the obtained conference information. As described above, the conference information can be obtained from the TV conference system 32 by using the communication between the programs, but it can also be obtained by inputting from the input device 2 by the user. When the user inputs, the first system 30 cannot directly communicate with the video conferencing system 32, and the command analysis unit 54 passes the input conference information to the conference information acquisition unit 55, and when the conference information is collected. Message is created in. The message creation unit 57 that has obtained the conference information generates a message for the conference information communication and passes it to the message transmission unit 58. Then, the message transmitting unit 58 transmits a message to the second system 31 through the communication unit 53.

【0025】

If the command input from the input device 2 is a command for creating minutes and requesting transmission to the second system 31, the command is notified to the minutes creation unit 56. The minutes creation unit 56 causes the message creation unit 57 to create a message for obtaining the conference record (hard copy of the screen, voice conversation, attached information by text input) at the time of the request, and causes the TV conference system 32 to create a message. Issue the message to it. When the response is received, it is passed to the message composition unit 57 and sent as a minutes message to the second system 31. Here, it has been explained that the minutes are obtained by using the communication between programs to obtain the minutes generated by the TV conference system 32, but the first system can also generate the minutes. When obtained from the TV conference system using communication between programs, the minutes generation process by the minutes creation unit 56 is omitted. The message creation unit 57 that obtained the minutes creates a message for communication of the minutes and passes it to the message transmission unit 58. Then, the message transmitting unit 58 transmits a message to the second system 31 through the communication unit 53. &lt;Second system&gt; Next, each module constituting the second system 31 shown in FIG. 2 will be described. In the second system 31, a communication unit 76 for performing message communication with the first system 30 existing in the terminal A1 is connected to the network. The message from the first system 30 is received by the message receiving unit 75 via the communication unit 76. The message receiving unit 75 passes the received message to the message analysis unit 74. Then, when the content of the analyzed message informs the conference information, the message analysis unit 74 extracts the conference information from the message and stores the conference information 72 (this is an external storage device). Can be). If the content of the analyzed message conveys the minutes, the message analysis unit 74 extracts the minutes from the message and stores the minutes 73 (this is an external storage device). Can be).

【0026】

Further, the command analysis unit 77 receives the command input from the input device 2. If the received command is a command requesting the display of the conference information, the command is notified to the conference information display unit 71. Upon receiving the command, the conference information display unit 71 extracts the conference information from the storage unit 72 in which the conference information is stored, and displays the contents on the display 1. If the input command is a command requesting the display of the minutes, the command is notified to the minutes display unit 70. Upon receiving the order, the minutes display unit 70 takes out the minutes information from the storage unit 73 in which the minutes are stored, and displays the contents on the display 1. If the input command is a command requesting comment creation for a conference in progress in the video conference system 32, the command is notified to the comment creation unit 78. The comment creation unit 78 that receives the command creates a comment according to the input through the input device 2 and the command analysis unit 77. The created comment is passed to the message creation unit 79, and a message for notifying the comment is generated. The message is passed to the message transmitting unit 80 and transmitted to the first system 30 through the communication unit 76. &lt;Message exchange sequence between the TV conference system and the first and second systems&gt; Next, the operation sequence of the system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

【0027】

At timing T0, terminal A0 starts the second system 31, and the second system 31 waits for a connection from the first system 30. At timing T1, the video conferencing system 32 is activated on terminals A1 and A2. At the same time, the first system 30 is started on the terminal A1 and a conference information request message is sent to the video conference system 32. In the present embodiment, the first system 30 is started by the terminal A1, but it may be started by the terminal A2. The video conferencing system 32 that received the conference information request message is the name of the conference (blank or No if not present). Send the conference information such as name , etc.), start time, member name list, etc. to the first system 30 as a message. The first system 30 starts when the TV conference system 32 starts. It can be performed automatically, or it can be performed by the user by inputting a command. In addition, the TV conference system 32 has the function of exchanging messages between the first system 30 and the TV conference system 32. It is valid only when the TV conferencing system 32 does not have the function, and the user inputs the conference information to the first system 30.

【0028】

The first system 30 that has obtained the conference information makes a connection request to the second system 31 operating on the terminal A0 at the timing T2, and as a result, the first system 30 and the second system 31 make a connection request. Be connected to the network. When the connection is completed, in T3, the first system 30 sends the conference information as a message to the second system 31. The second system 31 that receives the conference information message registers the conference based on the contents, generates a conference ID for the conference, and sends it as a message to the first system 30. The conference ID is a combination of a date and a sequential number that can uniquely identify a conference from among a plurality of conferences operating on the network.

【0029】

A video conference is in progress at terminals A1 and A2, and at timing T4, the first system 30 at terminal A1 sends a message requesting the minutes to the video conference system 32. The timing of requesting the minutes is when the user gives a command (command input) to the first system 30, when the first system 30 refers to the timer and performs it periodically, or when the TV conference system 32 makes a request. It is time to automatically output the minutes. When the video conferencing system 32 automatically outputs, it should be performed at the timing when the speaker is switched or the page of the material is changed. The minutes request message may be sent any number of times after timing T4.

【0030】

Also, when requesting the minutes (T4 in the figure), if the first system 30 cannot communicate with the TV conference system 32, the first system 30 generates the minutes. This can be done automatically or by a user command (command input) (timing T5 in the figure).

【0031】

Upon receiving the conference record request message, the TV conference system 32 sends the conference minutes (screen snapshot, voice conversation, text input) at the time of receiving the message as a message to the first system 30. When the first system creates the minutes, the created minutes are sent as a message to the second system 31 on the terminal A0. The minutes are stored in the minutes storage unit 73 of the second system 31 every time there is a request for minutes.

【0032】

At the timing T6, the user who operates the terminal A0 refers to the conference information received at the timing T3 or the minutes received at the timings T4 and T5, and makes a comment on the conference. Meeting information<u style="single">、</u>It has the contents shown in FIG. That is, the conference ID, the start time, the end time, the status of the conference, the scheduled restart time at the time of interruption, and the members participating in the conference. These are stored by the second system and are displayed as shown in FIG. 16 if necessary. The operator refers to the conference information based on the conference list 100. Since there can be multiple video conferencing on the network, there are as many first systems as there are video conferencing, all of which are networked with the second system (running on terminal A0). ..

【0033】

In FIG. 16, the conference list 100 is a list of open conferences, and the ending, in progress, and interruption represent the state of the conference at the time of reference. As shown in FIG. 14, there are three states of the conference, in progress ST1, stop ST2, and end ST3, and the state transitions as shown in FIG. The transition of the conference state is performed by communicating the conference information change message described later. The conference list 100 is configured as a hyper document in which desired words and sentences are linked, and the conference names in the list (conference A, conference B, conference C in the figure) go to a page showing each conference information. Is linked. By performing a predetermined operation such as double-clicking on the column of the conference C, the information at the link destination is read out and the conference information 101 of the conference C is displayed. Meeting information 101 includes a list of members participating in the meeting, start and end times of the meeting (the end time is blank for ongoing meetings), links to minutes, links to comments on the meeting, and mid-term participation. There is a link to the desired message composition page.

【0034】

When the minutes are selected in the meeting information 101, the minutes list 102 appears. In the minutes list 102, the minutes are listed in order of recorded time, and links to text, voice, and image are provided, respectively. When text is selected, the text information of the minutes is displayed, and when voice is selected, the voice information of the minutes is output. Selecting an image displays a hard copy of the video conferencing system screen, which you can overwrite to add comments. Since the realization of overwriting the image can be easily realized by using the technique of the existing drawing tool having a multi-layer structure, the details will be omitted.

【0035】

The image with the comment added by overwriting is sent to the first system 30 as a comment message (timing T7 in FIG. 5). The first system 30 that receives the comment message displays its contents (an image with a comment) on the screen.

【0036】

In addition, when the request for participation in the middle is selected in the meeting information 101 of FIG. 16, a text input page as shown in 103 appears, so the intention of participation is written and a message is sent. This message is displayed on the screen of the terminal A1 on which the first system 30 operates in the same manner as the comment message described above. Subsequent participation in the video conferencing system in the middle is realized by using the function of the video conferencing system, and is therefore outside the scope of the function of the conference management system according to the present invention, and details will be omitted.

【0037】

Next, when the conference information is changed, such as when one of the members leaves the conference, the TV conference system 32 of the terminal A1 sends a conference information change message to the first system 30 ( Timing T8 in Figure 5). In the present embodiment, the video conferencing system 32 sends a conference information change message, but if the video conferencing system does not have that function, the user notifies the first system of the conference information change. This is by command input. The meeting information change message is sent every time the meeting information is changed. The first system 30 that has received the conference information change sends the contents as a message to the second system. Then, the second system 31 that has received the conference information change message changes the conference information based on the received content.

【0038】

If the content of the conference information change is the end of the conference (timing T9 in Fig. 5), the first system 30 that receives the message of that content disconnects from the second system 31. ,finish. The second system 31 terminates the conference state when it detects that the connection has been lost. &lt;Processing procedure by the first system&gt; Next, each process of the conference management in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the figure. In addition, each process described below describes the case in the form shown in FIG. The flowchart described below is realized by executing the program stored in RAM 22 by the CPU 20 in the terminal.

【0039】

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing flow from the start of the first system 30 to the arrival at the main loop.

【0040】

When the first system 30 is started, first, in step S1, the variables used inside the system (50 to 58 in FIG. 1) are initialized. In step S3, the communication unit 53 determines whether or not communication with the video conferencing system 32 is possible. If the video conferencing system operating on the terminals A1 and A2 can communicate with the first system, the communication unit 53 performs the communication connection process with the video conferencing system in step S5. If communication is not possible, steps S5 to S9 are skipped. In step S7, the message creation unit 57 creates a message for requesting the conference information, and in step S9, the message transmission unit 58 transmits the message to the video conference system 32 via the communication unit 53 and the network.

【0041】

Since the processing of steps S11 to S17 is repeated, it corresponds to the main loop of the first system 30. In step S11, the communication unit 53 and the command analysis unit 54 check whether there is an input to the system. If there is no input, step S11 is repeated. If there is an input, in step S13, it is determined whether or not the input is a command input from the input device 2, and in the case of a command input, the command analysis unit 54 starts command processing in step S15. Details of the processing of each command will be described later. If the input is a message from the second system 31 or the video conferencing system 32, the communication unit 53 starts the message reception process in step S17. Details of the processing of each message will be described later.

【0042】

&lt;Message processing&gt; FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when the first system 30 receives a message, and corresponds to step S17 in FIG.

【0043】

When the first system 30 receives the message, first, in step S19, the message receiving unit 52 analyzes the type of the received message. Then, in step 20, it is determined whether the message is from the video conferencing system or the second system. If it is a message from a video conferencing system, in step S21, it is inspected whether or not the result analyzed in step 19 is a conference information message. If it is a conference information message, in step S23, the communication unit 53 makes a connection request to the second system 31. The connection request is repeated until the connection is successful (step S25). However, if the elapsed time or the number of repetitions exceeds a predetermined upper limit, it may be interrupted.

【0044】

If the connection is successful, in step S27, the message creation unit 57 creates a conference information message based on the conference information received from the video conference system. Then, in step S39, the message transmitting unit 58 transmits the conference information message to the second system 31 via the communication unit 53.

【0045】

If it is not a conference information message in step S21, in step S29, it is checked whether the analysis result of step S19 is a conference minutes message. If the result is a minutes message, in step S31, a minutes message is created based on the contents of the minutes received from the TV conference system. The created minutes message has the structure shown in FIG. That is, the header is followed by the conference ID, the time when the minutes were created, the text, the voice, and the image which are the contents of the minutes. The header and conference ID are also attached to messages other than the minutes.

【0046】

Then, in step S39, the message transmission unit 58 transmits the created minutes message to the second system 31 via the communication unit 53.

【0047】

If it is not the minutes message in step S29, in step S33, it is checked whether the analysis result of step S19 is a message notifying the end of the meeting. If the result is a conference end message, in step S35, the communication unit 53 disconnects the communication connection with the second system 31. Then, the first system is terminated.

【0048】

If it is not the conference end message in step S33, it is considered that the conference information change message has been received from the video conference system, and in step S37, the message creation unit 57 determines the conference information based on the content received from the video conference system. Create a change message. Then, in step S39, the message transmitting unit 58 transmits the created conference information change message to the second system 31 via the communication unit 53.

【0049】

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S20 that the message is not from the video conferencing system, it is assumed that the message was received from the second system, and it is determined in step S40 that the message is a comment message. If it is a comment message, it is displayed and output from the display unit 50 (step S40-1). If it is not a comment, it is regarded as a message notifying the conference ID given by the second system, and the conference ID is stored in external storage or RAM (step S40-2).

【0050】

&lt;Command processing&gt; FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when the first system 30 inputs a command, and corresponds to step S15 in FIG. The commands input in the first system include a command for creating and sending a conference information message based on the conference information input by the user when communication with the TV conference system 32 is not possible, and a command input by the user. It contains commands for creating and sending conference proceedings based on the information provided.

【0051】

In step S41, the command analysis unit 54 analyzes the input from the input device 2. Then, in step S42, the entered command tests whether the conference information is created. In the case of creating the conference information, the command analysis unit 54 checks whether the input is the conference name in step S43, and if it is the conference name, the conference information acquisition unit 55 is input in step S45. The conference name is stored in the conference name storage area of RAM22.

【0052】

If it is not the conference name in step S43, in step S47, the command analysis unit 54 checks whether the input indicates the start time. If it is the start time, the conference information acquisition unit 55 stores the input start time in the start time storage area of the RAM 22 in step S49.

【0053】

If it is not the start time in step S47, the command analysis unit 54 checks whether the input is a member name in step S51. If it is a member name, the conference information acquisition unit 55 stores the input member name in the area for storing the member name list of RAM 22 in step S53.

【0054】

If it is not a member name in step S51, in step S55, the message creation unit 57 reads the conference name, start time, and member list stored in RAM 22 to create a conference information message. Then, in step S57, the message transmitting unit 58 transmits the created message to the second system 31 via the communication unit 53.

【0055】

On the other hand, if it is not a conference information creation command, it branches to the procedure for creating minutes in Fig. 9.

【0056】

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the process in which the first system 30 creates the minutes based on the input information from the user.

【0057】

First, in step S59, the communication unit 53 inspects whether or not communication with the video conferencing system 32 is possible. If it is possible to communicate with the video conferencing system 32, in step S61, the message creation unit 57 creates a message for requesting the minutes. Then, in step S63, the message transmission unit 58 transmits the created minutes request message to the video conference system 32 via the communication unit 53. The response to the message sent at this time is processed by the procedure shown in FIG. 7 and sent to the second system as a minutes message.

【0058】

If communication with the conference system 32 is not possible in step S59, in step S65, the minutes creation unit 56 makes a hard copy of the screen of the terminal A1 at that time and stores the data in the image storage area of RAM22. ..

【0059】

Next, in step S67, the voice conversation exchanged in the video conference is digitally recorded, and the data is stored in the voice data storage area of the RAM 22. The recording period is set in the initialization of the first system and can be changed later. In addition, it is possible to realize a method in which the voice conversation is recorded from the time the system is started and the part before and after the conference record is memorized.

【0060】

Next, in step S69, the conference record creation unit 56 creates additional information for the conference record by inputting the user, and stores the data in the conference additional information storage area of the RAM 22.

【0061】

Then, in step S71, the message creation unit 57 reads the screen image, voice data, and additional information from the RAM 22, and creates the minutes message. In step S73, the message transmission unit 58 transmits the created minutes message to the second system 31 via the communication unit 53. &lt;Processing procedure by the second system&gt; FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a processing flow from the start of the second system 31 to the main loop.

【0062】

When the second system 31 is started, first, in step S75, the variables used inside the system are initialized. Since the following steps S77 to S87 are repeated, the main loop of the second system 31 is configured. In step S77, the communication unit 76 and the command analysis unit 77 check whether or not there is an input. The input here is a message from the first system 0 or a user's input from the input device 2. If there is no input, step S77 is repeated.

【0063】

If there is an input in step S77, in step S79, the communication unit 76 checks whether the input is a message from the first system 30, and if it is a message, in step S81, a message. The receiving unit 75 performs message receiving processing.

【0064】

If the result in step S79 is not a message, in step S83, the command analysis unit 77 checks whether the input is a command input from the input device 2. If it is a command input, the command analysis unit 77 performs command processing in step S85.

【0065】

If the result in step S83 is not a command input, in step S87, the communication unit 76 processes the communication connection with the first system 30.

【0066】

&lt;Communication connection processing&gt; FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of communication processing with the first system 30 in step S87 of FIG.

【0067】

When the second system 31 receives the input regarding the communication connection from the first system 30, in step S89, the communication unit 76 checks whether the input requires the connection. If the result of the inspection is a connection request, in step S91, the communication unit 76 performs a process of accepting the connection request. Then, in step S95, the state of the conference managed by the second system 31 is changed. Here, when the conference for which the connection request is made is new, the conference information storage area of RAM22 is secured to store the conference information to be communicated later, and the conference registration is prepared. In the case of a request from a conference held in the past, the conference status information in the conference information storage area is changed to resume.

【0068】

If the result in step S89 is not a connection request, the request is a disconnection request. Therefore, in step S93, the communication unit 76 performs the connection disconnection process. Then, in step S95, the state of the conference is changed to end.

【0069】

&lt;Message reception processing&gt; FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing flow in step S81 of FIG. 10 when the second system 31 receives a message.

【0070】

When the message receiving unit 75 of the second system 31 receives a message from the first system 30 via the communication unit 76, the message analysis unit 74 first analyzes the received message in step S97.

【0071】

Next, in step S99, the message analysis unit 74 checks whether or not the message informs the conference information. If the result is conference information, in step S101, the message analysis unit 74 stores the received conference information in the conference information storage area of RAM22. Then, in step S103, the message analysis unit 74 generates the conference ID and writes it in the storage unit 72 for storing the conference information.

【0072】

Next, in step S105, the message creation unit 79 creates a message for notifying the first system 30 of the generated conference ID. For the conference ID, the ID generated in step S103 is read from the conference information storage unit 72. Then, in step S107, the message transmitting unit 80 transmits the generated message to the first system 30 via the communication unit 76.

【0073】

If the result in step S99 is not the conference information, in step S109, the message analysis unit 74 checks whether the received message is the minutes. If the result is a minutes message, in step S111, the message analysis unit 74 stores the minutes in the minutes storage unit 73.

【0074】

If the result in step S109 is not the minutes, the received message is a conference information change message. Therefore, in step S113, the message analysis unit 74 uses the conference information stored in the conference information storage unit 72. change.

【0075】

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of input command processing by the operator in step S85 of FIG.

【0076】

First, in step S131, it is determined whether the command is to create a comment, and if it is to create a comment, the comment input as an overwrite on the image in step S133 is summarized in a message format, and in step S135, the first step. Send to system. At this time, if multiple conferences are being monitored, the conference ID is specified.

【0077】

If it is not a comment, it is determined in step S137 whether it is a command to join the conference in the middle, and if so, a command instructing the participation of a new user is transmitted to the video conference system (step S139). .. After that, since the procedure for joining the conference is executed by the video conference system, the description thereof will be omitted.

【0078】

With the above, the function to register the meeting, manage the status, collect and display the minutes, send a message to the meeting, create a comment for the minutes, and join the meeting in the middle of the meeting are realized. It is possible to improve the operability when performing management.

【0079】

Therefore, as shown in Fig. 21 (a), the contents of multiple independent meetings can be easily described.<u style="single">Can be referenced</u>.. In addition, in order to retain the status and minutes of the conference, even for a conference that repeats interruption and resumption as shown in Fig. 21 (b), the status before the interruption is retained and the conference is restarted based on that status. can do.

【0080】

Further, as another form of the conference management system, it is easily possible to incorporate the first system 30 into the video conference system 32 and implement it. In this case, the conference information and the minutes obtained by the communication can be extracted from the internal data as they are without using the communication. In realizing this type of system, the functions realized by the first system 30 can also be provided as a library module.

【0081】

Further, as another form of the conference management system, it is possible to take the configuration as shown in FIG. This makes the input / output portion 121 of the second system 31 independent and communicates with the data management unit 120 of the second system. The input / output unit of the second system includes a conference minutes display unit 70, a conference information display unit 71, a command analysis unit 77, and a message transmission / reception unit for message communication with the data management unit 120 of the second system. ..

【0082】

By adopting the configuration shown in FIG. 18, the user who refers to the conference information and makes a comment does not need to be on the terminal A0, and can operate from any other terminal (terminal in the figure). A3). Further, the input / output unit 121 of the second system can be present in a plurality of terminals, and a plurality of users can make comments at the same time.

【0083】

It is also possible in the second system 31 to notify the suspended conference by e-mail or the like to resume the conference. In order to realize this, a part for managing the restart time of the conference and a part for searching the restart time and delivering an e-mail are added to the present embodiment.

【0084】

FIG. 19 is a flow chart in the second system when the restart time is notified by the timer built in the terminal to manage the time. The process of FIG. 19 is executed when the timer expires, and this is repeated at predetermined time intervals.

【0085】

In step S191, the scheduled restart time is searched from the conference information shown in FIG. In step S192, it is determined whether there is a meeting that has passed a predetermined time before the restart time. If there is, the mail is delivered to the members registered in the conference information in step S193.

【0086】

Although the procedure shown in FIG. 19 is performed in the second system, it can be executed in any terminal in which the conference information is managed.

【0087】

Further, although the present embodiment has been described in the video conferencing management system that manages the video conferencing system, the present invention is generally applied to an information sharing system such as groupware for sharing information among a plurality of users, and the state is changed from the outside. It can also be used for monitoring purposes.

【0088】

[Other Embodiments]

Even if the present invention is applied to a system composed of a plurality of devices (for example, a host computer, an interface device, a reader, a printer, etc.), the present invention is a device composed of one device (for example, a copier, a facsimile machine, etc.). May be applied to.

【0089】

Another object of the present invention is to supply a storage medium in which a program code of software that realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment is recorded to a system or device, and a computer (or CPU or MPU) of the system or device is a storage medium. It is also achieved by reading and executing the program code stored in.

【0090】

In this case, the program code itself read from the storage medium realizes the function of the above-described embodiment, and the storage medium storing the program code constitutes the present invention.

【0091】

As a storage medium for supplying the program code, for example,<u style="single">flexible</u>Disks, hard disks, optical disks, magneto-optical disks, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, magnetic tapes, non-volatile memory cards, ROMs, etc. can be used.

【0092】

Further, by executing the program code read by the computer, not only the functions of the above-described embodiments are realized, but also the OS (operating system) running on the computer is activated based on the instructions of the program code. It also includes a case where a part or all of the actual processing is performed and the processing realizes the function of the above-described embodiment.

【0093】

Further, the program code read from the storage medium is written in the memory provided in the function expansion board inserted in the computer or the function expansion unit connected to the computer, and then the function is expanded based on the instruction of the program code. It also includes a case where a CPU provided in a board or a function expansion unit performs a part or all of the actual processing, and the processing realizes the functions of the above-described embodiment.

【0094】

When the present invention is applied to the storage medium, the program code corresponding to the flowchart described above is stored in the storage medium. Briefly, each module shown in the memory map example of FIG. 20 will be described briefly. Will be stored in the storage medium.

【0095】

That is, at least, the code of the receiving process that receives the state information and the history information from the information sharing system, and the code of the storage process that stores the state information and / or the history information received by the receiving process in the storage means. The program code of each module of the output process code that reads the stored state information or history information of the information sharing system and outputs the state or history of the information sharing system may be stored in the storage medium.

【0096】

[Effect of the invention]

As described above, according to the present invention.<u style="single">Even if you cannot communicate with the conference system, you can leave a hard copy of the screen as a history of the minutes.</u>【0102】

[Simple explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a module configuration for realizing a first system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a module configuration for realizing a second system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an environment in which an existing video conferencing system is operating between terminals connected to a network.

4 is a hardware configuration diagram of the conference management device of FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an operation sequence of a system according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a processing flow of a main loop of the first system according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when the first system in the embodiment of the invention receives a message.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when the first system according to the embodiment of the invention creates conference information.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when the first system in the embodiment of the invention creates minutes.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a flow of main loop processing of the second system according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when a second system according to an embodiment of the invention makes a communication connection.

FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing a processing flow when a second system according to an embodiment of the invention receives a message.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing a procedure of command processing by the second system according to the embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a change of state of a conference.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a format of a minutes message.

FIG. 16 is a diagram showing a state of screen display of conference information and minutes.

FIG. 17 is a diagram showing an example of conference information.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 19 is a flowchart of a process for notifying in advance the resumption schedule of a meeting.

FIG. 20 is a diagram of a memory map that stores a program that realizes the present invention.

FIG. 21 (a) is a diagram showing an example of associating a conference A and a conference B currently in progress. (b) It is a figure which shows a state in which a certain meeting is interrupted and restarted repeatedly, and changes to a meeting 1, a meeting 2, and a meeting 3. (c) It is a figure which shows an example which a user observes an ongoing meeting.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Display 2 Input device 20 CPU21 ROM22 RAM23 External storage device 30 First system (device) 31 Second system (device) 32 Video conference system 35 Conference information message 36 Conference information and conference record message 37 Video conference system communication 50 Display unit of 1 system 51 Message analysis unit of 1st system 52 Message reception unit of 1st system 53 Communication unit of 1st system 54 Command analysis unit of 1st system 55 Meeting information acquisition of 1st system Part 56 First system conference record creation unit 57 First system message creation unit 58 First system message transmission unit 70 Second system conference record display unit 72 Second system conference information storage unit 73 Meeting record storage unit of the second system 74 Message analysis unit of the second system 75 Message reception unit of the second system 76 Communication unit of the second system 77 Command analysis unit of the second system 78 Of the second system Comment creation unit 79 Message creation unit of the second system 80 Message transmission unit of the second system 6 Communication section of the second system 77 Command analysis section of the second system 78 Comment creation section of the second system 79 Message creation section of the second system 80 Message transmission section of the second system