JP7714824B1 - Information processing device and information processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an information processing device and an information processing system that enable even users unfamiliar with the Internet to easily post photos of malfunctioning items such as equipment from a mobile phone that receives an SMS to a management company.
[Solution]
The information processing device 100 comprises a user information acquisition means 101, a resource identifier generation means 102, an access restriction setting means 103, an SMS transmission means 104, an IP network transmission means 105, a storage means 106, a location information extraction means 107, a user data transmission means 108, a management company data transmission means 109, and a notification means 110, and performs data communication with the administrator terminal 200 and the mobile phone 300 via the network N, and also performs SMS communication with the mobile phone 300.
[Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

Patent Law Article 30, Paragraph 2 Application Disclosure Fact (1) Date of event October 15, 2024 Meeting name, venue Introduction of 3D modeling of facilities (digital twin) and DX-related technologies Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc. Head Office 1F Main Conference Room

The present invention relates to an information processing device and an information processing system.

Conventionally, when a malfunction occurs in various devices and equipment (hereinafter referred to as "items") used in ordinary households, etc., ordinary users of the items have made inquiries by telephone or email to management companies such as sales agents and manufacturers that provide after-sales service for the items.
However, when making inquiries over the phone, there were cases where users were unable to adequately explain the nature of the problem verbally, or where the person in charge at the management company who received the inquiry was unable to correctly understand the nature of the problem and was unable to give appropriate instructions to another person in charge who was going to the site.

Therefore, it is conceivable that users could take a photo of the defective part of the item using a mobile phone with a camera, such as a smartphone, and post the image on the system so that the management company can grasp the situation.
For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a bulletin board system using a mobile terminal with a camera, in which URL information and a posting form are stored in the mobile terminal, and an image taken by the mobile terminal is attached to the posting form and sent to a server specified by the URL information.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-242567

However, the system described in Patent Document 1 requires that URL information be stored in advance on the mobile device that captures the image, making it unsuitable for systems targeted at unspecified users.

The present invention solves the problems of the prior art described above. Specifically, the object of the present invention is to provide an information processing device and information processing system that enables even users unfamiliar with the Internet to easily post photos of malfunctioning equipment or other items to a management company using their mobile phone after receiving an SMS.

The invention of claim 1 is an information processing device capable of data communication with a mobile phone of a user who posts a photo regarding a defect in an item and an administrator terminal of a management company that manages the item, and that assists the management company in responding to the user, the information processing device comprising: a user information acquisition means that acquires the mobile phone number and the management company's staff member information corresponding to the user from the administrator terminal; a resource identifier generation means that combines a second string obtained by encrypting a first string including the staff member information with the management company's host name to generate a user resource identifier that can access the user's posting screen and a management company resource identifier that can access the management company's posting management screen; an access restriction setting means that sets a predetermined restriction on access to the posting screen from the mobile phone; and a resource identifier for the user. to the mobile phone via SMS; IP network transmission means for transmitting the management provider resource identifier to the administrator terminal via an IP network; user data transmission means for transmitting the posting screen for posting the photograph of the item to the mobile phone accessed via the user resource identifier; storage means for storing image data of the photo posted from the mobile phone via the posting screen; and management provider data transmission means for transmitting the posting management screen for displaying image data of the photo stored in the storage means to the administrator terminal accessed via the management provider resource identifier, and the access restriction setting means solves the above-mentioned problem by setting the specified restriction in association with the user resource identifier.

The invention of claim 2 solves the above-mentioned problem by, in addition to the configuration of the information processing device described in claim 1, having the user data transmission means transmit to the mobile phone the posting screen, which includes (1) a screen that prompts the user to take a photo related to information for identifying the item, (2) a screen that prompts the user to take a photo related to a defective part of the item, and (3) a screen that prompts the user to input text related to the defect in the item.

The invention of claim 3 solves the above-mentioned problem by, in addition to the configuration of the information processing device described in claim 1, further comprising location information extraction means for extracting photographic location information from the image data stored in the storage means, and the data transmission means for the administrator transmits to the administrator terminal the post management screen including (1) a thumbnail image of the photo related to the image data stored in the storage means, (2) the photographic location information of the photo, (3) the person in charge information, and (4) information regarding the response status to the user, and when a thumbnail image is selected on the administrator terminal via the post management screen, transmitting the image data of the photo related to the thumbnail image to the administrator terminal.

The invention of claim 4 solves the above-mentioned problem by, in addition to the configuration of the information processing device described in claim 1, further comprising a notification means for notifying the administrator terminal when the photo is posted from the mobile phone via the posting screen, and the IP network transmission means transmits the management provider resource identifier to the administrator terminal over an IP network at the timing.

The invention of claim 5 is an information processing system comprising a mobile phone of a user who posts photos relating to defects in an item, an administrator terminal of a management company that manages the item, and an information processing device capable of data communication with the mobile phone and the administrator terminal and assisting the management company in responding to the user, wherein the administrator terminal comprises a user information input means for inputting the mobile phone's phone number and the management company's person in charge corresponding to the user, and a user information transmission means for transmitting the phone number and the person in charge information to the information processing device, and the information processing device comprises a user information acquisition means for acquiring the phone number and the person in charge information from the administrator terminal, a resource identifier generation means for combining the management company's host name with a second string obtained by encrypting a first string including the person in charge information, to generate a user resource identifier that can access the user's posting screen and a management company resource identifier that can access the management company's posting management screen, an access restriction setting means for setting a predetermined restriction on access to the posting screen from the mobile phone, and an SMS transmission means for transmitting the user resource identifier to the mobile phone. the mobile phone comprises an SMS transmission means, an IP network transmission means for transmitting the management provider resource identifier to the administrator terminal via an IP network, a user data transmission means for transmitting the posting screen for posting the photograph of the item to the mobile phone accessed via the user resource identifier, a storage means for storing image data of the photograph posted from the mobile phone via the posting screen, and a management provider data transmission means for transmitting the posting management screen for displaying image data of the photograph stored in the storage means to the administrator terminal accessed via the management provider resource identifier; the mobile phone comprises an SMS reception means for receiving the user resource identifier from the information processing device via an SMS, a posting screen display means for displaying the posting screen via the user resource identifier, a photographing means for taking a photograph of the item, and a posting means for posting the photograph to the information processing device via the posting screen; and the access restriction setting means of the information processing device solves the above-mentioned problem by setting the specified restriction in association with the user resource identifier.

According to the information processing device of the invention of claim 1, the resource identifier generation means of the information processing device combines a host name such as the domain name or IP address of the management company with a character string including information on the person in charge, such as the branch or department, to be associated with the user, to generate a user resource identifier such as a URL or URI that can be used to access the user's posting screen, and a management company resource identifier that can be used to access the management company's posting management screen, where images posted by the user can be viewed.
Also, the access restriction setting means associates with the user resource identifier a restriction condition for the user to access the posting screen from the mobile phone, such as adding a token with restriction information embedded in an identifier such as a URL, or having the management server reject access to the URL after a set time has elapsed, and so on.
Then, an SMS means transmits the user resource identifier to the mobile phone by SMS, and a user data transmission means transmits a posting screen for posting a photograph of the article to the mobile phone that has accessed via the user resource identifier.
This allows image data of the posted photograph stored in the storage means of the information processing device to be displayed on a posting management screen transmitted to the administrator terminal of the management company, so that even a user who is unfamiliar with the Internet can easily post a photograph of a malfunctioning state of an article such as equipment from a mobile phone that has received an SMS to the management company.

In the information processing device of the invention of claim 2, in addition to the effects achieved by the information processing device of the invention of claim 1, the posting screen sent to the mobile phone by the user data transmission means includes a screen for taking a photo of the information display area for identifying the product number or other information indicating the type of defective item, a screen for taking a photo of the actual defective area, and an input screen for entering supplementary information in text, such as the nature of the defect that is difficult to understand from a photograph. This allows users to appropriately report the minimum necessary information about the defect status of equipment and other items to the management business operator by taking photos and entering text.

In the information processing device of the invention of claim 3, in addition to the effects achieved by the information processing device of the invention of claim 1, the post management screen sent to the administrator terminal by the management business data transmission means includes thumbnail images of photos posted by users, information about the shooting location, information about the branch/department etc. responsible for the user, and information about the response status, such as whether any response has been made to the user; further, when the administrator selects a thumbnail image on the post management screen displayed on the administrator terminal, image data related to the original photo of that thumbnail image is sent to the administrator terminal, allowing the management business to properly understand the defect status of the item posted by the user and the location of the item, and to have the responsible branch/department etc. respond appropriately to the user.

In the information processing device of the invention of claim 4, in addition to the effects achieved by the information processing device of the invention of claim 1, the notification means notifies the administrator terminal by email or the like when a user posts a photo about a defect in an item, and at the same time, the IP network transmission means transmits to the administrator terminal a resource identifier for the management operator, such as a URL that can be used to access a post management screen that displays the posted photo. This allows the management operator to immediately become aware that a user has posted a photo, and to access the posted photo via the resource identifier that has also been transmitted.

According to the information processing system of the invention of claim 5, the telephone number of the mobile phone and the person in charge information such as the branch or department to be associated with the user are inputted at the administrator terminal and transmitted to the information processing device.
Next, in the information processing device, a resource identifier generation means combines a host name such as the management company's domain name or IP address with a character string including information about the person in charge to generate a user resource identifier such as a URL or URI that can access the user's posting screen, and a management company resource identifier that can access the management company's posting management screen to view images posted by the user.
Also, an access restriction setting means associates with the user resource identifier a restriction condition for a user to access the posting screen from a mobile phone, such as adding a token with restriction information embedded in an identifier such as a URL, or refusing access to the URL after a set time has elapsed, and sets the condition, and an SMS sending means sends the user resource identifier to the mobile phone by SMS.
Here, the management provider resource identifier is transmitted to the manager terminal by the IP network transmission means.
Then, the user accesses the posting screen on the mobile phone via the user resource identifier received via SMS and posts a photo of the defective item.
On the other hand, in the information processing device, the storage means stores image data of the posted photographs, and the data transmission means for the management company displays a posting management screen for displaying the image data stored in the storage means on the administrator terminal that has accessed via the resource identifier for the management company, so that even users who are unfamiliar with the Internet can easily post photographs of malfunctioning conditions of equipment or other items from their mobile phones that have received the SMS to the management company.

1 is a network configuration diagram of an information processing system to which information processing devices and the like according to an embodiment of the present invention are connected; 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 10 is a flowchart illustrating an information processing procedure in a mobile phone of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an information processing procedure in an administrator terminal of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a post management screen displayed on an administrator terminal of the information processing system according to one embodiment of the present invention. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an information processing procedure in an information processing device of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an SMS message displayed on a mobile phone of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a posting screen displayed on a screen of a mobile phone according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a post management screen displayed on an administrator terminal of an information processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the following, we will consider a situation in which a user who purchases and uses a product or a general user who owns and uses a facility discovers a malfunction or defect in an item such as a product or facility that they are using.
General users of these items will contact management companies that provide after-sales service for the items and those that operate, maintain, and manage the facilities using smartphones, etc.
The management company will then respond to users who contact them and take other measures such as repairing the affected products and facilities.
More specifically, we consider a case in which the management business is a retail store of goods (products) operating throughout Japan, and provides repairs and after-sales service for products sold by branches and contracted agents in each region, and responds to inquiries from users.

In the following embodiment, a user who discovers a defect in an item contacts the management company by phone using a smartphone or other device, and then a URL that allows access to a posting screen for posting images is sent to the smartphone or other mobile phone.
The posting screen will be described in detail later.
Users can then post photos taken with their mobile phones by operating the posting screen accessed via the URL received on their mobile phones, and the management company can display the posted photos on the administrator's terminal, allowing them to visually check the location of any malfunctions in the item or the state of any defects in the facility.

1. Configuration of information processing system 1
The overall configuration of an information processing system 1 including an information processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.
FIG. 1 is a network configuration diagram of an information processing system 1 to which an information processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is connected.
As shown in Figure 1, the information processing system 1 includes an information processing device 100 that functions as a management server, an administrator terminal 200 of the management company, and a mobile phone 300 used by a user who enjoys the services provided by the management company in the information processing system 1.

In this embodiment, the information processing device 100, administrator terminal 200, and mobile phone 300 are connected via wired/wireless connections via a network N such as the Internet. The information processing device 100 and mobile phone 300 are also connected via a mobile phone network.

[1.1. Configuration of information processing device 100]
As shown in FIG. 1, the information processing device 100 includes a user information acquisition means 101, a resource identifier generation means 102, an access restriction setting means 103, an SMS (Short Message Service) transmission means 104, an IP network transmission means 105, a storage means 106, a location information extraction means 107, a user data transmission means 108, a management company data transmission means 109, and a notification means 110.
The information processing device 100 is capable of performing data communication with the administrator terminal 200 of the management company and the mobile phone 300 of a user who makes an inquiry about a malfunction of equipment, etc., via the network N. The information processing device 100 is also capable of sending and receiving data to and from the mobile phone 300 by SMS communication via the mobile phone network.

The user information acquisition means 101 acquires from the administrator terminal 200 the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 and information on the person in charge at the management company who will handle the user.
Here, the management company can freely set the contact person information, but for example, it can use the name of the area (e.g., prefecture) where the management company provides after-sales service, or the branch, branch office, or department in charge within that area.

The resource identifier generating means 102 generates a user resource identifier that allows access to the user's posting screen and a management company resource identifier that allows access to the posting management screen of the management company.
For example, the resource identifier generation means 102 generates a resource identifier such as a URL or URI (e.g., https://www.abcd1234.com?id=H/mgAzB8Q) by combining (1) a host name such as the domain name or IP address of the management provider (e.g., www.abcd1234.com) and (2) a second string (e.g., H/mgAzB8Q) that is an encrypted string (first string) containing the person in charge information acquired by the user information acquisition means 101.
In this embodiment, as an example, the resource identifier generating means 102 generates a resource identifier for a URL.

The access restriction setting means 103 sets a predetermined restriction on access from the mobile phone 300 to the posting screen via the user resource identifier.
The access restriction setting means 103 may set the access restriction method, for example, as follows: (1) the resource identifier generating means 102 may generate a URL with a token including information such as an expiration date and a maximum number of accesses; (2) the information processing device 100 may record access to the URL and implement access restrictions from the mobile phone 300; or (3) the resource identifier generating means 102 may generate a URL with a one-time password that assigns a token that is valid only once.
In this embodiment, as will be described later, the access restriction setting means 103 sets the access restriction so that the resource identifier generating means 102 generates a URL with a one-time password (hereinafter referred to as a "one-time URL").

The SMS sending means 104 sends a message including the one-time URL to the telephone number by SMS communication via a mobile phone network.
SMS communication can send text data of up to 160 characters (alphanumeric characters) at a time, and operates independently of phone calls or Internet connections.
In this embodiment, the information processing device 100 can send a message directly to the mobile phone 300 using a telephone number via SMS communication, which provides a simple and low-cost environment and eliminates the need for the user to connect to the Internet and input a URL. Even users who are unfamiliar with the Internet can easily post photos of malfunctioning equipment or other items from the mobile phone 300 that received the SMS to the management company.

The IP network transmission means 105 transmits the management provider resource identifier generated by the resource identifier generation means 102 to the manager terminal 200 via the network N over an IP (Internet Protocol) network.
The storage means 106 stores image data of photographs posted (uploaded) from the mobile phone 300 via the posting screen.

The location information extraction means 107 extracts information about the location at which the photograph was taken from the image data stored in the storage means 106 .
When a photograph of an item is taken with a mobile phone 300, location information of the mobile phone 300 is obtained by the GPS built into the mobile phone 300, and the location information is embedded as metadata (Exif data) in the image data of the photograph.
Therefore, the location information extraction means 107 acquires information about the location where the photo was taken with the mobile phone 300 from the metadata of the image data of the posted photo, for example, by using an Exif viewer or analysis using Python.

The user data transmission means 108 transmits a posting screen for the user to post a photograph of an item to the mobile phone 300 accessed via the user resource identifier.
In addition, the management company data transmission means 109 transmits a posting management screen for displaying image data of the photographs stored in the storage means 106 to the administrator terminal 200 accessed via the management company resource identifier.
In this embodiment, the posting screen and posting management screen can be displayed on each terminal by selecting, for example, by clicking on a resource identifier (user resource identifier, management provider resource identifier) generated as a URL containing the host name of the same management provider from the mobile phone 300 or the administrator terminal 200.

When a photo of an item defect or the like is posted from the mobile phone 300 via the posting screen, the notification means 110 notifies the administrator terminal 200 by email or other means that a post has been made.

[1.2. Configuration of Administrator Terminal 200]
As shown in FIG. 1, the administrator terminal 200 includes a user information input unit 201, a user information transmission unit 202, and a post management screen display unit 203.

The user information input means 201 inputs the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 and the person in charge information relating to the management company corresponding to the user.
The person in charge information is as described above.
In addition, the input of the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 by the user information input means 201 may be automatically obtained using incoming call information from the mobile phone 300 when the user calls the management company regarding a defect in an item, etc., or may be input by an operator of the management company.
In addition, when a user calls from a mobile phone 300 regarding a problem with an item, the input of the person in charge information by the user information input means 201 may be performed by an operator of the management company etc., who asks the user for their address and the location of the problem, and the operator etc. inputs the person in charge information of the branch office etc. in charge of dealing with the problem with the item, or the operator etc. may select from multiple options displayed in a pull-down menu etc.

The user information transmitting means 202 transmits the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 and the person in charge information of the management company inputted by the user information input means 201 to the information processing device 100 via the network N.
The post management screen display means 203 displays the post management screen transmitted to the administrator terminal 200 by the administrator data transmission means 109 of the information processing device 100 .
An operator of the management company can check the image data of photos displayed on the posting management screen displayed on the administrator terminal 200, and can operate input boxes, operation buttons, etc. displayed on the screen.
The post management screen will be described in detail later.

[1.3. Configuration of mobile phone 300]
The mobile phone 300 is, for example, a smartphone used by a user, a tablet terminal equipped with a SIM/eSIM, or a mobile phone (a so-called "feature phone"), and is used to make inquiries to a business operator regarding malfunctions in equipment, etc.
As shown in FIG. 1, the mobile phone 300 includes an SMS receiving unit 301, a posting screen display unit 302, an image capturing unit 303, and a posting unit 304.

The SMS receiving means 301 receives a message including a one-time URL, which is a resource identifier for a user, from the information processing device 100 by SMS communication.
The posting screen display means 302 displays a posting screen via the message received by the SMS receiving means 301 .
Specifically, the user can click on a one-time URL, which is a user resource identifier included in a message received on the mobile phone 300, to display the posting screen sent by the user data sending means 108 of the information processing device 100.

The photographing means 303 provides a function of taking photographs using a camera provided in the mobile phone 300, and is used by the user to take photographs of items that have defects or the like.
The posting means 304 posts a photo taken by the user with the photographing means 303 to the information processing device 100 via the posting screen transmitted by the user data transmitting means 108 of the information processing device 100 .
When posting a photo from posting means 304, multiple posting screens are displayed in sequence as described below, and the user follows the displayed content, for example, taking a photo of the information display area on the first screen that identifies the product number or other information that indicates which item is experiencing a defect, and then taking a photo of the actual location of the defect on the next screen.
In addition to the screen for posting photos, a screen for inputting text may be displayed so that supplemental information such as the state of a problem that is difficult to understand from a photo can be input in text.

2. Hardware configuration of information processing device 100
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the information processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Here, in Figures 1 and 2, the information processing device 100 is realized as a single device, but this is not limited to this and may be realized by one or more computers, or may be configured to be realized by one or more servers.

The information processing device 100 comprises a processor 1001, a main memory device 1002, an auxiliary memory device 1003, and an input/output interface 1004, which are connected via a bus 1005 that is a data transmission path between the devices.
Furthermore, the input/output interface 1004 is connected to a network interface 1006 , an input unit 1007 , and an output unit 1008 .

The processor 1001 is realized by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and executes various processes according to programs stored in the main storage device 1002 and the auxiliary storage device 1003 .
The main memory device 1002 is configured with a static random access memory (SRAM), a dynamic RAM (DRAM), a flash memory, or the like, and temporarily stores data necessary for the information processing device 100 to perform arithmetic processing.
The auxiliary storage device 1003 is realized by a removable medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory card, or a read only memory (ROM), and has a recording medium.

The network interface 1006 communicates with other terminals and systems such as the administrator terminal 200 and the mobile phone 300 via a network N including the Internet or a mobile phone network.
The input unit 1007 is composed of a keyboard, a mouse, etc., and accepts input of various information.
The output unit 1008 is composed of a display, a speaker, etc., and outputs various information as text, images, sounds, etc.

3. Information Processing Method in Information Processing System 1
Below, with reference to Figures 3 to 9, we will explain, using specific examples, the information processing method executed by the information processing device 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2 performing data communication with the administrator terminal 200 and the mobile phone 300.

Therefore, in the following, specific equipment and other items will be used at home or the like.
The information processing method in the information processing system 1 will be described using an example in which a general user discovers a malfunction or defect in the item and notifies the management company.

[3.1. From discovering a defect in an item to entering user information]
FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the information processing procedure in the mobile phone 300 of the information processing system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
When a user of a mobile phone 300 discovers a defect in an item such as equipment, the user uses the calling function of the mobile phone 300 that the user owns to call the management company that manages and operates the information processing system 1 (step S301).

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the information processing procedure in the administrator terminal 200 of the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Here, for the processing described below on the administrator terminal 200, the management company obtains the telephone number of the user's mobile phone 300 and the user's location information (such as the location of the defective item) through a call with the user on the management company's mobile phone or landline phone.
In addition, when the management company receives a call from the user's mobile phone 300 and obtains the telephone number and location information of the mobile phone 300, this may be done by an employee of the management company, or through an operator at a contracted call center, etc.

The user information input means 201 inputs the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 and the person in charge information for the management company corresponding to the user (such as the name of the area where the aforementioned management company provides after-sales service, the branch office, branch office, and department in charge within the area) (step S201).
When the management company, operator, or the like inputs the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 and the person in charge information, this is done via a post management screen 210, which will be described later.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a post management screen 210 displayed on the administrator terminal 200 of the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The posting management screen 210 shown in FIG. 5 has input boxes for posting date 211, branch office information (area name 212 and branch office name 213), reception number 214, telephone number 215, and telephone number (for confirmation) 216.
For example, the management company, operator, etc. inputs various information by directly inputting text into each input box on the post management screen 210 or by selecting from multiple options displayed in a pull-down menu.

Regarding the information to be entered into the posting management screen 210 in Figure 5, the posting date 211 can be entered by the management company using the time information of the terminal by operating the administrator terminal 200, so there is no need for the management company to enter it again.
Next, branch information is entered.
In this embodiment, based on the location information of a user who has called the management company from a mobile phone 300, the corresponding area name 212 (e.g., prefecture) and branch information of the corresponding branch name 213 (e.g., xx branch) within that area are entered.
Furthermore, as the reception number 214, a management number used within the management company or a number assigned within the company for case management is input.
Then, the telephone number of the user's mobile phone 300 is entered in the telephone number 215 and telephone number (for confirmation) 216 fields.

In addition, the input of the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 by the user information input means 201 may be automatically obtained from the mobile phone 300 that the user used to call the management company regarding a defect in an item, or may be input by an operator at the management company.
In addition, when a user calls from a mobile phone 300 regarding a problem with an item, the input of person information by the user information input means 201 allows an operator of the management company to ask the user for their address and the location of the problem, and input the information of the person in charge, such as the branch office, who will deal with the problem with the item.

Next, when the management company operator enters the person in charge information as described above and presses the SMS send/registration button 217, the user information transmission means 202 transmits to the information processing device 100 the telephone number of the user's mobile phone 300 entered by the user information input means 201 and information about the company's department that corresponds to the user (person in charge information) (step S202).

[3.2. From generating one-time URL to sending SMS]
FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the information processing procedure in the information processing device 100 of the information processing system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
The user information acquisition means 101 of the information processing device 100 acquires, from the administrator terminal 200, the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 and information on the department of the carrier that handles the user as person in charge information (step S101).

Next, the resource identifier generation means 102 of the information processing device 100 combines a host name such as the management company's domain name or IP address with a string including the person in charge information to generate a user resource identifier such as a URL or URI that can access the user's posting screen, and a management company resource identifier address such as a URL or URI that can access the management company's posting management screen (step S102).
Note that the "resource identifier" referred to here is a character string used to directly access a web page or resource, and is used synonymously with a URL (Uniform Resource Locator). That is, the "resource identifier" referred to here is composed of a protocol (e.g., https://), a domain name or IP address (e.g., example.com), a path or query string (e.g., /path/to/...), etc.

In this embodiment, the resource identifier generating means 102 generates a resource identifier (for example, a URL) for a user's posting screen in the following procedure.
(1) Create a character string (which may include numbers) by combining the input branch or area control number with a random character string.
(2) Encrypt the combined string.
(3) A resource identifier (URL) is generated by combining the business's domain name with the encrypted string.
For example, if the domain name of the business is "pashapos.com" and the encrypted character string is "H/mgAzB8Q...", the resource identifier generating means 102 generates a resource identifier (URL) of "https://pashapos.com?id=H/mgAzB8Q...".

When the resource identifier generation means 102 generates a resource identifier for the posting screen for the user as described above, it also generates a resource identifier (URL) for the posting management screen for the business (administrator), and also generates a storage location such as a folder for storing data such as photos posted by the user.
Furthermore, the character string combined in (1) above does not have to be a management number, but may be any characters or numbers, such as a reception number when a business receives a call.

In addition, when the resource identifier generation means 102 generates a resource identifier, the access restriction setting means 103 controls the resource identifier generation means 102 so that certain restrictions are placed on access to the posting screen from the mobile phone 300 via the user resource identifier. In this embodiment, the access restriction setting means 103 controls the resource identifier generation means 102 to generate a URL with a one-time password (hereinafter referred to as a "one-time URL") that grants a token that is valid only once, as the user resource identifier.

Then, the SMS sending means 104 sends a message including the user resource identifier of the one-time URL generated by the resource identifier generating means 102 to the telephone number of the mobile phone 300 by SMS communication (step S103).
Specifically, the SMS sending means 104 creates a text message by inserting the name of the person in charge and a URL for the user to access the message into a template that is pre-installed in the information processing device 100, and sends the text message via SMS.
For example, the SMS sending means 104 sends a message (SMS message) such as "This is xxxx, a person in charge at xx Corporation. Thank you for your attention... The posting URL is "https://pashapos.com?id=H/mgAzB8Q..."..." via SMS.

[3.3. Receiving a one-time URL and posting photos and text of items]
Next, returning to the flowchart of FIG. 3, the SMS receiving means 301 of the mobile phone 300 receives the above-mentioned message including the one-time URL from the information processing device 100 by SMS communication (S302).

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an SMS message displayed on the mobile phone 300 of the information processing system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 7, an SMS message 310 includes a posting URL 311 (one-time URL), and the user can click on this posting URL 311 to display a posting screen.

Then, the posting screen display means 302 of the mobile phone 300 displays the posting screen that the user can access by clicking the one-time URL on the screen of the mobile phone 300 (step S303).

Here, the display process of the posting screen on the mobile phone 300 will be described in detail.
Specifically, when the user clicks on a one-time URL in the message received by SMS receiving means 301, a request to display a posting screen is sent from mobile phone 300 to information processing device 100.

Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 6, information processing device 100 receives a request to display a posting screen from mobile phone 300 via a one-time URL.
In response to this display request from the mobile phone 300, the user data transmission means 108 of the information processing device 100 transmits a posting screen for the user to the mobile phone 300 (step S104).
When the posting screen for the user is transmitted from information processing device 100 as described above, mobile phone 300 receives and displays the posting screen in step S303.

FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining an example of transition of posting screens 320-350 displayed on the screen of mobile phone 300 according to an embodiment of the present invention.
In the mobile phone 300 , the posting screen display means 302 displays the first posting screen 320 transmitted from the information processing device 100 .
In this embodiment, an explanation of the photographing procedure on the posting screen 320 is provided in the photographing procedure explanation area 321, and the user goes through three steps: (1) photographing the product model number, (2) photographing the faulty part of the product, and (3) inputting a report (supplementary explanation), and then posts (uploads) the image data of the entered photograph and the text data of the text.

Specifically, the information processing device 100 sequentially displays on the display screen of the mobile phone 300 (1) a screen that allows the user to take or select an image related to the identification information of the equipment, such as the product model number, (2) a screen that allows the user to take or select an image related to the defective part of the equipment, and (3) a screen that allows the user to input text, along with information regarding posting instructions for the user. This allows the user of the mobile phone 300 to easily and appropriately report the status of the defective equipment to the management business operator using image data and text data.

In this embodiment, the user posts (uploads) two pieces of image data and text data related to supplemental explanations to the information processing device 100 using the mobile phone 300, but the number of pieces of image data posted may be one, or three or more. It is also possible to post only image data without posting text.

Returning to the flowchart in Figure 3, the user of the mobile phone 300 follows the on-screen instructions (posting screens 320-350) and operates the posting screen, causing the posting means 304 of the mobile phone 300 to post (upload) image data and text data (step S304).

For example, after the user of the mobile phone 300 understands the explanation of the photographing procedure etc. written in the photographing procedure explanation area 321 on the initial posting screen 320 shown in Figure 8, the user presses the "Next" button 322 to display the posting screen 330 for posting image data.

Next, when the user presses the start shooting button 331 on the posting screen 330, an image taken using the photo-taking function of the mobile phone 300 is displayed in the image display area 332, allowing the user to take a picture of the damaged part of the product, the part of the equipment where the problem is occurring, or information display that identifies the model number or type of product or equipment.
Here, the user may select image data that has been taken and acquired in advance, rather than taking a photo in real time.
In this case, the image selection button 333 to be used is pressed to perform image selection processing.

When the user finishes taking a photo or selecting an image and presses "Next" button 334 on posting screen 330, posting screen 340 for inputting supplemental information is displayed. Then, the user inputs the content they wish to communicate to the business operator (for example, a supplemental explanation for the taken/selected image) into supplemental information input area 341 on posting screen 340 using the character input function, voice input function, voice/text conversion function, etc. of mobile phone 300.
The captured/selected image and the entered text are linked (associated) and registered.

After the user enters text regarding supplementary explanations for the image on the posting screen 340, when the "End shooting" button 342 is pressed, a posting screen 350 is displayed for completing data entry and posting (uploading) the image data and text data.
The posting screen 350 has, for example, an input image display area 351 at the bottom of the screen, which displays the captured/selected images (images related to the model number and images related to the damaged area) and explanations related to the input supplementary information.

When the user presses the "Input Complete" 352 button on the posting screen 350, the image data entered at this time is posted (uploaded) to the information processing device 100. The storage location (upload destination) for the image data and supplementary information text data is the location specified by the resource identifier (URL) of the posting management screen for the management company (administrator) generated by the resource identifier generation means 102 of the information processing device 100.

In addition, in this embodiment, if the user presses the “Restart by photographing the model number” button 353 before pressing the input completion button 352, the user can start photographing the model number again from the state of the posting screen 330.
Similarly, when the user presses the "restart photographing damaged area" button 354, the user can start photographing the damaged area again from the state of the posting screen 330.
Furthermore, when the user presses the "Start over from inputting supplementary information" button 355, the user can start over from the state of the posting screen 340 and input the supplementary information.

[3.4. Verification of posted photos, etc. by the management company]
Returning to the flowchart of FIG. 6, the image data and text data uploaded via the posting screens 320-350 of the mobile phone 300 are stored in the storage means 106 of the information processing device 100 (step S105).

In addition, the location information extraction means 107 of the information processing device 100 acquires information about the location where the photo was taken, i.e., the location of the item, from the metadata (Exif data) embedded in the image data posted from the mobile phone 300 and stored in the storage means 106 (step S106).

Furthermore, the notification means 110 of the information processing device 100 notifies the administrator terminal 200 that a post has been made from the mobile phone 300, for example, at the timing when the image data is uploaded to the storage means 106 in step S105 (step S107).
In this embodiment, the notification is made by email, but the notification may be made by SMS message to the administrator terminal 200 or the like or by other methods.
The management business operator notified by the notification means 110 here may be the management business operator related to the person in charge information entered by the user information input means 201 of the administrator terminal 200, i.e., the branch office, branch office, or department in charge of the user's area.

Here, simultaneously with or before or after the above notification by the notification means 110, the IP network transmission means 105 transmits the resource identifier for the management provider generated by the resource identifier generation means 102 to the administrator terminal 200 via the network N over the IP (Internet Protocol) network (step S108).
The notification by the notification means 110 and the transmission of the management provider resource identifier by the IP network transmission means 105 may be performed at the same time, or may be included in the same data.

In addition, the transmission of the resource identifier for the management provider by the IP network transmission means 105, like the notification by the notification means 110, can be made to be sent not only to the management provider's administrator terminal 200, but also to the terminal (not shown) of the management provider's branch office that the management provider has entered into the user information input means 201 of the administrator terminal 200.
Then, in the administrator terminal 200, the administrator clicks on the administrator resource identifier transmitted to the administrator terminal 200, thereby transmitting a request to the information processing device 100 to display a post management screen.

Here, the management company data transmission means 109 of the information processing device 100 transmits a posting management screen for displaying image data of the photo stored in the storage means 106 to the administrator terminal 200 that has accessed via the management company resource identifier (step S109).

Then, when the administrator terminal 200 receives the post management screen transmitted from the information processing device 100, the post management screen display means 203 displays the post management screen (step S203).
The posting management screen displayed here includes (1) a thumbnail image of the photo related to the image data stored in the storage means, (2) information about the location where the photo was taken, (3) information about the person in charge, and (4) information about the response status to the user.
When the management company specifies (selects) a thumbnail image on the post management screen displayed on the administrator terminal 200, the information processing device 100 transmits image data of the photograph associated with the thumbnail image to the administrator terminal 200.
By performing such processing, the management company can appropriately manage cases regarding malfunctions of equipment, etc., from users who have made inquiries about malfunctions of goods, etc.

Returning to the flowchart of Figure 4, in the information processing system 1, the management company data transmission means 109 of the information processing device 100 transmits the post management screen to the administrator terminal 200, and the post management screen display means 203 of the administrator terminal 200 displays the post management screen (step S203).
FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a posting management screen 210 for posting information displayed on the administrator terminal 200 of the information processing system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

On the posting management screen 210 of FIG. 9, the information of the posting date 211, the reception number 214, and the branch name 213 is the information inputted at the administrator terminal 200 described above with reference to FIG.
As shown in FIG. 9, in addition to the above information, the posting management screen 210 also displays a list of various information about the posted photos (such as image file names, thumbnail images, and shooting dates and times) in a list display area 230.
The management company can check the thumbnail images on the posting management screen 210 displayed on the administrator terminal 200, and if they are unnecessary, can press the ``Delete selected photo'' button 220 to delete the image data related to the thumbnail image.
The management company can also select a specific image and press the "download selected photo" button 221 to download the image data of the photo.

Furthermore, the posting management screen 210 shown in Figure 9 displays posting location information 240 that the user can click to jump to the location on the map app where the uploaded image was taken, which is obtained from the metadata of the image.
The posting management screen 210 shown in FIG. 9 also displays status information 243 indicating whether the administrator has responded to a user's contact regarding a product malfunction or facility defect (for example, the user can select from a pull-down menu whether the administrator has responded, responded, or pending), and an update button 244 for updating the status information.

In the information processing system 1 described above, in order to make it easier for unspecified businesses to contact general users, a user can access a posting screen by clicking on a URL sent by SMS to the mobile phone 300 of the business user who has called the business. This is extremely convenient, and a system can be constructed that is easy to use even for users who are not good at communicating via e-mail.
In addition, the location information of users can be obtained from information on mobile phones, etc., and users can easily post not only photos but also text, allowing businesses to provide appropriate information without any hassle.

In addition, the business operator provides the user with a one-time URL that can be accessed only once, minimizing the risk of large amounts of image data being uploaded to the information processing device 100 as a prank or other such tactic, and creating a system with excellent security.

Furthermore, by dividing the management company part of this system into one that receives calls from general users, issues one-time URLs, and sends them to users, and another that checks uploaded image data and responds to product malfunctions and facility defects, management companies that currently use call centers to handle customer support can easily introduce this system without making major changes to their current business scheme.

3.5. Modifications
The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive.
The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, not by the description of the above embodiments, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope of the claims.

For example, the flowcharts according to this embodiment (FIGS. 3, 4, and 6) are merely one embodiment of the present invention, and the order of each process can be changed as long as the spirit of the present invention is not changed.
Furthermore, other processes than those shown in the flowcharts may be included, and it is also possible not to include some of the processes shown in the flowcharts.

1 Information processing system 100 Information processing device 101 User information acquisition means 102 Resource identifier generation means 103 Access restriction setting means 104 SMS transmission means 105 IP network transmission means 106 Storage means 107 Location information extraction means 108 User data transmission means 109 Administrator data transmission means 110 Notification means 200 Administrator terminal 201 User information input means 202 User information transmission means 203 Post management screen display means 300 Mobile phone 301 SMS receiving means 302 Post screen display means 303 Photography means 304 Posting means 1001 Processor 1002 Main memory device 1003 Auxiliary memory device 1004 Input/output interface 1005 Bus 1006 Network interface 1007 Input unit 1008 Output unit N Network

Claims (5)

An information processing device capable of data communication with a mobile phone of a user who posts a photo relating to a defect in an item and an administrator terminal of a management company that manages the item, and that assists the management company in responding to the user,
a user information acquisition means for acquiring the telephone number of the mobile phone and the person in charge information of the management company corresponding to the user from the administrator terminal;
a resource identifier generating means for generating a user resource identifier for accessing the user's posting screen and a management company resource identifier for accessing the posting management screen of the management company by combining a second character string obtained by encrypting a first character string including the person in charge information with the host name of the management company;
an access restriction setting means for setting a predetermined restriction on access from the mobile phone to the posting screen;
an SMS sending means for sending the user resource identifier to the mobile phone via SMS;
an IP network transmission means for transmitting the management provider resource identifier to the manager terminal via an IP network;
a user data transmission means for transmitting the posting screen for posting the photograph of the item to the mobile phone accessed via the user resource identifier;
a storage means for storing image data of the photo posted from the mobile phone via the posting screen;
a data transmission means for an administration company that transmits the posting management screen for displaying image data of the photo stored in the storage means to the administrator terminal accessed via the resource identifier for the administration company,
the access restriction setting means sets the predetermined restriction in association with the user resource identifier;
1. An information processing device comprising: The user data transmission means
(1) a screen that allows the user to take a photo of the information for identifying the item;
(2) a screen that allows the user to take a photo of the defective part of the item; and
(3) a screen that allows the user to input text about the defect in the item;
The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display unit configured to display the display unit information including the image data; The image processing device further includes a location information extraction unit that extracts information about a location at which the photograph was taken from the image data stored in the storage unit,
The management company data transmission means
(1) a thumbnail image of the photograph related to the image data stored in the storage means;
(2) the photographing location information of the photograph;
(3) the person in charge information, and
(4) Information regarding the status of the response to the user;
and when the thumbnail image is selected via the posting management screen on the administrator terminal, transmits the image data of the photo related to the thumbnail image to the administrator terminal. a notification unit that notifies the administrator terminal when the photo is posted from the mobile phone via the posting screen;
2. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein the IP network transmission means transmits the administrator resource identifier to the administrator terminal over an IP network at the timing. An information processing system comprising: a mobile phone of a user who posts a photo relating to a defect in an item; an administrator terminal of a management company that manages the item; and an information processing device that is capable of data communication with the mobile phone and the administrator terminal and that assists the management company in dealing with the user,
The administrator terminal
a user information input means for inputting the telephone number of the mobile phone and the person in charge information of the management company corresponding to the user;
a user information transmitting means for transmitting the telephone number and the person in charge information to the information processing device;
The information processing device includes:
a user information acquisition means for acquiring the telephone number and the person in charge information from the administrator terminal;
a resource identifier generating means for generating a user resource identifier for accessing the user's posting screen and a management company resource identifier for accessing the posting management screen of the management company by combining a second character string obtained by encrypting a first character string including the person in charge information with the host name of the management company;
an access restriction setting means for setting a predetermined restriction on access from the mobile phone to the posting screen;
an SMS sending means for sending the user resource identifier to the mobile phone via SMS;
an IP network transmission means for transmitting the management provider resource identifier to the manager terminal via an IP network;
a user data transmission means for transmitting the posting screen for posting the photograph of the item to the mobile phone accessed via the user resource identifier;
a storage means for storing image data of the photo posted from the mobile phone via the posting screen;
a data transmission means for an administration company that transmits the posting management screen for displaying image data of the photo stored in the storage means to the administrator terminal accessed via the resource identifier for the administration company;
The mobile phone includes:
an SMS receiving means for receiving the user resource identifier from the information processing device via SMS;
a posting screen display means for displaying the posting screen via the user resource identifier;
a photographing means for taking a photograph of the item;
a posting means for posting the photo to the information processing device via the posting screen,
the access restriction setting means of the information processing device sets the predetermined restriction in association with the user resource identifier;
An information processing system comprising: