Abstract:
An information-processing system includes a phrase category processing unit, a first hypertext document generating unit, a first correlation management unit, a second correlation management unit that manages a correlation between one or a plurality of action categories and the locations of application function units and a selection accepting unit. As a user specifies a phrase in a first hypertext document, the first correlation management unit is engaged to search for an action category corresponding to the phrase category of the phrase. As the user selects an action by using a dialogue component in a second hypertext document provided by the selection accepting unit, the application function unit corresponding to the action category of the action is started up by engaging the second correlation management unit to search for the location of the application function unit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     The disclosure of Japanese patent application No. JP 2004-166258 filed on Jun. 3, 2004, entitled “Information-processing System, Information-processing Method and Information-processing Program”. The contents of that application are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to an information-processing system, an information-processing method and an information-processing program that may be adopted in an ideal manner to achieve highly efficient linkage among a plurality of applications as intended by the user.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Related Art  
         [0005]     The technologies related to natural language processing in the related art include non-patent reference literature 1 and patent reference literature 1 below.  
         [0006]     Non-patent reference literature 1; Junichi Fukumoto et al. “Comparison of Japanese Language and English Language With Regard to Proper Noun Extraction”, Shingaku Giho, NLC 98-21, 1998, p. 45-52 Patent reference literature 1: Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2003-256444  
         [0007]     The technology disclosed in non-patent reference literature 1 enables extraction of proper nouns such as the names of persons, organizations and places in a document.  
         [0008]     Patent reference literature 1 discloses that a single semantic concept or a plurality of semantic concepts are correlated to each word in a thesaurus and a plurality of filing categories are correlated to each semantic concept in a thesaurus-filing category correspondence table. As a search keyword is input, a semantic concept corresponding to the search keyword is identified by using the thesaurus and then the filing categories corresponding to the semantic concept are determined in reference to the thesaurus-filing category correspondence table.  
         [0009]     Next, the results of the search based upon the search keyword, executed by a standard search engine or the like, are sorted in correspondence to the individual filing categories in conformance to specific filing category decision-making rules.  
         [0010]     Thus, the user having entered the search keyword obtains an answer sorted with a degree of precision corresponding to the filing categories.  
         [0011]     By adopting the technology disclosed in non-patent reference literature 1 and the technology disclosed in patent reference literature 1 in conjunction with each other, the following might be possible.  
         [0012]     Namely, a proper noun (the name of a person, an organization, a place, a product or the like) in a document sent by electronic mail, posted on the Web, handled by a document preparation tool or handled in a business application is extracted through the technology disclosed in non-patent reference literature 1 and then the results of a search executed by using the proper noun as a search keyword can be sorted and output in correspondence to filing categories through the technology disclosed in patent reference literature 1.  
         [0013]     However, from the user&#39;s point of view, the combination of these technologies simply allows him to receive the results of the search (sorted in correspondence to the individual filing categories) executed in response to the entry of the search keyword and if he wishes to take any action in relation to the search keyword or the received search results (e.g., transmitting an electronic mail, verifying his schedule in a scheduler or making a phone call), the user will have to start up a relevant application by operating a personal computer or the like as in the related art, and the whole process can be time-consuming and impose a significant operational onus to result in poorer work efficiency.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014]     The problem discussed above can be solved in a first aspect of the present invention disclosing an information-processing system that enables a user to start up a plurality of types of application function units each having one function or a plurality of functions (e.g., a mailer, an telephone software, and a map information service) to allow the user to achieve specific purposes, comprising a phrase category processing unit that extracts one or a plurality of phrases (e.g., a keyword) from a target document in response to an instruction issued by the user, identifies a specific phrase category (e.g., a person&#39;s name, an organization name or a technical term) of each extracted phrase and then correlates the phrase with the phrase category, a first hypertext document generating unit that generates a first hypertext document (e.g., a keyword selection page DC 11 ) having a link attached to each phrase based upon the correlation between the phrase and the phrase category, a first correlation management unit that manages a correlation between the phrase category and a single action category of an action or a plurality of action categories of actions to be taken by the user in correspondence to the phrase category, a second correlation management unit that manages a correlation between the single action category or the plurality of action categories and the locations of the application function units and a selection accepting unit that generates a second hypertext document having a single dialogue component or a plurality of dialogue components (e.g., buttons BT 1  to BT 5 ) corresponding to the single action category or the plurality of action categories each listed as a link connection of a link assigned to a phrase in the first hypertext document provides the user with the second hypertext document and accepts an action selection made by the user. The information-processing system is characterized in that when the user specifies a phrase in the first hypertext document, the information-processing system engages the first correlation management unit to search for the action categories corresponding to the phrase category of the phrase and that when the user selects a specific action by selecting a dialog component in the second hypertext document provided by the selection accepting unit, the information-processing system starts up an application function unit corresponding to the action category of the action by engaging the second correlation management unit to search for the location of the application function unit.  
         [0015]     In this specification, the word “phrase (s)” includes the meaning of phrase(s) and word(s).  
         [0016]     A second aspect of the present invention provides an information-processing method that allows a plurality of types of application function units to be started up with each application function unit having one function or a plurality of functions to enable a user to achieve a specific purpose in which a phrase category processing unit extracts one or a plurality of phrases from a target document in response to an instruction issued by the user, identifies a specific phrase category of each extracted phrase and then correlates the phrase with the phrase category, a first hypertext document generating unit generates a first hypertext document having a link attached to each phrase based upon the correlation between the phrase and the phrase category, a first correlation management unit manages a correlation between the phrase category and a single action category of an action or a plurality of action categories of actions to be taken by the user in correspondence to the phrase category, a second correlation management unit manages a correlation between the single action category or the plurality of action categories and the locations of the application function units and a selection accepting unit generates a second hypertext document having a single dialogue component or a plurality of dialogue components corresponding to the single action category or the plurality of action categories each listed as a link connection of a link assigned to a phrase in the first hypertext document, provides the user with the second hypertext document and accepts an action selection made by the user. The information-processing system is characterized in that when the user specifies a phrase in the first hypertext document, the first correlation management unit is engaged to search for the action categories corresponding to the phrase category of the phrase and that when the user selects a specific action by selecting a dialog component in the second hypertext document provided by the selection accepting unit, an application function unit corresponding to the action is started up by engaging the second correlation management unit to search for the location of the application function unit.  
         [0017]     A third aspect of the present invention provides an information-processing program that allows a plurality of types of application function groups to be started up with each application function group having one or a plurality of functions to enable a user to achieve specific purposes, realizing in a computer a phrase category processing function for extracting one or a plurality of phrases from a target document in response to an instruction issued by the user, identifying a phrase category of each extracted phrase and correlating the phrase with the phrase category, a first hypertext document generating function for generating a first hypertext document having a link assigned to each phrase based upon the correlation between the phrase and the phrase category, a first correlation management function for managing a correlation between the phrase category and a single action category of an action or a plurality of action categories of actions to be taken by the user in correspondence to the phrase category, a second correlation management function for managing a correlation between a single action category or the plurality of action categories and the locations of the relevant application function groups and a selection accepting function for generating a second hypertext document having one or a plurality of dialogue components corresponding to the a single action category or the plurality of action categories each listed as a link connection of a link assigned to a phrase in the first hypertext document, providing the user with the second hypertext document and accepting an action selection made by the user. The information-processing program is characterized in that when the user specifies a phrase in the first hypertext document, the first correlation management function is engaged to search for the action categories corresponding to the phrase category of the phrase and that when the user selects a specific action by selecting a dialog component in the second hypertext document provided through the selection accepting function, an application function group corresponding to the action category of the action by engaging the second correlation management function to search for the location of the application function group.  
         [0018]     The present invention improves the work efficiency.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0019]      FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram showing the overall structure adopted in the communication system achieved in an embodiment;  
         [0020]      FIG. 2  presents a flowchart of the operation executed in the embodiment;  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  schematically shows how the screen display may shift at the client apparatus constituting part of the communication system in the embodiment;  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  schematically shows how the screen display may shift at the client apparatus constituting part of the communication system in the embodiment;  
         [0023]      FIG. 5  schematically shows how the screen display may shift at the client apparatus constituting part of the communication system in the embodiment;  
         [0024]      FIG. 6  schematically shows how the screen display may shift at the client apparatus constituting part of the communication system in the embodiment;  
         [0025]      FIG. 7  schematically shows an example of a screen display that may be brought up at the client apparatus constituting part of the communication system in the embodiment;  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  schematically shows an example of a screen display that may be brought up at the client apparatus constituting part of the communication system in the embodiment;  
         [0027]      FIG. 9  schematically shows examples of the structures that may be adopted in the tables used in the communication system in the embodiment;  
         [0028]      FIG. 10  schematically shows examples of structures that may be adopted in the tables used in the communication system in the embodiment and examples of values that may be taken in the tables;  
         [0029]      FIG. 11  schematically shows an example of a structure that may be adopted in a table used in the communication system in the embodiment; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 12  schematically shows an example of a structure that may be adopted in a table used in the communication system in the embodiment and examples of values that may be taken in the table. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
     Embodiment  
       [0031]     The following is an explanation of an embodiment of the information-processing system, the information-processing method and the information-processing program according to the present invention.  
         [0032]     (A-1) Structure Adopted in the Embodiment  
         [0033]      FIG. 1  shows an example of an overall structure that may be adopted in a communication system  10  achieved in the embodiment.  
         [0034]     The communication system  10  in  FIG. 1  includes a client apparatus  11 , a server apparatus  12  and a transmission line PR  1  connecting the client apparatus and the server apparatus to each other.  
         [0035]     The client apparatus  11  is a communication apparatus used by a user U 1 , which comprises a browser  13 , a control unit  14 , a text data extraction unit  15 , a link phrase display unit  16 , a next action selection display unit  17 , an AP startup-processing unit  18  and an application definition table unit  19 .  
         [0036]     While the client apparatus  11  may be constituted with a personal computer or the like with a networking function, it may instead be constituted with a portable information terminal or the like as necessary.  
         [0037]     The browser  13  is used by the user U 1  when he browses information. While a software program that enables the user to browse information is normally referred to as a browser, the browser  13  in the embodiment may be a web browser having a function that allows the user to browse web pages. A standard web browser product comes loaded with diverse auxiliary functions in addition to the essential information browsing function, and the browser  13 , too, may have such auxiliary functions as needed.  
         [0038]     A hardware equivalent of the control unit  14  may be, for instance, the CPU (central processing unit) in the client apparatus  11 , and a software equivalent of the control unit  14  may be, for instance, the OS (operating system).  
         [0039]     While the other components  15  through  19  in the client apparatus  11  may be included as auxiliary functions of the browser  13 , there are mounted outside the browser  13  in the example presented in the figure.  
         [0040]     Among the components  15  through  19 , the text data extraction unit  15  has a function of extracting text data from a document DC 1  in response to a specific operation performed by the user U 1  while browsing the document DC 1  by using the browser  13 . In the text data extraction, text (character string) data alone are extracted from a web page or the like by excluding information (HTML tags or the like) that defines the logic structure and the display structure. Since there are readily available web browser products that enable such text data extraction through a simple button operation of the known art, the text data extraction function can be realized with great ease.  
         [0041]     For instance, a specific phrase extraction button may be brought up on the browser screen and an instruction for the text data extraction unit  15  to extract the text data in the web page being browsed may be issued simply as the user U 1  clicks the phrase extraction button.  
         [0042]     While any document can be browsed by using the browser  13 , an explanation is given on an example in which the document DC  1  is browsed. The document DC 1  may be a web page.  
         [0043]     The link phrase display unit  16  has a function of having a keyword selection page DC  11  with one or a plurality of candidate keywords (link phrases) laid-out in a click-enabling format brought up on display by the browser  13 . For instance, as the user U 1  moves the mouse cursor onto a desired candidate keyword in the keyword selection page DC  11  and clicks it, a request message can be transmitted to an URL (link connection) correlated with the keyword by using an “a” tag among the HTML tags.  
         [0044]     The keyword selection page DC  11  is generated by a link phrase extraction unit  20  in the server apparatus  12  based upon the text data extracted from the document DC  1  by the text data extraction unit  15  and is then transmitted to the client apparatus  11 . While any phrases may be used as candidate keywords, the keyword selection page DC  11  may be structured so as to include keyword attributes of proper nouns such as people&#39;s names, organization names, location names, product names, technology names and telephone numbers by adopting the technology disclosed in non-patent reference literature 1 described earlier.  
         [0045]     For instance, by entering the following descriptor code (SC 1 ) as the attribute of the start tag of the “a” tag in the keyword selection page DC  11 , which is an HTML file, the request message mentioned above can be transmitted. 
        &lt;a href=http://intra.aaa.com/service/getinfo?key=X+category=Y&gt; . . . (SC 1 )        
 
         [0047]     In this descriptor code (SC 1 ), X entered after “key=”, indicates the selected keyword, and Y entered after “category=” indicates the keyword attribute (e.g., the keyword attribute ascertained by adopting the technology disclosed in non-patent reference literature 1 described earlier) of the keyword. Accordingly, the keyword selected by the user U 1  and the attribute of the selected keyword can be communicated to the server apparatus  11  through the request message. The request message is received by an information extraction/organizing unit  23  at the server apparatus  12 .  
         [0048]     The next action selection display unit  17  has a function of having dialogue components brought up on display by the browser  13  to allow the user U 1  to select the next action he wishes to take. While the dialogue components may assume any of various modes, they may be realized as buttons indicating various actions that are brought up on display in a browser screen displayed by the browser  13  so as to allow the user U 1  to select a specific action by clicking one of the buttons. The page having these buttons displayed therein, which is browsed by the user U 1  with the browser  13  when selecting the action, is referred to as a next action selection page DC  12 . The next action selection page DC  12  is to be described in detail later.  
         [0049]     The AP startup-processing unit  18  has a function of starting up an AP (application) corresponding to the action selected by the user U 1  in the next action selection page DC  12 . The application that is started up by the AP startup-processing unit may be a local application (e.g., a mailer enabling electronic mail exchange) installed in the client apparatus  11  or it may be a remote application such as a web application installed in a given web server.  
         [0050]     The AP startup-processing unit  18  also has a function of handing over the value indicated by a relevant parameter to a local application at the time of or immediately after starting up the application. As a result, the user U 1  no longer needs to enter the parameter value (e.g., the recipient&#39;s electronic mail address) in the application having been started up.  
         [0051]     The application definition table unit  19  is a database having registered therein an application definition table TB 1 .  
         [0052]     The application definition table TB 1  may adopt a structure such as that shown in  FIG. 11 , for instance.  FIG. 12  shows specific examples of values that may be indicated in correspondence to the various data entries in the table shown in  FIG. 11 .  
         [0053]     The data categories in the application definition table TB 1  in  FIGS. 11 and 12  include “action attribute”, “application”, a “parameter attribute” and “parameter”.  
         [0054]     As the action attribute data, which correspond to the action attributes in  FIGS. 9 and 10  to be detailed later, candidate actions that may be taken after the user U 1  extracts the text data from the document DC  1  are registered.  
         [0055]     As the application data, information related to local applications that may be started up by the AP startup-processing unit  18  is registered. In the example presented in  FIG. 12 , path names indicating the locations of the relevant local applications are registered as the application data. It is to be noted that actions and applications have a one-to-one correlation in the example presented in  FIG. 12  although this is not strictly necessary.  
         [0056]     As the parameter data, the names of the individual parameters are registered, whereas the parameter attributes of the individual parameters are registered as the parameter attribute data. “date=today” indicates that “today” is handed over to the application as the default value so as to check today&#39;s schedule when a date for the personal schedule check is not specified by the user.  
         [0057]     Attributes of the applications (application attributes) may be defined instead of the parameter attributes in the table.  
         [0058]     It is to be noted that in each pair of an upper parameter attribute and a lower parameter attribute or each pair of an upper parameter and a lower parameter separated from each other by “---” in the table TB 1  in  FIG. 12  (e.g., # telephone number and # person&#39;s name), the upper parameter attribute and the lower parameter attribute or the upper parameter and the lower parameter are alternative to each other (they have an OR relationship) i.e., only one of them can be specified, whereas an upper parameter attribute and a lower parameter attribute or an upper parameter and a lower parameter not separated from each other with “---” (e.g., # person&#39;s name and # date) have an AND relationship and both of them must be specified.  
         [0059]     The server apparatus  12  comprises the link phrase extraction unit  20 , a candidate list extraction unit  21 , a presence-ascertaining unit  22 , the information extraction/organizing unit  23 , a database unit  24  and an action definition table unit  25 .  
         [0060]     The link phrase extraction unit  20  generates the keyword selection page DC  11  based upon the text having been extracted from the document DC 1  and transmitted via the transmission line PR 1 .  
         [0061]     The candidate list extraction unit  21  generates a candidate list page DC  13  which is a web page listing a plurality of candidates if a keyword (candidate keyword) selected by the user U 1  in the keyword selection page DC  11  is a proper noun that cannot be univocally identified. While there are various types of proper nouns that may not be univocally identified, an explanation is given here by assuming that the user has selected a person&#39;s name as the keyword. Since the keyword indicating a person&#39;s name does not always enable a univocal identification of the actual person, further information is displayed in addition to the person&#39;s name in the candidate list page DC  13  to help the user U 1  identify the correct person among the candidates. For instance, in an application in a corporate intranet or the like, the departments to which the candidates belong and the candidates&#39; telephone numbers may be displayed together with the names so as to enable the user U 1  to univocally specify the correct person in the candidate list page DC  13 . In addition, if the keyword is constituted with a family name alone, the full names of the candidates may be displayed in the candidate list page DC  13  to enable a univocal identification of the correct person.  
         [0062]     The presence-ascertaining unit  22  obtains presence information (the current posting statuses of the candidates) related to the candidates listed in the candidate list page DC  13 . Such presence information may be obtained from, for instance, an SIP (session initiation protocol) server.  
         [0063]     The information extraction/organizing unit  23  executes information gathering process for gathering information by using a service provided in an intranet or on the Internet (or by using the database unit  24  of the server apparatus  12  itself) and prepares a list of next actions in preparation for processing executed to generate the next action selection page DC  12  described earlier.  
         [0064]     In addition to the person&#39;s name explained above, the possible keyword attributes include “organization name”, “product name” and “technology name”, as shown in the next action definition tables TB 21  and TB 22  in FIGS.  10 (A) and  10 (B). The next action selection page DC  12 , which is a web page that enables the user U 1  to select the next action to be taken with the browser  13 , may assume the structure shown in  FIG. 8 , for instance. As the user U 1  clicks one of the buttons BT 1  to BT 5  in  FIG. 8 , an appropriate action can be taken with regard to Mr. “Taro Yamada”. For instance, if he clicks the button BT 1 , he can make a phone call to Mr. Taro Yamada, whereas if he clicks the button BT 3 , he can check the personal profile of Mr. Taro Yamada.  
         [0065]     In addition, Mr. Taro Yamada&#39;s telephone number “03-1234-5678” needed to call him up on the telephone will have been obtained through the information gathering process and, as a result, the user only needs to click the button BT 1  to automatically hand over the telephone number to the software phone (IP telephone software program) installed in the client apparatus  11 . Information indicating Mr. Yamada&#39;s name and the affiliated department to which he belongs, which is needed for the personal profile check, is automatically entered to the corresponding application simply by clicking the button BT 3 .  
         [0066]     While the names of the next action attributes such as those shown in  FIG. 10 (C) are directly used on the buttons BT 1  to BT 6  to indicate the contents of the specific actions (e.g., “telephone” displayed over the button BT 1 ), any action contents can be displayed freely beyond the constraints of specific attribute names by preparing in advance a special table for such purposes.  
         [0067]     It is to be noted that the information gathering process may be executed by the information extraction/organizing unit  23  by adopting the technology disclosed in patent reference literature 1.  
         [0068]     The action definition table unit  25  is a database having registered therein an action definition table constituted with three tables TB  21  to TB  23 .  
         [0069]     The tables TB  21  to TB  23  may adopt structures such as those shown in FIGS.  9 (A) to  9 (C) respectively. FIGS.  10 (A) to  10 (C) present examples of specific values that may be indicated in correspondence to the individual data entries in the tables shown in FIGS.  9 (A) to  9 (C) respectively.  
         [0070]     The table TB  21  in FIGS.  9 (A) and  10 (A) contains data categorized as the “keyword attribute” described earlier and an “output information attribute”.  
         [0071]     As the keyword attribute, the attributes of phrases selected as keywords are registered.  
         [0072]     As the output information attribute data the attributes of a static type of output information among sets of information output to be displayed by the browser  13  (e.g., to be displayed in the next action selection page DC  12 ). For instance, character strings such as “name”, “affiliation” and “telephone number” in the next action selection page DC  12  in  FIG. 8  each correspond to the value (attribute name) of an output information attribute.  
         [0073]     The table TB  22  in FIGS.  9 (B) and  10 (B) contains data categorized as “keyword attribute” and “action attribute”.  
         [0074]     The keyword attribute data in the table TB  22  are identical to the keyword attribute data in the table TB  21 .  
         [0075]     The action attribute data indicate the attributes of candidate actions that may be selected by the user U  1  next.  
         [0076]     For instance, in correspondence to the keyword attribute “person&#39;s name”, phoning the person bearing the name, transmitting an electronic mail to the person, checking a personal profile of the person, checking a personal schedule related to the person and searching for more detailed information related to the person are listed as likely actions to be taken next in the table TB  22  in  FIG. 10 (B).  
         [0077]     The table TB  23  in FIGS.  9 (C) and  10 (C) contains data categorized as “action attribute”, “application”, “parameter attribute” and “parameter”.  
         [0078]     The action attribute data in the table TB  23  are identical to the action attribute data in the table TB  22 .  
         [0079]     The application data, the parameter attribute data and the parameter data are respectively identical to the application data, the parameter attribute data and the parameter entry in the table TB 1  explained earlier in reference to  FIGS. 11 and 12 .  
         [0080]     It is to be noted that there are application data and parameter data in the table TB  23  shown in  FIG. 10 (C), in correspondence to which no values are entered (no values are registered). If a given application (local application) is installed in the client apparatus  11  itself, the application value, i.e., the URL (web service command), is not entered, since it does not need to be registered in the table TB  23  at the server apparatus  12  as long as its location (path name) is registered in the table TB 1  at the client apparatus  11 . No value is entered for a parameter in the table TB  23  under similar circumstances. Processing for handing over the value of such a parameter to an application installed in the client apparatus  11  can be executed within the client apparatus  11  without directly involving the server apparatus  12 .  
         [0081]     In addition, “size= 1/5000” entered as a parameter value in  FIG. 10 (C) indicates that the default value set for the size (scaling factor) of the map provided through the map information service is 1/5000. If a map size is not specified as a parameter value, this default value is handed over to the application.  
         [0082]     It is to be noted that in each pair of an upper parameter attribute and a lower parameter attribute or each pair of an upper parameter and a lower parameter separated from each other by in the table TB 23  in  FIG. 10 (C), the upper parameter attribute and the lower parameter attribute or the upper parameter and the lower parameter are alternative to each other (they have an OR relationship) i.e., only one of them can be specified, whereas an upper parameter attribute and a lower parameter attribute or an upper parameter and a lower parameter not separated from each other with “---” have an AND relationship and both of them must be specified, as in the table TB 1  in  FIG. 12 .  
         [0083]     The database unit  24  is a database having registered therein various types of information required for employee management and customer management.  
         [0084]     For instance, if the communication system  10  operates within an intranet of a company, information indicating the name, the affiliated department, the telephone number, the mailing address, the electronic mail address, the ID and the like may be registered in the database unit  24  in correspondence to each of the employees of the company. The various types of information (such as the name) displayed in the next action selection page DC  12  are obtained by searching the database unit  24 .  
         [0085]     It is to be noted that although not shown in  FIG. 1 , the server apparatus  12 , too, naturally includes a CPU and an OS equivalent to the control unit  14  in the client apparatus  11 .  
         [0086]     The transmission line PR  1  connecting the client apparatus  11  and the server apparatus  12  with each other may be a wired transmission line or a wireless transmission line, and it may even be a transmission line that includes both a wired block and a wireless block. In addition, the Internet or the like may be present in the middle of the transmission line PR 1 , or the transmission line may be a LAN (local area network) within a company without a WAN present.  
         [0087]     The following is an explanation of the operation executed in the embodiment adopting the structure described above, given in reference to the flowchart presented in  FIG. 2 .  
         [0088]     The flowchart in  FIG. 2  includes steps S 10  through S 28 .  
         [0089]     (A-2) Operation Executed in the Embodiment  
         [0090]     The user U 1  browsing a given document (web page) DC 1  with the browser  13  in the client apparatus  11  issues an instruction to execute text data extraction processing on the document DC  1  by, for instance, clicking the phrase extraction button (S 10 ).  
         [0091]     Upon detecting the instruction, the text data extraction unit  15  in the client apparatus  11  extracts the text data from the document DC 1  and transmits the extracted text data to the server apparatus  12  (S 11 ). Upon receiving the extracted text data, the link phrase extraction unit  20  in the server apparatus  12  generates the keyword selection page DC  11  based upon the text data and sends the keyword selection page DC  11  thus generated back to the client apparatus  11  (S 12 ). As described earlier, the keyword selection page DC  11  is a web page having one or a plurality of candidate keywords (link phrases) laid out in a click-enabling format. The candidate keywords may include proper nouns such as a person&#39;s name, a company name, a product name, a technology name and a telephone number as described earlier.  
         [0092]     Upon receiving the keyword selection page DC  11 , the link phrase display unit  16  in the client apparatus  11  has this keyword selection page DC  11  brought up on display by the browser  13  (S 13 ).  
         [0093]     The screen may shift from the display of the document DC 1  being browsed to by the user U 1  in step S 2  as described earlier to the display of the keyword selection page DC  11  in various ways, and FIGS.  3  to  6  present some examples of the screen shift.  
         [0094]     In  FIG. 3 , the screen display in the browser  13  shifts as the entire document DC 1  is replaced by the keyword selection page DC  11 . In this case, screen displays with substantially identical contents are brought up for the user U 1  in step S 10  and step S 13 . However, character strings each constituting a candidate keyword may be marked with an underline or the display mode of the character strings that can be clicked may change as the mouse cursor is moved over the screen while the user reviews the screen in step S 13  so as to distinguish those character strings as click-enabling candidate keywords.  
         [0095]     In the example presented in  FIG. 4 , the keyword selection page DC  11  is brought up on display in step S 13  so as to overlap the display of the original document DC 1 . The contents of the keyword selection page DC 11  are entirely identical to those of DC  11  in  FIG. 3 .  
         [0096]     In the example presented in  FIG. 5 , the keyword selection page DC  11  is brought up on display in step S 13  right next to the display of the original document DC  1 . The keyword selection page DC  11  brought up on display in this example only lists the contents of the candidate keywords (which can be clicked) and the corresponding keyword attributes.  
         [0097]     In the example presented in  FIG. 6 , the keyword selection page DC  11  is brought up on display in step S  13  as a web page created by using a frame mechanism. The frame mechanism is used to display a plurality of HTML files in a single web page and a frame page may be created by adopting any of various structures. In the example presented in  FIG. 6 , the small vertically elongated area at the left end contains a display similar to that of DC  11  in  FIG. 5  with the contents of the original document DC 1  displayed in the large area ranging from the center to the right end. While this page is up on display, the user U 1  moves the mouse cursor over the small vertically elongated area at the left end and selects the desired keyword by clicking the candidate keyword.  
         [0098]     It is to be noted that the screen brought up on display by the browser  13  through the subsequent processing (e.g. in step S 17  or S 22 ), too, shifts as shown in any of  FIGS. 3 through 6 .  
         [0099]     The user U 1  viewing the keyword selection page DC  11  with the browser  13  moves the mouse cursor to the desired phrase (candidate keyword) and clicks the phrase, thereby selecting the keyword (S 14 ).  
         [0100]     As the results of the selection are transmitted to the server apparatus  12 , a decision is made in the server apparatus  12  as to whether or not the selected keyword is a person&#39;s name (S 15 ). While the processing proceeds to step S 20  to be detailed later if the selected keyword is not a person&#39;s name, the operation proceeds to step S 16  if the keyword is a person&#39;s name.  
         [0101]     In step S 16 , the candidate list extraction unit  21  generates the candidate list page DC  13  listing a plurality of candidates corresponding to the selected keyword (person&#39;s name) based upon the registered contents in the database unit  24  or the like (S  16 ), and then transmits the candidate list page DC  13  to the client apparatus  11 . If IDs assigned to the individual employees are registered in the database unit  24 , IDs used univocally within the company, too, can be obtained in addition to the affiliated departments and the full names of the candidates and, in such a case, the ID can be used as a keyword attribute of the person&#39;s name.  
         [0102]     Upon receiving the candidate list page DC  13 , the candidate list page DC  13  is brought up on display (S 17 ) at the client apparatus  11 . While any of various modes may be adopted with regard to the structure and the display contents of the candidate list page DC  13 , a format such as that shown in  FIG. 7  may be adopted.  
         [0103]     In the example presented in  FIG. 7 , the user U 1  has selected a candidate keyword constituted with a family name alone, i.e., “Yamada” in step S 14 , and accordingly, the full names, the phonetics and the affiliated departments with regard to a plurality of candidates, i.e., a plurality of persons with the family name Yamada, are displayed so as to help the user U 1  univocally identify the correct Mr. Yamada. Since the full names of several different person&#39;s named Yamada can be clicked in the example presented in  FIG. 7 , the user U 1  viewing the candidate list page DC  13  is able to indicate to the server apparatus  12  the right person by clicking the corresponding full name (S 18 ).  
         [0104]     If it becomes obvious by the time step S 16  is executed that there is not a plurality of candidates and that a single person can be specified with the selected keyword, the processing in step S 16  may be skipped and, in such a case, steps S 17  and S 18 , too, can be skipped. However, an explanation is given here by assuming that the processing in steps S 16  through  18  has been executed.  
         [0105]     The server apparatus  12  having received the information indicating the candidate having been clicked (selected) in step S 18  engages the presence ascertaining unit  22  to obtain the presence information related to the person (S 19 ) and then engages the information extraction/organizing unit  23  in the information gathering process (S 20 ). As explained earlier, the presence information may be obtained via the SIP server and the information gathering process may be executed by using a service provided in an intranet or on the Internet or by using the database unit  24 , as explained earlier.  
         [0106]     In step S 21 , which follows step S 20 , the information extraction/organizing unit  23  generates a next action information list and transmits the next action information list thus generated to the client apparatus  11  together with the results of the information gathering process. The next action list may be created through the following procedure.  
         [0107]     Namely, the information extraction/organizing unit  23  may search the table TB  22  in  FIG. 10 (B) by using the attribute of the specified keyword as a search key and thus obtain the values of one or a plurality of next action attributes that are relevant. Next, by using the values corresponding to the next action attributes, it may search the table  23  in  FIG. 10 (C) to ascertain the value (URL) and the parameter of the corresponding application. If the values of a plurality of next action attributes are obtained by searching the table TB  22 , the search of the table TB  22  is repeatedly executed by using each value as a search key.  
         [0108]     The action attribute values obtained through the search of the table TB  22  shown in  FIG. 10 (B) each correspond to one of the character strings displayed on the buttons BT 1  to BT 5  in  FIG. 8 , as explained earlier.  
         [0109]     Upon receiving the next action list, the client apparatus  11  brings up on display the next action selection page DC  12  such as that shown in  FIG. 8  (S 22 ). The next action selection page DC  12  in  FIG. 8  is a next action list selection page that is brought up on display when the user U 1  clicks (selects) “Taro Yamada” in the candidate list selection page DC  13  in  FIG. 7  displayed by the browser  13 . While information displayed in the next action selection page DC  12  (e.g., the affiliated department, the telephone number, etc., of Mr. Taro Yamada) is equivalent to the results of the search executed in response to the click (equivalent to a search key word entry) performed by the user U 1  in step S 14 , candidates of actions that may be performed by the user U 1  next are also displayed on the next action selection page DC  12  based upon the results of the search in addition to the information.  
         [0110]     In step S 23 , the user U 1  selects a desired action from the candidate actions by using the corresponding dialog component on the next action selection page DC  12 . After checking the contents of the selection in step S 24 , the operation proceeds to one of three primary branches based upon the results of the check. If the user U 1  has clicked a link such as “XXX Headquarters” or “XXX Department” in the next action selection page DC  12 , the client apparatus  11  transmits a corresponding request message to the server apparatus  12  and then the operation returns to step S 15 .  
         [0111]     If the user U 1  has clicked one of the action buttons BT 1  to BT 4  and the button (e.g., BT 1 ) corresponds to an application (e.g., a software phone (equivalent to a telephone)) installed in the client apparatus  11 , the application is started up in the client apparatus  11  and the value of the relevant parameter (e.g., the telephone number of Mr. Taro Yamada) is handed over to the application at the time of the startup or immediately after the startup in step S 26 . If, on the other hand, the button having been clicked by the user U 1  corresponds to an application (a web application) that is not installed in the client apparatus  11 , the value of the relevant parameter (e.g., the full name of Mr. Taro Yamada) is attached to the request message transmitted to request a start up of the web application. With the parameter value handed over to the application in this manner, the user U 1  does not need to perform a further input operation or click operation.  
         [0112]     Regardless of whether the application to be started up is a local application or a web application, a specific value corresponding to the output information attribute having the same attribute name as that of the parameter attribute is handed over to the application being started up as a parameter value. The next action selection page DC  12  may contain such output information attributes and specific values in any of various formats. For instance, once it is ascertained that the attribute name of the parameter attribute of the parameter to be handed over to the software phone is “telephone number”, the AP startup-processing unit  18  is able to detect “03-1234-5678” in the next action selection page DC  12  in  FIG. 8  as the specific value corresponding to the attribute name “telephone number” of the output information attribute matching the parameter attribute name “telephone number” and then to hand over the parameter value to the software phone by substituting “03-1234-5678” for the parameter “number” (see  FIG. 12 ).  
         [0113]     Since the specific value of the output information attribute is entered as the parameter corresponding to the parameter attribute based upon the correlation between the output information attribute and the parameter attribute, the user U 1  only needs to click a button (e.g., BT 1 ) to start up the application and hand over the parameter value by having the command (corresponds to the application) having been called up, the parameter and the parameter value (specific value) processed correctly in response to the click.  
         [0114]     If no specific value corresponding to the output information attribute with the same attribute name as that of the parameter attribute is contained in the next action selection page DC  12 , the default value in the application definition table TB  1  in  FIG. 12  can be used as the parameter value.  
         [0115]     While any of various methods may be adopted when making a decision as to whether the button having been clicked by the user U 1  among the buttons BT 1  to BT 5  corresponds to a local application installed in the client apparatus  11  or a web application, the AP startup-processing unit  18  and the like may determine that the button corresponds to a local application if no URL is correlated to the button.  
         [0116]     If it is decided that a local application is to be started up, the AP startup-processing unit  18  in the client apparatus  11  conducts a search of the application definition table TB  1  in  FIG. 12  by using the value of the next action attribute (e.g., # telephone) correlated to the button (e.g., TB 1 ) as a search key in the next action selection page DC  12  to obtain the correct path name (e.g., ¥ Program Files ¥ IPTelephone ¥ IPTelephone exe). As a result, the AP startup-processing unit  18  is able to ascertain the location of the application.  
         [0117]     It is to be noted that the web application mentioned earlier may be installed in the server apparatus  12  or may be installed in any web server other than the server apparatus  12  as explained earlier.  
         [0118]     In addition, while the processing for handing over the parameter value to the application being started up is, in principle, automatically executed without requiring the user U 1  to enter the parameter value, in the embodiment, there may be a parameter, the value of which cannot be determined simply based upon the keyword or the specified action. In the case of such a parameter, the parameter value may be entered by the user U 1  in an entry field provided in, for instance, the next action selection page DC  12  in  FIG. 8 .  
         [0119]     For instance, the user U 1 , who has clicked the button BT 4  wishing to learn Mr. Taro Yamada&#39;s schedule, will need to enter clear information indicating the specific time frame of the schedule the user U 1  wishes to obtain, e.g., whether he wishes to know Mr. Yamada&#39;s schedule for today or for the next seven days, since such a time frame cannot be determined through processing executed by the server apparatus  12  or the like. The same principle applies to the map-scaling factor and the like mentioned earlier.  
         [0120]     If the user U 1  clicks the button BT 5  in step S 23  to issue an instruction for a detailed information search, the corresponding request message (containing the keyword (e.g., “Yamada” or “XXX headquarters”) and the keyword attribute (e.g., “person&#39;s name” or “organization name”)) is transmitted to the server apparatus  12 , and the information extraction/organizing unit  23  at the server apparatus  12  searches for the detailed information in response (S 25 ). As the search results are transmitted to the client apparatus  11 , the detailed information, i.e., the search results, is displayed by the browser  13  or the like at the client apparatus  11  (S 27 ), thereby making the desired detailed information available to the user U 1 . It is to be noted that the detailed information search may be executed in step S 25  by adopting the technology disclosed in patent reference literature 1, as in the case of the information gathering process explained earlier.  
         [0121]     Similar processing can be repeatedly executed on any documents other than the document DC 1  as many times as necessary (S 28 ).  
         [0122]     If a screen display is brought up in the browser  13  through the application processing executed in step S 26  or if the document brought up on display in step S 27  contains character strings, text data can be extracted from the document on display by executing step S 10  as described earlier and then the processing in steps S 11  to S 28  can be repeatedly executed.  
         [0123]     Through the operation described above, the results of the search related to the phrase (keyword) selected in step S 14  are made available to the user U 1  through the display in the next action selection page DC  12  and furthermore, the next action selection page DC  12  includes candidate actions (the buttons BT 1  to BT 5 ) that the user U 1  is likely to wish to take based upon the search results. As a result, the user U 1  is able to take the desired action simply by clicking one of the buttons BT 1  to BT 5  without having to perform an operation for starting up a new application or an operation for handing the parameter value over to the application.  
         [0124]     It is to be noted that although not included in the explanation given in reference to the flowchart presented in  FIG. 2 , a TCP/IP module or the like included in the OS is naturally utilized under normal circumstances each time communication is executed between communication devices via a network, e.g., each time the client apparatus  11  and the server apparatus  12  engage in communication with each other.  
         [0125]     (A-3) Advantages Achieved in the Embodiment  
         [0126]     In the embodiment, the page indicating the search results also includes buttons (BT 1  to BT 5 ) corresponding to candidates (options) of the actions that the user (U 1 ) is likely to wish to take next based upon the search results. Thus, the user only needs to click one of the buttons to start up the desired application, which helps the user save operating time, reduces the operating cost and improves the work efficiency.  
         [0127]     In addition, since the correct parameter value is handed over to the application at the time of the startup, the concern for erroneous parameter value entry can be eliminated to further improve the work efficiency by adopting the embodiment.  
         [0128]     Furthermore, the embodiment, which allows direct utilization of the existing local applications installed in the client apparatus ( 11 ) and the existing web applications, e.g., an electronic mail application, a web application and a document and business applications handled with document preparation tools, without requiring any modifications, achieves a high level of viability.  
         [0129]     Thus, the service level can be improved over the related art at low cost, and the user is allowed to continuously use familiar applications.  
         [0130]     Moreover, since the correlation between the keyword attributes and the specific actions is defined in the action definition tables (TB  21  to TB  23 ) shown in FIGS.  10  (A) to  10 (C) respectively, the next action options (candidates) corresponding to the keyword attributes can be displayed with ease in the next action selection page (DC  12 ).  
       (B) Other Embodiments  
       [0131]     While the embodiment described above includes a single client apparatus  11 , it goes without saying that a plurality of client apparatuses may exist within the communication system  10 .  
         [0132]     In addition, the individual web pages may adopt structures other than those shown in, for instance,  FIGS. 7 and 8  in reference to which the embodiment has been explained.  
         [0133]     While the user U 1  basically clicks an option he wishes to select in the screen displayed by the browser  13  in the embodiment, the browser  13  may be linked with any application having a function of handling documents on the client apparatus  11 .  
         [0134]     With such linkage in place, if the user performs a click operation or the like in a screen containing a document displayed by a given application, for instance, the text data can be extracted from the document and then the extracted text data can be transmitted to the server apparatus  12  via the browser  13 . While it is desirable to display a button to be clicked to issue an instruction for text data extraction and a pulldown menu (equivalent to the phrase extraction button) in the screen brought up on display by the application, a macro or the like may be utilized if necessary.  
         [0135]     The processing in the flowchart in  FIG. 2  executed in the embodiment may be modified.  
         [0136]     For instance, step S  19  may be executed between the yes side branch from step S 15  and step S 16 . In such a case, the presence information corresponding to each candidate can be displayed in the candidate list page DC  13 . This operational flow is particularly effective when the user U 1  is not necessarily searching for a fixed subject and wishes to select a most suitable person by taking into consideration the presence information corresponding to the individual candidates.  
         [0137]     If a very few candidates are extracted through the candidate list extraction processing in step S 16 , a single page displaying the buttons BT 1  to BT 5  as well as the information indicating the full names, the affiliated departments, the telephone numbers and the like of all the candidates may be transmitted to the client apparatus  11 . In this case, the user U 1  can perform the operation for selecting the desired person among the candidates and the operation for specifying the next action all at once in the single page, and thus, the operations in steps S 18  and S 23  can be integrated.  
         [0138]     While the individual web pages (e.g., the next action selection page DC  12 ) are generated at the server apparatus  12  in the embodiment described above, the server apparatus  12  may provide the client apparatus  11  with necessary information so as to enable the client apparatus  11  to generate web pages, instead.  
         [0139]     It is to be noted that while the functions that are needed to realize the present invention are distributed in the client apparatus  11  and the server apparatus  12  in the embodiment, the functions may be distributed in a manner different from that shown in  FIG. 1 .  
         [0140]     For instance, if rigorous system management is implemented on each client apparatus (e.g.,  11 ), the application definition table unit  19  may be mounted at the server apparatus  12 , as explained earlier.  
         [0141]     It is also possible to equip the client apparatus  11  alone with all the functions (or most of the functions) required to realize the present invention or to equip the server apparatus  12  alone with the functions necessary to realize the invention.  
         [0142]     If all the functions necessary to realize the present invention are provided in the client apparatus  11 , it is not strictly necessary to execute communication via a network.  
         [0143]     It is to be noted that the present invention may be adopted when handling pages (documents) created by using a markup language other than HTML, as well.  
         [0144]     Moreover, the communication protocol used for the communication achieved via a network according to the present invention does not need to be TCP/IP.  
         [0145]     Most of the functions realized in hardware in the explanation provided above may instead be achieved in software, and almost all the functions realized in software in the explanation provided above may instead be achieved in hardware, as well.