Apparatus, method, program, and recording medium for setting guidance information

A guidance information setting apparatus for setting guidance information, comprising: a means for transmitting the unique information about a terminal to a server when the terminal is connected to a network; a means for receiving guidance information or the number (e.g., floor number) corresponding to the guidance information in response to transmitting said unique information to the server; a means for indicating the guidance information for a user based on said received guidance information or the guidance information extracted from a company-wide information based on the number corresponding to the guidance information.The guidance information setting apparatus has a function of turning on or turning off the power to each of the terminals through the server.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an apparatus, method, program, and computer readable recording medium for setting guidance information.

2. Description of the Related Art

Conventionally, an automatic computer reception system is provided on every floor or in every building of a company. The terminal of the automatic computer reception system allows a user to input the name and/or department and/or the like of a member of the company who belongs to the department on the floor or in the building where the terminal is placed, indicates the candidates thereof, and offers a service such as calling the member automatically with the interphone when the user selects the name or the like of the member.

The conventional automatic computer reception system has a problem that it is necessary to replace the terminal with a new terminal when some failure has occurred to the automatic reception system, and a problem that it is necessary for the installer to make several settings so as to offer the service of retrieving the names and/or departments and/or the like only of the members belonging to the department on the floor or in the building where the terminal is placed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus, method, program, and computer readable recording medium for setting guidance information, wherein: each reception terminal is connected to a management server through a network in order to make it possible to turn on and off the power to the reception terminal automatically; the management server transmits the number (e.g. floor number) corresponding to the guidance information to the reception terminal when the reception terminal is connected to the network; and the reception terminal offers the guidance information, etc. extracted from the company-wide information based on the number.

The management server controls many reception terminals. Each of the reception terminals is connected to the management server through the network and is placed on a floor, etc. of the building of the company to give guidance information, about the members on the floor, etc., to a user.

Next, the operation of the guidance information setting apparatus will be described.

Each of the reception terminals transmits the unique information about the reception terminal to the management server when the reception terminal is connected to the network. The reception terminal indicates the guidance information for a user based on the guidance information received from the management server or the guidance information extracted from the company-wide information based on the number received from the management server.

When the reception terminal has no response from the server after being connected to the server, the reception terminal indicates the guidance information for a user based on the guidance information received from the management server last time or the guidance information extracted from the company-wide information based on the number received from the management server last time.

The reception terminal indicates the company-wide guidance information when the number received from the server is the particular number designating company-wide guidance.

The management server transmits a power turn-on command or a power turn-off command to each of the reception terminals registered in the terminal management master through the network, and receives the unique information about each of the reception terminals from each of the reception terminals through the network. When the received unique information about the reception terminal has been registered in the terminal management master, the management server transmits a number in the entry registered in the terminal management master to the reception terminal. On the other hand, when the received unique information about the reception terminal has not been registered in the terminal management master, the management server registers new unique information about the reception terminal and a particular number designating the company-wide guidance information in the terminal management master, and then transmits the particular number. Furthermore, the management server transmits the company-wide guidance information or the guidance information corresponding to the number in the entry or the particular number to the reception terminal.

Thus, each of the reception terminals is connected to the management server through a network so that the power to the reception terminal may be turned on and off automatically by the management server, and the guidance information or the number (e.g., floor number) corresponding to the guidance information is transmitted from the management server to the reception terminal when the reception terminal is connected to the network so that the guidance information transmitted from the management server or the guidance information extracted from the company-wide information based on the number transmitted from the management server may be given to the user.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFFERED EMBODIMENTS

The preferred embodiments of the present invention and the operations thereof are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1is a block diagram depicting the system configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

InFIG. 1, the management server1is a computer system for performing various processes according to programs. The management server1turns on or off the power to the many reception terminals2connected to the network3, and downloads the guidance information, etc. to the reception terminals2. The management server1comprises a processing unit10and an external storage unit11. The external storage unit11contains files such as a terminal management master111and a company telephone directory master112.

The terminal management master111is a file in which the numbers (e.g., floor numbers) of the reception terminals2, and the MAC (Medium Access Control) addresses and the floor information of the reception terminals2related to the numbers of the reception terminals2are registered, as shown inFIG. 7, and by which it is determined that any of the reception terminals offers the guidance information of any of the floors (installation places).

The company telephone directory master112is a file, as shown inFIG. 8, for the registration and management of the names, departments, telephone numbers (numbers for contact), etc. of all members of the company.

The reception terminal2is connected to the management server1through the network3, and is placed on each floor of the building. When a user (a customer from the outside) inputs and selects the name and/or department and/or the like of the member whom the user is going to make contact with, the reception terminal2performs a so-called reception guidance such as indication of, and/or calling, the extension number of the member.

The operation of the overall system shown inFIG. 1is described below with reference toFIG. 2.

FIG. 2is a flow chart depicting the operation of this embodiment of the present invention. InFIG. 2, the steps S1and S3are the processes by the management server1and are executed by the processing unit10, and the steps S2, and S4to S6are the processes by each of the reception terminals2and are executed by the processing units20of the reception terminals2.

At the step S1, the server1transmits a start command to each of the reception terminal2. That is, the server1transmit, through the network3, a packet/command (e.g., MagicPacket) of instructing the reception terminal to turn on the power thereto to the reception terminals2registered in the terminal management master111. Wakeup On Lan supported by the packets of TCP/IP, IPX, etc., transmits information (synchronizing stream (6 bites FFh) and 16 times of IEEE address (MAC address) are repeated) constituting the MagicPack to the reception terminal2through the network3, and turns on (or off) the power to the CPU board (not shown) of the reception terminal2when the LAN controller21, which is also called a LAN card (seeFIG. 1), receives the information constituting the MagicPack.

At the step S2, the reception terminal2obtains a floor number. That is, the reception terminal2which was started at the step S1transmits the MAC address stored in the memory on the LAN card21to the server1, and then the server1, at the step S3, transmits the floor number, which is related to the MAC address and registered in the terminal management master111, to the reception terminal2, and at the step S2the reception terminal2obtains the transmitted floor number.

At the step S4, the company-wide telephone directory master is transmitted to the reception terminal2. That is, the server1transmits the company-wide telephone directory master to the reception terminal2through the network3. The reception terminal2stores the received company-wide telephone directory master in the external storage unit23. The company-wide telephone directory master stored in the external storage unit23is shown as the company-wide telephone directory master123.

At the step S5, the reception terminal2selects and reads the guidance information. That is, based on the floor number obtained at the step S2, the reception terminal2extracts the guidance information, to which the floor number has been set, from the company-wide telephone directory master123which was transferred to the external storage unit123at the step S4, and reads and keeps the guidance information.

At the step S6, the guidance information is displayed on the CRT (not shown) of the reception terminal2. That is, according to the requirement (e.g., guidance requirement designating the name, department, etc. of the member A) by a user, the reception terminal displays the guidance information (e.g., the extension number of the member A), and/or dials the extension number to call the member A.

As described above, the server1requests the reception terminals2placed on the many floors to turn on the power thereto, automatically, and at the same time, through the network3, at the time (predetermined time) for starting work in the early morning, and then requests each of the reception terminals, the power to which has been turned on, to transmit the MAC address to the server1, and then transmits the floor number corresponding the MAC address and the company-wide telephone directory master112to the reception terminal2. Each of the reception terminals2extracts the telephone directory of the floor where the reception terminal is placed from the company-wide telephone directory master112based on the received floor number, and displays the extension telephone number and/or the desk position and/or the like corresponding to the name and/or department and/or the like input by the user, for example, on the display. Thus, various kinds of guidance information may be given to the user, and the company-wide telephone directory master112is always renewed to the latest one so that the latest guidance information may be supplied to each of the reception terminals automatically. The above operation will be detailed below.

FIG. 3AandFIG. 3Bcomprise a flow chart depicting a first specific example of the operation of this embodiment of the present invention.

At the step S11inFIG. 3B, the server1reads the terminal management master111.

At the step S12, the server1transmits the start command to the reception terminals2.

At the step S13, the LAN controller21of the reception terminal2which has received the start command at the step S12starts this reception terminal2(turns on the power to the CPU board of the reception terminal2to start the reception terminal2).

At the step S14, the reception terminal2obtains a floor number. That is, the reception terminal2transmits a packet, in which the MAC address of the reception terminal2is set, of requesting a floor number to the server1, and the server1, at the step S15, issues a floor number (the server1retrieves, from the terminal management master111discussed later, the floor number corresponding to the MAC address required by the reception terminal2at the step S14), and then transmits the floor number to the reception terminal2.

At the step S16, the server1determines whether all of the reception terminals have started. In case of yes, the process of the server1is finished. In case of no, the process returns to the step S12.

At the step S17, the company-wide telephone directory master112is transmitted. That is, the reception terminal2requests the server1to transmit the company-wide telephone directory master112to the reception terminal2through the network3. The company-wide telephone directory master in the reception terminal2is shown as the company-wide telephone directory master123inFIG. 3A.

At the step S18, the company-wide telephone directory master123is read.

At the step S19, it is determined whether the reading process has finished for all of the members of the company registered in the company-wide telephone directory master123. In case of yes, the process is finished. In case of no, the process goes to the step S20.

At the step S20, it is determined whether the floor number of the member designated by a user is equal to the floor number obtained at the step S14. In case of yes, the guidance information is displayed at the step S21, and then the process returns to the step S18. In case of no, the process returns to the step S18. Thus, the reception terminal2may automatically perform a so-called reception operation of extracting only the guidance information, corresponding to the floor number obtained at the step S14, of the service area of this reception terminal2from the company-wide telephone directory master123, and of displaying the extension telephone number and/or the desk position and/or the like corresponding to the name and/or department and/or the like input and/or selected by a user, and/or of dialing the extension telephone number.

As described above, the server1automatically transmits a power start command to the reception terminals2, whose MAC addresses are registered in the terminal management master111, in order to start the reception terminals at the time for starting work in the early morning, and then requests the reception terminals2which have started to transmit the floor number request in which a MAC address has been set, and then transmits the floor number designating the service area corresponding to the MAC address. Thus, the reception terminal2may extract the guidance information of the service area from the company-wide telephone directory master123based on the floor number, and gives the guidance information to the user (for example, displays the extension telephone number and/or the desk position corresponding to the name and/or department which have been input).

FIG. 4is a flow chart depicting a second specific example of the operation of this embodiment of the present invention.

At the step S31inFIG. 4, the power to the reception terminal2is turned on. That is, an administrator or the like turns on the power to the reception terminal2.

At the step S32, the reception terminal2obtains a floor number. That is, the reception terminal the power to which was turned on at the step S31starts automatically, and transmits the packet in which a MAC address is set to the server1through the network3to request a floor number.

At the step S33, it is determined whether there is no response from the server1. That is, after the packet in which a MAC address is set was transmitted to the server1at the step S32, it is determined whether there is no response from the server1. In case of yes, the reception terminal2assumes that some failure of the server1has occurred, and obtains, at the step S34, the floor number stored in the external storage unit23or a volatile memory (not shown) at the last start, and then the process goes to the step S36. In case of no at the step S33, since the reception terminal2has obtained a floor number from the server1, the process goes to the step S35. At the step S35, the server1transmits the latest company-wide telephone directory master112to the reception terminal2. The company-wide telephone directory master in the external storage unit23is replaced with the latest company-wide telephone directory master. The process then goes to the step S36.

At the step S36, the company-wide telephone directory master123is read. That is, the contents of the company-wide telephone directory master123stored in the external storage unit23are read in sequence.

At the step S37, it is determined whether the reading process has finished for all of the members of the company registered in the company-wide telephone directory master123. In case of yes, the process is finished. In case of no, the process goes to the step S38.

At the step S38, it is determined if the floor number of the member designated by a user is equal to the floor number obtained at the step S32or S34. That is, it is determined whether the floor number obtained from the server1is equal to the floor number in the entry read out from the company-wide telephone directory master123, or it is determined, in case that a floor number could not be obtained, whether the floor number obtained at the last time is equal to the floor number in the entry read out from the company-wide telephone directory master123. In case of yes, the guidance information is displayed (the extension telephone number and/or the desk position and/or the like of the member corresponding to the retrieval request designating the name and/or department and/or the like of the member from a user (customer) are displayed on the guidance screen) at the step S39, and then the process returns to the step S36. In case of no, the process returns to the step S36.

As described above, when the power to the reception terminal2is turned on, the reception terminal2transmits the MAC address to the server1. When there is no response from the server1, the reception terminal2reads the floor number obtained at the last start. On the other hand, when the reception terminal2receives a floor number from the server1, the reception terminal2keeps the floor number, and then requests the server1to transmit the latest company-wide telephone directory master and replaces the company-wide telephone directory master stored in the external storage unit23with the latest company-wide telephone directory master. Thus, the reception terminal may give a reception guidance to a user by extracting the guidance information corresponding the floor number from the company-wide telephone directory master based on the floor number and by displaying the extension telephone number and/or the desk position when the user has requested the guidance about a member whose name and/or department and/or the like have been input on the guidance information displayed. Thus, even if the reception terminal2can not be connected to the server1, when the power to the reception terminal is turned on, the reception terminal2may extract the guidance information corresponding to the floor where the reception terminal2is placed from the company-wide telephone directory master123which has been kept based on the floor number obtained at the last start, and may display the extension telephone number and/or the desk position of a member corresponding to the request of the guidance about the member by a user, and thereby may start the reception guidance without a stop.

FIG. 5AandFIG. 5Bcomprise a flow chart depicting a third specific example of the operation of an embodiment of the present invention.

At the step S41inFIG. 5B, the server1reads the terminal management master111.

At the step S42, the server1transmits the start command to the reception terminals2.

At the step S43, the LAN controller21of the reception terminal2which has received the start command at the step S42starts this reception terminal2(turns on the power to the CPU board of the reception terminal2to start the reception terminal2).

At the step S44, the reception terminal2obtains a floor number. That is, the reception terminal2transmits a packet, in which the MAC address of the reception terminal2is set, of requesting a floor number to the server1, and the server1, at the step S45, issues a floor number (the server1retrieves, from the terminal management master111discussed later, the floor number corresponding to the MAC address required by the reception terminal2at the step S44), and then transmits the floor number to the reception terminal2.

At the step S46, the server1determines whether all of the reception terminals have started. In case of yes, the process of the server1is finished. In case of no, the process returns to the step S42.

At the step S47, the company-wide telephone directory master112is transmitted. That is, the reception terminal2requests the server1to transmit the company-wide telephone directory master112to the reception terminal2through the network3. The company-wide telephone directory master in the reception terminal2is shown as the company-wide telephone directory master123inFIG. 5A.

At the step S48, the company-wide telephone directory master123is read.

At the step S49, it is determined whether the reading process has finished for all of the members of the company registered in the company-wide telephone directory master123. In case of yes, the process is finished. In case pf no, the process goes to the step S50.

At the step S50, it is determined whether the floor number of the member designated by a user is equal to the floor number obtained at the step S44. That is, it is determined whether the floor number obtained at the step S44is equal to the floor number in the entry read out from the company-wide telephone directory master123, or equal to the particular number (e.g., 0) designating the company-wide guidance information. In case of yes, the reception terminal2may automatically perform so-called reception operation, in relation to the contents of the entry extracted from the company-wide telephone directory master123, of displaying the extension telephone number and/or the desk position and/or the like corresponding to the name and/or department and/or the like input and/or selected by a user, and/or of dialing the extension telephone number.

FIG. 6AandFIG. 6Bcomprise a flow chart depicting a fourth specific example of the operation of this embodiment of the present invention. This operation includes the automatic setting of a MAC address.

At the step S61inFIG. 6A, the power to the reception terminal2is turned on. That is, an administrator or the like performs the operation of turning on the power to the reception terminal2.

At the step S62, the reception terminal2obtains a floor number. That is, the reception terminal, the power to which was turned on at the step S61, starts automatically, and transmits the packet in which a MAC address is set to the server1through the network3to request a floor number. Corresponding to this operation, the server1which has read the terminal management master111at the step S71receives the MAC address from the reception terminal2at the step S72. The server1, at the step S73, determines whether the MAC address has been unregistered in the terminal management master111. In case of yes, the server1registers the MAC address in the terminal management master111at the step S74, and then issues the floor number (0(zero) designating the all floors in this example)) to transmit it to the reception terminal2. On the other hand, in case of no at the step S73, the server1reads out the floor number in the entry of the MAC address registered in the terminal management master111, and then transmits the floor number which has read out at the step S75to the reception terminal2.

At the step S63, it is determined whether there is no response from the server1. That is, the reception terminal2transmits the packet requesting a floor number to the server1at the step S62, and determines whether there is no response from the server1after a predetermined time has passed. In case of yes, the reception terminal2assumes that some failure at the server1has occurred, and obtains, at the step S64, the floor number stored in the external storage unit23at the last start, and then the process goes to the step S66. In case of no at the step S63, since the reception terminal2has obtained a floor number from the server1, the process goes to the step S65. At the step S65, the server1transmits the latest company-wide telephone directory master112to the reception terminal2. The company-wide telephone directory master in the external storage unit23is replaced with the latest company-wide telephone directory master. The process then goes to the step S66.

At the step S66, the company-wide telephone directory master123is read. That is, the contents of the company-wide telephone directory master123stored in the external storage unit23are read in sequence.

At the step S67, it is determined whether the reading process has finished for all of the members of the company registered in the company-wide telephone directory master123. In case of yes, the process is finished. In case of no, the process goes to the step S68.

At the step S68, it is determined whether the floor number of the member designated by a user is equal to the floor number obtained at the step S62or S64. That is, it is determined whether the floor number obtained from the server1is equal to the floor number in the entry read out from the company-wide telephone directory master123, or it is determined, in case that a floor number could not be obtained, whether the floor number obtained at the last time is equal to the floor number in the entry read out from the company-wide telephone directory master123. In case of yes, the guidance information is displayed (the extension telephone number and/or the desk position and/or the like of the member corresponding to the retrieval request designating the name and/or department and/or the like of the member from a user (customer) are displayed on the guidance screen) at the step S69, and then the process returns to the step S66. In case of no, the process returns to the step S66.

As described above, when the power to the reception terminal2is turned on, the reception terminal2transmits the MAC address to the server1. When there is no response from the server1, the reception terminal2reads the floor number obtained at the last start. On the other hand, when the reception terminal2receives a floor number from the server1, the reception terminal2obtains this floor number, and then requests the server1to transmit the latest company-wide telephone directory master and replaces the company-wide telephone directory master stored in the external storage unit23with the latest company-wide telephone directory master. When the MAC address which has been transmitted to the server1is not registered in the terminal management master111, that is, when a new reception terminal2is connected to the network3and transmits a MAC address to the server1to request a floor number, the server1registers the MAC address of the new reception terminal2in the terminal management master111. The server1sets the floor number0(zero) designating the guidance about all of the floors, and transmits the floor number0to the new reception terminal2. The reception terminal may give a reception guidance to a user by extracting the guidance information corresponding the floor number from the company-wide telephone directory master based on the floor number and by displaying the extension telephone number and/or the desk position when the user has requested the guidance about a member whose name and/or department and/or the like have been input on the guidance information displayed.

When a reception terminal2is out of order, the reception terminal2is removed from the network, and a new reception terminal2is connected to the network instead of it. After the power to the new reception terminal2has been turned on, the new reception terminal2is connected to the server1, and the MAC address of the new reception terminal2is registered in the terminal management master111. The server1then sets the floor number0, and transmits the floor number0to the new reception terminal. Consequently, the new reception terminal2is incorporated in the terminal management master111. After that, the administrator may change, whenever necessary, the floor number0in the terminal management master111to the floor number corresponding to the MAC address of the new reception terminal2so that the new reception terminal2may offer the reception guidance only of the floor where the new reception terminal2is placed.

FIG. 7shows an example of the terminal management master111in this embodiment. Registered in the terminal management master111are floor numbers, MAC addresses, remarks (place and floor name corresponding to the floor number), and others related to the floor numbers.

The floor numbers are the numbers designating the places such as the floors of a building of a certain company. The MAC addresses are the MAC addresses of the reception terminals2placed on the floors or the like designated by the floor numbers. “A building 1F” and the like in the remark column mean the places designated by the floor numbers. The MAC address is a unique address given to the hardware of the reception terminal2connected to the network.

As described above, since the floor numbers are set being related to the MAC addresses (unique addresses of the reception terminals), the place covered by each of the reception terminals2(the place designated by the floor number) may be registered and managed, and the guidance information which is offered in the place designated by the floor number may be extracted from the company-wide telephone directory master112described below based on the floor number.

FIG. 8shows an example of the company-wide telephone directory master in this embodiment. In the company-wide telephone directory master112, the following data are registered as shown inFIG. 8.Level-1 DepartmentLevel-2 Department. . .Level-n DepartmentKana NameKanji NameFloor Number(Number designating a place in the company)Extension Telephone NumberOthers (Desk position on the floor, etc.)

InFIG. 8, level-1, level-2, . . . , level-n departments are the higher level to lower level departments to which a member of the company belongs (for example, the general affairs department—the general affairs section— . . . ). Kana name is the name expressed with Japanese Kana characters, Kanji name is the name expressed with Chinese characters. The floor number is the number of the floor where the department to which a member of the company belongs is located.

As described above, since departments, names, floor numbers, extension numbers, and others (desk positions, places shown in the layout of the department) are registered, the reception terminal may retrieve the extension telephone numbers and/or desk positions corresponding the floor number, and display them on the guidance screen of the reception terminal to offer the guidance information. That is, the reception terminals2to which floor numbers1to n are transmitted respectively, may retrieve the extension telephone numbers and/or the desk positions of the members to whom the floor numbers are set respectively, and display them to offer the guidance information. On the other hand, the reception terminal to which the floor number0is transmitted may retrieve extension telephone numbers and/or the desk positions of the members to whom all of the floor numbers are set, and display them to offer the guidance information.

As described above, in the present invention, each of the reception terminals2is connected to the management server1through a network3so that the power to the reception terminal2may be turned on and off automatically by the management server1, and the number (e.g., floor number) corresponding to the guidance information is transmitted from the management server1to the reception terminal2when the reception terminal2is connected to the network3so that the extension telephone number and/or desk position and/or the like, of the member designated by a user, in the guidance information extracted from the company-wide information based on the number, or in the company-wide guidance information, may be indicated for the user.

When a reception terminal2is out of order, the reception terminal2is removed from the network, and a new reception terminal2is connected to the network instead of it. After the power to the new reception terminal2has been turned on, the new reception terminal2is connected to the server1, and the MAC address of the new reception terminal2is transmitted to the server1automatically and registered in the terminal management master111. The reception terminal2receives a floor number and the company-wide telephone directory master112so that the extension number and/or desk position retrieved based on the name and/or department designated by a user may be indicated for the user. And the administrator may change, whenever necessary, the floor number, in the terminal management master111, corresponding to the MAC address of the new reception terminal2, to any number so that the new reception terminal2may offer the guidance information only about the members on the floor where the new reception terminal2is placed.