Patent Publication Number: US-2020278998-A1

Title: Information processing apparatus and non-transitory computer readable medium storing program

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is based on and claims priority under 35 USC 119 from Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-036718 filed Feb. 28, 2019. 
     BACKGROUND 
     (i) Technical Field 
     The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program. 
     (ii) Related Art 
     In a system that uses a complex physical phenomenon, many events are commonly linked in a chain relationship, for example, in a manner in which there are a plurality of events causing a result such as a final quality of a product, there are also a plurality of events causing the events, and there are further a plurality of events causing the plurality of events, and so on. 
     In such a complex system, since there are many qualities that have to be met, a cause-and-effect relationship between design groups and quality groups becomes extremely complex. For this reason, it is difficult to find a design item for satisfying a desired quality, and a problem, in that a change in design value for satisfying a certain quality adversely affects another quality, is likely to occur. 
     There are known several methods for visualizing and organizing a cause-and-effect relationship between complex events. As a representative method, there are a relationship diagram and a quality function development table. The relationship diagram expresses a relationship between events, and expresses a cause-and-effect relationship by connecting an event corresponding to a result and an event corresponding to a cause using a relationship line. A typical example of the relationship diagram is a logic tree. The quality function deployment table is also called a QFD table, and is expressed by symbols or numerical values in a case where axes, in which events are mapped side by side on a half line, are arranged so as to be orthogonal to each other and relationships between events on each axis are arranged in a matrix shape between adjacent axes. 
     The relationship diagram is useful for illustrating results and causes of the results in detail without omission or duplication. Meanwhile, in a case where the number of target events increases too much, the relationship diagram becomes too complicated and enlarged, and as a result, practical use of the relationship diagram becomes difficult. On the other hand, in the quality function development table, relationships between many results and many causes can be expressed in a simple way by extracting important events from among many events, arranging the extracted important events on the axis, and expressing a cause-and-effect relationship by a matrix. Meanwhile, the quality function development table cannot express a detailed cause-and-effect relationship including events which are not arranged on the axis, and as a result, omission or missing of items is likely to occur. For this reason, it is considered to simply express a cause-and-effect relationship between many events corresponding to causes and many events corresponding to results while extracting and describing the cause-and-effect relationship in detail without omission or duplication by using the relationship diagram and the multi-axis quality function development table together. 
     JP2014-112338A discloses an information processing apparatus that displays items on an adjacent axis which are associated with items on a certain axis in the quality function development table. The information processing apparatus disclosed in JP2014-112338A extracts, in a case where a first item is selected from items on a certain axis of the quality function development table, a second item from an adjacent axis adjacent to the certain axis by calculating an association between the first item and items belonging to the adjacent axis, extracts a third item from an axis adjacent to the second item by calculating an association between the first item and items belonging to the axis based on an association between the extracted second item and items belonging to the axis, and displays these items. In this way, by analyzing the association between items with a hierarchical structure, the cause-and-effect relationship may be displayed not only in one direction but in alternate directions. 
     SUMMARY 
     Aspects of non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure relate to an information processing apparatus and a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program capable of assisting creation of a relationship diagram by presenting a branch perspective which is associated with an event in a case of creating a relationship diagram representing a structure between a plurality of events. 
     Aspects of certain non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure address the above advantages and/or other advantages not described above. However, aspects of the non-limiting embodiments are not required to address the advantages described above, and aspects of the non-limiting embodiments of the present disclosure may not address advantages described above. 
     According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a display section that displays a branch perspective which is stored in advance in association with an event in a case of creating a relationship diagram representing a structure between a plurality of events. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Exemplary embodiment(s) of the present invention will be described in detail based on the following figures, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a relationship diagram; 
         FIG. 2  is a configuration diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a way of assisting creation of a relationship diagram according to a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a branch perspective that is switched and displayed in accordance with a selected event; 
         FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a way of assisting creation of a relationship diagram according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a way of assisting creation of a relationship diagram according to a third exemplary embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 7  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a way of assisting creation of a relationship diagram according to a fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Description of Relationship Diagram 
     The present invention is for assisting creation of a relationship diagram by presenting a branch perspective which is associated with an event in a case of creating a relationship diagram representing a structure of a cause-and-effect relationship between a plurality of events as various events. Firstly, the relationship diagram will be briefly described. In order to visualize the structure of the cause-and-effect relationship between events, the relationship diagram is a tree diagram (logic tree) obtained by connecting shapes describing events to each other by lines according to a dependence state based on a dependence relationship between the events. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates an example of a relationship diagram. A relationship diagram has, for example, a hierarchical structure including a product quality required by a customer, a function for realizing the quality, a physical characteristic value for realizing the function, and a design parameter (control parameter) for realizing the physical characteristic value. 
     A part of the relationship diagram  20  illustrated in  FIG. 1  will be described. First, there is a decal curvature difference  200  as a printing paper quality required by a customer. As a function for realizing the decal curvature difference  200 , there are a bending yield contribution  201  and a bending time  202 . As a physical characteristic for realizing the bending yield contribution  201 , there are a yield limit  203  and a bending strain  204 . Further, as the physical characteristic for realizing the yield limit  203 , there are a yield stress  205 , an environmental change  206 , and yield environment dependency  207 . As a design parameter for realizing the yield stress  205  and yield environment dependency  207 , there is a paper type  210 , and as a design parameter for realizing the environmental change  206 , there are a temperature  208  and a moisture content  209 . 
     In the relationship diagram  20 , the events are connected to each other by a line with an arrow at the end. In this case, the event at the beginning of the arrow represents a cause, and the event at the end of the arrow represents a result. Thus, for example, the bending yield contribution  201  and the bending time  202  are associated with the decal curvature difference  200 . Further, in the relationship diagram  20 , all of the lines representing the relationship between the events are represented by the same line. On the other hand, a thickness and a line type of the line may be changed and displayed depending on the relationship between the events. 
     In manufacturing of a product, for example, in a case where the paper type  210  as a design parameter on the lowermost layer is changed, the yield stress  205  is changed due to the change of the paper type  210 . As the yield stress  205  is changed, the yield limit  203  is changed, and as the yield limit  203  is changed, the bending yield contribution  201  is changed. Thereby, the decal curvature difference  200  as required quality is influenced. In designing of a product, in order to obtain finally-required quality, the paper type  210  and other design parameters are determined. Therefore, it is important to create the relationship diagram such that there is no omission or duplication. 
     First Exemplary Embodiment 
     Hereinafter, a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. 
     Configuration of Information Processing Apparatus 
       FIG. 2  is a configuration diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of an information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the information processing apparatus  1  includes a control unit  10 , a storage unit  12 , an operation unit  14 , a display unit  16 , and an external I/F  18 . 
     The control unit  10  includes a central processing unit (CPU), a memory, and the like, and controls each unit and executes various programs. 
     The control unit  10  includes event/branch selection reception means  100 , event search means  101 , branch prediction means  102 , event/branch determination means  103 , and a display section  104 . 
     The storage unit  12  is configured with a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory, and stores information. 
     The storage unit  12  stores an information processing program  120 , and includes a branch perspective database  121 , a previous relationship diagram database  122 , and a branch format  123 . 
     As the operation unit  14 , a keyboard, a mouse, a touch panel, and the like may be appropriately selected and used. The display unit  16  displays a text, an image, and the like, and is configured with a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD). The external I/F  18  is for connecting the information processing apparatus  1  to an external database or another system apparatus via a line or the like. 
     The control unit  10  executes the information processing program  120  stored in the storage unit  12 , and thus functions as the event/branch selection reception means  100 , the event search means  101 , the branch prediction means  102 , the event/branch determination means  103 , and the display section  104 . 
     The event/branch selection reception means  100  receives a fact indicating that a creator selects an event or a branch via the operation unit  14  while viewing information displayed on the display unit  16  in a case of creating the relationship diagram. The event search means  101  searches for, as required, branch structure information of a branch portion including an event and a plurality of events which are associated with the event, from the previous relationship diagram database  122  in which previous relationship diagrams are accumulated. 
     In a case where the creator selects one event during creation of the relationship diagram, the branch prediction means  102  predicts a way of a branching in association with the event. In a case where the creator selects an event or a branch from among several candidates during creation of the relationship diagram, the event/branch determination means  103  determines the selected event or branch as a component of the relationship diagram, and organizes the relationship diagram. 
     The display section  104  displays various information such as the relationship diagram and branch candidates, on the display unit  16 , in order to assist creation of the relationship diagram by the creator. 
     The information processing program  120  stored in the storage unit  12  causes the control unit  10  to function as each means described above. In the branch perspective database  121 , branch perspectives which are associated with events are accumulated in advance as a template or a database. 
     The previous relationship diagram database  122  is a database in which pieces of information of relationship diagrams previously created are accumulated. The branch format  123  stores a format for creating a branch perspective that allows the creator to list available dictionaries as branch item candidates. 
     Operation According to First Exemplary Embodiment 
     Next, an operation of the information processing apparatus  1  according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to  FIG. 3 . 
       FIG. 3  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a way of assisting creation of a relationship diagram according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention. As described above, the relationship diagram has a structure including four layers of a quality, a function, a physical property value, and a design parameter. In the relationship diagram  30  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , a leftmost new event ( 1 ) corresponds to a quality, new events ( 2 ) to ( 6 ) on the right of the leftmost new event ( 1 ) correspond to functions, new events ( 13 ) to ( 15 ) and ( 28 ) on the right of the new events ( 2 ) to ( 6 ) correspond to physical characteristic values, and rightmost new events ( 25 ) to ( 27 ) correspond to design parameters. 
     In the relationship diagram  30  illustrated in  FIG. 3 , an up arrow is entered in a frame indicating each event such as the new event ( 1 ) or the like, and the up arrow represents that a value of the event is increased. In fact, there are an up arrow and a down arrow, and the down arrow represents that a value of the event is decreased. For example, the up arrow is entered in frames of the new event ( 1 ) and the new event ( 2 ). It means that, in a case where a value of the new event ( 2 ) is increased, a value of the new event ( 1 ) is also increased. 
     Hereinafter, an operation of creating the relationship diagram with assistance according to execution of the information processing program  120  will be described. 
     In a case of creating the relationship diagram  30  as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , first, an event (component) as the leftmost new event ( 1 ) is input via the operation unit  14 . In response to input of the event, the event/branch selection reception means  100  receives the event and displays the event on the display unit  16  via the display section  104 . At this stage, only a frame of the leftmost new event ( 1 ) in  FIG. 3  is displayed with the event currently entered therein. 
     Thereby, an event causing the new event ( 1 ) as a result, that is, a branch component candidate for the event causing the new event ( 1 ), is displayed as a branch perspective by the information processing program  120 . At this time, the branch perspective may be automatically displayed. Alternatively, in a case where the creator is inquired as to whether or not to display the branch perspective and the creator requests display of the branch perspective, the branch perspective may be displayed. The branch perspective means a branch structure of a tree diagram in which, in a case where there are a plurality of events that correspond to a selected event and cause or bring the selected event, the selected event is set as a parent event and the plurality of events causing or bringing the selected event are set child events. 
     In a state where the branch perspectives are displayed, in a case where the creator selects a branch perspective from among the displayed branch perspectives, the event/branch selection reception means  100  receives the selected branch perspective, and the event/branch determination means  103  requests the creator to confirm the selected branch perspective and requests the display section  104  to display the confirmed branch perspective. Thereby, for example, the new events ( 2 ) to ( 6 ) illustrated in  FIG. 3  are determined as branch events for the new event ( 1 ), and are added to the relationship diagram. 
     Next, the new events ( 13 ) to ( 15 ) and ( 28 ) are determined in the same manner, for example, as branch events for the new event ( 3 ). 
     For example, a case of determining the branch events for the new event ( 13 ) will be described in detail. 
     In a case where the creator selects the new event ( 13 ) and inputs a specific event in the frame of the new event ( 13 ), as illustrated in  FIG. 3 , the display section  104  displays branch perspectives  300  on a display screen as a balloon. In the example of  FIG. 3 , in the branch perspectives  300 , A  302  and B  303  are displayed as a first perspective  301 , and C  305  and D  306  are displayed as a second perspective  304 . 
     In displaying of the branch perspectives for a certain event, the branch perspectives may be automatically displayed in a case where the creator selects a certain event, or the branch perspectives may be displayed in a case where the creator confirms whether or not to display the branch perspectives and instructs display of the branch perspectives. 
     Here, the display section  104  switches and displays the branch perspectives  300  according to the event selected on the display screen on which the relationship diagram is displayed.  FIG. 4  illustrates an example of the branch perspectives which are switched and displayed according to the selected event. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , for example, for a specific event which is input as the new event ( 13 ) by the creator, as the first perspective, a space division perspective  311  including A location  312  and B location  313  is displayed, and as a second aspect, a physical law perspective  314 , which includes friction coefficient  315  and normal force  316  based on a physical law equation F=μN, is displayed. 
     The creator may select an optimal perspective from the branch perspectives displayed on the display unit  16 . In a case where the creator selects an optimal perspective, the event/branch selection reception means  100  receives the selected perspective, and the display section  104  displays the received perspective on the display unit  16 , as a branch event for the new event ( 13 ). In this way, a branch selected from the display screen displaying the relationship diagram is added to the relationship diagram. 
     In a case where the creator confirms the added branch, the event/branch determination means  103  determines the added branch as a branch event for the new event ( 13 ). In this way, branch events are determined for each event, and thus the relationship diagram is created. 
     Second Exemplary Embodiment 
     Next, a second exemplary embodiment according to the present invention will be described. 
     A configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the second exemplary embodiment is the same as the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 2  as in the first exemplary embodiment. In the second exemplary embodiment, in order to assist creation of the relationship diagram by the creator, the display section  104  displays the branch perspectives by setting a cause-and-effect relationship between events and a positional relationship in the relationship diagram as attributes, searching for events from the database (previous relationship diagram database  122 ) in which previously-created relationship diagrams are accumulated, using the cause-and-effect relationship and the positional relationship in the relationship diagram as the attributes, and displaying searched events as candidates in descending order of matching degree. 
       FIG. 5  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a way of assisting creation of a relationship diagram according to the second exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Even in the second exemplary embodiment, as illustrated in the relationship diagram  40  of  FIG. 5 , a relationship diagram is created with a tree diagram structure in which the leftmost new event ( 1 ) is branched to the right events. 
     Here, a case of obtaining events, which are branched from the new event ( 13 ) to the right, will be described. In a case where an event as the new event ( 13 ) is input, the event search means  101  searches for events associated with the new event ( 13 ), from the previous relationship diagram database  122 , using the cause-and-effect relationship and the positional relationship in the relationship diagram as attributes, and extracts an event with a high matching degree. The display section  104  displays, as a branch item candidate, the event extracted by the event search means  101 , on the display unit  16 . 
     For example, it is assumed that “paper thickness” as a paper attribute is selected for the new event ( 13 ). In this regard, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , in branch perspectives  400 , stress  401 , resistance  402 , friction coefficient  403 , and normal force  404  are displayed in a balloon on the relationship diagram  40 , as branch item candidates associated with “paper thickness”. 
     The creator confirms the display, and selects some (or all) of the branch item candidates displayed in the branch perspectives  400 . Thereby, a new event which is branched from the new event ( 13 ) is mapped on the right of the new event ( 13 ). 
     Third Exemplary Embodiment 
     Next, a third exemplary embodiment according to the present invention will be described. 
     A configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the third exemplary embodiment is the same as the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 2  as in the first exemplary embodiment. In the third exemplary embodiment, in order to assist creation of the relationship diagram by the creator, in a case where the creator selects one branch during creation of the relationship diagram, the display section  104  predicts a way of branching in parallel or in series with the selected branch, and displays a predicted branch. 
       FIG. 6  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a way of assisting creation of a relationship diagram according to the third exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In the relationship diagram  50  of  FIG. 6 , it is assumed that the creator selects Shinkansen  52  as one event corresponding to one branch of vehicles  51 . 
     In this case, the branch prediction means  102  predicts, as other branch item candidates, train  501 , bus  502 , taxi  503 , and walk  504 , which correspond to other vehicles, for example, in a parallel relationship with Shinkansen  52  corresponding to one branch of the vehicles  51 . 
     The display section  104  displays branch perspectives  500  including the branch item candidates predicted by the branch prediction means  102 , on the display unit  16 . Here, the branch item candidates, which are in a parallel relationship with the selected one branch item, are displayed. On the other hand, in some cases, only the branch item candidates, which are in a serial relationship with the selected one branch item, may be predicted and displayed. Further, the creator may select which branch item to predict. 
     Fourth Exemplary Embodiment 
     Next, a fourth exemplary embodiment according to the present invention will be described. 
     A configuration of the information processing apparatus according to the fourth exemplary embodiment is the same as the configuration illustrated in  FIG. 2  as in the first exemplary embodiment. In the fourth exemplary embodiment, by providing a format for creating branch perspectives that allows the creator himself/herself to think of branch item candidates and to list many branch item candidates, it is possible to assist creation of the relationship diagram by the creator. 
       FIG. 7  is an explanatory diagram illustrating a way of assisting creation of a relationship diagram according to the fourth exemplary embodiment of the present invention. In a relationship diagram  60  illustrated in  FIG. 7 , a case of creating a branch of a new event ( 13 ) is considered. It is assumed that the creator himself/herself creates branch perspectives of the new event ( 13 ), for example, for vehicles. In this case, the display section  104  causes the display unit  16  to display a format which allows the creator to list branch item candidates. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 7 , the creator writes, as branch items for vehicles, specific vehicles such as company-owned car  601 , taxi  602 , bus  603 , subway  604 , JR  605 , or monorail  606 , in a frame of the branch perspective  600  via the operation unit  14 , as the creator himself/herself thinks. Ina case where the creator cannot think of a branch item, for example, many branch items may be listed from a plurality of persons by brainstorming or the like. 
     Thereafter, the creator creates the branch perspective by encircling and grouping the vehicles which are listed a lot, for example, like car  61  and railway  62 . As described above, in the present exemplary embodiment, in a case where the creator himself/herself creates the branch perspective, the display section  104  provides a format for creating the branch perspective. Thereby, it is possible to assist creation of the relationship diagram. 
     While exemplary embodiments of the present invention have been described, the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments. The present invention may be freely modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the inventions. For example, the information processing program  120  according to the exemplary embodiment may be provided by being stored in a recording medium such as a CD-ROM. 
     In addition, the program used in the exemplary embodiment may be stored in an external server such as a cloud server, and may be used via a network. 
     Further, some or all of components of the control unit  10  may be configured with hardware circuits such as field programmable gate array (FPGA) and application specific integrated circuits (ASIC). 
     The foregoing description of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention has been provided for the purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obviously, many modifications and variations will be apparent to practitioners skilled in the art. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, thereby enabling others skilled in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments and with the various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the following claims and their equivalents.