Conference support device, conference support method, and computer-readable medium storing conference support program

A conference support method that, by controlling communication among a plurality of conference terminals, supports a video conference that is conducted among conference participants who are using the conference terminals, the conference support method comprising the steps of:

• receiving, from the plurality of the conference terminals, captured images that are captured by image capture devices of the conference terminals and in each of which at least one of the conference participants is visible;
• receiving, from a first conference terminal that is one of the plurality of the conference terminals, a voice that is generated by a first participant, who is the conference participant who is using the first conference terminal, the voice being input from a voice input device of the first conference terminal;
• recognizing the voice that has been received;
• creating text data that express words that are included in the voice, based on the result of the recognizing of the voice;
• specifying, based on the result of the recognizing of the voice, a second participant, who is the conference participant whom the voice is addressing;
• creating a display image that is to be displayed on display devices of the plurality of the conference terminals from the captured images that have been received, and in which the text data that have been created are associated with a portion of the captured image that corresponds to the first participant and a specified image is associated with a portion of the captured image that corresponds to at least one of the first participant and the second participant who has been specified;
• and
• transmitting the display image that has been created to the plurality of the conference terminals, in order for the display image to be displayed on the display devices of the plurality of the conference terminals.

A computer-readable medium that stores a conference support program for a conference support device that, by controlling communication among a plurality of conference terminals, supports a video conference that is conducted among conference participants who are using the conference terminals, the program comprising instructions that cause a computer of the conference support device to perform the steps of:

• receiving, from the plurality of the conference terminals, captured images that are captured by image capture devices of the conference terminals and in each of which at least one of the conference participants is visible;
• receiving, from a first conference terminal that is one of the plurality of the conference terminals, a voice that is generated by a first participant, who is the conference participant who is using the first conference terminal, the voice being input from a voice input device of the first conference terminal;
• recognizing the voice that has been received;
• creating text data that express words that are included in the voice, based on the result of the recognizing of the voice;
• specifying, based on the result of the recognizing of the voice, a second participant, who is the conference participant whom the voice is addressing;
• creating a display image that is to be displayed on display devices of the plurality of the conference terminals from the captured images that have been received, and in which the text data that have been created are associated with a portion of the captured image that corresponds to the first participant and a specified image is associated with a portion of the captured image that corresponds to at least one of the first participant and the second participant who has been specified;
• and
• transmitting the display image that has been created to the plurality of the conference terminals, in order for the display image to be displayed on the display devices of the plurality of the conference terminals.