Content processing system, content processing method, and content processing program

Abstract

Improve serviceability by arranging content in diverse layouts. [Solution] The content processing system 1 prints advertisements by soliciting bids through an auction. The advertisement provision server 100 performs the following actions: S5 requests bids for advertisements to be allocated to one or more advertisement slots based on predetermined bidding conditions; S7 receives bids in response to the request in S5; S100 determines a layout pattern in which one or more advertisement slots for which bids have been received in S7 are arranged, and the winning advertisements that fit the advertisement slots included in the layout pattern; S22 acquires advertisement images related to the determined winning advertisements; and S23 generates a distribution image of the advertisement images by allocating the acquired advertisement images to the advertisement slots of the layout pattern. The printer 200 prints print data based on the distribution image generated in S23.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a content processing system, a content processing method, and a content processing program that perform processing for distributing content provided by content providers. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, technologies for distributing content are known, for example, as described in Patent Document 1. A service provider, upon receiving a media purchase request from a user, determines the number and size of advertising information based on the electronic copy of the media received from the content provider, and solicits bids from advertising information providers. The service provider then decides which advertising information to insert into the media in response to the bids from the advertising information providers, and sends the media with the inserted advertising information to the purchaser. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2003-058632 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0004] In the technology described in Patent Document 1, the layout of the content was determined in advance, and based on that determination, bids were solicited for content that matched the number and size of content to be inserted into the layout. Therefore, there was room for improvement in terms of arranging content in diverse layouts to improve serviceability.

[0005] The object of the present invention is to provide a content processing system, a content processing method, and a content processing program that can arrange content in various layouts and improve serviceability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this disclosure relates to the following technology. A content processing system is a content processing system that solicits bids by auction and outputs content, comprising: a request unit that requests bids for content to be allocated to one or more content slots based on predetermined bidding conditions; a receiving unit that receives bids in response to the requests by the request unit; a determination unit that determines a layout pattern in which one or more of the content slots from which the receiving unit has received bids are arranged, and a specific bid that fits the content slots included in the layout pattern; an acquisition unit that acquires specific content related to the specific bid determined by the determination unit; a generation unit that generates output data for the specific content by allocating the specific content acquired by the acquisition unit to the content slots in the layout pattern; and an output unit that outputs data based on the output data generated by the generation unit.

[0007] In this disclosure, the requesting section simultaneously requests bids for content to be allocated to the content slots. The decision unit determines a layout pattern in which one or more content frames, for which the receiving unit has received bids, are arranged, as requested. The decision unit also determines a specific bid that fits the content frames of the layout pattern as the winning bid, and the acquisition unit acquires the specific content related to that specific bid. The generation unit assigns the specific content acquired by the acquisition unit to the content frame of the layout pattern to generate output data, and the output unit outputs that output data. As described above, according to the disclosure of this application, the layout pattern is determined variably according to the results of the bid, making it possible to output content in a variety of layouts and improving serviceability.

[0008] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objectives, this disclosure relates to the following technology. The content processing method is a content processing method executed by a content processing system that solicits bids by auction and outputs content, and comprises: a request step of requesting bids for content to be assigned to one or more content slots based on predetermined bidding conditions; a receiving step of receiving bids in response to the request in the request step; a determination step of determining a layout pattern in which one or more of the content slots for which bids have been received in the receiving step are arranged, and a specific bid that fits the content slots included in the layout pattern; an acquisition step of acquiring specific content related to the specific bid determined in the determination step; a generation unit that generates output data for the specific content by assigning the specific content acquired in the acquisition step to the content slots of the layout pattern; and an output step of outputting data based on the output data generated by the generation unit.

[0009] Furthermore, in order to achieve the above objectives, this disclosure relates to the following technologies: A content processing program causes a computer to perform a request process that requests bids for content to be allocated to one or more content slots based on predetermined bidding conditions; a receiving process that receives bids in response to the request in the request process; a determination process that determines a layout pattern in which one or more of the content slots for which bids have been received in the receiving process are arranged, and a specific bid that fits the content slots included in the layout pattern; and an acquisition process that acquires specific content related to the specific bid for allocation to the content slots of the layout pattern and output. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to this disclosure, content can be arranged in a variety of layouts to improve serviceability. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1]It is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of the content processing system according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a sequence diagram showing the processes executed in cooperation by the advertisement providing server, the advertisement management server, and the printer. [Figure 3] It is a sequence diagram showing the processes executed in cooperation by the advertisement providing server, the advertisement management server, and the printer. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a 1 / 1 size advertisement frame. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a 1 / 2 size advertisement frame. [Figure 6] It is a diagram showing an example of a 1 / 4 size advertisement frame. [Figure 7] It is a diagram showing an example of a 1 / 8 size advertisement frame. [Figure 8] It is a diagram showing an example of the size of printing paper. [Figure 9] It is a diagram showing an example of bidding conditions. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the first determination method in the winning bid / layout determination process. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the first determination method in the winning bid / layout determination process. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory diagram showing still another example of the first determination method in the winning bid / layout determination process. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a layout pattern candidate using 1 / 1 size, 1 / 2 size, 1 / 4 size, and 1 / 8 size advertisement frames. <40001e5> [Figure 14] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the second determination method in the winning bid / layout determination process. [Figure 15] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the third determination method in the winning bid / layout determination process. [Figure 16] It is a flowchart showing the process executed by the control unit of the advertisement providing server in the fourth determination method in the winning bid / layout determination process. [Figure 17] It is an explanatory diagram showing an example of bidding conditions for explaining the fourth determination method. [Figure 18] This is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a bidding result to explain the fourth decision method. [Figure 19] This is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a successful bid and layout determination based on the unit price per area, as described in the fourth determination method. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. This embodiment relates to a content processing system that solicits bids through an auction and outputs content.

[0013] <Overall configuration of the content processing system> Figure 1 shows an example of the overall configuration of the content processing system 1 according to the embodiment. As shown in Figure 1, the content processing system 1 includes an advertising server (SSP: Supply Side Platform) 100, a printer 200, a terminal device 300, a user management server (DMP: Data Management Platform) 400, and an advertising management server (DSP: Demand Side Platform) 500. Each of the servers 100, 400, 500, printer 200, and terminal device 300 is equipped with a communication unit and can communicate with each other via a network NT. The network NT includes one or more of the Internet, LAN (Local Area Network), and WAN (Wide Area Network). The communication unit may be configured to include multiple types of communication circuits for connecting to the network NT. In this case, devices connected to the network NT may communicate with multiple other devices using different communication circuits. In this embodiment, the collective term for multiple types of communication circuits is referred to as the communication unit.

[0014] <Advertising server> The ad provider server 100 requests bids for ads to be allocated to one or more ad slots based on predetermined bidding conditions, and receives bids in response to the request. The ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern in which one or more ad slots for which bids have been received are arranged, and the winning bids that fit into the ad slots included in the layout pattern. The ad provider server 100 acquires the ad images related to the determined winning bids, assigns the ad images to the ad slots in the layout pattern, generates a distribution image of the ad images, and sends the generated distribution image to the printer 200. An ad is an example of content, an ad slot is an example of a content slot, a winning bid ad is an example of a specific bid, an ad image is an example of specific content, and a distribution image is an example of output data.

[0015] The advertising server 100 includes a control unit 110, a storage unit 115, a communication unit 140, etc. A bus 105 connects the control unit 110, the storage unit 115, and the communication unit 140, etc., to enable information transmission and reception. The storage unit 115 is, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, etc. The storage unit 115 stores various programs 120 and various data 130. The various programs 120 include content processing programs executed by the advertising server 100 as shown in the flows in Figures 2, 3, and 16 described later. The various data 130 include the printer ID of the printer 200, user ID, advertising images, etc.

[0016] The control unit 110 is a device that performs data processing, such as a processor like a CPU. The control unit 110 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 115. The control unit 110 performs various processes, including data communication with the printer 200, terminal device 300, user management server 400, and advertising management server 500, all connected to the network NT. The communication unit 140 includes hardware such as a NIC (Network Interface Card) for connecting to Ethernet. The communication unit 140 is connected to the network NT and communicates with the printer 200, terminal device 300, user management server 400, and advertising management server 500. The control unit 110 is an example of a computer.

[0017] <Ad management server> The advertising management server 500 is a server managed and operated by, for example, an advertising company. The advertising management server 500 sends advertising images for printing on the printer 200 to the advertising provision server 100. The advertising management server 500 has a control unit, storage unit, and communication unit similar to those of the advertising provision server 100, and receives bid requests from the advertising provision server 100 via the communication unit. Network NT connects the advertising management server 500 to terminal devices or servers of multiple advertisers. The advertising management server 500 pre-acquires advertising images, bid prices indicating the desired purchase price of advertising space, target users to whom the advertising images should be distributed, etc., from the terminal devices of multiple advertisers. It then stores and manages the acquired information in the storage unit. The advertising management server 500 executes an advertising auction and solicits bids in response to bid requests from the advertising provision server 100. Based on the information acquired from the advertisers' terminals and pre-stored in the storage unit, the advertising management server 500 acquires bids from advertisers who have responded to the solicitation of bids. The advertising management server 500 transmits the acquired bids to the advertising provider server 100 as bidding results in response to the bidding request. At this time, the advertising management server 500 may transmit bids that meet the bidding conditions included in the bidding request as bidding results. The advertising provider server 100 receives the bidding results transmitted from the advertising management server 500 and selects the most suitable bid from among the bids included in the bidding results. For example, the advertising provider server 100 selects the bid with the highest price. Then, the advertising provider server 100 retrieves the advertising image of the bidder of the selected bid, i.e., the successful bidder advertiser, from among the multiple advertising images managed by the advertising management server 500. The advertising provider server 100 transmits a distribution image based on the acquired advertising image to the printer 200. The printer 200 prints the print data based on the received distribution image onto the print paper S.

[0018] <Printer> The printer 200 prints print data based on the distributed image obtained from the advertising server 100 onto the paper S. The printer 200 includes a control unit 210, a storage unit 215, a display unit 240, an operation unit 250, a communication unit 260, a printing mechanism 270, etc. The bus 205 connects the control unit 210, the storage unit 215, the display unit 240, the operation unit 250, the communication unit 260, and the printing mechanism 270 so that they can send and receive information. The printer 200 is an example of an output unit.

[0019] The storage unit 215 is, for example, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, HDD, etc. The storage unit 215 stores various programs 220 and various data 230. The various programs 220 include, for example, a program that causes the printer 200 to execute the processes shown in the flows in Figures 2 and 3 described later. The various data 230 include the aforementioned printer ID, distributed images received from the advertising server 100, etc. The advertising server 100 may store some or all of the above various data in the storage unit 115. Alternatively, one of the printer 200 and the advertising server 100 may store some or all of the original data of the various data, and the other of the printer 200 and the advertising server 100 may store a copy of that original data.

[0020] The control unit 210 is a data processing device, such as a processor like a CPU. The control unit 210 executes various programs stored in the storage unit 215. The display unit 240 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, a touch panel, etc., and can display various information. The operation unit 250 is, for example, a keyboard, buttons, etc., and accepts user input. The user can input various instructions to the printer 200 by operating the operation unit 250. The communication unit 260 is connected to the network NT and can communicate with servers 100, 400, 500 and terminal devices 300.

[0021] The printing mechanism 270 includes a carriage on which a print head is mounted, a motor and belts that drive the carriage, and a transport mechanism. The transport mechanism takes the printing paper S on which the advertising image is printed from the paper tray and transports it. The printing mechanism 270 forms and prints an image using an inkjet method, ejecting ink from the print head onto the printing paper S transported by the transport mechanism.

[0022] The printer 200 has multiple cartridge holders 280, each holding one cartridge 285. The cartridges 285 are cartridges containing multiple ink colors, such as cyan, magenta, yellow, and black.

[0023] The printing mechanism 270 performs printing while consuming the ink in cartridge 285. The cartridge holder 280 is equipped with a reader / writer 290. The reader / writer 290 reads and writes cartridge information to an IC chip provided in the cartridge 285 housed in the cartridge holder 280. For example, the reader / writer 290 detects the type of cartridge 285 housed in the cartridge holder 280 by reading the cartridge information from the IC chip. The printer 200 may also obtain the amount of ink used or remaining ink stored in the IC chip in cartridge 285 by reading the above information by the reader / writer 290.

[0024] <Terminal device> The terminal device 300 is, for example, a mobile terminal such as a smartphone owned by the user, and in this example connects to the network NT via wireless communication. The terminal device 300 can be any suitable terminal other than the printer 200, and may be a tablet PC, notebook PC, desktop PC, etc., in addition to a smartphone. Alternatively, the terminal device 300 may be a portable terminal or a stationary terminal installed in karaoke boxes or various stores for song selection, menu selection, product browsing, etc. The terminal device 300 has a display unit, control unit, operation unit, memory unit, communication unit, etc. (not shown). The memory unit stores various programs. The control unit executes the various programs stored in the memory unit. The user can input various instructions to the terminal device 300 by operating the operation unit.

[0025] <User Management Server> The user management server 400 manages user activity information via the terminal device 300. The user management server 400 is connected to the network NT. The user management server 400 includes a control unit (not shown), a storage unit, a communication unit, etc. Activity information includes, for example, the user's website browsing history, website search history, web advertisement display history, website click history, and website purchase history using the terminal device 300. User activity information is associated with the user's DMP user ID and can be identified by that DMP user ID. The storage unit stores activity information for all users who use external services, associated with each user's DMP user ID.

[0026] Furthermore, a single "server" may constitute each of the above servers 100, 400, and 500, or multiple "servers" may constitute each of the above servers 100, 400, and 500. Alternatively, a single "server" may possess two or more functions from among those servers 100, 400, and 500.

[0027] <Features of the Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, the advertising server 100 requests bids for advertisements based on predetermined bidding conditions, receives bids in response to the requests, and determines a layout pattern and the winning advertisements that fit the advertisement slots included in the layout pattern based on the received bid results. The feature of this embodiment is that by determining the layout pattern based on the bidding results in this way, it is possible to arrange advertisement images in a variety of layouts and improve serviceability. The details of this process will be described below.

[0028] <Content Processing System Processing> Figures 2 and 3 are sequence diagrams showing the processes performed collaboratively by the ad delivery server 100, the ad management server 500, and the printer 200. In Figures 2 and 3, the main entities executing each process are the control unit 110 of the ad delivery server 100, the control unit of the ad management server 500, and the control unit 210 of the printer 200.

[0029] In Figure 2, at S1, the ad provider server 100 obtains the bidding conditions. The bidding conditions include information on the size of the ad slot and the minimum bid price for each ad slot. An ad slot is an area on the print paper S where an advertisement is allocated. An ad slot is an example of a content slot.

[0030] Figures 4 to 9 show examples of advertising slots, advertising slot sizes, and minimum bid prices. Figure 4 shows an example where one advertising slot is set for one advertising print area AR, which corresponds to almost the entire area of ​​an A4 size printing sheet S. In this embodiment, the advertising slot ID of the advertising slot is A, and it will be referred to as "Advertising Slot A" as appropriate. A maximum of one advertising slot A can be placed on an A4 size printing sheet S.

[0031] Figure 5 shows an example in which one advertising frame is set in an area that is divided in half along the longitudinal direction of the printing paper S, i.e., the advertising printing area AR is divided in half. In this embodiment, the advertising frame ID of this advertising frame is denoted as B, and it will be referred to as "advertising frame B" as appropriate. Up to two advertising frames B can be placed on an A4 size printing paper S.

[0032] Figure 6 shows an example where one advertising frame is set in an area obtained by dividing the advertising frame B in the shorter direction of the printing paper S, that is, in an area obtained by dividing the advertising printing area AR into four equal parts. In this embodiment, the advertising frame ID of the advertising frame is C, and it will be referred to as "advertising frame C" as appropriate. Up to four advertising frames C can be placed on an A4 size printing paper S.

[0033] Figure 7 shows an example where one advertising frame is set in an area obtained by dividing the advertising frame C in the longitudinal direction of the printing paper S, that is, in an area obtained by dividing the advertising printing area AR into eight equal parts. In this embodiment, the advertising frame ID of the advertising frame is denoted as D, and it will be referred to as "advertising frame D" as appropriate. Up to eight advertising frames D can be placed on an A4 size printing paper S.

[0034] Figure 8 shows an example of the dimensions of A4 size printing paper S. In the example shown in Figure 8, the length of the printing paper S is 297 mm, the width is 210 mm, and the margin between the edge of the printing paper S and the advertising printing area AR is 3 mm.

[0035] Figure 9 shows an example of the bidding conditions obtained by the advertising server 100 in S1 above. The bidding conditions include the size of each of the ad slots A to D and the minimum bid price. The sizes of ad slots A to D are based on the size of the printing paper S shown in Figure 8. In the example shown in Figure 9, the height of ad slot A is 204 mm, the width is 291 mm, and the minimum bid price is 100 yen. The height of ad slot B is 204 mm, the width is 145.5 mm, and the minimum bid price is 50 yen. The height of ad slot C is 102 mm, the width is 145.5 mm, and the minimum bid price is 25 yen. The height of ad slot D is 102 mm, the width is 72.75 mm, and the minimum bid price is 12.5 yen. Note that the height is the length of the shorter side of the printing paper S, and the width is the length of the longer side of the printing paper S.

[0036] Returning to Figure 2, in S5, the ad provider server 100 sends a bid request to the ad management server 500, which includes the bid conditions obtained in S1. That is, the ad provider server 100 requests bids for ads to be allocated to one or more ad slots based on the bid conditions obtained in S1. Multiple sizes of ad slots can be placed in the layout pattern. In S5, the ad provider server 100 simultaneously requests bids for ads to be allocated to all sizes of ad slots that can be placed in the layout pattern. S5 is an example of a request step and an example of a request process. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S5 is an example of a request unit.

[0037] Furthermore, the ad provider server 100 may include user behavior information obtained from the user management server 400 in its bid request. In this case, it can request an auction for ads that are suitable for the user's behavior information.

[0038] The ad management server 500 conducts an ad auction and solicits bids in response to a bid request from the ad provider server 100.

[0039] In S7, the ad provider server 100 receives the bidding results from the ad management server 500 for the bids solicited in the auction in response to the bidding request sent in S5. The bidding results include bids from bidders that meet the bidding conditions requested in the bidding request, if any bids meet those conditions. If no bids meet the bidding conditions requested in the bidding request, the bidding results include information indicating that fact. S7 is an example of a receiving step and an example of a receiving process. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S7 is an example of a receiving unit.

[0040] In S100, the advertising server 100 executes the bidding and layout determination process. That is, the advertising server 100 determines a layout pattern in which one or more of the advertising slots for which bids were received in S7 are placed, and the winning bid advertisements that fit the advertising slots included in the layout pattern. S100 is an example of both a determination step and an example of a determination process. Furthermore, the control unit 110 of the advertising server 100 that executes S100 is an example of a determination unit.

[0041] The advertising server 100 can execute various decision methods in the bidding and layout determination process of S100. Specific examples of these decision methods are explained using Figures 10 to 19.

[0042] Figures 10 to 12 show an example of the first determination method. In the first determination method, the ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern in which the ad slots for which bids were received in S7 in response to the request in S5 are arranged in such a way that the total number of ad slots is minimized. For example, the ad provider server 100 adopts the ad slots with the largest size regardless of the bid price.

[0043] In the example shown in Figure 10, there are 1, 1, 3, and 5 bids for ad slots A, B, C, and D, respectively. In this case, the ad provider server 100 selects one ad from the bids for ad slot A, which has the largest size among the bidded ad slots. As this fills the AR area for the ad print, the ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern with one ad slot A. The ad provider server 100 also determines that the one bid for ad slot A is the winning ad.

[0044] Alternatively, as described in the second determination method below, multiple layout patterns, each containing one or more ad slots that received bids in S7, may be selected as layout pattern candidates, and the layout pattern with the fewest total ad slots may be selected. Figure 13 shows an example of a layout pattern candidate that allows for the placement of four advertising frames A to D on the print paper S without any blank spaces. As shown in Figure 13, layout pattern 1 is a layout that places one advertising frame A. Layout pattern 2 is a layout that places two advertising frames B. Layout pattern 3 is a layout that places one advertising frame B and two advertising frames C. Layout pattern 4 is a layout that places one advertising frame B, one advertising frame C, and two advertising frames D. Layout pattern 5 is a layout that places one advertising frame B and four advertising frames D. Layout pattern 6 is a layout that places four advertising frames C. Layout pattern 7 is a layout that places three advertising frames C and two advertising frames D. Layout pattern 8 is a layout that places two advertising frames C and four advertising frames D. Layout pattern 9 is a layout that places one advertising frame C and six advertising frames D. Layout pattern 10 is a layout that places eight advertising frames D.

[0045] In the bidding results shown in Figure 10, among the multiple layout patterns shown in Figure 13, layout patterns 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 have received more bids than necessary for all ad slots. The ad provider server 100 may decide on layout pattern 1, which has the fewest total ad slots among these layout patterns 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8.

[0046] In the example shown in Figure 11, the number of bids for ad slots A, B, C, and D are 0, 1, 3, and 5, respectively. In this case, the ad provider server 100 selects one ad from the bids for ad slot B, which has the largest size among the bidded ad slots. Since there is only one bid for ad slot B, it selects one ad from the bids for the next largest ad slot C. Since there are two bids remaining for ad slot C, it selects one more ad from ad slot C. As this fills the AR area for the ad print, the ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern with one ad slot B and two ad slots C. The ad provider server 100 also determines that one bid for ad slot B and two bids for ad slot C will be awarded as winning ads. Note that the ad provider server 100 has selected two of the three bids for ad slot C as winning ads, but the winning ads are determined in order of the highest bid price.

[0047] In the bidding results shown in Figure 11, among the multiple layout patterns shown in Figure 13, layout patterns 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 are the ones for which more than the required number of bids have been made for all ad slots. The ad provider server 100 may decide on layout pattern 3, which has the fewest total number of ad slots among these layout patterns 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8.

[0048] In the example shown in Figure 12, the number of bids for ad slots A, B, C, and D are 0, 1, 1, and 5, respectively. In this case, the ad provider server 100 selects one ad from the bids for ad slot B, which has the largest size among the bidded ad slots. Since there is only one bid for ad slot B, it selects one ad from the bids for the next largest ad slot C. Since there is only one bid for ad slot C, it selects one ad from the bids for the next largest ad slot D. Since there are four bids remaining for ad slot D, it selects one more ad from ad slot D. As this fills the AR area for the ad print, the ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern with one ad slot B, one ad slot C, and two ad slots D. The ad provider server 100 also determines that one bid for ad slot B, one bid for ad slot C, and two bids for ad slot D will be the winning bids. The ad provider server 100 has selected two of the five bids for ad slot D as winning bids, but the winning bids are determined in order of the highest bid price.

[0049] In the bidding results shown in Figure 12, among the multiple layout patterns shown in Figure 13, layout patterns 4 and 5 are the ones for which more than the required number of bids have been made for all ad slots. The ad provider server 100 may decide on layout pattern 4, which has the fewest total number of ad slots among layout patterns 4 and 5.

[0050] Figure 14 shows an example of the second determination method. In the second determination method, the ad provider server 100 determines the layout pattern based on the bid price for the ad slot. Specifically, as shown in Figure 13 above, the ad provider server 100 determines multiple layout patterns, each containing one or more ad slots for which bids were received in S7, as layout pattern candidates. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that performs the determination of these layout pattern candidates is an example of a candidate determination unit. The ad provider server 100 calculates the total bid price for the ad slots included in these multiple layout pattern candidates for each layout pattern candidate. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that performs the calculation of the total bid price is an example of a bid price calculation unit. In S100 above, the ad provider server 100 determines the layout pattern candidate with the highest calculated total as the final layout pattern.

[0051] In the example shown in Figure 14, there are 1, 2, 3, and 5 bids for ad slots A, B, C, and D, respectively. The ad provider server 100 sorts the bid results for each ad slot A to D in descending order of bid price. The bid price for the single bid result for ad slot A is 120 yen. The bid prices for the two bid results for ad slot B are 65 yen and 60 yen, respectively. The bid prices for the three bid results for ad slot C are 40 yen, 35 yen, and 30 yen, respectively. The bid prices for the five bid results for ad slot D are 25 yen, 25 yen, 20 yen, 20 yen, and 15 yen, respectively.

[0052] The ad provider server 100 selects layout patterns 1-5, 7, and 8, shown in Figure 14, as layout pattern candidates, as they have received more bids than required for all ad slots. In Figure 14, layout patterns 6, 9, and 10, which are not layout pattern candidates, are marked with an "×". The ad provider server 100 calculates the total bid price for the ad slots included in layout patterns 1-5, 7, and 8 for each layout pattern candidate. In this case, if the number of bids is greater than the number of ad slots in layout patterns 1-5, 7, and 8, the ad provider server 100 calculates the total bid price in descending order of price. In the example shown in Figure 14, the total bid prices for layout patterns 1-5, 7, and 8 are 120 yen, 125 yen, 140 yen, 155 yen, 155 yen, 155 yen, and 165 yen, respectively. The ad provider server 100 determines layout pattern 8, which has the highest calculated total bid price, as the final layout pattern. Layout pattern 8 is a layout that arranges two ad slots C and four ad slots D. The ad provider server 100 selects two bids for ad slots C and four bids for ad slots D as winning ads. In addition, the ad provider server 100 selects two of the three bids for ad slots C as winning ads and four of the five bids for ad slots D as winning ads, but the winning ads are determined in order of the highest bid price.

[0053] Figure 15 shows an example of the third determination method. In the third determination method, similar to the second determination method described above, the ad provider server 100 determines the layout pattern based on the bid price for the ad space. Specifically, the ad provider server 100 sets the size of the ad space that can be placed in the layout pattern as 1 / Mt, where Mt = K t (where K is a prime number other than 1, and t is a non-negative integer) and the maximum number of 1 / Mt size ad slots that can be placed in the layout pattern using a certain constant K is Mt max The advertising server 100, in the above S100, 1 / Mt maxThe first step is to sort the bids for the ad slots by size, in descending order of bid price. Next, a grouping process is performed to create one or more bid sets by combining K bids from each sorted bid set. Then, a calculation process is performed to calculate the total bid price of the grouped bid sets. Finally, the ad provider server 100 performs a sorting process to Mt max Giving t max One smaller t max‐1 1 / Mt using max‐1 The ad provider server 100 compares the bid price for a given ad slot size with the total bid price of a set of bids and performs a re-sorting process to sort them in descending order of price. For the re-sorted bids or bid sets, the ad provider server 100 repeats the grouping, calculation, and re-sorting processes, decreasing the value of t by one until t=0. In this way, the ad provider server 100 calculates the combination of bids that results in the highest total bid price using so-called dynamic programming. The ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern that places either a 1 / M0 size ad slot using t=0, or one of several ad slots corresponding to the highest bid set after repeating the above process.

[0054] The example of bidding results shown in Figure 15 is the same as that in Figure 14 mentioned above. The ad provider server 100 sorts the bidding results for each ad slot A to D in descending order of bid price. For the sake of explanation, in Figure 15, each bid price is labeled with an alphabet letter for distinction. Specifically, the single bid price for ad slot A is (A) 120 yen. The two bid prices for ad slot B are (B) 65 yen and (C) 60 yen. The three bid prices for ad slot C are (D) 40 yen, (E) 35 yen and (F) 30 yen. The five bid prices for ad slot D are (G) 25 yen, (H) 25 yen, (I) 20 yen, (J) 20 yen and (K) 15 yen.

[0055] In this embodiment, the sizes of advertising frames A to D that can be placed in the layout pattern are 1 / 1, 1 / 2, 1 / 4, and 1 / 8 of the size of advertising frame A, and Mt = K t= 1, 2, 4, 8. That is, one constant K is 2, t is 0, 1, 2, 3, and the maximum number of advertising frames Mt max is 8. The advertising server 100 creates one or more bid sets by combining K bids for advertising frames of size 1 / Mt max in descending order of bid price. In the example shown in FIG. 15, bid sets obtained by combining two bids for the advertising frame D of size 1 / 8 in descending order of bid price, that is, bid sets of size 1 / 4, namely (G) + (H), (I) + (J) are created. Then, the total bid price of the bid sets is calculated. (G) + (H) is 50 yen, and (I) + (J) is 40 yen. And Mt max = 8 gives t max = 3 is one less than t max‐1 = 2 is used to compare the bid prices of bids for the advertising frame C of size 1 / 4, (D) 40 yen, (E) 35 yen, (F) 30 yen, with the total bid prices of the above bid sets of size 1 / 4, (G) + (H) 50 yen, (I) + (J) 40 yen, and arrange them in descending order. In the example shown in FIG. 15, it becomes (G) + (H) 50 yen, (D) 40 yen, (I) + (J) 40 yen, (E) 35 yen, (F) 30 yen. Here, although the bid price of (D) and the total bid price of (I) + (J) are the same, in this embodiment, (D) with fewer advertising images related to the bid is given priority.

[0056] Next, the advertising server 100 decreases the value of t by one to make t max‐1 = 2, and creates one or more bid sets by combining K bids for advertising frames of size 1 / Mt max‐1 in descending order of bid price. In the example shown in FIG. 15, bids for the advertising frame C of size 1 / 4 and the total bid prices of the above bid sets of size 1 / 4 are combined two by two in descending order of bid price, that is, bid sets of size 1 / 2, namely (G) + (H) + (D), (I) + (J) + (E) are created. Then, the total bid price of the bid sets is calculated. (G) + (H) + (D) is 90 yen, and (I) + (J) + (E) is 75 yen. And Mt max‐1 = 4 gives t max‐1 = 2 is one less than t max‐2The bid prices for the 1 / 2 size ad slot B using =1 are (B) 65 yen and (C) 60 yen, and are compared with the total bid prices for the above 1 / 2 size bid set (G) + (H) + (D) 90 yen and (I) + (J) + (E) 75 yen, and the bids are ranked from highest to lowest. In the example shown in Figure 15, the bids are (G) + (H) + (D) 90 yen, (I) + (J) + (E) 75 yen, (B) 65 yen, and (C) 60 yen.

[0057] Next, the ad provider server 100 reduces the value of t by one. max‐2 Let = 1, and 1 / Mt max‐2 One or more bid sets are created by combining K bids for each size of ad space in descending order of bid price. In the example shown in Figure 15, bids for half-size ad space B and the total bid prices for the above half-size bid sets are combined in descending order of bid price to create 1 / 1 size bid sets, namely (G)+(H)+(D)+(I)+(J)+(E) and (B)+(C). Then, the total bid prices of the bid sets are calculated. (G)+(H)+(D)+(I)+(J)+(E) is 165 yen, and (B)+(C) is 125 yen. Then, Mt max‐2 t = 2 max‐2 t one less than 1 = max‐3 The bid price (A) of 120 yen for a 1 / 1 size ad slot A using =0 is compared with the total bid prices of the above 1 / 1 size bid set (G)+(H)+(D)+(I)+(J)+(E)165 yen, (B)+(C)125 yen, and the bids are ranked from highest to lowest. In the example shown in Figure 15, the bids are (G)+(H)+(D)+(I)+(J)+(E)165 yen, (B)+(C)125 yen, and (A)120 yen.

[0058] In this way, the ad provider server 100 repeats the above process, sequentially decreasing the value of t by one until t=0, and determines a layout pattern in which either an ad slot of size 1 / M0=1 using t=0, or multiple ad slots corresponding to the highest bid set as a result of repeating the above process is placed. In the example shown in Figure 15, the ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern in which (G)+(H)+(D)+(I)+(J)+(E), which has the highest total bid price, is placed, i.e., layout pattern 8 shown in Figure 14. Layout pattern 8 is a layout in which two ad slots C and four ad slots D are placed. The ad provider server 100 determines the two bids for ad slot C and the four bids for ad slot D as winning bids.

[0059] Figures 16 to 19 show an example of the fourth determination method. In the fourth determination method, the advertising server 100 determines the layout pattern based on the bid price for the advertising space. Specifically, for all bids received in S7, the advertising server 100 calculates the area unit price by dividing the bid price or the amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount from the bid price by the size information value of the advertising space. The predetermined amount is, for example, an amount equivalent to the estimated amount of ink consumed. This allows for a bid-winning determination that takes ink costs into consideration. The size information value is, for example, mm. 2 The frame size itself may be used, or it may be a ratio to a standard size, etc. Note that the area unit price is an example of a size unit price, and the control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that calculates the area unit price is an example of a unit price calculation unit. The ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern that includes the ad slot with the highest calculated area unit price. At that time, the ad provider server 100 determines the placement priority for all ad slots for which bids have been received in S7, in descending order of the calculated area unit price, and determines a layout pattern that places the ad slots in descending order of placement priority.

[0060] Figure 16 is a flowchart showing the process executed by the control unit 110 of the advertising server 100 in the fourth determination method described above. In Figure 16, in S101, the advertising server 100 calculates the area unit price for all bids by dividing the amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount from the bid amount or bid price by the size information value of the advertising space related to that bid.

[0061] In S103, the ad provider server 100 sorts all bids in descending order from the highest area price calculated in S101. If the area prices are the same, the ad provider server 100 may, for example, prioritize bids with smaller areas if it wants to place many small ads, or prioritize bids with larger areas if it wants to place large ads. Alternatively, it may randomly select the highest-ranking bid.

[0062] In S105, the ad provider server 100 selects the highest-ranking bid in the order sorted in S103 above as the bid to be processed.

[0063] In S107, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the bid selected in S105 or the bid selected in S109 (described below) has been provisionally selected as a winning bidder. If the ad provider server 100 determines that the bid has been provisionally selected as a winning bidder, it determines Yes and proceeds to S109.

[0064] In S109, the ad provider server 100 selects the next highest-ranking bid to be processed and returns the process to S107.

[0065] On the other hand, in S107 above, if the bid selected in S105 or the bid selected in S109 has not been provisionally determined as a winning bidder candidate, the advertising server 100 determines it as No and proceeds to S111.

[0066] In S111, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the bid selected in S105 or S109 satisfies the conditions for a successful bid. The conditions for a successful bid include, for example, area conditions and location conditions. The area condition is that the area of ​​the blank frame is equal to or greater than the area of ​​the ad frame to which the bid pertains. For example, if there is only a blank frame the size of ad frame D, and the target of processing is a bid for any of the sizes of ad frames A to C, the ad provider server 100 determines that the bid does not meet the conditions for a successful bid because there is insufficient area. The location condition is, for example, if the target of processing is a bid specifying a location, that the specified location is a blank frame. For example, if the target of processing is a bid specifying the top left of the ad print area AR, and the top left of the ad print area AR is not a blank frame, the ad provider server 100 determines that the bid does not meet the conditions for a successful bid because there is a location inconsistency. If the ad provider server 100 determines that the conditions for a successful bid do not meet, it makes a No judgment and returns to S109. On the other hand, if the advertising server 100 determines that the conditions for a successful bid are met, it makes a Yes decision and proceeds to process S113 above.

[0067] In S113, the ad provider server 100 provisionally selects the bid selected in S105 or S109 as the candidate for winning the bid.

[0068] In S115, the ad provider server 100 determines whether all ad slots within the ad printing area AR have been filled by the bids of the prospective winning bidders provisionally determined in S113, that is, whether there are any empty slots. If there are no empty slots within the ad printing area AR, the ad provider server 100 determines it as Yes and proceeds to S119, which will be described later. On the other hand, if there are empty slots within the ad printing area AR, the ad provider server 100 determines it as No and proceeds to S117.

[0069] In S117, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the processing in S105 to S115 has been completed for all bids. If the ad provider server 100 determines that there are unprocessed bids, it determines No and returns to S109. On the other hand, if the ad provider server 100 determines that there are no unprocessed bids, i.e., that the processing in S105 to S115 has been completed for all bids, it determines Yes and proceeds to S119.

[0070] In S119, the advertising server 100 confirms the winning bid for the bid that was provisionally selected as a candidate for the winning bid in S113 and determines the layout. After that, the process proceeds to S8 in Figure 2.

[0071] In the above flow, if S119 is executed after a Yes determination in S117, the process will end without resolving the blank frame within the ad printing area AR. Therefore, if a Yes determination is made in S117, the ad provider server 100 may cancel the bid that was tentatively selected as the winning candidate in S113, tentatively select a bid of a different size as the winning candidate, and then repeat the loop from S107 to S117.

[0072] Figure 17 shows an example of bidding conditions to explain the fourth determination method. In the example shown in Figure 17, for the sake of explanation, the two advertising slots D are referred to as advertising slots D1 and D2, and the two advertising slots C are referred to as advertising slots C1 and C2. As shown in Figure 17, the bidding conditions for advertising slots D1, D2, C1, C2, and A are set as follows: minimum bid prices of 10 yen, 15 yen, 23 yen, 28 yen, and 100 yen, sales quantities of 8, 8, 4, 4, and 1 respectively, and individual sales of 80 yen, 120 yen, 92 yen, 112 yen, and 100 yen. Individual sales are the value obtained by multiplying the minimum bid price of each advertising slot by the sales quantity, and represent the sales per page of printed paper S.

[0073] Figure 18 shows an example of bidding results to illustrate the fourth determination method. In the example shown in Figure 18, the number of bids for ad slots D1, D2, C1, C2, and A are 5, 3, 3, 2, and 1, respectively. For the sake of explanation, each bid price in Figure 18 is labeled with an alphabet letter for distinction. As shown in Figure 18, the five bid prices for ad slot D1 are (A) 11 yen, (B) 12 yen, (C) 15 yen, (D) 12 yen, and (E) 10 yen. The three bid prices for ad slot D2 are (F) 15 yen, (G) 20 yen, and (H) 21 yen. The three bid prices for ad slot C1 are (I) 23 yen, (J) 27 yen, and (K) 24 yen. The two bid prices for ad slot C2 are (L) 28 yen and (M) 30 yen. The one bid price for ad slot A is (N) 140 yen.

[0074] Figure 18 shows an example of the results of converting the above bidding results into area-based unit prices. In this example, the ad provider server 100 expresses the size of each ad slot as a ratio to the standard size ad slot A, and calculates the area-based unit price by dividing the bid price by the ratio. For example, the ratio of ad slots D1 and D2 is 1 / 8, the ratio of ad slots C1 and C2 is 1 / 4, and the ratio of ad slot A is 1. As shown in Figure 18, the area-based unit prices for the five bids for ad slot D1 are (A) 88 yen, (B) 96 yen, (C) 120 yen, (D) 96 yen, and (E) 80 yen. The area-based unit prices for the three bids for ad slot D2 are (F) 120 yen, (G) 160 yen, and (H) 168 yen. The area-based unit prices for the three bids for ad slot C1 are (I) 92 yen, (J) 108 yen, and (K) 96 yen. The unit prices for the two bids for ad space C2 are (L) 112 yen and (M) 120 yen. The unit price for the one bid for ad space A is (N) 140 yen.

[0075] Figure 19 shows an example of a successful bid and layout determination based on the above area unit price. As shown in Figure 19, sorting all bids in descending order of area unit price results in (H) 168 yen, (G) 160 yen, (N) 140 yen, (F) 120 yen, (C) 120 yen, (M) 120 yen, (L) 112 yen, (J) 108 yen, ... In this example, for (F), (C), and (M), which have the same area unit price, the one with the smaller area is ranked higher, and for those with the same area, the ranking is determined randomly. The advertising server 100 first selects the highest-ranking advertising slot D2 at (H) 168 yen, and since it receives a No judgment at S107 and a Yes judgment at S111 in Figure 16, it is tentatively selected as a successful bid candidate at S113 and placed, for example, in the upper left of the advertising print area AR. Next, the ad provider server 100 selects the second ad slot D2 (G) priced at 160 yen in S109. Since it receives a No judgment in S107 and a Yes judgment in S111, it is tentatively selected as a winning bid candidate in S113 and placed, for example, to the right of (H). Next, the ad provider server 100 selects the third ad slot A (N) priced at 140 yen in S109. Although it receives a No judgment in S107, it receives a No judgment in S111 due to insufficient area, so it is not selected as a winning bid candidate and the server skips to S109. Next, the ad provider server 100 selects the fourth ad slot D2 (F) priced at 120 yen in S109. Since it receives a No judgment in S107 and a Yes judgment in S111, it is tentatively selected as a winning bid candidate in S113 and placed, for example, to the right of (G). Next, the ad provider server 100 selects the 5th ad slot D1 (C) priced at 120 yen in S109. Since it receives a No judgment in S107 and a Yes judgment in S111, it is tentatively selected as a winning bid candidate in S113 and placed, for example, to the right of (F). Next, the ad provider server 100 selects the 6th ad slot C2 (M) priced at 120 yen in S109. Since it receives a No judgment in S107 and a Yes judgment in S111, it is tentatively selected as a winning bid candidate in S113 and placed, for example, below (H) and (G). Next, the ad provider server 100 selects the 7th ad slot C2 (L) priced at 112 yen in S109. Since it receives a No judgment in S107 and a Yes judgment in S111, it is tentatively selected as a winning bid candidate in S113 and placed, for example, below (F) and (C). As a result, all advertising slots within the AR advertising print area are filled, so the advertising server 100 determines "Yes" in S115, confirms the successful bid of the candidate in S119, and determines the layout.In the example shown in Figure 19, the ad provider server 100 selects layout pattern 8 shown in Figure 8 as the final layout pattern. Layout pattern 8 is a layout that arranges two ad slots C and four ad slots D.

[0076] Returning to Figure 2, the ad delivery server 100 proceeds to process S8 after S100. In S8, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the layout pattern determined in S100 includes empty ad slots. Empty ad slots include, for example, ad slots for which the number of bids was insufficient for the number of ad slots required for the layout, and ad slots for which there were no bids at all. In other words, the ad provider server 100 determines whether the layout pattern determined in S100 is an incomplete layout pattern in which there are ad slots included in the layout pattern for which no ad slots have been determined. If the ad provider server 100 determines that empty ad slots exist, it determines Yes and proceeds to S9.

[0077] In S9, the ad provider server 100 sets re-bidding conditions that modify the bidding conditions for the ad slots acquired in S1. The re-bidding conditions are for vacant ad slots, excluding those that have already been won. For example, the ad provider server 100 sets the re-bidding conditions by doing one, two, or three of the following: changing the targeting information related to the user who receives the print data output by the printer 200, providing ad slot information for ad slots where the winning bids for the ads included in the incomplete layout pattern have already been determined, and lowering the minimum bid price. Ad slot information is an example of content slot information.

[0078] Targeting information includes, for example, the addition of DMP user IDs in the user management server 400. As mentioned above, the ad provider server 100 may use the DMP user ID of a user who has subscribed to the ad distribution service to request an auction that matches the user's behavior information, etc. If there are insufficient bids, the ad provider server 100 can make it easier to match a wider range of ads by adding other DMP user IDs or other user attributes. Other DMP user IDs are, for example, users who have subscribed to the ad distribution service using the same printer 200, such as family members' DMP user IDs. If there are multiple target users, the ad provider server 100 may add one randomly each time a re-bid request is made, or it may add all of them at once. Other user attributes are, for example, family composition, number of people, age, region, etc.

[0079] The advertising space information includes type or category information regarding the winning bids for advertising space, such as the genre of the advertisement (e.g., food, travel, books), whether it is in color or monochrome, whether it is vertical or horizontal, its positional relationship to other blank advertising space (e.g., adjacent, above or below), and size information of the winning bids for advertising space. In this embodiment, since the advertising management server 500 conducts auctions for all advertising space simultaneously, advertisers who are bidders cannot know what other advertisements exist on the same page. On the other hand, in S9, the advertising provision server 100 has made at least one bid request and executed S100, determining at least some of the winning bids and their layouts. Therefore, the advertising provision server 100 can present type or category information regarding the winning bids for advertising space. By presenting this additional information, it is possible to make it easier for bidders to make their intended bids.

[0080] The ad provider server 100 lowers the minimum bid price by, for example, excluding the price for specifying attributes. Generally, the ad provider server 100 sets the minimum bid price for ad slots that specify location and other attributes higher than the minimum bid price for ad slots that specify only size. This is because ad slots with specified attributes have a higher advertising effect and higher added value. On the other hand, in subsequent auctions, the number of available slots is limited, there are fewer options for specifying attributes, and the added value is relatively small. For this reason, the ad provider server 100 excludes the price for specifying attributes in the first auction from the minimum bid price in subsequent auctions.

[0081] After setting the re-bidding conditions in S9 as described above, the ad provider server 100 returns processing to S5. In S5, the ad provider server 100 sends a bid request based on the re-bidding conditions to the ad management server 500. In this way, if there are empty ad slots in the layout pattern determined in S100 for which no winning bids have been determined, the ad provider server 100 requests a re-bidding for the ad to be assigned to those ad slots based on the re-bidding conditions which have been modified for the bidding conditions related to those ad slots. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S9 is an example of a re-request unit.

[0082] On the other hand, in step S8, if the ad provider server 100 determines that there are no empty ad slots, it determines No and proceeds to step S10.

[0083] In S10, the ad provider server 100 sends a "hold notification" to the ad management server 500. The "hold notification" is a notification to the advertiser who has submitted a bid that meets the bidding conditions, i.e., the successful bidder, informing them that processing of their bid will be temporarily suspended until the bid is accepted and an invoice notification is sent. The ad management server 500 sends the received hold notification to the successful bidder's terminal device, etc. If there are multiple bids that meet the bidding conditions, the ad provider server 100 may send multiple hold notifications.

[0084] In S15, the ad provider server 100 sends a "defeat notification" to the ad management server 500. The "defeat notification" is a notification to advertisers who have submitted bids that do not meet the bidding conditions, i.e., non-winning bidders, informing them that their bids will not be accepted because there is another winning bidder. The ad management server 500 sends the received defeat notification to the terminal device of the non-winning bidder. If there are multiple bids that do not meet the bidding conditions, the ad provider server 100 may send multiple defeat notifications.

[0085] In S17, the ad provider server 100 sends an ad image request to the ad management server 500 requesting an ad image from the successful bidder who sent a hold notification in S10. If there are multiple successful bidders, the ad provider server 100 may send multiple ad image requests. In response to the above ad image requests, the ad management server 500 sends the ad image from the successful bidder to the ad provider server 100 in S20.

[0086] In S22, the ad provider server 100 acquires the ad image provided by the successful bidder, which has been sent by the ad management server 500. The ad provider server 100 stores the acquired ad image in, for example, the storage unit 115. The ad image acquired in S22 is an example of specific content. S22 is an example of an acquisition step and an example of an acquisition process. Furthermore, the control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S22 is an example of an acquisition unit.

[0087] In S23, the ad provider server 100 generates a delivery image including the ad image by assigning the ad image acquired in S22 to the ad slot of the layout pattern determined in S100. The delivery image is an example of output data, and S23 is an example of a generation step. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S23 is an example of a generation unit. Alternatively, instead of the ad provider server 100 generating the delivery image, the ad management server 500 may create the delivery image, and the ad provider server 100 may acquire that delivery image. Alternatively, instead of the ad provider server 100 creating the delivery image, it may create the delivery image using various page description languages ​​for printing.

[0088] In S30, the ad delivery server 100 outputs a print command to the printer that includes the distribution image generated in S23. S30 is an example of an output step. In S30, the ad delivery server 100 may output the distribution image to the printer 200 via another relay device. Alternatively, instead of outputting the distribution image to the printer 200, the ad delivery server 100 may send the printer 200 a page description language for printing the distribution image or a link to the distribution image.

[0089] In S35, the printer 200 receives the print instruction sent by the advertising server 100 in S30 and stores it in the storage unit 215. Subsequently, the printer 200 prints the print data based on the distributed image included in the print instruction. If the advertising server 100 sent a link to the distributed image in S30, the printer 200 accesses that link in S35 to obtain the distributed image and then prints it. Print data is an example of data based on output data, and printing is an example of output.

[0090] In Figure 3, at S40, the ad provider server 100 determines whether or not to change the initial values ​​of the bidding conditions obtained in S1. The ad provider server 100 determines to change the initial values ​​of the bidding conditions if, for example, one or two of the following two conditions are met. • If the number of ads that received a defeat notification in S15 above for each of the multiple ad slots included in the layout pattern exceeds the threshold. - If, in the bidding results received in S7 above, the combined advertising space bids do not amount to half of one page of print paper S, or if, in the bidding results received in S7 above, the combined advertising space bids do not amount to one page of print paper S. The ad provider server 100 determines that it will not change the initial values ​​of the bidding conditions if neither of the above two conditions is met. If the ad provider server 100 determines that it will not change the initial values ​​of the bidding conditions, it makes a No decision and proceeds to S55 described below. On the other hand, if the ad provider server 100 determines that it will change the initial values ​​of the bidding conditions, it makes a Yes decision and proceeds to S45.

[0091] In S45, the ad provider server 100 modifies the bidding conditions according to one or both of the bidding results received in S7 and the layout pattern or winning advertisement determination result in S100, and stores them, for example, in the storage unit 115, to be used as initial values ​​for the bidding conditions of the next auction. For example, if the number of advertisements that have received defeat notifications in each of the multiple advertisement slots included in the layout pattern exceeds a threshold, the ad provider server 100 increases the minimum bid price for each advertisement slot. Also, if the combination of the advertisement slots that have received bids in the bidding results received in S7 does not amount to half of one page of the printing paper S, the ad provider server 100 decreases the minimum bid price for each advertisement slot. Also, if the combination of the advertisement slots that have received bids in the bidding results received in S7 exceeds one page of the printing paper S, the ad provider server 100 increases the minimum bid price for each advertisement slot. The control unit 110 of the ad provider server 100 that executes S45 is an example of a bidding condition modification unit.

[0092] In S50, the printer 200 sends a print success / failure notification to the advertising server 100 indicating whether the print operation performed in S35 was successful or unsuccessful.

[0093] In S55, the advertising server 100 determines whether the print success / failure notification received from the printer 200 is a notification indicating "printing successful". If the advertising server 100 determines that the print success / failure notification indicates "printing successful", it determines Yes and proceeds to S60.

[0094] In S60, the ad delivery server 100 sends an invoice to the ad management server 500 to request payment for the advertising print from the advertiser, who is the successful bidder and provided the advertising image included in the distributed image sent to the printer 200 in S30.

[0095] In S65, the advertising management server 500 sends a billing notice to the terminal device of the relevant successful bidder based on the billing notice received from the advertising provision server 100.

[0096] In S70, the advertising server 100 stores the print data sent to the printer 200 in S30 in the storage unit 115 as a success history, linking it with the printer ID of the corresponding printer 200, the user ID of the corresponding user, the current time information, and the bidding conditions when the advertising image contained in the print data was successfully bid on, and then terminates processing.

[0097] On the other hand, in S55 above, if the advertisement server 100 determines it to be No if it is a print success / failure notification indicating "printing failure", it proceeds to S75.

[0098] In S75, the ad provider server 100 sends a bid cancellation notice to the ad management server 500, revoking the bid that was decided in S100. Based on the bid cancellation notice received from the ad provider server 100, the ad management server 500 notifies the advertiser, who was the successful bidder for the ad in question, of the cancellation of the bid.

[0099] In S80, the advertising server 100 stores the print data for which the bid was canceled in S75 as a failure history in the storage unit 115, linking it with historical information such as the bid conditions, reason for failure, and date and time of failure confirmation when the advertising image contained in the print data was won, and then terminates processing.

[0100] <Effects of the Embodiment> As described above, in this embodiment, the ad provider server 100 requests bids for ads to be allocated to ad slots all at once in S5. In S100, the ad provider server 100 determines a layout pattern in which one or more ad slots for which bids were received in S7 are arranged in response to the bid requests. Also in S100, the server determines the winning bid ad that fits the ad slot of the layout pattern and acquires the ad image related to that winning bid ad in S22. In S23, the ad delivery server 100 assigns the ad images acquired in S22 to the ad slots of the layout pattern to generate a delivery image, and the printer 200 prints that delivery image. As described above, according to this embodiment, since the layout pattern is variably determined according to the bidding results, it becomes possible to print advertising images in a variety of layouts, thereby improving serviceability.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, if there are multiple sizes of ad slots in the layout pattern, the ad provider server 100 simultaneously requests bids for each of them in S5. This makes it possible to determine a layout pattern that includes ad slots of various sizes.

[0102] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ad delivery server 100 determines a layout pattern in S100 that arranges the ad slots in such a way that the total number of ad slots is reduced. Since fewer ad slots mean a shorter time to generate the delivered images, the time required to generate the delivered images is reduced, making it possible to print the ad images earlier.

[0103] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the advertising server 100 determines the layout pattern in S100 based on the bid price for the advertising space. This makes it possible to create a layout pattern that can be expected to generate high profits based on the bid price, thereby realizing a more profitable service.

[0104] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ad provider server 100 calculates the total bid price for multiple ad slots included in the layout pattern candidates in S100, and selects the layout pattern with the highest total bid price. This makes it possible to realize a service that can obtain the maximum amount of revenue.

[0105] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the advertising server 100 uses so-called dynamic programming to calculate the combination of bids that yields the highest total bid price. This ensures that a service that maximizes revenue can be realized in accordance with dynamic programming.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ad provider server 100 calculates the area unit price for each ad slot for which a bid has been received in S100, and determines a layout pattern that includes the ad slot with the highest area unit price. This makes it possible to realize a service that can generate a larger amount of revenue.

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the advertising server 100 determines the placement priority in S100 based on the area unit price, and then determines the layout pattern by placing the advertising slots in order of the highest placement priority. This ensures that a service that generates the maximum revenue can be reliably realized.

[0108] Furthermore, in this embodiment in particular, if there are ad slots in the layout pattern determined in S100 for which no winning bid ad has been determined, the ad provision server 100 requests a re-bid in S5. This makes it possible to fill the gaps in ad slots that were created because no winning bid ad had been determined.

[0109] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ad provider server 100, in particular, provides changes to targeting information related to users who will receive the print data printed by the printer 200 during the re-bidding process in S5, and ad slot information for ad slots for which the winning bidder has already been determined. This makes it possible to fill the gaps in ad slots that would have been created if there were no bids.

[0110] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the ad delivery server 100 changes and stores the bidding conditions in S45. This allows the results of the current auction to be reflected in the bidding conditions when the next auction is executed, enabling the auction to be completed more quickly and the ad images to be delivered earlier.

[0111] <Variation> This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from its spirit and technical concept.

[0112] In the above examples, printing was given as an example of output, but it is not limited to printing; display is also acceptable. Also, while printing paper was given as an example of a sheet, any sheet-like printing medium such as cloth will work.

[0113] Furthermore, although the advertising server 100 was configured as a single device in the above description, multiple devices may work together to perform the function of the advertising server 100.

[0114] Furthermore, the sequence diagrams shown in Figures 2, 3, and 16 are not intended to limit this disclosure to the procedures shown in the above flow chart. Procedures may be added, deleted, or their order changed, as long as they do not deviate from the intent and technical concept of the disclosure.

[0115] In addition to what has already been described above, the methods described in the above embodiments and their variations may be used in appropriate combinations.

[0116] In addition, although not to be exemplified hereby, this disclosure may be implemented with various modifications, provided that it does not deviate from its intended purpose. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0117] 1. Content Processing System 100 Ad Provider Servers 110 Control Unit (Example of a Computer) 200 Printer (Example of output unit) 210 Control Unit 300 terminal devices 400 User Management Server 500 Ad Management Server A. Advertising space (an example of a content space) B. Advertisement space (an example of content space) C. Advertisement space (an example of content space) C1 Ad Slot (Example of a content slot) C2 Ad Slot (Example of a content slot) D. Advertisement space (an example of content space) D1 Ad Slot (Example of a content slot) D2 advertising space (an example of content space)

Claims

1. A content processing system that solicits bids through an auction and outputs content, A request section that requests bids for content to be allocated to one or more content slots based on specified bidding conditions, A receiving unit for bids in response to requests from the aforementioned requesting unit, The receiving unit provides a layout pattern in which one or more of the content frames that have received bids are arranged, and a determination unit determines a specific bid that is compatible with the content frames included in the layout pattern. An acquisition unit that acquires the specific content related to the specific bid determined by the decision unit, A generation unit generates output data for the specific content by assigning the specific content acquired by the acquisition unit to the content frame of the layout pattern, An output unit that outputs data based on the output data generated by the generation unit, A content processing system equipped with the following features.

2. Multiple sizes of content frames can be placed in the aforementioned layout pattern. The content processing system according to claim 1, wherein the requesting unit requests bids for content to be allocated to content frames of all sizes that can be placed in the layout pattern.

3. The aforementioned determination unit, The content processing system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the receiving unit determines a layout pattern in which the content frames for which bids have been received in response to a request from the requesting unit are arranged such that the total number of content frames is minimized.

4. The aforementioned determination unit, A content processing system according to claim 1 or claim 2, which determines the layout pattern based on the bid price for the content slot.

5. The aforementioned determination unit, The receiving unit determines a candidate determination unit which arranges one or more of the content frames that have been received by the receiving unit as layout pattern candidates, and each of these arrangements is a candidate determination unit. A bid price calculation unit calculates the total bid price for each of the layout pattern candidates, which is the total bid price for the content frames included in the layout pattern candidates. The content processing system according to claim 4, further comprising: a layout determination unit that determines the layout pattern candidate that results in the highest total amount as the final layout pattern.

6. Let the size of the content frame that can be placed in the layout pattern be 1 / Mt, where Mt = K ｔ (wherein K is a prime number other than 1, and t is a non-negative integer), and using a certain constant K, the maximum number of content frames of size 1 / Mt that can be placed in the layout pattern is Mt. ｍａｘ In that case, The aforementioned determination unit, 1 / Mt ｍａｘ A sorting process that arranges bids for the aforementioned content slots in descending order of bid price, A grouping process that creates one or more bid sets by combining K bids arranged in descending order of price, For the aforementioned set of bids, a calculation process is performed to calculate the total amount of the bid prices, Mt ｍａｘ to give ｍａｘ One size smaller t ｍａｘ‐１ 1 / Mt using ｍａｘ‐１ The bid prices for the content slots of a given size are compared with the total bid prices of the bid set, and a re-sorting process is performed to sort them in descending order of price. The determination unit repeatedly performs the grouping process of the bids or bid sets that have undergone the resorting process, the calculation process, and the resorting process, while sequentially decreasing the value of t by one until t = 0. The content processing system according to claim 4, which determines a layout pattern in which either a content frame of size 1 / M0 using t=0, or a plurality of content frames corresponding to the highest bid set as a result of repeating the above process, is arranged.

7. The receiving unit further includes a unit price calculation unit which calculates a unit price for each content frame from which the receiving unit has received a bid by dividing the bid price or the amount obtained by subtracting a predetermined amount from the bid price by the size information value of the content frame. The content processing system according to claim 4, wherein the determination unit determines the layout pattern so as to include the content frame with the highest size unit price calculated by the unit price calculation unit.

8. The aforementioned determination unit, For all bids received by the receiving unit, the unit price calculation unit determines the placement priority in descending order of the size unit price calculated by the unit price calculation unit. The content processing system according to claim 7, which determines a layout pattern so that the content frames are arranged in order of the highest arrangement priority.

9. The content processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a re-request unit that requests a re-bidding for content to be assigned to a content frame based on re-bidding conditions that change the bidding conditions for the content frame, if the layout pattern is an incomplete layout pattern in which there is a content frame included in the layout pattern for which a specific bid has not been determined by the determination unit.

10. The aforementioned re-request unit, The content processing system according to claim 9, wherein the re-bidding conditions include either or both of the following: changing the targeting information relating to the user receiving the data output by the output unit, and providing content frame information relating to the content frame for which a specific bid has been decided, which is included in the incomplete layout pattern.

11. The content processing system according to claim 1, further comprising a bidding condition modification unit that modifies and stores the bidding conditions in order to use as initial values ​​for the bidding conditions of the next auction, in accordance with either or both of the bidding results received in the receiving unit in response to a request by the request unit, and the layout pattern or the decision result of the specific bid by the decision unit.

12. A content processing method performed by a content processing system that solicits bids through an auction and outputs content, A request step that requests bids for content to be allocated to one or more content slots based on specified bidding conditions, A receiving step receives a bid in response to the request in the aforementioned request step, A determination step to determine a layout pattern in which one or more of the content frames for which bids were received in the receiving step are arranged, and a specific bid that fits the content frames included in the layout pattern, The acquisition step involves acquiring the specific content related to the specific bid that was determined in the aforementioned decision step, A generation unit that generates output data for the specific content by assigning the specific content acquired in the acquisition step to the content frame of the layout pattern, An output step which outputs data based on the output data generated by the generation unit, A content processing method having the following characteristics.

13. For computers, A request process that requests bids for content to be allocated to one or more content slots based on specified bidding conditions, The bid receiving process receives a bid in response to the request processed by the aforementioned request process, A layout pattern in which one or more of the content frames for which bids have been received in the aforementioned receiving process are arranged, and a decision process determines a specific bid that is suitable for the content frames included in the layout pattern. An acquisition process for acquiring specific content related to the specific bid, for assigning and outputting it to the content frame of the layout pattern, A content processing program to execute [the specified action].

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